IRBSGHC 01

Episode 01

“……Elia.”

A low, husky voice seemed to coil around her entire body.
Wherever his ash-gray eyes lingered, her skin burned as if scorched.

When she swallowed dryly and looked up at him, his heated gaze immediately entwined with hers.

His face slowly drew closer, and he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.

Then, with a careful touch, he supported her waist and laid her down upon the pristine white bedsheets.

As though he were handling a fragile sculpture made of glass.

“……This is the first time. The first time I’ve held you like this.”

His already deep voice cracked roughly.

It was the first night they truly shared as husband and wife—and perhaps their last.

That made the moment all the more tender… and unbearably sorrowful.

Why did it have to be now…?

Outside the window, countless torches illuminated the darkness.
Knights wearing grim expressions stood guard, surrounding the castle walls.

Today marked both the first time in sixteen years of marriage that their bodies and hearts had finally met—

—and the day the enemy crossed the sea to invade the northern island of Artizen.

The bluish light of dawn slowly spread, casting its glow over the two of them.

“Elia.”

A familiar breath brushed urgently against her ear before pulling away.

“……Felix?”

“We need to get up now.”

As the haze lifted from her vision, tears burned at the corners of her eyes—reality she had wished would never come crashing back.

“The Emperor’s knights have already reached Artizen.”

Her eyelids trembled.

“H-How could they be this fast…?”

“You need to leave with Jeremy. Right now.”

Felix draped a robe over Elia’s chemise dress.

“W-What about you…?”

Hurried footsteps echoed down the corridor before stopping in front of the bedroom.

Bang, bang, bang.

“Father! You must hurry!”

The door burst open as Lucas, the captain of the knights, entered with Jeremy.

“Your Grace! The Imperial Knights have breached the castle!”

“So soon?!”

For a moment, panic flickered across the Grand Duke’s face—but he quickly steadied himself and looked at her with hardened resolve.

“You must go. Follow Jeremy and Lucas.”

Felix helped the pale Elia to her feet and guided her toward their son.

“Elia. Go. Now.”

But Elia, trembling, couldn’t release her grip on his collar.

“Felix……”

Moved by her helpless expression, Felix stepped closer and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I’ll come find you.”

He said it firmly, without hesitation.

“There’s no time, Mother!”

“Y-You…!”

Jeremy forcibly pulled her away as she hesitated.

Elia couldn’t take her eyes off Felix until the very last moment.

“Haah… haah… where… where are we going?”

Already frail, