Chapter 1: Prologue

Prologue - A Strange Woman

The weather was quite cold. Lake Aunu, which was right in front of the Serpence Castle, froze due to the wind that crossed it. The half broken branches of the trees, unable to overcome the cold, finally came off completely. 

 

Luckily, it did not snow. Herace clutched her satin cloak, lined with thick fur. 

 

The capital began to warm up around this time, but on the contrary, the harsh weather in the north had been hard to adapt to for over two years.

 

“Madam, your ears are red. Why don’t you go in and come back out later? If you stand by the window, you can still see whether the Master returned or not.”

 

Her ears, visible through her fine black hair, turned bright red in the cold. 

 

Anna, who was observing Herace, rolled her toes, not knowing that her ears were frozen too.

 

“It’s okay. It is still tolerable.” Herace shook her head slightly as she said she was fine, but Anna’s face was still full of concern. Her mistress was not in good health. However, there was a formidable stubbornness as Herace pursed her lips. 

 

In the end, Anna replaced her worries and concerns by tightening her master’s cloak even more tighter. 

 

“…I heard that he was injured. It’s cold today, too. Won’t it be hard for him to come?”

 

“He said that he had healed, so he’ll be alright. And this kind of weather is nothing in the north. I think it’s rather good.”

 

“Still… Ah!”

 

“Miss!”

 

A rough wind swept past Herace. As her slender body stumbled, Anna, who was startled, supported her boss, calling her by her old title. 

 

Thanks to Anna’s quick response, she did not fall. 

 

“That’s why I told you to go in…”

 

She couldn’t stop worrying about her. Herace was a woman who did not care about herself. One could tell that just by looking at her. 

 

Look at her now. 

 

Despite the thick cloak, she still looked smaller than Anna. 

 

But apart from her delicate appearance, Herace was a beauty worthy of her name – ‘Herace’, standing for dazzling beauty. Her pale skin perfectly contrasted the color of her raven black hair, resembling a painting. Her big blue eyes were as deep as the waters of Lake Aunu. 

 

Because of her appearance, Herace was the envy of all the women back in the capital. When she opened her rose-red lips, dozens of men were entranced by her. 

 

‘…Though that’s all things of the past.’

 

Anna, who was reminiscing the old glory of her boss in her mind, sighed a little. 

 

Those times had not passed. Her boss was and is still beautiful, but the men no longer admired her when they saw her. 

 

The reason was obvious. 

 

The present Herace was a wife now and is tied to her husband…

 

‘Poor girl.’

 

She was nothing more than the daughter of a criminal executed for treason.

 

***

 

Three years ago, a wild bloodbath broke in Anais, the empire. It started when someone reported the rebellion of the emperor’s half-brother, Marquis Peggart. The emperor did not take this matter lightly. Despite having a mother from the government, Marquis Peggart showed his teeth to the emperor again and again. He was the eldest son of the old Emperor. So there was no reason for the emperor to hesitate. The emperor brought the evil half-brother down straight away as criminals. 

 

Beginning with Marquis Peggart, the leader of the rebellion, criminals were dragged out endlessly from all over the country. More than one would think. Many people took part in the rebellion and gave a great shock.

 

The most surprising thing was that even the emperor’s younger sister, Empress Ulysse, was involved in this. The emperor was hesitant to punish his sister, but even she was punished with tears of blood when evidence was found. She survived the punishment and was spared her life, but was stripped off from her position and taken to the tower as a criminal. Perhaps she would never be able to leave the tower. Not in this lifetime.

 

In the bloody atmosphere, no one could easily open their mouths. Marquis Devone, Herace’s father and the famous landlord of Devone was also caught. He was fairly involved in the rebellion. Since treason was a crime, the family name Devone disappeared from all the books. Their family’s name was scattered to dust.

 

Devone’s family was also not safe. The wife of the Marquis had already escaped the damage because she was dead. But Herace’s brothers were tortured to the point of their death and then banished from the country. Other collateral families also suffered hardships, such as being expelled or deprived of their titles, and even tortured to death.

 

Among those with the survivors of Devone, Herace was the only one who was not punished.

 

What did she think when Devone was destroyed for the first time and she herself was also captured? 

 

The men, who had been interested in her for a long time, whether Devone’s famous Herace would be expelled or the emperor would enslave her with favor, withdrew their heads in anticipation of the latter. However, Herace was physically intact and was not punished. 

 

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Then, she broke all expectations and got married. 

 

To Duke Serpence. 

