The wedding of Helena Winston and Benjamin Ishpern was as pompous and elegant as the union of two noble houses could be – though the truth behind the marriage was far from what it seemed.

The ceremony took place in Hodlin, the territory of the bride’s family. In keeping with longstanding tradition, Count Adrian Winston, Helena’s father, held a three-day celebration to mark his daughter’s marriage.

The whole town was filled with the scent of orange blossom, and young maidens in starched white aprons came out into the square to dance.

While the festivities were lively and exuberant, the wedding itself – held at the Winston family estate – was more solemn and dignified.

The man, his long black hair slicked back neatly and dressed in his wedding suit, was the first to recite the vows.

“…Therefore, as head of the Ishpern family and steward of the great estate of Burwood, I vow before God and our two honourable houses that we will go forward as a wise and discerning husband and wife, united in body and soul as true partners.”

It was a sunny afternoon, and the man was about to say his vows in the beautifully decorated wedding hall.

But for some reason, he looked more like a dark beast lurking in a shadowy forest, waiting for its prey.

With cold, pale skin, eyes the colour of blood, and a physique so powerfully built it seemed almost predatory, he exuded a raw, untamed aura that was both beautiful and terrifying.

This was Benjamin Ishpern, the man who would become Helena’s husband after this ceremony.

After the vows, Benjamin handed the document to his bride with a touch so overly formal it felt more like an insult than a courtesy, a gesture so distant it bordered on cold rejection.

“……”

But Helena did not take it.

With her wavy auburn hair covered in a shimmering bridal veil, and dressed in a pure white gown to symbolise her role as bride, Helena stood without an ounce of desire to marry the man before her.

Raising her eyes – green and shining like emeralds – she stared at Benjamin’s outstretched hand holding the vows and thought to herself:

‘Lunatic.’

For some reason, his hand seemed to reek of blood, and she instinctively wrinkled her nose in disgust.

Then Benjamin spoke again.

“Helena.”

His calm voice, void of any real emotion, suddenly felt like it was tightening around her throat.

“Take it.”

Helena took a deep breath and turned her gaze slightly to the side.

Her family—the members of House Winston—were watching her with eyes filled with equal parts concern and hope.

Feeling the weight of their anxious stares on her skin, Helena took a steadying breath inwardly.

‘It’s too late to turn back now.’

It was impossible to escape.

Slowly, Helena extended her hand.

She took Benjamin’s vows as if she were holding a handful of shattered glass.

Her lips trembled once, then finally began to move.

“I, Helena Winston… take you, Benjamin Ishpern… to be my husband.”

As she read the first line of the vows, Helena felt a surge of emotion.

She had never considered her circumstances to be particularly happy.

But at that moment she realised just how lucky she really had been.

She turned her head slightly to look at her father, Adrian Winston.

She had always thought him too soft and unreliable to rely on.

But the moment she stepped out from under his shadow, she understood – it was his gentle love that had shaped the person she was today.

Helena also glanced at her stepmother, Mia Winston.

Only yesterday they had been arguing about something trivial, as they often did.

But now that she had to go so far away that even these little quarrels would no longer be possible, her heart filled with sadness.

She had fought with her stepmother countless times – and hated her just as much. But through all those arguments, a bond had formed.

Even now, of all the members of House Winston, Mia was the only one who shed tears quietly.

And what about her half-siblings, who clung to her no matter how often she pushed them away, screaming that she didn’t want them around?

Would there ever be anyone else in her life who would love her with such blind devotion?

Even after teasing them mercilessly or slapping her head until they burst into tears, they would always come running back, shouting “Unnie! Noona!” and wiping their runny noses on the hem of her skirt.

How could she never have realised how precious their love really was?

And her friends – who she would rarely see now.

She had once thought of them as pleasant company, but not essential.

Only now did she understand how deeply they had enriched her life.

“…I am grateful that the life I will now live with you is longer than the days I lived without knowing you.”

She had been immature and arrogant.

“I will always respect you… and be a loving wife.”

Helena bit the inside of her cheek as she said the word love.

She had bitten down so hard with her canine tooth that there was a sharp crack.

And it wasn’t just a sound. A sharp pain tore through the inside of her mouth and a strong metallic taste of blood spread across the tip of her tongue.

That was when Benjamin called her name.

“Helena.”

Helena looked at him with eyes that burned like fire.

‘What, you bastard.’

Her gaze was filled with utter disgust – either the kind that made her want to die or the kind that made her want to kill him.

But despite that, the expression that appeared on Benjamin’s lips was a faint, knowing smile.

“Thank you.”

Then, to her astonishment, he slowly raised his hand and reached for her cheek.

With a touch as if he were holding a precious treasure, Benjamin gently stroked her cheek and jaw as he spoke:

“I too will love only you for the rest of my life.”

At his sweet whisper, Helena nearly smashed the large bouquet she was holding into his face.

As she breathed heavily, trying to control herself, Benjamin’s hand came into view.

The white glove that had just caressed her cheek and jaw was now stained with a bright red drop.

Benjamin noticed and a strange gleam flickered in his eyes.

As he looked at the blood on his glove, he ran his tongue lightly over his lips – as if to savour the thought.

It happened in an instant. The glint in his eyes and the movement of his tongue were so subtle that no one else would have noticed.

But Helena saw it.

‘That crazy bastard.’

And Benjamin knew that she had seen it.

His blood-red eyes gleamed like polished glass as they slowly swept over her, as if licking her with his gaze.

That cold-blooded stare, void of even a shadow of emotion, sent a shiver down her spine.

‘Come on, Helena. Pull yourself together.’

Helena turned her gaze back to the vows.

The wedding couldn’t be undone now, no matter what.

‘Benjamin Ishpern… You probably think everything is going exactly the way you want, don’t you? But there’s one thing you don’t know – I’m Helena Winston. So come on, let’s see what you’ve got.’

With that determination, even this meaningless vow felt like something she could read a hundred times without hesitation.

Helena began to read the vow with fierce determination – as if she were announcing a declaration of war.

“Therefore, as head of the Ishpern family and steward of the great territory, I vow before God and our two honourable houses that we will go forward as a wise and discerning husband and wife, united in body and soul as true partners.”

At the end of their recitation, the priest said.

“We hereby declare before God that these two are now husband and wife.”