Chapter 1

I had been locked up in the mansion for a month. During that month, I heard no news from the outside world, nor could I see my newborn baby.

I begged my husband, Kazak, to let me nurse the baby just once, but all I got in return were cold words.

“The nanny is taking good care of the baby. You just behave yourself.”

“But our baby is sick. You know that.“

“It’s all because you didn’t take care of yourself! The nanny is much better than you, so don’t worry!”

When we first got married, Kazak was a kind husband, but at some point, he became a completely different person.

He showed no interest in the baby, did nothing to uphold my dignity at social events, and even ate meals separately in his study. He never accepted my invitations to tea time.

But all of that was bearable. I could endure it for the love of my baby and husband.

It was even somewhat tolerable when he secretly started seeing another woman.

It was about six months ago, right after giving birth. My family, the Count of Winsley, announced they would lead the charge in the Riar Beast Extermination operation.

The Winsley family was a prestigious border count family, with most members holding knighthood. Even though I had to forget about it after getting married, I was one of them, too.

“I want to join the beast extermination operation.”

I knew Kazak wouldn’t like it, but I was desperate. I wanted to regain the honor I had forgotten after marrying Kazak.

“Are you crazy?“

“I won’t be at the forefront. I’ll be as careful as possible…“

“What would people say if the wife is exterminating beasts while the husband does nothing? Do you want to embarrass me?“

“Then you could join me…”

Slap! The sound of his palm hitting my cheek echoed in my ear. Kazak had struck me.

It was humiliating to be hit by my husband, but the real issue began after that.

“Lock this woman in the upstairs room. If she escapes, no one will be forgiven!“

“Kazak! You can’t do this to me!”

I immediately protested, but Kazak didn’t even look back. The attendants ignored my pleas and roughly dragged me upstairs, twisting my arms.

The room upstairs was already prepared to imprison me. The door and windows were locked, making it impossible to leave.

I spent a month crying in that room. My knees, scraped from being dragged, still hurt, but my worry for my family and longing for my baby was more significant.

Kazak came to see me only once, probably because it would have been troublesome if I died.

“Your family is fine. Understand? Don’t do anything foolish.“

That’s what Kazak said. But when I finally left the room a month later, the news I heard was entirely different.

The Riar Beast Extermination operation was no longer called by that name.

It was now known as the Riar-Winsley Rebellion. They said the Winsley family had plotted treason!

What pained me even more was that my baby had passed away after a long illness, and the funeral had already taken place.

Unable to comprehend, I questioned Kazak, but he offered no proper explanation. He only threatened to lock me back in the upstairs room if I kept pressing.

“You’re alive thanks to being married to me, so keep that in mind.”

I would have preferred to die with my baby. But I had unfinished business. I had to restore my family’s honor.

There was no way my family had committed treason. They were the type who would rather choose death than lose their honor. Something was definitely wrong.

I scoured information brokers, buying their intel. I could do this because Kazak paid no attention to me.

Kazak squandered my family’s money on women, alcohol, and even drugs.

There was no way he could know what I was up to.

When I finally discovered that the rebellion was linked to the Second Prince, Cain, and his struggle for the throne,

“Ugh…”

I coughed up blood. This happened occasionally, but the family physician always said it was nothing serious and prescribed simple medicine.

Kazak, who watched from the side, accused me of being melodramatic despite doing nothing.

Worried, I sought another doctor. He told me,

“My Lady, you don’t have much time left. Your organs are failing.“

“Since when…? No, that doesn’t matter. How much time do I have left?”

My hands trembled as I asked. I needed more time to clear my family’s name. The doctor shook his head.

“I can’t say for sure, but at most, a month… That’s if you rest completely. I’ve never seen a condition like this in all my years.“

“This can’t be happening.“

“To survive even a day longer, you must rest completely. That month is only if you stay completely still.”

Hearing this made me feel dizzy. The doctor tried to help me up, but I pushed him away.

“I’ll see another doctor. This can’t be true.”

I hadn’t avenged my family yet. Desperately, I visited other hospitals, but they all gave the same answer.

I heard, “Why didn’t you notice until your body became like this?”

How could I have known? The only doctor I could see was the family physician, and he diagnosed my coughing up blood as mere stress.

In hindsight, that doctor must have been acting on Kazak’s orders.

Staggering, I finally reached the temple of the goddess. Indeed, a temple is a place of salvation, but no one helped me as I stumbled around like a madwoman. Instead, they recoiled in horror.

I collapsed on my knees before the goddess statue, bowing deeply. Tears of blood fell from my eyes.

It was then that I understood why people avoided me. I was crying blood.

Hah, hahahah.

I laughed hollowly. Ha, ha, hahaha.

“Goddess, am I truly your child?”

I shook my head in despair.

“No, that can’t be. If I were your child, you wouldn’t let me suffer like this.”

I punched the floor over and over.

“Why did you let me be born? Why, if I am not even your child!”

My father and two brothers were hanged on the city walls. I couldn’t even see off my mother, who was sold into slavery. People whispered and pointed, calling me the daughter of a traitor.

“You can’t do this here,“ a priest said, trying to drag me away. The memory of being dragged to the attic resurfaced, and I pushed the hand away, but I had no strength left.

“Please, leave me alone!”

At that moment,

“Leave her be.”

A deep, heavy voice commanded everyone to stop.

“…The temple is a sacred place,“ the priest hesitated but then argued. The man, however, stood his ground.

“Let her be. This is a place for anyone seeking salvation.”

Priests were nearly absolute in the temple. Who could stand up to one?

I lifted my still-bleeding eyes. Through my blurred vision, I saw a very tall man.

He wore a half-mask covering the right side of his face and a cloak draping his right side. Beneath his black hair, glowing red eyes looked down at me.

At any other time, those eyes would have terrified me. But not now.

I bowed to him.

“Thank you, Grand Duke Dukezan.”

In this empire, only one person could dress so strangely and stand up to a priest.

The monster of the north, Grand Duke Julian Dukezan.

I recognized him immediately. Since childhood, I had feared and pitied him, hearing rumors that half his body was covered in stone.

But after he helped me, he was no longer a monster but a savior.

“What is your name?“ Julian asked.

“Laila… Amber,“ I replied meekly.

I was genuinely grateful. It might have been a small act to him, but to me, it was my only salvation. Not the goddess, but him.

It pained me that I could not give him my family name, Winsley. I was stuck with Kazak’s name.

But then, Julian saved me once more.

“You are the daughter of the Count of Winsley.”

I looked up at him. His eyes were still red, but they held no hatred.

Neither fear nor pity. Just a knowing gaze, as if he understood my pain.

“Yes,“ I said.

“Rest here,“ he said.

I bowed again. Thanks to his help, I stayed in front of the statue for a long time.

I no longer screamed. I lay on the floor, praying and begging for a chance if I was indeed the goddess’s child.

When I finally stood up, the world spun around me. A strong hand reached out and held me.

Through my blurry vision, I saw the mask and the stone-like skin beneath. But I was not afraid.

“Thank you,“ I said as blood dripped from my mouth and I lost consciousness. It felt like I was sinking into eternal sleep.

However,

‘You have something you must achieve.’

Something whispered to me from the darkness of death.