Chapter 2
From that day on, I focused intently on the voice of my father whispering in my ear.
“This iron is impure. Impure iron becomes weak when quenched.”
In just five years after that day, I learned more from Father than I had in the fourteen years prior.
I traveled all over the Empire in search of iron that was pure and strong, free from impurities, and along the way, I picked up a great deal of information.
“I heard the Second Prince finally drove out the First Prince.”
“You mean he used that fortune-teller?”
“Yeah. The Emperor was too careless. To think he’d believe such ridiculous prophecies and banish the First Prince…”
Most of the gossip was about Valter and Amin.
After obtaining the legendary sword Gram, Second Prince Valter secured victory in a critical battle defending the Empire. Gaining the Emperor’s favor from that, Valter didn’t stop there. He began using a fortune-teller who claimed to read the future through the stars.
After a few predictions came true, the Emperor started believing the fortune-teller without question—
even when he claimed, “The First Prince will assassinate the Emperor.”
“That prophecy led His Majesty to banish the First Prince to the barren lands of the North.”
From that point on, he was no longer allowed to use the royal surname, Kainen.
He was just Amin Wilhelm.
The Grand Duke Wilhelm.
“Even then, the Grand Duke reportedly played a massive role during the Monster Wave. He could’ve gotten rich from the loot, but even that was confiscated by the Emperor. Rumor has it there was dragon hide among the spoils.”
“Which means…!”
“It means Grand Duke Wilhelm is a dragon slayer! Truly the greatest aura swordsman in the Empire.”
Aura swordsman.
My eyes sparkled at those words.
Maybe Amin Wilhelm was the only one who could truly recognize the worth of my sword.
Even if I forged a sword greater than Gram, it would be meaningless if no swordsman could recognize it.
More importantly―
“To defeat Valter and his Gram, I need a powerful aura swordsman.”
From then on, I began to think about Amin Wilhelm.
A royal born with black hair and golden eyes.
A man said to have slain a dragon, and capable of using aura through his body to wield a wooden sword like an axe.
“And they say he’s quite handsome too…”
…Father.
Why do you always say such nonsense?
I furrowed my brows, hammering the glowing steel, trying to drown out his voice.
After Father passed away, I finally found the iron I’d been searching for. I worked at a forge near its source, offering labor in exchange for meals, and forged my sword.
My sword had to be greater than Gram.
Only then could it defeat it.
While I was lost in such thoughts, Father’s voice returned—with more nonsense.
“Gram is not a great sword. A blade born from rage can never be truly great. Now, instead of talking about Gram, let’s discuss the handsome Amin…”
Please.
Just shut up, Father.
But Father did not shut up.
Even when I was being chased by soldiers under the moonlight.
In my arms, I held the sword I had crafted.
A sword greater than Gram.
I had completed it a week ago.
That very day, a civil war broke out between Amin and Valter.
Valter assassinated the Emperor and locked the First Empress (Amin’s mother) and Amin’s half-sister, the Third Princess, in a dungeon.
“So the prophecy was false after all.”
Terrified of being killed by his eldest son, the Emperor ended up dying by the hand of his second son.
Enraged, Amin rallied his northern troops—still recovering from their last campaign—and marched on the capital.
Though the battle between Amin and Valter was neck and neck, the fatigue of Amin’s forces made it an uphill battle.
I knew this would be the last chance—for both Amin and for me.
When the war ends, one of them will die.
If Valter wins, he won’t spare Amin for daring to march on the capital.
If Amin wins, he’ll never forgive Valter for killing their father and imprisoning their mother and sister.
Either way, the war would end with one of them dead—
and I would lose the only chance to see my sword surpass Gram.
Panicking, I walked for seven days straight toward the direction Amin’s army was advancing.
“Diana, listen to the voice of the sword.”
And from then on, Father’s voice began to sound… strange.
He kept telling me to listen to the sword.
There were many times over the past five years I wished Father would shut up, but now more than ever, I needed silence.
So I could return to my senses.
But Father didn’t stop. And just as I was about to reach Amin’s northern army camp, Valter’s capital troops spotted me.
“Catch her!”
I ran toward the Northern Army’s flag, almost within reach.
But my body had weakened over five years, and the sword was too heavy.
The cloth wrapping my sword came undone, revealing its scabbard.
A soldier’s rough hand grabbed my collar and threw me to the ground.
“Damn, the girl runs like a deer!”
He grabbed my hair and reached for the sword.
