Episode 1
Warm sunlight poured in through the tall windows, scattering golden rays across the grand hall.
Decorated with white flowers and ribbons, the party hall looked breathtaking.
Beneath the floral decor, elegantly dressed guests sat in neatly arranged chairs, conversing in hushed tones.
It was a stark contrast to the usually gloomy Canus Castle.
The wedding hall looked dignified enough, but if someone were to hear this was the Grand Duke’s wedding venue, they would likely ask, “Really?”
It was too modest for a Grand Duke’s wedding.
But that wasn’t surprising—this wedding had been arranged in a rush.
The ducal house, known for its distance from extravagance, had struggled to prepare on short notice, and the current party hall was the best result of their efforts.
Marquis Arbore looked around the hall, his face wrinkling in displeasure.
Accustomed to the lavishness of the capital, the Marquis found the hastily arranged wedding offensive.
He hadn’t come expecting a warm welcome, but the lackluster preparations made him feel blatantly disregarded.
Still, he managed to keep his composure, convinced that this marriage had to happen no matter what.
“You made sure to talk to Piony, right?”
He leaned toward his son, whispering as he glanced at the Grand Duke receiving a blessing from the priest.
Antonio, scanning the room with a composed expression, gave a slight nod.
“She’s not stupid. I think we can trust her to handle it.”
At his son’s response, the Marquis finally relaxed a little.
“Bride, enter.”
At the announcement, the few guests turned their heads toward the entrance.
A striking woman with pomegranate-red hair began walking slowly down the aisle.
With sharp eyes and shimmering golden irises, her makeup was minimal, yet she exuded an undeniable elegance.
She wore a translucent veil, but her brilliant eyes gleamed underneath, and her slim, curvy figure made the white wedding gown appear more seductive than pure.
She was Piony Arbore, the bride of this wedding.
The only daughter of Marquis Arbore. The poor noble lady who was marrying the so-called ‘Demon Grand Duke.’
This wasn’t a wedding born of love and excitement. Nor was it a union of harmony between noble houses.
Everyone attending had their own interests at stake, and in their eyes, Piony was nothing more than a fragile girl sacrificed to her father’s ambition.
But such sympathy was shallow, born only from ignorance of Piony’s true thoughts.
She, too, had something she desired.
Piony walked confidently down the red carpet, her posture proud and upright.
Her eyes briefly met her father’s, who looked at her with a cold gaze.
But she could read him like an open book. Marquis Arbore was using her to win favor with the emperor.
Before coming to the ducal estate, he had repeatedly told her what to do.
He intended to use his daughter as a spy.
But Piony had her own plans. Her father’s schemes were none of her concern.
She shifted her gaze to a small child with black hair sitting in the front row of the guest seats.
That child was the reason she had decided to marry the Grand Duke.
Looking nervous in the unfamiliar surroundings, the child glanced around with wide eyes.
When their eyes met, the child quickly ducked behind the chair, startled.
Piony turned back to face forward, her expression calm.
Anyone noticing her interest in the child would surely find it strange.
The red carpet stretched across the hall wasn’t as long as she expected.
Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the Grand Duke.
It was the first time Piony and the Grand Duke were meeting.
The wedding had been arranged so quickly that there had been no formal introductions.
The Grand Duke’s face showed no emotion as he looked at her.
His dark eyes, often called ominous and unholy, were cold and unreadable.
Leonard Noir.
A man with black hair and black eyes—colors no human in this world was born with.
The head of the powerful Noir family, the only human who could wield magical power.
He was only twenty-five, but there was no trace of youthful vitality about him.
Piony didn’t avoid his gaze. She held it steadily.
She refused to let anyone look down on her—not Leonard, who was about to become her husband, nor the ducal family members quietly judging her.
Soon, she stood right before him.
Leonard didn’t seem particularly fazed by her intense gaze.
He simply extended his arm with a businesslike expression.
Piony gently rested her hand on his arm—just enough to look proper, but no more.
Leonard slowly began to walk, escorting her forward. It was a considerate gesture, given her cumbersome dress.
