Episode 2
On the day Estelle tried to take her own life, in the western region—
CRACK!
A man stood tall with one foot crushing the head of a massive monster.
Even though everything around him was destroyed, his clothes were perfectly clean and neat.
His face showed no emotion, cold and expressionless.
He looked flawless — like someone no one could dare to approach.
His name was Lennox Winterlen.
With his sharp red eyes, he looked around.
What used to be a peaceful village was now completely ruined.
A once-clear stream was now black with dark magic.
The ground was soaked in it, like dark puddles.
No signs of life could be found.
“Duke Winterlen! All the monsters in the area have been eliminated!”
His aide, Pippin, shouted from below.
Lennox nodded, then jumped down from a height five times taller than himself — landing lightly.
“Let’s return to the capital.”
“Huh? No rest, sir?”
“There’s no time.”
Pippin’s face turned pale at the strict reply.
Lennox had fought for three full days without rest.
Still, he didn’t even look tired.
‘He really is a monster,’ thought Pippin, carefully walking to avoid stepping in dark magic as he informed the other knights.
“Right now?”
“Yes. It’s the Duke’s order.”
“He must think we’re monsters like him! We’re just regular humans!”
Some knights grumbled in frustration.
“Not much we can do. We weren’t even helpful in the battle.”
Others just sighed.
Dark magic kills on contact.
And the monsters created from it were just as deadly.
Only one exception existed:
The Winterlen family.
That’s why Lennox, head of the family, led the mission.
“Seriously… they don’t call the Winterlens demons for nothing.”
They were said to be cursed by the gods:
- Longer lifespans
- Stronger bodies
- Immunity to dark magic
All gained through a divine curse — making them seem more like demons than humans.
“There’s really no reason to rush back so fast,” one knight muttered.
Fatigue made the knights start to complain.
And then —
Lennox suddenly stopped moving.
‘Gasp! Did he hear us?’
They all went quiet, nervous.
But Lennox wasn’t looking at them.
His eyes were fixed somewhere in the corrupted, dark land.
“There’s someone alive.”
“What? That’s impossible! No one can survive in a place filled with dark magic…”
Only those with Winterlen blood could survive here.
Without saying more, Lennox stepped into the darkness and reached into a thick puddle of magic.
Swoosh.
He pulled something out.
A small child — maybe five years old.
The child was covered in magic, but clearly human.
“I knew it,” Lennox said.
Wheezing…
The child was unconscious but still breathing.
Lennox held the back of the child’s neck, and for a brief moment, he smiled — a chilling smile.
“Duke, that child—?”
Pippin looked shocked.
But what Lennox said next was even more shocking:
“I’ll register this child into my family.”
“Pardon?!”
Did I just hear that right?
“W-Wait! If you’re doing this because of the pressure from the Emperor about an heir, this is too impulsive!”
A child isn’t an object you can just pick up and bring home.
Pippin tried to stop him, but Lennox had already made up his mind.
“First, I need to find a wife.”
By Imperial law, you must be married for at least one year to adopt a child.
Since Lennox was unmarried, he now needed a one-year temporary wife.
* * *
Estelle was wearing a white wedding dress — but it didn’t quite fit.
It hadn’t even been tailored properly.
She held a bouquet of lavender and white baby’s breath.
‘This is from my first wedding.’
She quickly realized it was a dream.
Her husband at the time was an old man, even older than her grandfather.
He didn’t attend the wedding, saying he couldn’t move well.
For him, it was his third marriage.
For Estelle, it was her first — at just fifteen.
No one objected to the marriage.
‘My mother’s funeral had barely ended when my wedding was decided.’
After saying her vows alone, the dream skipped to the wedding night.
He’s a good man, the Count said. It’ll be okay.
She tried to comfort herself again and again.
But it didn’t help.
As soon as she entered the bridal room, she realized it wasn’t okay at all.
[Another young and beautiful bride, I see.]
Her husband smelled like death — like a withered tree.
[N-No, please!]
Seeing his decaying face, Estelle desperately wished:
Please, let this marriage not be real.
And strangely enough, her wish came true — just not in the way she expected.
“No…!”
Estelle woke up from the horrible nightmare.
Just then, there was a knock.
“Miss Estelle, it’s time to get ready for the Imperial banquet.”
Right. There was a royal banquet today.
Estelle quickly wiped away her tears, but her eyes still felt wet.
She hoped they wouldn’t look too swollen.
She had to look the most beautiful today.
“Come in,” she said.
Several maids entered and began preparing her, like she was a bride again.
Normally, she wouldn’t even dream of such treatment.
But today, she couldn’t look like a disgrace from the Bellonsa family.
She had to match the rumors — the most beautiful woman in the Empire.
In rose-scented bathwater, she didn’t need to lift a finger.
But that made her feel even more uncomfortable.
‘Whether I die within a year or not, this is probably my last time preparing for a marriage.’
After the bath, she sat at the vanity table and looked at herself in the mirror.
Long pink hair.
Bright golden eyes.
Men who had seen her once often compared her to a spring flower.
But in the mirror now, she looked nothing like spring — more like winter.
Maybe it was her tired, nervous expression.
Cough, cough.
Suddenly, she started coughing.
She quickly covered her mouth.
Then paused.
‘Blood?’
She saw red on her palm.
And then noticed there was blood near her lips too.
“Miss!”
The maids were alarmed.
“It’s nothing. I’m just feeling a little unwell today. Don’t tell the Count.”
If he heard, he might stop her from going to the banquet.
“I just need the blood wiped off. I can still wear makeup, right?”
“Yes, but…”
Estelle grabbed some jewelry from the table and took a deep breath.
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“…Yes, miss.”
The maids nodded and helped cover her face again.
Thanks to the makeup, her face looked bright and glowing.
Her sad eyes were still there — but no one would notice.
They started getting her ready from early morning. It was already sunset when she finally finished.
Estelle stood, trying to hide how weak she felt.
She had always been frail. But after the poison attempt, her condition was even worse.
She now coughed up blood, and her body gave out easily.
She closed her eyes and remembered a line from the book — a line from Vera:
[Oh, my sister? She died… from an incurable disease.]
Estelle guessed she had about a year left.
She was now a terminally ill woman with little time to live.
She hurried toward the carriage waiting to take her to the Imperial Palace.
And then — she froze.
A man was standing there, waiting for her.
