The woman disappeared.
“Estelle?”
The man desperately searched for any trace of the woman, acting like a madman. But there was no response. And that meant only one thing. The man clenched his fist so tightly that blue veins bulged.
“It’s a lie.”
The woman had abandoned him and disappeared. The vivid memory of that seemingly impossible moment came rushing back clearly. But despite everything falling apart, the man searched for her relentlessly — the room where she often stayed, the rose garden where she smiled and said the sun was nice, even their private space where she shyly smiled at him.
“Everything seems just as it was.”
Now, her life and death were uncertain. The thought that she might have died, even just a possibility, tightened his chest painfully. His handsome face became expressionless.
“Even if I look for her now, she won’t come back, right?”
Even if she had died, he thought he should find her body and keep it with him. A dark madness moved with a single purpose.
‘Even if I don’t know exactly how she disappeared—’
If there’s a way to escape, there must also be a way to catch her and imprison her.
“Estelle.”
Her loveable platinum blonde hair, shining like spring flowers, and her mysterious navy blue eyes.
‘It’s finally come to this.’
Everything was his fault. The reason she completely lost that beautiful smile.
“But still, I can’t do without you.”
Even on the dawn that was breaking, the whole world was as dark as night. The happiness she had given him became the foundation for another hell. His piercing eyes turned toward the wedding ring. An elegant platinum ring with a deep blue sapphire embedded in it. He wanted a jewel that resembled her blue eyes, and she wanted a red gem that looked like his eyes. But in the end, the wedding ring was decided according to his choice. That ring became the only remnant of her left in his possession. The man, with eyes closed, reverently kissed the wedding ring. Somehow, he still felt connected to her through it. The faint voice trembling in his ears flickered in his mind.
“Goodbye, John.”
He would definitely bring her back. And even if he had to break her ankles to do so, he would imprison her.
“We will be together forever.”
John Blancher, the man, opened his eyes regally and wore a languid smile. It was a smile she sometimes looked at him with, almost hypnotized.
“Forever.”
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
Estelle was an orphan adopted into the Libertan ducal family. The reason a seemingly insignificant orphan could be adopted into the prestigious Libertan family was simple. ‘The death of the princess, Yesella.’ The lovely Yesella, with shining blonde hair like the sun and deep, blue eyes. People loved her as if she were an angel born of the devilish Libertan duke and duchess, pouring their souls into her. When Yesella succumbed to an incurable disease and her brief life ended, everyone couldn’t bear the void she left. They tried to fill it with something similar, to soothe the terrible loss. And so, the girl chosen as the closest match was Estelle. Her blue eyes reminded one of the young Yesella, and they met by chance at the orphanage, making her seem less like an orphan, with her doll-like loveliness. Estelle was incredibly fortunate, for reasons that seemed vague, to be adopted as the duke’s princess. But no one knew that this wasn’t true luck. The Duke and Duchess of Libertan, who were supposed to be good parents, abused her after adopting her. The only reason they adopted her was because they needed someone to remember their daughter. Whenever she did something inappropriate for her role, they would starve her for days or lock her in a small space. Perhaps to hide the abuse, they rarely let her leave the mansion, which was sweetened with the guise of love. Until the Libertan ducal estate was buried under debt and fell apart.
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
Honestly, I had expected this day to come.
‘I’ve really fallen apart.’
I had suspected it from the moment they started expanding their business recklessly, but I knew about the downfall of the Libertan estate long before that.
‘Because I saw it in a book.’
A few years ago, I fainted after being locked in a closet, and in that shock, I learned a shocking truth: this was all fiction, and I was the heroine of the novel.
‘Life really is too harsh.’
According to the story, a miraculous deal was struck to save the heavily indebted Libertan estate.
‘My marriage would wipe out all the debt.’
Although the opponent was the enemy family, the Blancher ducal family, it was a good deal — selling off a daughter they didn’t even value much. So, I married the Duke of Blancher, unaware that I was a fake wife being sold, and I loved my mysterious husband from afar, only betrayed in the end. I even ran away with the main character for a while, but I was caught and cruelly killed.
‘I can’t die like that.’
Having continually failed to escape from the Libertan estate, I saw only one way left.
