Chapter 1
Rewinding briefly, to that morning.
The day Charlotte reunited with her ex-husband happened to be one of those particularly delightful days among the many satisfying ones in her new life.
“Viscountess.”
A soft voice called Charlotte’s name. Turning her gaze toward the source, she saw a cup of coffee placed before her with a clinking sound.
“This is a sample of the new coffee beans we received. The aroma is amazing—it’s good enough to add to the menu right away.”
The owner of the gentle voice was Emmet, a barista at the café. As he said, the coffee’s aroma was delightful. Charlotte set down the documents she had been reviewing and smiled.
“If it’s your judgment, Emmet, there’s no reason to doubt it.”
When she responded with a cheerful grin, Emmet smiled shyly and continued speaking.
“These beans are from the Ramabel region. The sweet fragrance is so unique that I think they’ll be popular with our female customers.”
“Thanks to your looks, we already have female customers lining up outside the door every day. Just look over there.”
Charlotte chuckled, and Emmet’s face instantly turned bright red. However, Charlotte wasn’t lying. It was an unchanging truth that an attractive employee could work wonders in drawing in customers.
As a manager, Charlotte was very pleased with Emmet as an employee, knowing how much his exceptional appearance contributed to sales.
“Just kidding. You’re right—the coffee smells wonderful. I’ll think about adding the beans.”
“Thank you!”
Charlotte, still smiling, watched Emmet shuffle away awkwardly before turning her gaze outside the window.
It was a masterpiece. The sunlight sparkled on the waves, scattering like white diamonds, adorning the café like a painting.
The full-length windows showcasing the beauty of the Heringen sea were a point of pride for the Heringen branch of the café “Blumen,” unmatched anywhere else in Rohadin.
Charlotte clasped the warm coffee cup in her hands, visually soaking in the chill of the winter sea.
“Perfect…”
Indeed, her life was perfect. How much had she longed for this life in her previous existence?
Even though she had reincarnated under favorable conditions, it had taken three whole years to settle into a life as carefree as this.
Those three years had been nothing short of tumultuous.
Sipping her coffee, Charlotte reflected on the past three years.
She had been Charlotte Rothschild, the beloved youngest daughter of the Rothschild family, which operated “Sonne,” the largest construction company in the Rohadin Empire. In her previous life, one might have called her the cherished youngest daughter of a wealthy conglomerate family. In short, her reincarnation had been a stroke of luck.
Except for one thing—she was destined to die soon.
“Why is it that death always seems inevitable in reincarnation stories?”
The world Charlotte had reincarnated into was the setting of a fantasy novel, ‘The Glorious Rebellion’, which she had read at the recommendation of a senior during her graduate school days.
The story revolved around the northern Grand Duke’s righteous rebellion against the tyranny of Emperor Rufus of the Rohadin Empire. The rebellion succeeded, and the Grand Duke ascended the throne to rule the nation.
Charlotte’s role in this world? She was the Empress of the deposed tyrant—a minor character who briefly appeared in the middle of the story before fading away.
The tyrant, who indulged in both oppression and extravagance, married Charlotte, a commoner, to fill the vacant position of Empress when the imperial treasury ran dry.
It was called a selection, but in truth, it was a ploy. As a commoner, Charlotte had no power to refuse the Emperor’s offer. The Rothschild family, rich but powerless, became his personal treasure trove.
Needless to say, the tyrant seized the company and ruined the Rothschild family.
Fortunately, Charlotte realized she had reincarnated before any of that happened—on her 20th birthday.
In her previous life, she had been a graduate student who had to quit her studies due to a terminal illness. She spent what remained of her life in hospitals and eventually passed away at home when she could no longer afford treatment. She refused to let herself die so helplessly in this life.
And so, Charlotte knew what she had to do: grab hold of the protagonist’s buff and survive!
In situations like this, a contractual marriage was the go-to solution. Learning from past examples was always a wise approach. Charlotte proposed a two-year contract marriage to a supporting character who shared her fate in the novel. She even added a touch of personal affection, as he had been her favorite character.
The man in question was Erhen Rosenheim, Marquis of the territory where the Rothschild estate was located. He was responsible for his bankrupt family and had assisted the protagonist, Grand Duke Michael Düsseldorf, in the rebellion, ultimately sacrificing himself in the process.
“Why two years, specifically?”
Because in one year, the tyrant’s marriage proposal would arrive, and in two years, the nation would be turned upside down.
Of course, Charlotte couldn’t say that. Instead, she used the country’s laws to make her case more convincing.
