Prologue

“Is it a ghost?”  

“It’s a person.”  

As soon as Charlotte asked her question, Ras, the servant standing beside her, replied as if it were absurd.

“There’s no such thing as ghosts in this world.”  

“Then how do you explain that unmoving shadow in this freezing weather?”  

When Charlotte, feeling embarrassed, retorted with a pout, Ras glanced briefly at the figure outside the window before speaking again, as if pondering her question.  

“Perhaps it’s a guest who came to meet you but is hesitating because they arrived in the dead of night?”

“It’s past two in the morning, and that’s a very plausible assumption.”  

A title like Viscountess, which didn’t come with estates to manage, allowed one to enjoy the privileges of rank without much responsibility. Add to that the steady passive income from being the owner of the most famous franchise café in Rohadin, and it was the perfect life to indulge in whatever one desired.  

Today, too, had been a perfectly satisfying day, befitting that life. Charlotte was enjoying a drink, celebrating the holiday the next day.  

Winter in Heringen, especially when it snowed, was breathtakingly beautiful. Slightly tipsy, Charlotte had been admiring the snowy scenery outside the window when she noticed someone leaning against the mansion’s front gate.  

It wasn’t just nighttime; it was the early hours of the morning, long past midnight. That figure was suspicious enough to raise her guard.  

What is that…?  

Under Charlotte’s skeptical gaze, the eyes of Ras and another servant, Lida, also turned toward the same spot. Before long, the figure, who had been standing for quite a while, collapsed onto the ground.  

It couldn’t be an assassin or a spy. If it were, they wouldn’t be standing so openly in plain sight.  

As Charlotte debated—not quite arguing—with Ras, Lida entered the room holding a thick cloak.  

“Be careful, Viscountess.”  

“Alright. Lida, stay here. I’ll go with Ras.”  

“Yes.”  

Charlotte tightened the cloak Lida draped over her shoulders and stepped outside with Ras.  

Screech.  

Passing through the garden, they opened the gate to find a man crouched on the ground. He appeared to be a sturdy adult male, but his clothes were torn in several places, revealing a body covered in wounds.  

Exchanging significant glances with Ras, Charlotte mustered her courage and raised her voice.  

“Excuse me?”  

“……”  

At her cautious call, the man flinched and slowly stood up, using the wall for support.  

The brooch on his coat—it looked familiar somehow. Along with it came an inexplicable sense of foreboding that swept over Charlotte.  

“If you stay here, you’ll freeze to dea—”  

But when she finally saw his face as he staggered to his feet, Charlotte couldn’t finish her sentence.  

It was a face she thought she’d never see again.  

“…Erhen?”  

Blue eyes stared straight at her, even in the darkness.  

“Charlotte.”  

As Charlotte, frozen in shock, barely managed to speak, the blood-soaked man called her name, as if he had been waiting, and collapsed into her arms.  

Thud.

She barely managed to catch him as he fell onto her, feeling something heavy drop to the ground at the same time. His faint breaths brushed against her ears, accompanied by the sticky scent of blood emanating from Erhen in her arms.  

“D-doctor…, get a…”  

“P-pardon?”  

Struggling to pull herself together, Charlotte shouted again at Ras, who was equally stunned.  

“Get a doctor, Ras!”  

It had been a year since Charlotte signed the divorce papers and went from being the Duchess of Rosenheim to Viscountess Charlotte Lintz.

Now, she was reunited with her blood-soaked ex-husband.

NOTE: If you are to notice the inconsistency between “marquisate” and “duchy”, based on the context, it could imply that the family was elevated from a marquisate to a duchy after the male lead’s role or achievements.