‘Build trust and then run away.’
Fortunately, unlike in the original story where I didn’t even know that the dark figure was an enemy of the Libertan estate, I knew some background details. At that moment, the butler suddenly burst open the door.
“Miss, the master is calling you.”
Finally, the day I had been waiting for arrived. The day I was to be married off as if sold to the dark figure.
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
I kept my eyes closed quietly. The dark figure, who was meticulous about secrecy, had blindfolded me and was taking me in a carriage.
‘This part is just like the original.’
Suddenly, the Duke of Libertan, who had called me, told me exactly what I wanted to hear.
‘Now it’s time to repay the favor of the house that loved me, instead of Yesella.’
‘If you know what gratitude is, you’ll understand what you have to do.’
And just then, the carriage stopped. The moment I heard footsteps, the blindfold covering my eyes was slowly lifted. Having worn the blindfold for so long, my vision was still blurry. I blinked slowly, and my surroundings gradually came into focus. Right in front of me was a man. An incredibly handsome man who filled my entire field of vision. His noble black hair, aristocratic and elegant features, and especially his blood-red eyes that sparkled like rubies. John Blancher — a young, fallen duke who had risen again to become the empire’s top groom.
Unlike his handsome face, which radiated a calm and tidy aura, his muscular body seemed tightly wound, making anyone nervous just by looking at him.
“Hello, my lady.”
As he gently smiled, a deep dimple appeared on his left cheek. His once cold face immediately brightened, as if a boy had appeared.
“Is this your first time seeing me like this?”
“…”
“Were you scared on the way here?”
His languid voice sounded genuinely concerned. His impressive appearance made my heart race involuntarily. Truly, he was a man full of dangers.
‘All fake, calm down.’
His purpose was to toy with me until his resentment was resolved, then completely ruin me.
‘You can never run away.’
‘Because all your family must suffer to the very end.’
Thinking of the revenge I had read about in the original story helped me shake off the shock of seeing such a handsome man. But his actions didn’t stop there. The man with the black glove covered my hand. His large hand engulfed mine completely. The sudden contact made my body tense. In a husky voice, he whispered close to my ear.
“Are you afraid of me, my lady?”
In the original, Estelle was initially captivated by her husband’s appearance, but upon hearing that, she became terrified and finally cried.
‘I understand.’
Even though he was softly whispering, an oppressive aura emanated from him. It was as if a predator was looming before her, pressing her down with its presence.
“No, I’m not afraid.”
But I couldn’t let him see that. His red eyes subtly narrowed, observing my reaction as if to see ‘Estelle.’
‘What does the dark figure want?’
I thought about the person the dark figure envisioned. Estelle was an orphan adopted as a substitute for the incurably ill princess Yesella, who died young. She was a fortunate orphan who grew up happily, pampered by the enemy family, the Libertan duke and duchess. In reality, she suffered abuse, but no one knew her circumstances. I slowly held his hand and smiled softly.
“I was just surprised to meet you for the first time.”
“Really?”
“It’s strange to be afraid of a husband I’ve just met as a wife.”
“Is it?”
The man, who had been watching me, raised the corners of his mouth in a gentle smile.
“There have been many people afraid of me right from the start. Actually, you seem quite suitable for that too.”
“Why?”
Above his crimson eyes, my reflection appeared harmless.
“You were abandoned by your family and sold to me.”
He added slowly.
“And it’s because of money.”
He smiled at me with piercing, red eyes that looked like a predator eyeing its prey. His breath seemed to brush against the nape of my neck. I shivered with a hair-raising sensation.
“Don’t you feel betrayed by your parents?”
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
John looked at his new wife. Estelle Libertan. She was nothing more than a target for revenge. Honestly, she wasn’t even the real daughter of Libertan. But she was the duke and duchess’s beloved daughter, whom they considered as close as their own. That alone made her an important chess piece in this vast revenge scheme.
“Hello, my lady.”
Her soft, cream-colored platinum hair and her delicate features, as if crafted from sugar dolls, were exactly what he wanted. The slightly frightened reaction was perfect, especially since he deliberately blindfolded her for that purpose.