That’s when a cold voice rang out from behind:
“A woman running around a battlefield unarmed? You’re either fearless or a spy.”
I looked up and saw familiar golden eyes.
Those emotionless eyes that resembled Gram.
Valter.
“…!”
I froze.
“What is that you’re holding? Take it from her.”
The soldiers tore the sword from my arms.
I resisted with all my strength, but it was no use.
Valter took the sword and drew it without hesitation.
Whoooosh.
A strange wind blew.
“You’ve come for me, Diana.”
A voice I’d never heard before echoed in my ear.
Not Father.
This wasn’t Father’s voice.
But it was mimicking his.
“But Diana, a sword born of rage cannot defeat me.”
That’s when Valter’s eyes widened.
He had recognized the light flowing from the sword.
“This is no blade for a beggar girl like you. Where did you get this?”
He sounded truly surprised.
I didn’t answer.
“I’ve seen a sword like this before…”
As he furrowed his brow, I stared at the sword belt he wore and muttered without thinking:
“Gram…”
Valter’s eyes widened. He crouched before me, intrigued.
“You know Gram?”
Of course I do.
It’s the sword I hate the most.
Instead of answering, I spat in his face.
“…You bitch!”
Smack.
My cheek burned with pain. It felt like he’d struck me with a club, not his hand.
My head spun—my body weakened from days without proper food.
For five years, I lived to fight Gram and kill Valter with this sword.
Now that chance was slipping away.
Then I heard noise from behind.
“I think they’ve noticed the ambush. They’re coming this way!”
Valter’s face twisted in annoyance.
Was Amin’s army coming?
My heart pounded.
He had to recognize my sword.
He must.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Can’t leave a trace. Kill her.”
As soldiers gripped their hilts, I charged at Valter.
Or rather, I charged at my sword in his hands.
I clutched it tightly—my body wrapped around it like a massive scabbard.
Valter tried to pull it free in shock.
But it wouldn’t budge.
Because I held on with everything I had.
My pale hand overlapped Valter’s on the hilt.
The coldness of my touch made him recoil in disgust.
I glared at him, trembling.
“This sword… is not yours…”
I couldn’t hold out long.
I collapsed slowly to the ground, still hugging the sword.
Valter tried to yank it free several more times—
even kicked me and cursed—
but I wouldn’t let go.
Eventually, pressured by his soldiers, he spat on me.
“Stubborn wench.”
Even after Valter left with his soldiers, I lay there—clutching the sword.
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
I lay there, breathing faintly.
A scabbard made of flesh.
Even as I felt my body go cold, I never once thought of letting go.
This sword had to reach Amin.
While I clung to that thought, my vision blurred.
Then—I saw torchlight.
Footsteps approached.
Even as I hovered near death, I wished it would be Amin.
“You’d think I was in love with the guy.”
And then, a face appeared.
“Your Highness! A woman is lying here, nearly dead.”
Still alive, you idiot.
I smirked faintly at the voice.
Crunch. Crunch.
Boots crushed dry leaves as someone approached.
Then a man’s face came clearly into view.
Black hair.
Golden eyes.
He was… quite handsome.
“Approved.”
Even while coughing up blood, I smiled faintly.
Even now, Father—
was still talking nonsense.
“Nonsense? Don’t lie. Didn’t your vision just clear for a second? Admit it.”
Fine. I admit it.
He’s handsome.
Amin Wilhelm.
The rightful owner of my sword had come for me.
Now I could die in peace.
I closed my eyes.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
And even then, Father didn’t shut up.
“Next time, I’d like to be held by a man like that too… Do your best, dear…”
…Excuse me?
Father?
That ridiculous line was the last thing I heard before I died.
When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a carriage.
Someone was gently calling me from outside the window.
“…Lady Diana.”
I opened the window as if entranced.
A knight I didn’t recognize said to me:
“We’ve arrived at Wilhelm territory. It’s time to get up.”
Wilhelm territory?
That cold, barren land where Amin Wilhelm lived?
I instinctively winced at the chill in the air.
But the knight kept talking, whether I understood or not.
“The wedding will begin as soon as you step out.”
“Ah. The wedding.”
I nodded as if I had just arrived in the afterlife.
They have weddings in the afterlife too, huh.
“Who’s getting married to whom?”
There was a long pause before the answer.
“…You and Grand Duke Wilhelm.”
“…?”
Huh?
Who’s marrying who?
