OIP | 001

<Chapter 1>

“I hope neither of us holds any unnecessary expectations beyond what is in the contract.”

At the cold man’s words, Ivanna quietly nodded her head, recalling her past of being coldly cast aside.

‘Ha, does he actually think anyone would like him? He has nothing going for him except a handsome face.’

Ivanna calmly hid her true thoughts and maintained a composed face.

What the man—no, Duke Cedric Reynolds—demanded was precisely what she had longed for.

She was merely ten years old.

Simply because she failed to receive the power that every member of the royal family naturally received, her life fell completely into the abyss.

Because she was saddled with the absence of power and the scandal of being an illegitimate child, and was abandoned in the detached palace.

Her parents stopped visiting her after that. This man probably wanted something similar as well.

“Even after you become the Duchess, nothing will change significantly from how things are now.”

With that, Duke Reynolds shut his mouth tightly, as if he had said all he needed to say.

His incredible appearance, praised as though God Himself had manifested, suited his expressionless and cold demeanor almost unrealistically well.

However, even that handsome face did not matter to Ivanna. She had a far more important goal.

To leave this damn imperial castle.

That was why, although it was sudden, Ivanna accepted the marriage proposal offered by Justin, the eldest prince and Crown Prince.

When a married royal’s family name changes, their divine power gradually weakens and disappears.

Had God forgotten her age? Her power had only manifested when she turned seventeen.

Thanks to that, just before she was about to starve to death, Ivanna was able to use her power to sneak out of the imperial castle and earn money.

Because of that, she did not want the imperial family to find out about her power, even if it cost her her life.

If she were caught, she would become a propaganda tool for the imperial family and have to travel all around the empire.

She hated that idea more than death itself.

“Is there anything else you desire?”

Ivanna, who had carefully examined the marriage documents, raised her eyes and asked. The duke was staring intently at her with an expressionless face.

‘It’s not like I have something on my face.’

At his gaze staring intently at her face, Ivanna’s hand flinched. She almost brushed her hand over her face without realizing it.

The contract contained everything she had requested in advance.

“As long as we abide by the contract, neither of us will have any reason to clash. I am busy, so I shall take my leave.”

Cedric stood up from his seat, as if even spending another moment talking with her was a waste of time.

He felt those round, sky-colored eyes following his movement, but he did not stop his steps.

The man, possessing flawless etiquette, left the room without making even the sound of a door.

Left alone in the drawing room, Ivanna made sure no one was around and lightly snapped her fingers.

In the empty air, water bubbles appeared with a bubbly sound. They then spread out like a thin film, widely enveloping the drawing room.

‘Great.’

Relieved, Ivanna held the contract up high.

“Perfect! I’m finally free from the imperial family!!”

She shouted while stamping her feet in delight at having achieved her goal.

Twenty-four.

That was an age well past the suitable time for engagement or marriage.

Because of that, she had been anxious, worrying she might end up sold off in marriage to a family with nothing but money, yet here she was marrying a duke.

Justin must have definitely lost his mind.

“Brother, what about Mother and Father? Am I no longer a royal because I didn’t receive a power?”

“Ivanna, no. How could that be? Our parents are just very busy. It’s just that Logan and I are also busy now because we have so much to learn.”

Ivanna let out a sigh as she recalled Justin, who used to come visit her while avoiding people’s eyes.

Justin would occasionally bring her food and clothes.

Everyone else had left, but Justin was the only one who stayed by her side.

If this marriage helped Justin, both of them would get what they wanted, so it was a win-win for everyone.

Ivanna was full of confidence that she could live quietly just as Duke Reynolds wished.

She was already living like that in the imperial palace; there was no reason she couldn’t do it at the duke’s estate.

Moreover, to think she would receive a living allowance of a thousand gold per month.

Sola! Anthony!

We’re rich now!!

Raising both hands high, Ivanna got up from her seat and twirled around.

Surely there won’t be any thieves or shameless administrators here.

Ivanna recalled the imperial palace’s budget, of which not even a tenth used to fall to her.

Of course, it hadn’t been like this from the start.

After she failed to receive her power, the maidservants who used to act warmly as if they would lay down their lives for her began to change one by one after the Day of Power.

Later, they even laid hands on the budget allocated to the princess.

Anxious, Ivanna rechecked the contract multiple times.

