“Are you really going to kill your wife?”

“……”

“Your Grace.”

The enclosed room, devoid of even a single ray of light, was chilling.

Amid the oppressive atmosphere filled with malice, the man referred to as the duke turned around with a face devoid of expression, like a grim reaper from hell.

In his hand was a dagger. A blade meant to cut open his wife’s chest and extract her heart.

“Do I look like I’m joking right now?”

The man’s name was Icarus de Juan.

He was the duke of the most prestigious noble family in the Kingdom of Tiamor. Just yesterday, he had been enjoying a pleasant date with his wife.

“I’ve prepared flowers that remind me of you.”

“I’m so touched, Juan.”

“I’d do anything to see that beautiful smile of yours.”

Watching his wife shed tears of joy, Icarus had gently kissed her forehead.

The woman who had been the happiest yesterday now lay pale and motionless, as if dead. The party was over.

The candle flames flickered precariously along the inner walls. In the darkness, the man’s dilated pupils revealed his resolute determination.

“I’ve done my duty long enough.”

He had never loved his wife.

Icarus, a man whose very presence exuded an icy wind, had sharp, striking features and deep, melancholic eyes.

“All the effort and time I’ve spent should be compensated with the Kaiya Stone for it to be worth it.”

He had married his wife solely for the jewel. The poor woman had been deceived by her husband’s greed.

“You should take pride in a grand death.”

To fulfill his grand ambition, he needed his wife’s heart. No, to be precise, he needed the jewel inside her heart.

“At last, I have the chance to see it in person.”

Icarus’s eyes, filled with anticipation, gleamed with madness. Amar, his loyal aide, stood by uneasily, gripped by fear and anxiety, as if witnessing an irreversible mistake.

‘He’s truly cold-hearted.’

In the tense and suffocating atmosphere, even swallowing dryly was impossible.

“But you’ve been together for two years now.”

The duke’s brows furrowed instantly. Feeling it himself, he pressed his fingertips against his forehead before letting go.

“Two years, indeed.”

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

From the lavish wedding to the thrilling first night and the moments they whispered sweet nothings to each other. Countless memories flashed through his mind.

“That’s an impertinent question.”

“I’m just worried you might regret it.”

“……”

“I’m concerned.”

Amar had been serving the duke for ten years. Though he always carried out his duties flawlessly, this was the first time his heart felt so conflicted.

“You think too much.”

‘And you care too much.’

Icarus smirked at his overly concerned aide and raised the dagger high. The sharp blade glinted menacingly, as if it could cut through anything it touched. He flattened the blade and lightly placed it on his wife’s body as she lay there. All he had to do was pierce her skin and cut through to her heart.

“You’re still beautiful, Ertel.”

The woman, unaware of what was about to happen, lay peacefully as if asleep, her angelic face serene. She was his bride, the one who held the coveted jewel within her heart.

Icarus smirked darkly.

Through the thin curtains over the window frame, the shadow of a black reaper loomed. The silence was suffocating, as if it could devour everything in an instant.

Unable to bear the sight, Amar lowered his head.

Perhaps that’s why no one noticed it.

Ertel, who lay still with her eyes closed, moved her fingers ever so slightly.

Though everything felt like a vacuum, their voices were painfully clear.

‘What… what are they saying?’

She was alive. She could hear everything.

‘My husband… is going to kill me?’

She tried to speak, but no words came out. Her body wouldn’t move, only her fingers twitched faintly. But she could hear her husband’s words clearly.

It was the same man who had whispered love to her just yesterday. The same man who had promised to protect her forever, brushing her hair gently.

And yet, what was he saying now?

She wanted to rise and demand an explanation, but her body betrayed her will.

‘Did my husband not love me?’

Their conversation shattered Ertel completely.

Death.

The fear of an unexpected and imminent death made her knees feel weak, even as she lay there.

‘Icarus… Icar…’

She wanted to throw herself into his arms, but her body wouldn’t respond.

‘Please…’

She wanted to ask him to help her…

And then, the cold, sharp tip of the dagger touched her skin.

‘Cold.’

Soon, she felt the eerie sensation of her chest being cut open and something inside her slowly draining away.

It was then that she realized she was truly dying.

‘I’m really… dying.’

The blade pierced her firm flesh and began stabbing at what lay inside.