Chapter 2
From that day on, I focused intently on the voice of my father whispering in my ear.
“This iron is impure. Impure iron becomes weak when quenched.”
In just five years after that day, I learned more from Father than I had in the fourteen years prior.
I traveled all over the Empire in search of iron that was pure and strong, free from impurities, and along the way, I picked up a great deal of information.
“I heard the Second Prince finally drove out the First Prince.”
“You mean he used that fortune-teller?”
“Yeah. The Emperor was too careless. To think he’d believe such ridiculous prophecies and banish the First Prince…”
Most of the gossip was about Valter and Amin.
After obtaining the legendary sword Gram, Second Prince Valter secured victory in a critical battle defending the Empire. Gaining the Emperor’s favor from that, Valter didn’t stop there. He began using a fortune-teller who claimed to read the future through the stars.
After a few predictions came true, the Emperor started believing the fortune-teller without question—
even when he claimed, “The First Prince will assassinate the Emperor.”
“That prophecy led His Majesty to banish the First Prince to the barren lands of the North.”
From that point on, he was no longer allowed to use the royal surname, Kainen.
He was just Amin Wilhelm.
The Grand Duke Wilhelm.
“Even then, the Grand Duke reportedly played a massive role during the Monster Wave. He could’ve gotten rich from the loot, but even that was confiscated by the Emperor. Rumor has it there was dragon hide among the spoils.”
“Which means…!”
“It means Grand Duke Wilhelm is a dragon slayer! Truly the greatest aura swordsman in the Empire.”
Aura swordsman.
My eyes sparkled at those words.
Maybe Amin Wilhelm was the only one who could truly recognize the worth of my sword.
Even if I forged a sword greater than Gram, it would be meaningless if no swordsman could recognize it.
More importantly―
“To defeat Valter and his Gram, I need a powerful aura swordsman.”
From then on, I began to think about Amin Wilhelm.
A royal born with black hair and golden eyes.
A man said to have slain a dragon, and capable of using aura through his body to wield a wooden sword like an axe.
“And they say he’s quite handsome too…”
…Father.
Why do you always say such nonsense?
I furrowed my brows, hammering the glowing steel, trying to drown out his voice.
After Father passed away, I finally found the iron I’d been searching for. I worked at a forge near its source, offering labor in exchange for meals, and forged my sword.
My sword had to be greater than Gram.
Only then could it defeat it.
While I was lost in such thoughts, Father’s voice returned—with more nonsense.
“Gram is not a great sword. A blade born from rage can never be truly great. Now, instead of talking about Gram, let’s discuss the handsome Amin…”
Please.
Just shut up, Father.
But Father did not shut up.
Even when I was being chased by soldiers under the moonlight.
In my arms, I held the sword I had crafted.
A sword greater than Gram.
I had completed it a week ago.
That very day, a civil war broke out between Amin and Valter.
Valter assassinated the Emperor and locked the First Empress (Amin’s mother) and Amin’s half-sister, the Third Princess, in a dungeon.
“So the prophecy was false after all.”
Terrified of being killed by his eldest son, the Emperor ended up dying by the hand of his second son.
Enraged, Amin rallied his northern troops—still recovering from their last campaign—and marched on the capital.
Though the battle between Amin and Valter was neck and neck, the fatigue of Amin’s forces made it an uphill battle.
I knew this would be the last chance—for both Amin and for me.
When the war ends, one of them will die.
If Valter wins, he won’t spare Amin for daring to march on the capital.
If Amin wins, he’ll never forgive Valter for killing their father and imprisoning their mother and sister.
Either way, the war would end with one of them dead—
and I would lose the only chance to see my sword surpass Gram.
Panicking, I walked for seven days straight toward the direction Amin’s army was advancing.
“Diana, listen to the voice of the sword.”
And from then on, Father’s voice began to sound… strange.
He kept telling me to listen to the sword.
There were many times over the past five years I wished Father would shut up, but now more than ever, I needed silence.
So I could return to my senses.
But Father didn’t stop. And just as I was about to reach Amin’s northern army camp, Valter’s capital troops spotted me.
“Catch her!”
I ran toward the Northern Army’s flag, almost within reach.
But my body had weakened over five years, and the sword was too heavy.
The cloth wrapping my sword came undone, revealing its scabbard.
A soldier’s rough hand grabbed my collar and threw me to the ground.
“Damn, the girl runs like a deer!”
He grabbed my hair and reached for the sword.
