~Chapter 4~
After I accepted, the wedding happened very quickly.
The Grand Duke and I got married in less than a month after we first met.
It was a small ceremony at a church. We didn’t even invite my father or Cecilia.
Considering the Duke’s status, it was an unusual choice, but I liked it that way—there were no people whispering behind my back.
“Do you, the groom, vow to love and cherish your bride for life?”
“Yes.”
The officiant then turned to me.
“Do you, the bride, vow to love and cherish your groom for life?”
If I said yes now, we would officially become husband and wife.
Even if it was a contract marriage, we’d be living together under one roof for the rest of our lives.
This was my way out—from my father, from Cecilia, and from the cursed name “Aristia.”
“Yes.”
I nodded. The officiant gave the final instruction.
“Then, seal it with a kiss.”
When I turned, the white mask stood out against his black tuxedo.
Because of his tall height, the Duke leaned down quite a bit and gently reached for me.
With long, delicate fingers, he lifted the veil from my face.
Then, he stared into my eyes for a moment without saying a word.
His hand on my shoulder, he slowly leaned in closer.
‘Wait—’
This is just a contract marriage… Is he really going to kiss me?
I’ve never even been kissed before!
‘Aren’t we just supposed to pretend and move on?’
When our noses were practically touching, I reflexively shut my eyes tight.
Then I heard a soft whisper near my ear.
“Don’t be scared.”
“If you don’t want it, I won’t touch you.”
And then, I felt a light kiss on my forehead.
As the sound of a soft smooch echoed, the officiant declared,
“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
Confetti burst into the air, and the flower children tossed white petals all around us.
As they floated gently down, I looked back at the Duke.
This strange man, who had just married me, stood there watching the petals fall with a blank expression.
‘Yep. Still weird.’
Now I’d be spending my life with this strange man.
“If you ever need anything, just let me know,” he said.
“Huh?”
“For real. We’re married now.”
And strangely…
It didn’t seem like such a bad thing.
Later That Day…
“You will carry the name of Maledictus.”
Damien Maledictus could never forget the moment his mother cried her heart out when the previous Emperor pointed to him.
The Benedict royal family, blessed by the gods with magical power, had a secret.
Their power came with a cost: someone in the family had to bear a curse for the others to use magic.
So they always chose one person to be the “curse bearer,” giving them a separate name—Maledictus—even though they were of royal blood.
Damien, chosen by the Emperor, stopped being Damien Benedict that day and became Damien Maledictus.
And the moment he was named, the curse began eating away at his body.
“…Haa.”
The pain of something gnawing at his flesh made him frown.
Even after over ten years, he had never gotten used to it.
“Master!”
His butler rushed to call for help, but Damien shook his head.
“I’m fine.”
“But, sir—”
“I said I’m fine.”
He waved his hand, firmly.
“Focus on my wife instead.”
The butler paused at that.
“She’ll need time to adjust to the new house. Make sure she’s comfortable.”
The butler nodded.
“Understood. I’ll be on my way.”
Once the office door closed, Damien was alone.
He leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.
In his mind, he pictured his new bride in her wedding dress.
Her glossy black hair, like the night sky filled with stars… her pale skin like snow.
She was objectively beautiful, yet people called her creepy.
But to Damien, she looked like a doll—no, even more than that.
‘Her eyes… were beautiful.’
Ever since he first saw her, those deep red eyes sparkled like rubies—bright, alive, and mesmerizing.
Even when she wore a blank face, her eyes glowed with warmth.
More importantly, she had the power to remove curses.
For the first time in 14 years, Damien felt a sense of relief.
The constant pain that plagued him was gone—he felt clear-headed.
He couldn’t forget that feeling.
That sweet, freeing sensation… he had to hold onto it.
‘She could’ve married someone much better than me.’
She was young, pretty, kind enough to help a stranger…
Damien wondered if it was right to tie someone like her to a contract marriage.
Every other woman chosen by the imperial family had fled within two weeks—frightened by the mansion, the ghosts, and by Damien himself.
Even his own mother had been terrified of his real appearance.
He thought Rubiana, who feared curses, would react the same way.
Just thinking about it made him feel cold all over.
“…Ha.”
No one, not even his blood relatives, had looked at him without fear.
So surely Rubiana would too.
‘But as long as she doesn’t run away, we’ll be fine.’
To slow down the curse, all the wife had to do was spend one night at the mansion every three months.
Simple.
But even that had scared past brides into fleeing.
He didn’t know how long this new bride would last.
‘Expecting her to care about me… that’s selfish.’
He brought her here with selfish intentions. A partner would slow the curse, and Rubiana could even remove it.
It was too good a deal to pass up.
He even made up that whole “living together” idea to convince her.
Now, looking back, maybe he had wanted too much.
‘If she runs away… maybe that’s better.’
Better than giving himself hope.
He stood up, having made up his mind.
‘Don’t get attached.’
That would only make it worse later.
Damien Maledictus decided—that would be enough.
That Night
“I’m coming in.”
Damien announced to his new bride behind the bedroom door, entering for their “wedding night.”
Of course, he had no intention of touching her.
It was just a contract, and she was clearly sensitive and afraid of him.
That’s what he thought.
“Your Grace…”
In the room, filled with a soft, sweet scent, his bride sat calmly waiting.
And Damien… froze.
“Could you help me, please?”
He had sworn not to lay a finger on her.
But less than 24 hours into their marriage…
Damien realized—
This was going to be his greatest crisis yet.