 

‘Why did he become the new Duke…’

 

‘I’ve heard that there was an exchange before, but it’s really disappointing. Her younger brother’s fiancee…’

 

It was by far Duke Serpence, who brought the most rumors in this rebellion.

Of course, because Empress Ulysse was Duchess Serpence. Investigations had revealed that Duke Serpence, who had long been in bed due to his illness, had nothing to do with treason. The sins of Duchess Hanna Ulysse’s crime was so obvious that her son Charles Serpence was deprived of his position as heir. It was an indirect crime to help his mother.

 

The emperor gave the position of the Duke to Serpence’s illegitimate son. What kind of illegitimate child could be the Duke? He protested, but had to shut up.

 

‘Sir Ezekiel was the biggest contributor to this.’

 

The informant and the butcher of the treason, Imperial Knight Ezekiel, was revealed to be the illegitimate son of the Duke. As both an informant and the sword of the emperor, he took the lead in beheading the traitors. The number of people beheaded by him was so great that people called him a butcher behind his back. 

 

‘They will make Ezekiel, son of the Duke, inherit the throne.’

 

Duke Serpence died shortly before the rebellion was suppressed. His illegitimate child, Ezekiel, became Duke Serpence as soon as he died. It was as if he had waited for the Emperor to ask what he wanted to hear.

 

‘Herace, from the wiped out Devone family. I would like her to be my wife. Other than that, what you have given me is enough, Your Majesty.’

 

People murmured when they heard the name ‘Herace’ from Ezekael’s mouth. It wasn’t just because she was a beauty that could tempt any man. Herace was Ezekiel’s half brother, Charles’ fiancée, who was stripped of his successor position because of his mother’s crimes. 

 

Rebellion had made it a foregone conclusion that the engagement between Herace and Charles was broken due to treason. However, it was enough to not ask for the woman who was his brother’s fiancee. 

 

Besides, Charles and Herace’s engagement was just an agreement. Empress Ulysse had been close to the Marquis since childhood. Therefore, the engagement between Herace and Charles was an early decision. 

 

Even the emperor, who declared that he would comply with Ezekiel’s request with the exception of the throne, expressed a slightly perplexed look.

 

‘Duke, how about wanting something else? She is a sinner’s daughter. She is beautiful, but she is too low for you to have.’

 

In fact, the emperor intended to keep Charles and Herace engaged. He punished his sister and dishonored her child, but she was once a close blood relative and his sister. The emperor, who was sorry for Charles’ loss of everything in a moment, was about to return his right title to Herace, when things calmed down a bit.

 

‘All I want is her.’

 

But Ezekiel was adamant. He insisted that he didn’t need anything but Herace. In the end, the emperor broke his will and nodded.

 

When the Emperor’s acceptance fell, Ezekael pulled Herace out of jail. And she went to Serpence Castle in the north and married him. Everyone opened their eyes wide at what happened in the blink of an eye.

 

‘What a case! A traitor becomes a duchess. How ridiculous!’

 

‘Come to think of it, when the Duke was a knight, I heard he had a crush on her. I thought it was a false rumor.’

 

‘Charles… I feel sorry for him. He lost everything in an instant. Even his fiancee went to his half-brother, so how upset he must be now. He was a good person. I can’t help but feel sorry for him.’

 

People pointed fingers at her when things went that way. Ezekiel, a close aide to the emperor and the new Duke Serpence.

 

It was despicable, but that was just the way the world was. Herace had turned into a dirty woman; one who seduced her fiancé’s brother.

 

***

“Ah! I see something!”

 

“Where is it? Where is it… Ah……”

 

Herace, who looked up the hill at Anna’s words, unknowingly smiled widely.

 

“He’s over there… Do you see him?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Even from a distance, the master looks dashing. I knew it right away. Oh, ma’am, your cheeks are redder somehow.”

 

Anna was exclaiming, but Herace’s reaction was unexpectedly calm. She showed no reaction, as if her ears were closed. Of course that doesn’t mean it’s really nothing. Her family left and she suddenly got married, but she wasn’t fine. Two years later, she finally accepted it. No, actually, one person made her happy.

 

Ezekiel…

 

Herace loved Ezekiel no matter what anyone said. He was a nice person. He saved and watched over her, who was shocked by the rebellion. No matter how evil and presumptuous she was portrayed as, she was a kind person. Her torn spirit and messed up mind was restored by Ezekiel.

 

She regretted the fact that it took her a long time to realize her gratitude. Herace tiptoed and looked at her husband, who was gradually approaching her. Sitting on a black warhorse, he was full of prowess, just like he was three months ago.

 

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