That’s when a cold voice rang out from behind:
“A woman running around a battlefield unarmed? You’re either fearless or a spy.”
I looked up and saw familiar golden eyes.
Those emotionless eyes that resembled Gram.
Valter.
“…!”
I froze.
“What is that you’re holding? Take it from her.”
The soldiers tore the sword from my arms.
I resisted with all my strength, but it was no use.
Valter took the sword and drew it without hesitation.
Whoooosh.
A strange wind blew.
“You’ve come for me, Diana.”
A voice I’d never heard before echoed in my ear.
Not Father.
This wasn’t Father’s voice.
But it was mimicking his.
“But Diana, a sword born of rage cannot defeat me.”
That’s when Valter’s eyes widened.
He had recognized the light flowing from the sword.
“This is no blade for a beggar girl like you. Where did you get this?”
He sounded truly surprised.
I didn’t answer.
“I’ve seen a sword like this before…”
As he furrowed his brow, I stared at the sword belt he wore and muttered without thinking:
“Gram…”
Valter’s eyes widened. He crouched before me, intrigued.
“You know Gram?”
Of course I do.
It’s the sword I hate the most.
Instead of answering, I spat in his face.
“…You bitch!”
Smack.
My cheek burned with pain. It felt like he’d struck me with a club, not his hand.
My head spun—my body weakened from days without proper food.
For five years, I lived to fight Gram and kill Valter with this sword.
Now that chance was slipping away.
Then I heard noise from behind.
“I think they’ve noticed the ambush. They’re coming this way!”
Valter’s face twisted in annoyance.
Was Amin’s army coming?
My heart pounded.
He had to recognize my sword.
He must.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Can’t leave a trace. Kill her.”
As soldiers gripped their hilts, I charged at Valter.
Or rather, I charged at my sword in his hands.
I clutched it tightly—my body wrapped around it like a massive scabbard.
Valter tried to pull it free in shock.
But it wouldn’t budge.
Because I held on with everything I had.
My pale hand overlapped Valter’s on the hilt.
The coldness of my touch made him recoil in disgust.
I glared at him, trembling.
“This sword… is not yours…”
I couldn’t hold out long.
I collapsed slowly to the ground, still hugging the sword.
Valter tried to yank it free several more times—
even kicked me and cursed—
but I wouldn’t let go.
Eventually, pressured by his soldiers, he spat on me.
“Stubborn wench.”
Even after Valter left with his soldiers, I lay there—clutching the sword.
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
I lay there, breathing faintly.
A scabbard made of flesh.
Even as I felt my body go cold, I never once thought of letting go.
This sword had to reach Amin.
While I clung to that thought, my vision blurred.
Then—I saw torchlight.
Footsteps approached.
Even as I hovered near death, I wished it would be Amin.
“You’d think I was in love with the guy.”
And then, a face appeared.
“Your Highness! A woman is lying here, nearly dead.”
Still alive, you idiot.
I smirked faintly at the voice.
Crunch. Crunch.
Boots crushed dry leaves as someone approached.
Then a man’s face came clearly into view.
Black hair.
Golden eyes.
He was… quite handsome.
“Approved.”
Even while coughing up blood, I smiled faintly.
Even now, Father—
was still talking nonsense.
“Nonsense? Don’t lie. Didn’t your vision just clear for a second? Admit it.”
Fine. I admit it.
He’s handsome.
Amin Wilhelm.
The rightful owner of my sword had come for me.
Now I could die in peace.
I closed my eyes.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
And even then, Father didn’t shut up.
“Next time, I’d like to be held by a man like that too… Do your best, dear…”
…Excuse me?
Father?
That ridiculous line was the last thing I heard before I died.
When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a carriage.
Someone was gently calling me from outside the window.
“…Lady Diana.”
I opened the window as if entranced.
A knight I didn’t recognize said to me:
“We’ve arrived at Wilhelm territory. It’s time to get up.”
Wilhelm territory?
That cold, barren land where Amin Wilhelm lived?
I instinctively winced at the chill in the air.
But the knight kept talking, whether I understood or not.
“The wedding will begin as soon as you step out.”
“Ah. The wedding.”
I nodded as if I had just arrived in the afterlife.
They have weddings in the afterlife too, huh.
“Who’s getting married to whom?”
There was a long pause before the answer.
“…You and Grand Duke Wilhelm.”
“…?”
Huh?
Who’s marrying who?
Chapter 2
From that day on, I focused intently on the voice of my father whispering in my ear.