Fortunately, it stated that the living allowance would be paid into her personal account.

This meant that even if she didn’t purchase luxury goods, it would still be recognized as her personal asset.

‘It’s probably the price for living quietly.’

Normally, noblewomen’s maintenance funds were returned to the family if left unused.

Dresses that didn’t fall behind current trends were essential, but it was far more profitable to invest in jewelry that could become assets later.

Or at least buy up artworks by famous painters.

Items were recognized as personal property, so if a divorce ever occurred, she could take them with her.

Expecting the ducal house to be the same, she had planned to indulge in luxury lavishly, but if they deposited it directly into her personal account every month, there was no need for that.

What a relief that she didn’t have to be paid in jewels.

Of course, Sola and Anthony probably wouldn’t desire such things, but she still felt a weight lifted off her chest.

Was it because it was a marriage with the imperial family, or had some deal taken place with Justin?

The marriage contract handed over by Duke Reynolds had many terms in her favor, with only a few exceptions.

Eyes resembling the sky curved into a gentle smile.

“If this is the price for living quietly as if I don’t exist, it is more than enough.”

Tap, tap.

Ivanna tidied up the contract, put it into her bag, and stood up from her seat.

Since the wedding was left to the duke, she wouldn’t have to see him again until the ceremony.

‘It should be quiet for a while.’

Grinning, Ivanna withdrew her power and quietly departed from the ducal residence.

* * *

“Master.”

Cedric raised his head at the desperate call of his aide, Marcel.

“I’m telling you, you need to handle this first.”

“Wasn’t the imperial family supposed to take charge of matters related to the wedding?”

At the duke’s half-hearted response, his aide Marcel suppressed the urge to clutch his stomach, which felt as though it were melting.

“Even so, you must make at least the minimal decisions! No matter if it’s a marriage with the imperial family, are you going to dump absolutely everything onto them?”

Marcel placed the designs for the ceremonial attire and jewelry sent by the imperial family down in front of the duke.

“It looks as though our ducal house has had its weakness seized by the imperial family. It’s at a point where we ought to be thankful they even added a small touch of the ducal crest.”

Upon checking the designs for the ceremonial attire, just as Marcel had lamented, only a tiny bit of the Reynolds ducal crest and colors were incorporated at the collar and sleeve cuffs.

‘They placed the imperial crest and colors on the most prominent areas.’

At this rate, rather than the princess marrying into the ducal house, it looked as though he himself were entering the imperial family as a dependent guest.

Having entrusted the wedding to the imperial family in order to maintain neutrality, a problem had inevitably arisen.

The person being greedy was obvious.

“It seems adjustments will have to be made.”

“Of course!”

Tsking, Cedric stood up from his seat. Marcel followed him with a cold smile, thinking of completely turning the wedding attire designs upside down.

It was the Empress who greeted Cedric when he visited the imperial palace.

Even though he had informed them that he came regarding the marriage, the princess was nowhere to be seen.

“It seems the princess made such a mistake because her love for the imperial family is still overflowing.”

When Cedric brought up the issue, the Empress put on a benevolent smile and made excuses for the princess.

‘She’s dumping all the blame onto the princess.’

He thought she would act with some moderation considering the relationship between the imperial family and the ducal house, but she had crossed the line.

Cedric judged that taking initiative over the wedding ceremony himself might have been cleaner instead.

“If the princess desired it so much, then I ought to speak directly with the party involved.”

“Why, is there any need for that? Though she did so because she wished it, I was planning to caution her myself.”

At the behavior of pushing aside the abandoned princess onto him while taking all the actual gains for herself, Cedric let out a scoffing laugh.

“It seems Her Highness the Princess is quite clumsy.”

“Because the child is frail in health, she did not receive proper learning.”

The Empress wore a sorrowful face, saying that the imperial family cherished the princess so much that she simply didn’t know reality well.

“Since I heard you drafted a separate marriage contract, I had various concerns.”

At the words of the Empress, who smiled while asking if the princess was still too inexperienced, Cedric shook his head.

“The clauses are so thorough that they would leave nothing lacking even if submitted to the Imperial Court of Law, so you have nothing to worry about.”

Apart from the imperial family, he had drafted a marriage contract directly with the princess.

That was something Crown Prince Justin had requested of him.