Chapter 1: Prologue

Deng-grung, deng-grung. 

The bell in the bell tower rang loudly. Priests in ornate and thick ceremonial robes rushed out, pulled the ropes and rang the bell. At this signal, the sluggish crowd slowly gathered into a single mass and moved towards the wide-open temple doors. 

“Finally, they’re letting us in.” 

“Ugh, I thought I was going to freeze to death.” 

“Wasn’t this supposed to start much sooner?” 

“Do you think His Grace, the Grand Duke, has overslept again?” 

“Oh, come on, on a day like today?” 

“Haven’t you heard?” 

The murmur continued quietly before fading away. The temple, vast and with a high vaulted ceiling, seemed rather empty and bare, especially considering the event scheduled for the day. 

There weren’t even any garlands, a common decoration for such occasions. Even the white bouquets that symbolise marriage were sparsely placed, with only a few decorating the altar where the priests would stand. 

As the guests entered and took in the scene, they whispered to each other. 

“Isn’t it much too simple? It’s still the Grand Duke’s wedding.” 

“You haven’t heard anything, have you?” 

“Heard what?” 

“They say the bride is the wrong one.” 

The listener’s eyes widened in shock, and the speaker clicked his tongue in disapproval. 

“The Imperial Family has apparently sent another princess instead of Princess Léanne.” 

“How could they do such a thing?” 

“It turns out there’s another princess in the Imperial Family. She’s illegitimate, born to a maid, or so they say.” 

“Does this mean that His Grace the Grand Duke has been deceived?” 

“What do they take our Ilmos Grand Duchy for, I wonder?” 

As whispers of anger spread like waves through the crowd, the piercing melody of the organ rose through the air, cutting sharply into the rising tension. 

The murmuring crowd hastily fell silent and turned their eyes forward. Soon, an elderly priest slowly ascended the altar. He scanned the crowd with an expression that suggested he was as displeased as everyone else. 

“The ruler of the Blessed Land of Ice and sovereign of the Grand Duchy of Ilmos… His Grace, Grand Duke Theodor of Ilmos, will now make his entrance.” 

At these words, the Grand Duke of Ilmos appeared, radiating an icy aura. 

The young man with deep navy blue hair, almost indigo, and piercing black eyes was undeniably handsome. However, the faint lines of a perpetual frown etched into his forehead detracted from his appeal. This was the result of his habitually cynical expression. 

Furthermore, despite the fact that it was his wedding, he had eschewed formal attire in favour of what appeared to be hastily gathered hunting clothes. The sight of him so casually dressed drew sombre looks from some of those present. 

Most of his vassals, however, understood his attitude. The Grand Duke had gone to great lengths to secure Princess Léanne. Hadn’t he recently paid an extravagant tribute to the Imperial family? 

“And yet what we’ve received is an illegitimate child of a maid.” 

“His Grace the Grand Duke was thoroughly mocked, utterly ridiculed.” 

The Emperor’s snake-like schemes had deeply offended many of the Grand Duchy’s vassals. 

“The bride herself may bear little responsibility…”

But here, by her very existence, she would inevitably become the living embodiment of sin. She would symbolise how little the Imperial family thought of the Grand Duchy of Ilmos, and serve as a bitter reminder of the Grand Duke’s distasteful failure. 

The Grand Duke’s displeasure was evident as he strode forward with long, firm strides. The crowd parted before him, each person bowing and greeting him as he passed. 

“Your Grace.” 

“Welcome, Your Grace.” 

At the end of these formalities, the Grand Duke ascended the altar. A crooked smile tugged at the corners of his lips. 

“Now then, let us…” 

“Just get on with it.” 

As the priest prepared to call the bride, the Grand Duke shook his head and replied. 

“There’s no need to bother with flowery words or embellishments.” 

“But, Your Grace…”

“What do you expect from a fake princess?” 

At these words, everyone present let out a collective gasp. Even if the situation was as it was, calling the princess sent by the Imperial Family a “fake” was bound to cause trouble later. 

However, the Grand Duke seemed completely unconcerned. 

“Hurry up. I told you to just call her, no fuss.” 

“Well…” 

“I just want to get this farce of a ceremony over with and go hunting.”

The Grand Duke snapped again, irritated. 

The priest, looking a little concerned, complied with the Grand Duke’s request and raised his voice. 

“…Bride, Elliope Kartan, please step forward.” 

Normally, the bride’s name would have been preceded by a long string of phrases praising the Imperial family. But without such embellishments, the bride appeared. 

“……” 

It was obvious that she had been prepared in a hurry, as her appearance was somewhat haphazard, with even her veil not properly arranged. Still, this allowed the crowd to see her face clearly. 

The bride, with her light pink hair and pale green eyes, was undeniably beautiful. Her slender frame and delicate wrists looked so fragile they could be held in one hand. Her long, delicate eyelashes shimmered in the overhead light, and although her face was barely made up, her lips stood out, strikingly vivid and red. 

Her thin, delicate features and high-bridged nose bore no resemblance to the aging visage of the Emperor. Only her pale green eyes served as proof of her imperial lineage, marking her as the Emperor’s daughter. 

“Even if she’s a fake, she’s still pretty, isn’t she?” 

“She should be, considering she’s illegitimate.” 

“Still, she’s no match for Princess Léanne.” 

