Chapter 01
“Fedi. Tonight is going to be intense.”
“What?”
Has this man completely lost his mind? What’s gotten into him all of a sudden?
“Hot things are always nice. They’re exciting.”
Perdia studied his face carefully before her eyes settled on his dark crimson irises. The moment she saw them, she clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“It’s that day again?”
“What do you mean, that day?”
The man shamelessly feigned ignorance.
Perdia let out a deep sigh and slowly began undoing the buttons of her dress one by one. As she slipped the light dress from her shoulders and tossed it aside, a smile spread across Ereb’s lips.
His expression gradually became filled with desire.
Watching him, Perdia shook her head in disbelief.
“I’m not going easy on you tonight.”
“As if.”
She answered indifferently.
After removing her dress completely, she loosened the tightly laced corset around her waist. Freed from its restraint, she stretched comfortably and smiled faintly as she looked over herself.
Now dressed only in a white silk slip dress, her fair skin was faintly visible through the thin fabric.
Her marine-blue hair shimmered under the moonlight as the night breeze scattered the long strands. A sweet fragrance drifted through the air, and Ereb’s smile grew rougher, as though he had finally found someone capable of satisfying his desires.
His eyes slowly traveled down her long, pale legs extending beneath the white dress.
“Tonight’s going to be a long one, Fedi.”
“You’d better prepare yourself.”
The instant those words left Perdia’s lips—
Ereb lunged at her.
At the same moment, Perdia drew the sword hanging on the wall and swung it at him without hesitation.
Even in such a life-threatening situation, Ereb merely smiled. If anything, his crimson eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
“Let’s enjoy ourselves, Fedi.”
“…Ha…”
And that’s supposed to be my husband.
Deep wrinkles formed between Perdia’s brows.
How in the world had she ended up marrying a man like that?
As she swung her sword again, her thoughts drifted back to what had happened two months earlier.
Piercing screams echoed across the battlefield.
Lying on the blood-soaked ground, Perdia’s eyes trembled.
Only one thought endlessly repeated itself inside her mind.
This can’t be happening.
With a metallic clang, a silver sword descended before her eyes.
Its razor-sharp blade hovered over her throat as if it intended to sever her head at any moment.
The chilling gleam of the blade made it feel as though burning saliva had lodged itself in her throat.
Perdia slowly lifted her gaze from the sword and met a pair of crimson eyes staring down at her.
Eyes cold enough to send chills through anyone who looked into them.
They were the eyes of someone who had supposedly won a war, yet they carried not the slightest hint of joy or triumph.
Master of the Bloody Storm.
Human Butcher.
Bearer of Heresy.
Owner of the Silver Sword of Desire.
He possessed countless terrifying titles.
Yet whenever people spoke of him, they usually addressed him simply as—
“The Duke of Grixia…”
At the sound of Perdia’s voice, the crimson eyes shifted slightly.
At the same time, the silver blade lowered until its point rested over her heart.
A freezing sensation spread through her chest.
Even as her mind went completely blank, only one thought continued to echo.
This isn’t how it’s supposed to happen.
The story she knew had never unfolded like this.
Being transported into the novel she loved after casually copying a bizarre ritual she had found online had been shocking enough.
But after countless failed attempts to return to her original world, she eventually accepted reality.
Six years had already passed.
She had become—
Perdia Arde Poeheim.
The eldest daughter of the prestigious Marquis Poeheim family.
Within the novel, she was one of the strongest knights in the kingdom, eventually becoming Commander of the Knights.
After possessing Perdia’s body, she had spent an entire year confirming whether she truly possessed Perdia’s abilities.
Fortunately, even if her mind didn’t fully understand them, her body remembered everything.
Little by little, she grew stronger.
Just as in the novel, she joined the Knights at eighteen.
By twenty, she had become Commander.
Everything proceeded exactly as written.
There were no villains tormenting her.
No rivals who could threaten her.
After all, she was both the eldest daughter of an illustrious marquis family and the Commander of the Knights.
Time passed.
Eventually came the novel’s greatest climax—
The war.
Experiencing the final battle of a story she had once merely read was surprisingly moving.
Standing on a battlefield should have been terrifying.
Yet perhaps because even her mentality had become Perdia’s, she never truly panicked.
As a result—
Victory after victory.
She successfully repelled the Empire’s invasion while steadily approaching the novel’s predetermined ending.
Then one question occurred to her.
What happens after the story ends?
Once this war concluded, the novel would be over.
Would she finally return to her original world?
Filled with that hope, she continued commanding her soldiers while wielding her sword.
The war lasted two full months.
According to the novel…
The Imperial Commander-in-Chief would be captured.
Perdia would return home victorious.
And she would live happily ever after.
But…
Why did we lose?
That was the problem.
It wasn’t Perdia’s mistake.
The troops stationed elsewhere had been ambushed and completely overwhelmed.
