MFBD CH 01

Prologue 

“Say that again.”

Wayne looked down at Valley, not bothering to hide the sharp edge in his red eyes.

Overwhelmed by the pressure, she turned her head away to avoid his gaze.

“I want to go to the imperial palace, where Prince Rascal is.”

Valley tensed her entire body, even her neck, trying to hide her trembling.

“Prince Rascal said he would give me a larger place. I’ve already left my family, so the palace will be safer for me.”

“So you feel unsafe when you’re with me?”

“…Yes.”

She nodded without properly facing him.

“I’m no longer of any help, so it would be better for you if I left, Duke. Thank you for everything.”

She finished speaking on her own and turned around before Wayne could respond. Just as she reached for the doorknob to leave—

“Ah!”

Flames suddenly burst to life on the handle, making it impossible to touch. Startled by Wayne’s magic, Valley instinctively stepped back.

“Who said you could leave?”

Before she realized it, Wayne was already right behind her. Still backing away without noticing him, the back of her head hit his solid chest.

Flustered, Valley tried to move away, but before she could, Wayne grabbed her small shoulders and pulled her back to face him.

That alone wasn’t enough. His large hand wrapped around her waist, making it impossible for her to escape.

“You showed up out of nowhere, and now you suddenly say you’re leaving?”

“……”

“I won’t allow it.”

Wayne tightened his arm around her. She needed to get away, but instead, their bodies pressed closer together. Valley hurriedly pushed against his broad chest, but he didn’t budge.

“You were the one who said I could be thrown out anytime if I’m no longer useful.”

“I never told you to leave.”

“I’m saying I want to go. Please let me go!”

She struggled to break free, but it was useless. Instead, one of her hands was caught in his grip.

Only when her face twisted in pain from his tight hold did Wayne loosen his grip slightly. But the arm around her waist remained firm.

With the door behind her and his body in front, she was completely trapped. As if that wasn’t enough, Wayne pressed his thigh between hers, entangling her further. Her face flushed bright red.

Seeing this, a fierce heat flickered in Wayne’s eyes.

Valley felt her shoulders tremble under that gaze, but he didn’t look away.

“If you were going to leave like this, you shouldn’t have made me this way.”

“What did I do?”

“You’re asking because you don’t know?”

“I really don’t know at all.”

“You made me want to live!”

Unable to hold back his emotions, Wayne raised his voice. It was the first time she had seen him like this—so shaken, so restless.

Realizing how deeply he was affected, Valley’s blue eyes wavered.

“I was someone who desperately wanted to die, and you made me want to live like a madman… and now you’re saying you’ll go to that bastard?”

“……”

“There are only two ways you can leave me.”

Wayne pulled her hand up and forced it around his throat.

Startled, Valley twisted her hand, trying to pull it away, but she couldn’t.

“D-Duke!”

“Either you kill me with your own hands and go to him…”

Tears welled up in Valley’s eyes as she struggled, not wanting him to get hurt.

This wasn’t how he meant to make her cry. Wayne bit down on the inside of his cheek and continued.

“…or you wait until I die.”

“First, let go of my hand—”

“Choose, Valley Priest.”

Wayne leaned in so close it felt like he might kiss her at any moment. With barely enough space to move her lips, she trembled and answered softly—

“I…”

Chapter 1 

“Miss Valley, the blue dress suits you so well.”

“I know, right? It looks this good on me… I wonder why I never wore it before.”

“Did you want to wear brighter dresses? I’m sorry, I should have paid more attention.”

“No, it’s okay. I’m just glad I can wear it now.”

Valley shook her head and gave a small smile to Edel, her personal maid who was helping her get ready. Then she focused on her reflection in the mirror.

Her light green, curly hair—resembling fresh grass—fell down to her waist, shining richly.

Her blue eyes looked intelligent, and her pale white skin was smooth. Her cheeks were rosy with life, and her small nose and lips were delicate.

Yes… Five years ago, Valley Priestin looked this bright and full of life.

She was the eldest daughter of the water-attribute Priatin family, and she died meaninglessly at the age of twenty-five.