“This iron is impure. Impure iron becomes weak when quenched.”
In just five years after that day, I learned more from Father than I had in the fourteen years prior.
I traveled all over the Empire in search of iron that was pure and strong, free from impurities, and along the way, I picked up a great deal of information.
“I heard the Second Prince finally drove out the First Prince.”
“You mean he used that fortune-teller?”
“Yeah. The Emperor was too careless. To think he’d believe such ridiculous prophecies and banish the First Prince…”
Most of the gossip was about Valter and Amin.
After obtaining the legendary sword Gram, Second Prince Valter secured victory in a critical battle defending the Empire. Gaining the Emperor’s favor from that, Valter didn’t stop there. He began using a fortune-teller who claimed to read the future through the stars.
After a few predictions came true, the Emperor started believing the fortune-teller without question—
even when he claimed, “The First Prince will assassinate the Emperor.”
“That prophecy led His Majesty to banish the First Prince to the barren lands of the North.”
From that point on, he was no longer allowed to use the royal surname, Kainen.
He was just Amin Wilhelm.
The Grand Duke Wilhelm.
“Even then, the Grand Duke reportedly played a massive role during the Monster Wave. He could’ve gotten rich from the loot, but even that was confiscated by the Emperor. Rumor has it there was dragon hide among the spoils.”
“Which means…!”
“It means Grand Duke Wilhelm is a dragon slayer! Truly the greatest aura swordsman in the Empire.”
Aura swordsman.
My eyes sparkled at those words.
Maybe Amin Wilhelm was the only one who could truly recognize the worth of my sword.
Even if I forged a sword greater than Gram, it would be meaningless if no swordsman could recognize it.
More importantly―
“To defeat Valter and his Gram, I need a powerful aura swordsman.”
From then on, I began to think about Amin Wilhelm.
A royal born with black hair and golden eyes.
A man said to have slain a dragon, and capable of using aura through his body to wield a wooden sword like an axe.
“And they say he’s quite handsome too…”
…Father.
Why do you always say such nonsense?
I furrowed my brows, hammering the glowing steel, trying to drown out his voice.
After Father passed away, I finally found the iron I’d been searching for. I worked at a forge near its source, offering labor in exchange for meals, and forged my sword.
My sword had to be greater than Gram.
Only then could it defeat it.
While I was lost in such thoughts, Father’s voice returned—with more nonsense.
“Gram is not a great sword. A blade born from rage can never be truly great. Now, instead of talking about Gram, let’s discuss the handsome Amin…”
Please.
Just shut up, Father.
But Father did not shut up.
Even when I was being chased by soldiers under the moonlight.
In my arms, I held the sword I had crafted.
A sword greater than Gram.
I had completed it a week ago.
That very day, a civil war broke out between Amin and Valter.
Valter assassinated the Emperor and locked the First Empress (Amin’s mother) and Amin’s half-sister, the Third Princess, in a dungeon.
“So the prophecy was false after all.”
Terrified of being killed by his eldest son, the Emperor ended up dying by the hand of his second son.
Enraged, Amin rallied his northern troops—still recovering from their last campaign—and marched on the capital.
Though the battle between Amin and Valter was neck and neck, the fatigue of Amin’s forces made it an uphill battle.
I knew this would be the last chance—for both Amin and for me.
When the war ends, one of them will die.
If Valter wins, he won’t spare Amin for daring to march on the capital.
If Amin wins, he’ll never forgive Valter for killing their father and imprisoning their mother and sister.
Either way, the war would end with one of them dead—
and I would lose the only chance to see my sword surpass Gram.
Panicking, I walked for seven days straight toward the direction Amin’s army was advancing.
“Diana, listen to the voice of the sword.”
And from then on, Father’s voice began to sound… strange.
He kept telling me to listen to the sword.
There were many times over the past five years I wished Father would shut up, but now more than ever, I needed silence.
So I could return to my senses.
But Father didn’t stop. And just as I was about to reach Amin’s northern army camp, Valter’s capital troops spotted me.
“Catch her!”
I ran toward the Northern Army’s flag, almost within reach.
But my body had weakened over five years, and the sword was too heavy.
The cloth wrapping my sword came undone, revealing its scabbard.
A soldier’s rough hand grabbed my collar and threw me to the ground.
“Damn, the girl runs like a deer!”
He grabbed my hair and reached for the sword.
That’s when a cold voice rang out from behind:
“A woman running around a battlefield unarmed? You’re either fearless or a spy.”