There were only two ways for a commoner like her to gain a noble title: earn one through great service to the country or marry a noble.
Charlotte decided to use her knowledge of the original story to achieve the former. Since no one would listen to a commoner, she needed to become a noble through marriage first.
If she had to live in a society with a rigid class system, being a wealthy noble was better than being a wealthy commoner, wasn’t it?
“I have something I want to do. If you could just fulfill the legal marriage period of two years, that would be enough.”
Using marriage for her personal goals—truly a move befitting the bourgeois daughter of the Rothschild family.
Erhen chuckled, as if he couldn’t understand her reasoning. If what Charlotte said was true, her marriage partner didn’t necessarily have to be him. After all, there were plenty of nobles eager to marry into the Rothschild fortune.
However, marrying a commoner or a lesser noble would leave her vulnerable to the Emperor’s coercion. To protect herself, she needed to align with someone beyond the Emperor’s reach—someone like one of the Grand Duke’s allies.
Moreover, Erhen, with his impoverished family, was the perfect person to make use of Charlotte’s “weapon,” her wealth.
Of course, the fact that he was described as the most handsome character in the novel also played a part.
“If you marry me, I’ll pay off the your debts in full, Marquis.”
She made sure to present a contract that guaranteed mutual benefit, ensuring it wouldn’t be a losing deal for either side.
“I’ll do it. That contract marriage.”
For whatever reason, Erhen agreed, and Charlotte became the contractual Marchioness.
Two years later, as the original story foretold, the rebellion succeeded, and Rohadin transformed from an empire into a kingdom. The couple divorced as per their agreement, and Charlotte was granted the title of Viscountess for her contributions, which she had subtly orchestrated.
Everything ended happily. Regardless of her feelings, she believed it was the best ending for everyone.
***
One year later.
Charlotte was living a content life.
She had finally achieved the kind of life she had only dreamed of in her previous existence—a life where she could do anything she wanted.
And tomorrow was the café’s long-awaited holiday. Charlotte couldn’t wait to return home after sunset and spend the night drinking and playing with Lida and Ras.
She had no idea she would soon cross paths with someone from her past.
***
After a long time, the doctor finally rose from his seat.
Charlotte, who had been watching the entire hectic treatment process, looked at him as he began to speak.
“The critical moment has passed safely.”
Unconsciously, Charlotte let out the breath she had been holding. Along with it, her heart, which had been pounding rapidly, began to settle back into its normal rhythm.
“Fortunately, the internal injuries are not severe. However, the depletion of his magic is extreme, so he will need sufficient time to recover before waking up.”
“You’ve worked so hard. Thank you.”
Her voice carried a mix of relief and gratitude, prompting the doctor to observe her complexion.
Since discovering Erhen drenched in blood, her face had remained deathly pale up until now.
“I’ll leave a sedative for you as well, Viscountess. You seem to need it.”
“Oh… Thank you for coming at such a late hour.”
After finishing her words, Charlotte placed the medicine on the bedside table and began to gather her clothes. She then called for Ras, who had been standing nearby.
“Ras, please escort the doctor home.”
“Will you be alright on your own?”
Charlotte nodded.
“Are you sure?”
“Lida is here too, isn’t she?”
As she gave Ras a gentle smile to ease his concern, he reluctantly followed the doctor out.
Once Lida, Ras, and the doctor had left the room, Charlotte turned her gaze to the man lying motionless on the bed.
His black hair, usually neat and orderly—a testament to his upright and disciplined nature—was now limp and disheveled. Beneath it, his eyes remained heavily closed.
He looked as if he might wake up at any moment, call her name with his usual indifference, just as he always did.
Charlotte shook her head at the thought.
“Erhen…”
Erhen Rosenheim.
The Duke closest to the King of Rohadin and the greatest magician in the Kingdom.
And once, he had been Charlotte’s husband.
“But how on earth did he find my house?”
He had been a man so indifferent during their marriage that it seemed not a drop of blood would flow if you pricked him.
It was strange enough that someone who barely seemed to notice her during their occasional meetings as a married couple was now lying in such a state outside her home.
Charlotte had given him a life different from the one in the original story. All that should have been left for him was to live happily.
Yet here Erhen was, covered in countless wounds, lying unconscious before her.
Hadn’t this story already ended in a happy ending?
Charlotte bit her lip hard.
Of the two who had escaped their fates of death in the original story, one had now returned to her doorstep, once again wrapped in the shadow of death.
Something was wrong.
Something was terribly wrong.
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