“Are you afraid of me?”
She was especially vulnerable, having been sold by her trusted family for money. She must have been in a state of confusion and anxiety. But her response was somewhat unusual.
“It’s strange to be afraid of a husband I’ve just met as a wife.”
The seemingly frightened reaction suddenly disappeared, replaced by bright, sparkling eyes like a baby rabbit, staring at him curiously. That gaze oddly stimulated desire in people.
“You were abandoned by your family and sold to me.”
So John decided to provoke her further.
“And it’s because of money.”
A gentle ripple stirred in Estelle’s blue eyes.
“Don’t you feel betrayed by your parents?”
“Betrayal… no, I don’t.”
The woman, with silvery white eyelashes that looked more silver than platinum, cautiously opened her mouth.
“Just being adopted and cared for by my adoptive parents all this time is already a blessing. I’m grateful for that.”
Unexpected, yet perfectly exemplary answer.
“Now that it’s time for my parents to take care of me, I should do my duty.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I’m not sure, but I will do my best to help, now that I am married.”
Only then did John realize why she could be so naive.
‘As expected, she’s been well-raised, just as the rumors say.’
Because of that, she couldn’t properly grasp the situation or believe that this marriage was normal.
‘Really…’
She seemed easy to manipulate. John slowly reached out toward her face. His fingertips sensuously brushed her cheek and tickled her ear. Estelle shivered as if aware of it.
“Trying to do your best?”
He twirled his lips and asked.
“You know, it’s not something you can do just because you want to.”
“Then—”
“Then?”
He tilted his head, mimicking her as she hesitated, and met her gaze.
“What do you think I should do, Your Grace?”
The innocent sincerity in his answer strangely captivated her. Suddenly, he remembered the moment he had traded her. The heavily indebted Duke of Libertan had proposed to him.
‘That girl is as pretty as rumored, so she’ll surely catch the duke’s interest.’
‘Until his anger subsides, I can do whatever I want. After all, she’s not even a real daughter of the Libertan estate. Her resentment must be deep.’
He sacrificed his beloved adopted daughter as a pawn for revenge.
‘Does that mean I don’t care what happens to the daughter I cherished so much?’
‘…I’ll use everything that has value. As long as it helps the continuity of the Libertan family, she’ll understand.’
Perhaps it was because he considered her a distant relative, not the eldest son of the Blancher family they had killed, that he dared make such an offer. Thus, Libertan abandoned her. Not just abandoned — he even handed her over himself, furious and wanting to vent his anger. A fake wife sold as if by her family. And, as if to justify that, this fake woman didn’t resent her family at all. Her strangely devoted attitude stirred memories of a cherished past, and even the thought of mocking her disappeared.
“This is a bit strange.”
He had longed for this revenge moment. He was supposed to savor the sweet revenge to the fullest, but something gnawed at his heart.
“I guess these kinds of problems are really difficult.”
Estelle nodded and smiled shyly.
“Still, I will try my best to be helpful to Your Grace.”
Maybe she was even more naive and pure than he thought. This woman, abandoned by everyone, might remind him of his most miserable days. But that was all. There was no reason for his plan to change. He still intended to reveal her the crimes her adoptive parents committed and then destroy her in the most tragic way.
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
The dark figure took me to a room in the mansion and disappeared. Only after John closed the door and left, confirming that all sounds of movement had ceased, did I finally breathe a sigh of relief.
‘I didn’t answer strangely, did I?’
Since I didn’t have high expectations from the Libertan duke and duchess, I wasn’t feeling betrayed. But I worried that this might seem suspicious.
‘Still, I handled it well.’
Another comforting detail was that, like in the original story, I was sleeping in a separate room from the dark figure. It wasn’t always ideal, but I thought I could at least sleep peacefully at night. As soon as I sat on the bed, a maid knocked on the door and greeted me. She was a maid with brown hair and a calm demeanor. Yet, somehow, she felt familiar.
“Good evening, madam. I am Betty, who will serve you from today. It’s an honor to serve you.”
‘I remember.’
She was the maid who had betrayed me on John’s orders in the original story.
~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~
Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉
Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~~Next Chapter~~~
Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.
See you then!!