I looked up and saw familiar golden eyes.
Those emotionless eyes that resembled Gram.
Valter.
“…!”
I froze.
“What is that you’re holding? Take it from her.”
The soldiers tore the sword from my arms.
I resisted with all my strength, but it was no use.
Valter took the sword and drew it without hesitation.
Whoooosh.
A strange wind blew.
“You’ve come for me, Diana.”
A voice I’d never heard before echoed in my ear.
Not Father.
This wasn’t Father’s voice.
But it was mimicking his.
“But Diana, a sword born of rage cannot defeat me.”
That’s when Valter’s eyes widened.
He had recognized the light flowing from the sword.
“This is no blade for a beggar girl like you. Where did you get this?”
He sounded truly surprised.
I didn’t answer.
“I’ve seen a sword like this before…”
As he furrowed his brow, I stared at the sword belt he wore and muttered without thinking:
“Gram…”
Valter’s eyes widened. He crouched before me, intrigued.
“You know Gram?”
Of course I do.
It’s the sword I hate the most.
Instead of answering, I spat in his face.
“…You bitch!”
Smack.
My cheek burned with pain. It felt like he’d struck me with a club, not his hand.
My head spun—my body weakened from days without proper food.
For five years, I lived to fight Gram and kill Valter with this sword.
Now that chance was slipping away.
Then I heard noise from behind.
“I think they’ve noticed the ambush. They’re coming this way!”
Valter’s face twisted in annoyance.
Was Amin’s army coming?
My heart pounded.
He had to recognize my sword.
He must.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
“Can’t leave a trace. Kill her.”
As soldiers gripped their hilts, I charged at Valter.
Or rather, I charged at my sword in his hands.
I clutched it tightly—my body wrapped around it like a massive scabbard.
Valter tried to pull it free in shock.
But it wouldn’t budge.
Because I held on with everything I had.
My pale hand overlapped Valter’s on the hilt.
The coldness of my touch made him recoil in disgust.
I glared at him, trembling.
“This sword… is not yours…”
I couldn’t hold out long.
I collapsed slowly to the ground, still hugging the sword.
Valter tried to yank it free several more times—
even kicked me and cursed—
but I wouldn’t let go.
Eventually, pressured by his soldiers, he spat on me.
“Stubborn wench.”
Even after Valter left with his soldiers, I lay there—clutching the sword.
Tears rolled down my cheeks.
I lay there, breathing faintly.
A scabbard made of flesh.
Even as I felt my body go cold, I never once thought of letting go.
This sword had to reach Amin.
While I clung to that thought, my vision blurred.
Then—I saw torchlight.
Footsteps approached.
Even as I hovered near death, I wished it would be Amin.
“You’d think I was in love with the guy.”
And then, a face appeared.
“Your Highness! A woman is lying here, nearly dead.”
Still alive, you idiot.
I smirked faintly at the voice.
Crunch. Crunch.
Boots crushed dry leaves as someone approached.
Then a man’s face came clearly into view.
Black hair.
Golden eyes.
He was… quite handsome.
“Approved.”
Even while coughing up blood, I smiled faintly.
Even now, Father—
was still talking nonsense.
“Nonsense? Don’t lie. Didn’t your vision just clear for a second? Admit it.”
Fine. I admit it.
He’s handsome.
Amin Wilhelm.
The rightful owner of my sword had come for me.
Now I could die in peace.
I closed my eyes.
Darkness swallowed me whole.
And even then, Father didn’t shut up.
“Next time, I’d like to be held by a man like that too… Do your best, dear…”
…Excuse me?
Father?
That ridiculous line was the last thing I heard before I died.
When I opened my eyes, I was sitting in a carriage.
Someone was gently calling me from outside the window.
“…Lady Diana.”
I opened the window as if entranced.
A knight I didn’t recognize said to me:
“We’ve arrived at Wilhelm territory. It’s time to get up.”
Wilhelm territory?
That cold, barren land where Amin Wilhelm lived?
I instinctively winced at the chill in the air.
But the knight kept talking, whether I understood or not.
“The wedding will begin as soon as you step out.”
“Ah. The wedding.”
I nodded as if I had just arrived in the afterlife.
They have weddings in the afterlife too, huh.
“Who’s getting married to whom?”
There was a long pause before the answer.
“…You and Grand Duke Wilhelm.”
“…?”
Huh?
Who’s marrying who?
