Chapter 1

I will die today.

“My lady, His Grace has arrived.”

As I stood by the door, waiting for my husband, the butler quietly informed me. I nodded slightly at his words.

‘What will he say to me this time…’

Staring at the mansion’s main gate, which had yet to open, I thought bitterly to myself. If nothing happened, he would simply brush past me with his cold gaze.

If he was in a foul mood, he’d drive a sharp knife of words into me before going inside.

I wondered what kind of mood my husband would be in today, and how I could avoid being hurt as much as possible.

Just then, the gate opened and my tall husband stepped inside.

My husband, Edward Winderton, was the very definition of a perfect head of the Winderton ducal family.

Cold reason, keen intelligence, and an exceptional business acumen that always distinguished profit from loss with remarkable clarity.

Moreover, he had no interest in women, and even his natural desires were perfectly controlled—a man colder than ice.

Even if we were less than strangers, as his wife, I was no exception.

As he walked up, absently fiddling with the watch on his wrist, he stopped right in front of me and looked down as if inspecting a servant.

“You’re waiting out here again.”

“Yes, Your Grace”

Throughout our marriage, my husband and I were less than strangers. Because I knew how he truly felt about me, I kept my distance and called him ‘Your Grace’

If only we’d never met… if only His Majesty the Emperor had never intervened in our marriage…

‘Would things have been any different between us…?’

I swallowed back the words I could never say to my husband, letting them sink in my throat, and, just like always, let out a dry reply. For some reason, my mouth tasted bitter.

“Do you have something to say to me?”

“No. I was just thinking how you’ve always been the same throughout our marriage.”

“You haven’t changed either, Your Grace.”

I could tell. My husband’s mood today was low. More precisely, it was closer to unpleasant.

His lips, which were always perfectly symmetrical, were just slightly crooked, and his tie was loosened around his neck.

It was a look that didn’t suit the always impeccably dressed man I knew.

“Oh, and… Lady Kidman will be visiting again today. She’ll be joining us for dinner, so please let the chef know.”

“Yes, I’ll let the chef know.”

I smiled faintly. Telling the chef this news would be my last task as the lady of the house.

A wave of emptiness swept over me.

“Well then, I’ll go in.”

“Please do, Your Grace.”

My husband, apparently finished speaking, walked past me. Without a trace of hesitation in his step, I turned and watched his back as he left.

“Be happy… my love.”

For the first time, I called him by the endearment I’d always wanted to say. Of course, it was so quiet he couldn’t possibly have heard.

When he was finally out of sight, I headed to the kitchen.

***

Night fell, and the darkness settled thick and heavy. Even though it was still early, a biting chill wrapped around my body.

The bedroom window was wide open, and cold air swept in through the gap.

I sat in a chair just beneath the window, wearing only a thin nightdress, a beautiful but sharp dagger clutched in my hand.

The blade shimmered coldly, scattering a frosty light.

It seemed that, no matter what touched it, that cold light would always remain beautiful.

‘Am I losing my mind now…’

If only I hadn’t come to Winderton Manor, if only I hadn’t taken the name Winderton… would I have been happy? That was a question I couldn’t answer.

But there was another question I could answer. At the very least, if I hadn’t taken the name Winderton, Edward would have been happy.

As soon as I had that thought, tears welled up in my faded, colorless gray-blue eyes.

I gazed at my blurry reflection in the dim bedroom.

‘So this really is the end…’

It hadn’t even been a year, but I loved my husband. I tried my best to be a good wife.

But after discovering Lady Kidman—the only woman my husband ever allowed by his side—all my efforts were meaningless.

‘There was never any room for me from the start.’

It hurt just to know the two of them were together, but what was worse was knowing I never had a place between them.

To those two, I was always the villain.

“It’s time for the villain to step aside.”

I looked down at the dagger, stained with the traces of fallen tears, and let out a bitter laugh. Then, without hesitation, I raised the dagger.

“Ah…!”

A searing pain spread from the wound, racing quickly throughout my entire body.

“Ah….”

With trembling hands, I barely managed to touch the spot where the pain began. My whole body felt feverish, and tears streamed endlessly down my cheeks.

If God was listening to me now, I hoped there would be no next life.

That was my last thought as my consciousness faded and my heavy body slumped to the floor.

So I could never wake again.

Before I lost consciousness completely, I heard Edward’s frantic voice by my ear.

It was surprising to hear Edward shouting, when I’d always thought he would be indifferent even to my death. But by then, it was already too late.

***

“By order of His Majesty the Emperor of Lucenster, Lirie Scarlett of the House of Scarlett and Edward Winderton of the House of Winderton are to be wed.”

It was my uncle, the Emperor of Lucenster, who pushed me into the hell that was marriage.

“His Majesty the Emperor has commanded your marriage to the Duke of Winderton. This is truly a fortunate thing.”

“……”

My father, the Duke of Scarlett, spoke proudly as he looked at me, adorned in beautiful attire.

I was raised as a beautiful doll according to my father’s wishes. Always a proper lady, always the daughter he wanted, living and learning exactly as he demanded.

And with the help of my mother’s brother, the Emperor of Lucenster, my father succeeded in selling me to the House of Winderton.

Edward Winderton, the young head of the House of Winderton. He was the perfect duke, the most desirable groom every woman dreamed of.

“Lirie Scarlett. Are you not happy?”

“No, Father. I’m truly happy.”

My father asked me as I held my dress tightly and remained silent. His tone was cold, but his touch was gentle.

“You’ll soon become the Duchess of Winderton, the woman all the young ladies of society envy. You should be happy.”

“Yes, Father. I will.”

No matter how hard I tried, the painful truth remained—I was nothing to my father but a well-made doll, something to be sold for a good price.

***

News of my marriage spread quickly, shaking all of high society.

The first to come see me after hearing the news was my second brother, Diden.

“I heard about your engagement, Lirie. You did well. To marry the Duke of Winderton—congratulations.”

Diden approached me during my bridal lessons and spoke in a gentle voice.

I gave him a small smile in response.

“Thank you for congratulating me, Diden.”

He patted my head, looking every bit the affectionate older brother.

“Yes, Lirie. You’re a good sister, so I know you’ll do well.”

“…Yes, of course.”

Satisfied with my answer, Diden smiled warmly as always and left the room.

“My lady. Shall we begin again?”

“Yes, Madame.”

The bridal lesson, briefly interrupted, resumed as soon as Diden left.

But it didn’t last long before being interrupted once more.

“You may leave now, Madame Janet.”

The lesson was interrupted by a cold voice I would never get used to.

“Congratulations on your engagement, Lirie Scarlett.”

The one who entered was Kion Scarlett, the eldest son of House Scarlett—my first brother.

“Thank you, Kion.”

Kion was cold.

A father who never hesitated to show his desires. A brother, Diden, who hid his cold heart behind a warm and gentle facade. Unlike them, Kion was simply cold. He was the same with me.

“This marriage is for the family. Be proud of it.”

“I know very well, brother. I’ll do my best so you won’t have to worry.”

I shrank back as Kion’s cold gaze landed on me.

He treated me with indifference and coldness, and because he was so unpredictable, it was always difficult to face him.

“Lirie Scarlett.”

“Yes, brother.”

Just as he was about to leave the room, Kion stopped and turned back to speak.

“I’ll say this just in case, but don’t even think about doing anything that would disgrace our family.”

It was something I’d heard so many times that I knew exactly how to respond.

“Yes, brother.”

There was nothing I could do but answer obediently.