Chapter : 01

Prologue

***

“All preparations to welcome my lady have been completed.”

The North, where everything had collapsed perfectly after the end of the demon war.

With practically nothing but ruins remaining, reconstruction was urgently needed.

Nevertheless, the bride said it didn’t matter.

Rather, she would pack her simple belongings immediately and come up to the North?

Around the time rumors about this peculiar bride-to-be spread throughout the castle.

The Grand Duke of Kairozen in the North positioned himself in front of the castle gate to receive his bride.

And then…

A pure white carriage, announcing its southern origins, slowly approached through the pitch-black forest.

Even so, Grand Duke Kairozen stood tall without any emotional expression whatsoever.

He hardly looked like a husband about to meet his wife for the first time.

Finally, the carriage stopped in front of such a Grand Duke.

The southern lady, Serenthia Rosemary, stepped down from the carriage along with a coachman carrying her simple luggage and an attending maid…

“Hello, Your Grace.”

She offered a light greeting with a curtsy.

This was surely a marriage where she had been sold off.

She couldn’t have failed to hear the strange rumors that Grand Duke Raphael Kairozen had killed hundreds of demons.

She must have confirmed all the northern territories that had been destroyed on her way here.

Yet strangely, she was even smiling brightly.

“Oh, come to think of it! Instead of just calling you Your Grace… would you allow me to use your name?”

As if the cold in front of the northern castle gate didn’t bother her, the lady chattered sweetly like a bird.

And the ‘monster Grand Duke,’ Raphael Kairozen, who had been staring at her intently, answered coldly.

“No, I do not permit my name.”

Meaning she should continue to call him ‘Your Grace.’

Everyone held their breath at his cold-blooded words.

However, Serenthia’s eyes were still sparkling.

“Oh, I understand!”

“Good, then…”

Just as Raphael was about to turn around with a stiff reply.

Serenthia tucked her long silver hair behind her ear and said shyly.

“Then, from now on, may I call you honey?”

“…Honey?”

“Yes, honey!”

Raphael’s cold gaze struck directly at Serenthia’s radiant face.

“Is that the name of a demon?”

***

“Honey? Is that the name of a demon? Really…”

“Be quiet.”

A few minutes later, inside Grand Duke Kairozen’s study.

Right after bringing Serenthia into the inner castle.

Raphael’s expression, sitting across from his aide Tein, became as cold as a winter freeze.

“It really is shocking, Your Grace.”

“Shut up.”

“What a thing to witness in my lifetime. To think His Grace would be left speechless!”

“Shut up and check the official marriage contract. We need to share it with Lady Rosemary on the wedding day.”

“Ah, yes.”

Three seconds after the sharp response.

Tein knocked over the documents and muttered.

“Oh, forget this stuffy stuff. Your Grace’s expression earlier was really the first time I’ve ever seen…”

Watching his aide grin foolishly, Raphael quietly murmured.

“Forget it.”

“Oh, I forgot. But you know, Your Grace is well aware that you only have two expressions. But for the first time in my life, I saw Your Grace’s third expression, you know?”

Tein alternated between frowning and expressionless faces, then grinned.

“That’s not forgetting it.”

“…Anyway, so I became very curious whether the future Grand Duchess will be able to move Your Grace’s heart.”

“We’ll live moderately like this, and the Grand Duchess will manage internal affairs according to the contract between families. That’s all.”

“Wow, what a wall…”

“There won’t be much occasion to meet. There’s even less reason to unnecessarily mix emotions.”

It was truly an iron fortress of emotions.

Tein scratched his head with a sour expression.

‘Well, who could break through that wall?’

This marriage too was a ‘hastily arranged marriage’ brought about by the collaboration of the Council of Elders and the Emperor forcing marriage upon Raphael.

The storm that Serenthia had stirred up quickly subsided.

The atmosphere in the study became very, very quiet as usual.

Raphael looked toward the castle gate with a calm expression.

The carriage Serenthia had arrived in was still visible at the main gate.

It was a remarkably simple carriage with only a small bundle for luggage.

Only one maid, and even she was supposed to return soon.

It was indeed strange.

But it was also something that didn’t require any particular interest.

Raphael withdrew his gaze from the main gate.

***

After unpacking in the guest room of 【Kairozen Castle】.

I, Serenthia Rosemary, thought.

While entering Kairozen Castle, I tried once more to discuss the term ‘honey’…

“If it’s not the name of a demon, I’m not interested.”

“It’s not the name of a demon! Since we’re future spouses… we should have at least one affectionate nickname like honey or darling!”

“Call me Grand Duke Kairozen. Now, show the lady to the guest room, head butler.”

…I was quickly rejected.

Well, to Raphael, I’m just a woman he’s meeting for the first time.

Even though we’ll officially marry in three months, for now I’m just a guest.

But the nickname ‘honey’ was apparently too hasty after all.

In the end, Raphael left coldly without looking back at me.

‘I really feel like crying.’

So as I entered the guest room alone and forlorn, I wiped away my tears…

‘But I don’t cry easily!’

…I didn’t.

Instead, I fanned my reddened face with my hands to cool it down, then looked around my surroundings.

Under the pale sunlight.

I finally realized that I had escaped the Rosemary Family and come here.

‘I finally made it. To Kairozen Castle.’

The northern sun was also rising beyond the window.

‘Because I have a very, very, very important goal!’

I sat on the guest room sofa and courageously steeled my heart.

Before me appeared a rough-looking head maid. With black eyes and hair, she was very tall, probably around 180cm.

I looked at her solemnly with an expression that was definitely not intimidated.

“Good day. My name is Melorsi. I plan to faithfully assist Lady Serenthia until your marriage. But why are you trembling like that? Are you cold?”

I’m not trembling? I’m not scared at all, not even a little?

I confidently extended my hand for a handshake.

“…Not cold. Nice, nice to meet you. So what should I do from now on?”

The head maid, Melorsi, who casually accepted my handshake, opened her mouth.

“Let’s look at the .”

And then, finally.

Swoosh!

The moment the schedule organized by the head maid appeared before my eyes.

The first thing I checked was my meetings with Raphael.

But at that moment, I came to realize a shocking reality.

“In the next three months, I’ll only meet my husband three times for dinner…?”

In the incredibly sparse schedule that Head Maid Melorsi handed me.

There were only three meetings with Raphael at most.

Thud, thump.

With loud noises, stones rolled around inside my head.

Head Maid Melorsi answered with dead fish eyes.

“Yes. As you well know, Lord Raphael is busy with rebuilding the Kairosen territory.”

Uh oh, then… that won’t work?

According to my grand plan.

I absolutely had to meet Raphael every single day.

Because….

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