As a result, Perdia’s main force was attacked from behind and annihilated.
A scene that had never appeared anywhere in the novel.
Completely bewildered, she fought until the very end.
But the man before her—
The Duke of Grixia—
Blocked every attack.
And she was defeated.
“You fought well.”
“…Is that supposed to be a compliment?”
“Think of it as my respect for an enemy who kept fighting until the very end.”
His voice contained no emotion whatsoever.
Perdia bit her lip.
Since becoming Perdia, she had often believed there was no one capable of matching her.
The overwhelming mana flowing through her body…
Her instinctive mastery over it…
The extraordinary talent she possessed with the sword…
All of it proved what an exceptional knight Perdia truly was.
In the novel, Perdia had practically been written as a flawless, unrivaled character.
So perhaps it was only natural.
But—
Who is this man?
He had technically appeared in the novel.
Yet he wasn’t a protagonist.
Nor even a supporting character.
His name had been mentioned only once in passing.
That insignificant figure now stood before her with a sword pointed at her life.
Damn it… Why is he so strong?
Too strong.
She had never once considered herself weak.
Yet before this man, her confidence felt nothing more than arrogance.
I was supposed to win…
She was supposed to defeat him.
Win the war.
Return home.
That was how the novel ended.
Yet just before reaching the final page—
She had fallen to her knees.
Unable to accept reality, Perdia denied it over and over.
But the man before her never looked away.
“Any last words?”
“…”
Whenever protagonists in novels generously offered dying enemies a chance to speak their final words, it always seemed noble.
A final act of respect.
But hearing those words directed at herself…
Was entirely different.
It felt like hearing a death sentence.
Her blood seemed to dry up.
Even her lips became parched.
She could feel every trace of color leaving her face.
“None?”
She hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until a deep sigh escaped her lips and her racing heart pounded violently inside her chest.
Looking at him, she spoke with difficulty.
“…Is that your version of respect?”
“You could say that.”
His cold, emotionless reply made her squeeze her eyes shut.
I’m going to die.
The ending of the novel no longer mattered.
Her own story would end here.
She had never truly feared death before.
The novel already had a predetermined ending.
She knew what that ending was.
Whether it was confidence or arrogance didn’t matter.
At least…
Until she found herself lying here.
“…You won’t spare me?”
“Even if I did, you’d simply be taken prisoner and executed. Surely you know that.”
Would anyone spare the enemy commander responsible for slaughtering over a thousand soldiers, officers, and nobles?
If anything, they’d impale her body as a warning.
Perdia took a slow breath.
“It would be kinder for you to die peacefully here.”
“…Is that respect too?”
“Don’t waste your thoughts on pointless things.”
For the first time, a faint smile appeared on his previously expressionless face.
Perdia swallowed hard as the icy blade rested against her chin.
“No last words.”
“What about something to leave your family?”
“I have nothing.”
Her firm answer made his crimson eyes widen ever so slightly.
His brows rose as though surprised.
But he asked no further questions.
He wasn’t the type to indulge in meaningless conversation.
“Then let’s finish this.”
The sharpness of his sword made Perdia’s heart pound wildly.
She desperately searched for some way out.
Some detail she had forgotten from the novel.
Anything.
But there was nothing.
The cold edge finally pressed against her neck.
She felt warm blood trickling down her skin.
Closing her eyes tightly, she braced herself.
The blade would cut through her throat.
She would bleed.
Struggle.
And die in agony.
Remembering all those she herself had once cut down, Perdia’s body trembled uncontrollably.
It’s going to hurt.
How much?
Will I scream?
She desperately wished for it to end quickly.
Her tightly shut eyes and trembling body revealed every ounce of terror she felt.
…But nothing happened.
Perdia slowly opened one eye.
The expected pain never came.
Confused, she cautiously looked toward the Duke of Grixia.
“…”
His crimson eyes remained fixed on her.
As though lost in thought.
He didn’t even seem to realize she had opened her eyes.
What’s wrong with him?
Very slowly, Perdia shifted backward.
She wanted to move away from the blade at her throat.
Little by little, she freed herself from the silver edge.
The Duke’s eyes followed her movement.
Then—
He raised his hand.
“…Ah.”
This is it.
Believing death had finally come, Perdia squeezed her eyes shut once more.
Then—
“Your Grace, stop!”
A voice rang across the battlefield.
Perdia immediately opened her eyes again.
The Duke of Grixia had already turned toward the newcomer.
“What is it?”
A knight rode over at full speed, dismounted, and handed him a sealed letter.
“It is a message from His Majesty.”
“…A message?”
Frowning slightly, the Duke accepted the letter and read it.
After a brief moment, he let out a quiet sigh.
Perdia stared blankly at the sudden turn of events.
Then the Duke’s crimson eyes returned to her.
Slowly—
He opened his mouth.