Killed by her own husband.

At the moment of her miserable death, she opened her eyes and returned to five years earlier—back to when she was twenty. That was how her second life began.

In the Astell Empire, all members of the imperial family and nobility are born with attributes.
The imperial family possesses darkness, while noble families are divided into fire, water, earth, and light attributes.

In a world where strong magical power determines a family’s honor and strength, Valley was born as the weakest.

At the age of ten, during the mandatory magical aptitude test all nobles undergo, she received the lowest rank—grade 5.

‘Of all children, why did someone like you have to be born into my family?! You’re a disgrace to our house!’

‘How could something like you come out of my womb… I should never have given birth to you!’

At just ten years old, Valley became the one who had tarnished her family’s honor.

‘Sister, I heard you still haven’t received any marriage proposals even though you’re an adult? Figures. You’re so weak, you’re completely useless.’

Her younger sister Lina, who was Grade 2, and her parents, who were Grade 3, were desperate to marry her off as quickly as possible.

But because of the rumor that marrying a grade 5 would produce weak children, no one showed any interest in her.

Then, at the age of twenty, she met Batteri at an attribute harmony party. He was the only one who approached her first.

Her parents treated it as a once-in-a-lifetime chance and married her off as if they were getting rid of her.

A forced marriage was never going to be happy.

Just like in the Priatin household, she had to constantly watch her husband Batteri’s mood.

Still, she quietly endured, hoping that someday, he might come to love her.

‘I only married you for appearances from the start. If I didn’t marry someone of the same attribute, other nobles would look down on me. And if I had to choose, I needed a weak woman who wouldn’t talk back. You were the perfect fit, weren’t you?’

With those words, all her hopes shattered.

After their marriage, Batteri brought home a new woman every single day.

But she couldn’t tell anyone about his affairs.

Who could she even confide in?
Her family, who would be glad she was “taken care of”?
Or the servants, who mocked her for being unloved?

As she swallowed everything alone, day by day, slowly breaking down, something happened.

‘I heard everything—you’re pretending to be unmarried and trying to steal the inheritance of a merchant’s daughter from the countryside. Stop it right now. That’s a crime.’

‘Shut up! I’m not stealing anything! She’s the one who said she liked me and offered it first. Just keep your mouth shut and stay quiet.’

‘Don’t lie. You’re deceiving her. If you don’t stop, I’ll go and tell her everything myself.’

‘What?! If you want to die, then go ahead! Stop meddling and stay as quiet as you always are!’

She might not have known before, but she couldn’t stand by and let another victim suffer because of Batteri’s filthy greed.

She wanted to stop living in guilt inside a mansion built on unjust money.

So she secretly wrote a letter and revealed everything.

‘You useless woman! I saved you, and instead of being grateful, you ruin everything?! Just die! I don’t even want to see your face—just die!’
‘Ugh… I—I can’t… breathe…!’

Blinded by rage and drunk, Batteri strangled Valley.

If she had known she would die so meaninglessly, she would have at least cursed him, called him every insult she could think of—maybe even grabbed his hair and fought back.

But in the end, she couldn’t even say a single proper word.

Even she thought her life was frustrating and suffocating.

Filled with regret, she closed her eyes—

—and when she opened them again, she had returned to when she was twenty.

She couldn’t waste this second life the same way.

This time, Valley wanted to live in a way that wouldn’t leave even the slightest regret.

“Edel, decorate me with fresh flowers.”

“Fresh flowers will wilt over time, and their color will fade.”

“That’s fine. I don’t need them just to look pretty.”

Since she spoke as if she had a clear plan, Edel carefully followed her lead.

She braided a section of Valley’s hair, coiled it into a round shape, and tucked fresh flowers into it.

“Miss, I’m glad you don’t look gloomy today. You used to dislike going to crowded places.”

“I did. But today, there’s someone I absolutely have to meet.”

“Who is it?”

“Someone, I need to change my life.”

The only surviving fire-attribute user in the Astell Empire—

and the captain of the nation’s special unit, Zero.

Wayne Viterard.