MLHBMH 01

Chapter 1

Chirp, chirp—

The sound of birdsong rippled through the air and pulled Lily’s consciousness out from under the surface of sleep.

Morning already. The thought of facing another miserable day made her sigh inwardly as she forced her heavy eyelids open.

“Ugh…”

The moment she came to her senses, a piercing headache struck. It felt like something cold and snake-like was slithering around inside her skull—an unfamiliar and nauseating sensation.

And it wasn’t just her head. Her stomach churned, queasy and raw. If she opened her mouth, she was sure everything she ate last night would come back up. Lily clamped her lips shut and buried her face into a soft pillow. The faint scent of strange flowers tickled her nose, but her headache was too severe for her to care.

Ssshh—

When the sound of running water reached her ears, Lily lifted her head. Was it raining? She turned toward the window—then blinked rapidly at the sight of unfamiliar curtains.

Not just the curtains. The carpet, the sofa, the table, even the bed she was lying on—none of it was hers.

This isn’t my bedroom.

Just the fact that she’d woken up somewhere unfamiliar was startling enough, but what made her heart lurch in panic was realizing that she wasn’t wearing a single thing.

The clothes she’d been wearing yesterday were draped over the back of the sofa. When she turned her head slightly more, she saw men’s clothing too—equally unfamiliar. Her green eyes trembled.

W-what on earth happened last night?

Wrapping the blanket tightly around her bare body, Lily tried to piece the night together.

She’d stormed out of the mansion, unable to endure another one of her husband Frederick’s cruel remarks. Then she’d rented a room at an inn and gone down to the hall to drink. Someone had once said alcohol helps when you’re depressed—but that had been a lie. The more she drank, the clearer Frederick’s words echoed in her mind.

She’d kept drinking anyway, hoping more wine would dull the pain. It didn’t. Her glass emptied over and over until her mind went hazy—and after that…

Click—

The sound of the door opening behind her froze her shoulders in place. Her grip on the blanket tightened.

“You’re awake.”

A low, deep voice. Definitely a man’s.

Her stomach sank. So I really did… spend the night with a man. She squeezed her eyes shut. She hadn’t even spent her wedding night with her husband yet, and now she’d done this—her conscience screamed in protest.

“Why so quiet?”

Because what am I even supposed to say?

She wanted to run, but she couldn’t. Not when she was naked under this blanket. She had no desire to be remembered as the lunatic woman who streaked through the streets.

Besides, if she just ran, the scandal that would follow might be even worse. No—she had to handle this carefully.

You can do this.

No, you have to.

After a deep breath to calm her shaking heart, Lily slowly turned around.

The man had hair so black that even light seemed unable to pass through it, still damp and dripping water that ran down a sharp jawline. His eyebrows were dark and strong, matching his firm features—but his golden eyes glittered with a childlike mischief that clashed strangely with his otherwise intimidating face.

Her gaze traced the line of his nose down to the thin, upturned lips curled into a faint red smile. It was a smile—and yet, it sent a chill down her spine. Lily shivered and clutched the blanket tighter.

“…Could you step outside for a moment? I’d like to get dressed.”

The man tilted his head slightly.

“You want me to go out—like this?”
“I—uh—that’s not what I—!”

Her eyes darted downward by reflex—and she caught sight of his bare chest beneath the loosely tied robe. She gasped and ducked her head.

A quiet chuckle came from above her.

Before she could process her embarrassment, the laughter drew closer. Panic rising, she shouted,

“T-then just turn around! I’ll change quickly!”
“Do we really need to be that modest between us?”

His amused voice came from right above her. The meaning behind those words made her snap her head up in confusion.

“B-between us?”

The man leaned closer, resting a hand by her pillow.

“Don’t you remember?”

“…”

He was far too close. Lily’s shoulders hunched instinctively. Run! her instincts screamed—but running meant throwing off the blanket, and she wasn’t that brave.

Instead, she slid back as far as she could, glaring at him with all the warning she could muster.