“Of course not. Princess Léanne is considered the most beautiful woman, not only in the Empire, but on the entire continent.” 

Despite the appraising looks and whispered judgements, Elliope Kartan walked forward with a face as serene as a porcelain doll. Her appearance may have been modest and unassuming, but her expression betrayed neither regret nor discontent. 

The Grand Duke, who had been grinning crookedly, became even more hostile as he took in the sight of the beautiful bride. His expression became so sour that it seemed he might spit on the floor at any moment. 

Finally, the bride was standing directly opposite him. As the priest began to speak, the Grand Duke interrupted again. 

“I told you to be brief.”

“…….”

“How many times do I have to tell you to hurry?” 

Even at words that would have made any other bride turn pale with fear, Elliope remained completely unfazed. The Grand Duke of Ilmos looked at her, his expression growing even darker, as if her composure offended him even more. 

The priest, nervous and uncomfortable, hastily condensed the long vows and declarations into a short version. 

“Your Grace, do you swear in the name of harmony, purity and chastity to enter into this marriage?” 

“Yes.” 

Of course, “purity” and “chastity” were hardly words befitting the Grand Duke of Ilmos, who was known to surround himself with mistresses. But everyone tactfully ignored the contradiction. 

The same question was then asked of the princess. 

“Princess Elliope Kartan, do you swear in the name of harmony, purity and chastity to enter into this marriage?” 

At that moment – 

“……!” 

The princess’ gaze sharpened. The woman, who had been staring at the floor, suddenly raised her eyes and glared at the Grand Duke of Ilmos. 

Her piercing stare, so intense it was almost murderous, made the Grand Duke jump. 

Then a clear, melodious voice came from the bride’s lips. 

“No.” 

“…….” 

It took a moment for the people to realise that this was her answer to the priest’s question. Soon, a wave of astonishment swept through the temple. 

“Did I hear that right?” 

“It’s not enough that she’s a fake princess, but now she’s…” 

Gasps of disbelief rippled through the crowd. 

The illegitimate princess, sent by the Imperial Family to marry the Grand Duke, had just rejected the sacred marriage vow. 

It was a moment when the shock hit everyone a beat late, but with undeniable force. 

“How could she…!” 

Just as someone raised their voice in protest, Elliope spoke again. 

“My deepest apologies, Your Grace.”

“……” 

“I was sent to marry Your Grace, but after arriving in the Grand Duchy of Ilmos, I lost my purity.” 

Thunk. 

The sound of someone’s jaw literally dropping could be heard. 

It was a confession that, depending on how you heard it, could be considered deeply humiliating. Yet the Princess made it without the slightest trace of shame or hesitation. 

“And so, in the name of harmony, purity and chastity, I cannot swear. I ask for your understanding.” 

“…Princess.” 

A grinding sound escaped the Grand Duke’s clenched jaw. His face flushed with anger as he slammed his fist down on the altar. 

“You dare to undermine the treaty between the Imperial Family and the Grand Duchy of Ilmos -” 

“But fortunately, the contract can still be fulfilled.” 

Her next words froze the room in an icy silence, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over everyone present. The suffocating tension filled the air, and it seemed that the only person breathing normally was the princess herself – the very cause of the commotion. 

With her head held high, the princess slowly shifted her gaze. The gathered crowd instinctively followed her gaze, their eyes moving as one. 

“…Kallian.” 

The name spat out like venom from the Grand Duke’s lips as he too followed her gaze. 

Kallian Icerick. 

None other than the Grand Duke’s closest confidant, his loyal knight and the Grand Duchy’s commander-in-chief. 

The man who had loyally slain the Grand Duke’s enemies at his command now gazed at the princess with calm, detached eyes. His ever cold blue gaze unsettled those who had just heard the princess’s shocking confession, leaving them dazed and disbelieving. 

“Wasn’t Sir Kallian supposed to despise women?” 

“What on earth is the princess talking about?” 

Ignoring the murmurs of the crowd, Elliope took a deep breath and continued. 

“If the one who took my purity is willing to take full responsibility for me.”

A tense air, neither cold nor hot, cut through the room. 

“Then I will marry someone from the Ilmos Grand Duchy, fulfilling the contract between the Imperial Family and the Grand Duchy.” 

Her words fell heavily, echoing through the room like a hammer blow. 

The man’s eyes, always so cold, now blazed with an intensity that seemed almost otherworldly. It was as if he had waited a lifetime for this moment. 

The sound of the ceremonial armour the knights wore echoed as he moved. Kallian Icerick, usually silent and cold, now walked towards the altar with eyes so heated that it seemed he could set the world on fire. 

Upon reaching the altar, Kallian knelt on one knee and extended his hand to the bride of the day. Without a hint of hesitation, Elliope placed her hand in his, her expression as unwavering as ever. 

Kallian brought her hand to his lips, pressing them against the back of her hand with a hunger that bordered on desperation. The searing warmth of his kiss seemed to seep between her fingers, lingering even when he finally pulled away. 

“Please forgive my infidelity, Your Grace.” 

“Kallian, you…” 

“I, Kallian Icerick.”

His words rang clearly through the razor-sharp tension in the air. 

“I will take responsibility for my actions and take Princess Elliope Kartan as my wife.” 

It was a declaration powerful enough to shake the entire Grand Duchy of Ilmos.