Chapter 3
“S-So… it’s post-traumatic stress! Yeah, like a form of PTSD. Haha.”
“Post-traumatic… stress?”
“Yeah! After a big accident, some people lose parts of their memory or even go a little crazy. It happens more often than you’d think.”
I shrugged like it was no big deal.
“So you really don’t remember anything. Nothing at all?”
“Yes, well… something like that. Hahaha. I guess someone with a perfect face also has perfect understanding, huh? You’re amazing, Duke!”
I gave him a bright smile and a big thumbs up. After all, people don’t usually get angry at someone who’s smiling.
“…Perfect score? And why… are you smiling like that? Do you think this is funny?”
‘Huh. Guess that old saying was wrong.’
He clearly didn’t like what I said. The Duke growled, frowning deeply. The deeper the crease between his brows, the more anxious I felt.
“Oh no! I was just talking to myself. I do that sometimes. Haha. Don’t mind it. Just seeing your face fills me up.”
I was babbling nonsense while forcing a smile, but inside, I wanted to cry.
At this point, getting information from Sasha was impossible. That meant… I had to face this head-on.
“Oh, right! I was wondering…”
At my voice, the Duke turned to me with curiosity.
“What is it?”
“So, how far did the divorce actually go?”
“Oh Lord…”
Sasha murmured quietly from the side.
For a second, Duke Randolph’s eyes wavered hard. The arrogance from earlier was gone, replaced with a mix of disbelief and frustration.
“Should I really be answering this ridiculous question…?”
I blinked and nodded like a child waiting for an answer. The Duke sighed deeply and finally spoke, like he had given up.
“Fortunately, it wasn’t approved. It’s still in the negotiation stage.”
“Oh, what luck. I almost lost a hottie like you.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. Watching his confused and increasingly crumpled face, I thought to myself—
I definitely had seen this face somewhere before.
‘That’s weird. He’s way too handsome for me to forget.’
I tilted my head, trying to remember. Then suddenly—a sharp pain hit my head like a hammer.
[Edmund Randolph. Swordmaster. War maniac. Cold-blooded. Murderer.]
A flood of terrifying titles buzzed through my mind.
“Wait… what? M-Murderer?!”
My eyes shot toward the man in front of me—the face behind those titles. So this was that Edmund. No matter how hot someone looked, they couldn’t escape their fate, huh?
My lavender eyes shook as I stared at him. Edmund slowly looked back at me.
“Looks like your memory’s starting to return.”
He smirked, lifting one corner of his mouth.
[You, of all people… should’ve trusted me.]
The next scene from that webtoon flashed through my mind. And with it, all the forgotten memories came rushing back.
<The Tragedy of the Randolph Duchy>
I understood immediately. Everything so far—everything I’d seen—was tied to this man.
And me? I was now the female lead of that tragic webtoon where everyone dies… stabbed through the heart.
“Urgh…!”
‘Wait… does that mean I’m going to die too?!’
A sharp pain spiked through my head. My body wobbled, but I quickly steadied myself. My trembling eyes stayed locked on him.
‘Damn it… even now, he’s still insanely good-looking.’
Even in the face of death, my body and mind stuck to their instincts. I looked at Edmund’s beautiful face and thought—
‘If I’m gonna die, I’d rather do it next to him.’
If this was my fate anyway, then dying beside a man this gorgeous didn’t sound too bad. At least my eyes would be happy.
<The Tragedy of the Randolph Duchy> was a webtoon I’d read in school. Ages ago. But I still remembered it clearly for one reason—
The male lead was hot.
Extremely hot.
“Sigh… I really was a successful fangirl.”
“What are you mumbling to yourself about now?”
Edmund looked at me with a puzzled expression.
‘The drawing is talking to me now.’
Even back then, I was hopeless when it came to good looks. The grand medieval setting and the world of swords and magic were great, but what made my heart race was this man’s face.
But Edmund… he was also known as a war maniac, a cold-blooded killer, and a murderous demon.
“Chloen.”
“Ah! Yes, sorry. I was just… thinking a little.”
“Thinking? I thought you said you didn’t remember anything. Did your memory suddenly come back?”
“N-No, no. I was just saying… stuff. Random thoughts. Haha.”
At his sharp question, I bit my lip and quickly looked away. My legs were shaking under the long skirt.
“Murderer, murderer…”
The word echoed over that beautiful face.
Honestly, all I could do now was take deep breaths to calm my racing heart.
‘I thought I hit the jackpot, but turns out I picked a cursed card instead? No… no! Think about it—this girl tried to run away on their wedding anniversary, and he still didn’t kill her.’
He’s a swordmaster who conquered the empire. That means he could kill someone and no one would dare say a thing.
And yet, I was still alive—even after trying to escape.
That meant there was still hope.
‘He’s worth investing in. I can see some humanity in him.’
“So… what happened that day, anyway?”
“That day? You mean the day you ran away while I was at the training grounds?”
His voice was deadly, but I just shrugged and smiled awkwardly. Then I gave my best clueless performance.
“Sadly, I don’t remember a thing.”
“Oh really? You don’t remember?”
Edmund repeated my words, then stood from his seat. Slowly, he walked over, closing the distance between us.
His black-gloved hand reached up and tilted my chin. I gulped nervously.
‘Ugh… he’s disgustingly hot. He’s deadly. I want him.’
I stared into his eyes and thought it—I want him for real.
A war maniac? Cold-blooded? Whatever. He’s a duke, and dukes have tough jobs. Of course he’s rough around the edges.
Besides, this is the bloody medieval era. And this beautiful man was the hero who saved the collapsing Lavistel Empire.
Not to mention… he’s rich. Like stupidly rich. After the war, he returned with a massive fortune and a huge estate. His flashy mansion had a reason.
So yeah—he’s rich, strong, skilled, and handsome. There’s no doubt—this man was heaven’s gift to me after my untimely death.
“Heaven isn’t so far away after all…”
“What?”
Edmund raised a brow, and I quickly closed my mouth.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
I gave him a sweet little smile and tried to piece my scattered memories back together.
Yeah… if things had gone differently, this man’s life would’ve been perfect. Money, fame, power—he had it all.
But life’s never easy. And a hero always has enemies.
Instead of being known as “the returning hero,” Edmund was soon called a “blood-crazed killer” and “war maniac.”
Sure, it was true that he’d killed more people than anyone could count. And later, rumors said he overthrew the emperor and tried to take the throne.
But honestly, the world of the original story was full of corruption. Edmund hated the emperor and wanted to change everything.
He just didn’t realize he was rotting inside too.
“I’ll clear your name for you.”
‘And… I’ll help you walk the right path.’
Before I knew it, I reached out and grabbed his hand. Edmund flinched and pulled away.
“Clear my name? What are you talking about…?”
He frowned and rubbed the hand I touched, clearly confused. But I didn’t care.
To me, he looked like a poor, pitiful wolf… one who’d been hurt and misunderstood.
‘He must’ve been so angry. So lonely.’
I had no idea what the original Chloen was thinking when she did what she did. But now that I was in this body, the story would change.
“My baby isn’t like that. Right? That wasn’t your real intention, was it?”
As I spoke, Edmund’s expression twisted and shifted.
I blinked up at him with wide, innocent eyes, waiting for an answer.
“…You’re definitely not normal.”