But the man didn’t seem the least bit intimidated. He just laughed softly, reached out, and brushed a strand of hair away from her face.

“You’re the one who asked me,” he said gently. “You asked me to be your lover.”

Lilliana hadn’t grown up rich, but her family was loving and peaceful. Her parents cherished her deeply, and her childhood had been warm and safe.

That peace shattered a week before her coming-of-age ceremony.

When she returned home after spending the day with friends, the mansion was already engulfed in flames—bright red fire devouring everything under a blood-colored sunset.

The inferno consumed not just the Benjamin estate, but her father, Baron Benjamin, along with it.

Her mother barely escaped with her life but was left with terrible burns—and the trauma had shattered her sanity.

In a single night, Lily lost her father, her home, and the stability of her world. Now all she had left was a broken mother and a mountain of despair.

But even despair was a luxury—her mother needed treatment immediately.

Lily pawned everything she owned, even the coming-of-age gift her father had prepared—but it wasn’t nearly enough to pay for medical care.

“Please… please help me!”

No one did.

People who had once smiled kindly at her father turned away without a trace of pity. Even her so-called friends shut their doors.

Left with no choice, Lily played her final card.

She would marry a rich commoner—someone who wished to buy noble status.

There were many such people: wealthy commoners who, despite their riches, were treated with disdain for lacking a title. They often sought to marry poor nobles to gain one.

Sure enough, once Lily advertised her intent to marry, suitors came pouring in from across the continent. Among them, one man caught her attention—Frederick, an entrepreneur in the transport business.

Unlike the others, who endlessly bragged or pleaded, Frederick simply listened. He respected her choices and treated her gently.

A gentleman, she’d thought. A kind man. Maybe… maybe I could build a life with him.

And so, she agreed to marry him.

The wedding night. The candlelight flickered softly in the bridal chamber. Following old tradition, only the groom could remove the bride’s veil and dress—so Lily waited, still in full wedding attire, for Frederick to come.

But he didn’t.

The banquet must have ended hours ago. Why hadn’t he come yet? Had something happened?

“Where is my husband?”

When Lily finally asked one of the maids, the woman looked terrified and lowered her head.

“What’s wrong?”

“T-the thing is…”

Trembling, the maid confessed: Frederick was spending the night in the arms of Countess Valliman.

Lily’s vision swam. A bride on her wedding night—abandoned while her husband shared a bed with another woman.

“My lady!”

The maid rushed to catch her as Lily staggered, dizzy.

“I’m fine…”

She steadied herself against the wall, staring down the dark corridor.

She wanted to storm in there, grab him by the hair, and scream that the marriage was over—but the papers were already signed.

And her mother’s face flashed in her mind.

If the marriage collapsed now, her mother would never get treatment—she might follow her husband to the grave.

So Lily bit back her rage and returned to her empty bridal chamber in silence.

Frederick finally came at dawn—neither late nor early, but just as the first light began to seep through the windows.

He found Lily still sitting by the bed in her dress, veil untouched. He tilted his head.

“You’re still awake?”

“…”

That’s what you have to say? After spending your wedding night with another woman?

Lily swallowed down the boiling anger and asked calmly,

“How could you? Sleeping with someone else on our wedding night—do you have no shame? Were you always this vile?”

Frederick just looked at her, expression unreadable.

“Do you want me to love you?”

“What…?”

“If you want my affection, then bring me something of value. Like how Countess Valliman offered me the exclusive rights to the iron transport routes.”

“…What?”

So that was why. He’d sold himself for a business deal.

Lily’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“If you’re trying to remind me that you granted me my father’s barony out of generosity, don’t bother,” he added. “That debt’s already been settled.”

And still, he wasn’t finished.

“It was a loss for me, frankly. But your situation was pitiful, and I needed a noble title quickly.”

His voice was cold, emotionless.

“I’ll cover your mother’s hospital bills, so stay out of my affairs. I won’t interfere in yours either.”

Only then did Lily realize the truth: she had made a terrible mistake.
Her marriage wasn’t a new beginning—
It was the start of her personal hell.