Piony couldn’t hide her surprise and glanced at him sideways.
Surely, he must know of her father’s intentions—why was he not colder toward her?
She had expected open hostility.
Noticing her glance, Leonard turned slightly toward her.
Their eyes met—his were still blank and unreadable.
But after a moment, he gave a slight nod.
Caught off guard, Piony reflexively nodded back.
Leonard turned forward again as if nothing had happened.
Piony felt confused. His gaze held no warmth, yet his manner was incredibly polite.
Life in the ducal estate might be different than she had expected.
She didn’t know what he was thinking, but at least there wasn’t an openly hostile atmosphere.
Her mouth was dry with nervousness.
In some ways, overt aggression would have been easier. It’s always the unknowable people who are hardest to deal with.
Leonard led her gracefully to the priest.
Just like he had blessed the groom, the priest now offered prayers for Piony—but his expression remained stiff.
She let the meaningless words wash over her, wishing the ceremony would end soon.
“You are now one under the blessing of the divine. May the god’s light forever shine on your path.”
Finally, the priest’s long-winded sermon came to a close.
The guests stood and applauded the new couple.
As she turned to leave the hall, she caught sight of her father’s fake smile.
The black-haired child was clapping awkwardly, clearly frightened.
Leonard, still by her side, remained courteous, though his expression hadn’t changed.
As they walked together, Piony noticed his eyes flicker briefly to her father.
Those black eyes turned cold.
And so, with the bride and groom harboring different thoughts, the Grand Duke’s second marriage ended with a facade of joyful celebration.
—
The sun had already disappeared from the sky.
Piony stared blankly at the purple-streaked sky outside the window.
The foreign customs of this world’s wedding ceremony had left her no room to rest. Forced to stand the entire time, she was exhausted.
As soon as the ceremony ended, the Marquis’s group left in a hurry.
Though it was the kind of evening where one might stay overnight, neither side brought it up.
And shortly after her father left, several knights from the ducal estate followed on horseback.
They were clearly meant to monitor him—and the fact that they did so openly was a message to Piony: Don’t even think of playing tricks.
She had already braced herself for this kind of welcome, so she simply watched in silence.
Later, Piony changed and waited in the Grand Duke’s room—now their shared marital chamber.
Though it was an unwanted marriage with an unwanted bride, the room was decorated with candles, flowers, and lace.
Piony looked at the pointless decorations and thought of Leonard.
She still hadn’t decided how to act once he entered.
The worst-case scenario she had imagined when agreeing to marry him was that he’d be as cruel and inhuman as the rumors claimed.
Living in the same room with such a man would be a nightmare.
She had her reasons for enduring it and made the decision to marry, but truthfully, she had been scared.
She had no one she could rely on in this foreign world.
And if her husband was as heartless as people said, who wouldn’t be afraid?
But thankfully, Leonard was different from the worst-case scenario she had feared.
Even in his conversation with the Marquis, he had remained calm and polite.
It was too early to say for sure, but he didn’t seem like someone full of rage or cruelty.
Piony sighed softly.
To Leonard, she was clearly nothing more than the Marquis’s spy.
It didn’t matter what she thought of him—he would always be on guard.
She understood that, but that didn’t mean she could treat him carelessly.
She actually felt a bit sorry for him.
Turning back to the window, she saw stars beginning to appear.
In the reflection of the glass, a red-haired woman stared back at her.
The face was familiar now.
But the first time she had seen that fierce beauty, it had felt incredibly strange.
After all, her original self had lived in a world where such scarlet hair and golden eyes didn’t exist.
Yes—she was Piony, but not truly Piony.
She hadn’t been born in this world.
A few years ago, before she woke up in Piony’s body, she had been an ordinary office worker.
She remembered the accident that came before waking in this unfamiliar body.
She had been sure she died.
Waking up in a stranger’s body, in a world she didn’t know—it had been terrifying.
For a brief moment, she even wondered if this was the afterlife.
That thought faded quickly under the weight of pain and reality—but the truth remained:
It was an unbelievable, impossible thing.
TO BE CONTINUED…..
