IMTVD| Chapter 5

Episode 5

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Before the priest even finished speaking, Edwin slipped a ring onto Emilia’s finger.

The air between them was cold as ice. When she looked up at him, his sharp gaze made her instinctively lower her

head.

He was nothing like the man she’d met before.

What happened?

What changed after that night?

Did something happen after I told him where the Casper family’s missing item was?

Locked in the dungeon, she’d had no way to hear any news, which only made the confusion worse. She had no idea if

she or the Hermann family—had done something to offend him.

Still, she held onto a shred of hope. Remembering the way Edwin had approached her without prejudice, she

wondered if maybe… maybe she could turn this around.

That was when he spoke, as if reading her mind.

“There will never be anything I want from you.”

The words made her flinch.

“What do you mean by that?” she asked quietly, just loud enough for him to hear.

He didn’t answer. Instead, his eyes shifted to someone else.

She followed his gaze.

A young woman stood there, tears streaming down her face while others fussed over her. Emilia knew exactly who

she was.

Diana Rodri—the empire’s princess, beloved by all, and the woman destined to be Edwin’s second wife.

Even crying in public, no one dared criticize her.

Emilia shut her eyes tightly. The chains of the “original story” were relentless.

“Ah, so the duke is a married man now.”

“Your Majesty.”

After the vows, they were summoned to the palace.

As the marriage was between a duke’s house and a marquis’s, the emperor had personally requested to greet them

together. Refusing wasn’t an option.

When they arrived, the emperor and the rest of the royal family were waiting.

“What a shame,” the emperor said, not bothering to hide his disapproval.

He looked Emilia up and down before saying bluntly, “I thought you’d be my son-in-law.”

The disappointment in his voice made her feel as if he had just declared to everyone that this marriage was not a

blessing.

With the emperor leading the way, others were even less restrained.

“I can’t honestly congratulate you.”

“Do you think this is something decent people do?”

“So… Lady Hermann—no, Duchess Casper now. I wonder how many will actually call you that with sincerity.”

Those who adored Diana knew she had feelings for Edwin, and their words toward Emilia were edged with hostility.

It hit her then—avoiding banquets and social events in the past had left her unprepared for this. Everywhere she

looked, people whispered, their eyes full of scorn.

The villainess who stole the man the princess loved.

Here, just like in the Marquis’s house, she was alone.

And being the daughter of the noble faction’s leader only made her even less welcome among the royals.

Her vision dimmed. This felt like that night at the banquet—the night she had nearly thrown herself from the terrace.

“Your Highness, the princess.”

Emilia’s moment of relief—thinking the introductions were over—shattered when she appeared.

Diana Rodri, the heroine of this world, stood in front of her with open hostility in her eyes.

A wine glass was in her hand.

No… she wouldn’t actually…

Emilia couldn’t recall exactly what happened in the original story at this point, but she still thought, surely not here.

She was wrong.

With a glare full of malice, Diana moved to throw the wine—

but it never touched Emilia.

Because Edwin stepped in front of her.

The deep red wine stained his tuxedo instead.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“…Why stop me, Edwin?”

Emilia stared, unable to believe what she was seeing.

“You’re asking why?”

His voice sounded… angry. Really angry. Why? Wasn’t Diana supposed to be precious to him?

“Why would the princess try to throw that on my wife?”

It wasn’t her imagination. The emotion in his voice was clear to everyone—anger.

The hall fell silent.

Edwin Casper—duke at twenty-two, head of the most powerful pro-imperial faction—had married the daughter of the

noble faction’s leader for reasons no one could figure out.

One thing everyone had been sure of: it wasn’t because he loved her.

Which was why his reaction now stunned them.

“Edwin… you’re not supposed to do this to me.”

“Enough. I don’t want to see you make any more of a scene.”

“Edwin!”

Diana’s gaze, once full of hatred for Emilia, turned soft and pleading when looking at him.

But Edwin only spared her a glance before turning back to Emilia.

Her eyes still held disbelief.

Why… why would you protect me?

She bit back the question. The tension between them earlier made her too afraid to ask.

When some of the royals stepped forward, Edwin simply took her hand and led her out.

Once they were away from prying eyes, she finally spoke.

“…Is it okay if we don’t go back?”

It wasn’t the whole truth—she was still wary of him. It was the safest question she could manage.

He stopped. The silence stretched before he turned to face her.

“Why did you just stand there like an idiot, waiting to be humiliated?”

“…What else was I supposed to do?”

“Do you really need me to answer that?”

“I… don’t know.”

She had a guess, but in reality, there had been no good choice for her. Even if there was, it wasn’t like she could’ve

gotten out of it unscathed.

“If you don’t know, then I’ll tell you.”

He looked at her differently now—not with the cold sharpness from earlier, but still with a hint of anger.

He stepped closer, and she tried to step back—only to find a wall behind her.

“Nothing else matters. Put yourself first. No matter what happens, think about your own safety before anything else.”

With that, he pulled her along toward the carriage.

It was foolish, but her heart pounded again—because he’d protected her, not Diana.

Maybe… maybe I could fix things between us.

But that day never came.

From the moment she stepped into his estate, she could never shake off the shadow of the Hermann name.

The duke’s household wasn’t much different from the marquis’s. As duchess, she was still looked down on by the

servants and retainers. And when she realized Edwin’s heart would never be hers, she made her decision.

“It’s time to set everything back to how it was.”

In the original story, she’d helped bring about the Hermann family’s downfall. Soon, Edwin would choose Diana.

And she knew what came next—the bothersome Emilia Hermann would disappear.

Tears blurred her vision as she looked down at the divorce papers she’d prepared in advance.

For just over a year, she’d tried her hardest to stay by Edwin’s side, to win his heart. But he had only ever given her

cold looks.

He still searched for Diana.

She’d grown used to everyone else’s coldness, but Edwin’s… that was unbearable.

“I loved you, Edwin Casper.”

It was time to end this.

No longer able to love him, Emilia quietly took the papers and walked toward the door.

For his sake—and her own—she had to find the courage.

The courage to say goodbye.