The husband who had whispered sweet words into her ear just yesterday showed no hesitation as he mutilated her.

If there was any consolation, it was that she felt no pain.

‘Icarus.’

Her fragile heart began to crumble.

The dagger cut deeper, slicing through her chest. As it neared its destination, her heart pounded violently.

‘Why do I have to die like this…?’

It was so unfair. Who would have thought that last night’s dinner would be her final meal?

She desperately wished she could turn back time.

Blood splattered onto her pale face. The crimson liquid dripped along the blade, staining Ertel’s body red.

Her white dress turned completely scarlet, creating an oddly beautiful image.

The dagger finally pierced through her sternum. At that moment, Icarus’s wicked smile shone.

“Forgive me, Ertel.”

A hollow apology devoid of any guilt.

What followed was a series of precise, calculated movements.

Mental anguish, chaos, and despair mocked Ertel as they surrounded her.

With no family left, her marriage to Icarus had been her new hope. She had thought she would walk a path of flowers from then on.

‘Why, why.’

She thought she had only been unlucky with parents… but now realized she was unlucky with her husband too.

Before she could even grieve, her strength began to drain away.

Only at the brink of death did she realize she had been born under a cursed fate.

‘So that’s it…’

Expecting her life to change for the better after meeting a man had been foolish.

The short, happy honeymoon period she had shared with him now turned into bitter regret.
His smiles, kind words, and warm embraces—all lies.

Tears welled up faintly in the corners of her eyes.

As her consciousness faded, Ertel felt the warmth of her blood soaking into the sheets beneath her.

‘It must be… blood.’

Her body felt heavy.
Her temperature rose, she felt drowsy, and strangely comfortable.

‘Icar…’

Murmuring his name one last time, she lost consciousness.

And then, an indeterminate amount of time passed.

***

The blood-soaked dress had been replaced with a new one. More than anything, her mind felt clear. Before her stretched a beautiful palace.

‘I want to go there.’

As she hurried her steps, something blocked her path. It was a massive gemstone radiating a turquoise energy.

Startled by the unfamiliar sight, she stepped back.

Before she could comprehend the situation, a voice echoed.

“Ertel.”

It called her name.

“Who… are you?”

“I am Kaiya, the god who resided within your body.”

“Kaiya…?”

That name was the very word her husband had muttered before killing her.

As she began to piece together the connection between the god before her and her death.

Kaiya looked at her with pity.

“You are too precious to die like this. I will turn back time for you.”

“No, it’s fine.”

But Ertel refused.

“I think I’d be happier in that palace.”

It had been a short but tragic life.

At exactly 21 years old, she had lived under constant threat until she met Icarus. She had thought marriage would be her salvation, only to be betrayed so cruelly.

She even wondered if she should never have been born.

So even if time were reversed, she didn’t feel it would bring her any joy.

“Ertel, you must know your destiny.”

“My… destiny?”

“I have been within you since the day you were born.”

The secret of the jewel, unknown even to Ertel herself.

“Now, see for yourself. See the fate you were born with.”

With those words, Kaiya showed her a vision. Ertel was left speechless as she watched.

The vision revealed everything—what Icarus’s true intentions were, how he had approached her, and the cruel truth behind it all.

Her heart shattered as she learned the truth.

‘I can’t believe it.’

Finally, she understood the conversation in the enclosed room.

She now knew why he had married her, despite her lack of wealth, and why he had stabbed her heart without hesitation.

‘So my husband wanted to kill me for this stone.’

She had been naive. She had foolishly believed he married her out of love.

She had tried to lean on him briefly because life was too hard to face alone, and now she was paying the price.

Her misplaced resentment turned inward.

‘What have I been doing for the past two years? What an idiot I’ve been.’

Her once-calm heart churned with turmoil, and the betrayal she felt brought her to tears.

“Ha…”

The desire to give up and rest in peace began to change. She pitied herself too much to let her life end like this.

It felt too cruel to bury her youthful dreams and ambitions in such a manner.

And she couldn’t bear the thought of her husband—her enemy—living happily after all he had done to her.

A single tear fell from her eye.

When she looked at Kaiya again, her gaze was no longer filled with despair. Her eyes now burned with vengeance.

Kaiya, seeing the determination in her eyes, raised his hand.

And with that, time rewound.

To two years ago, when she was 21.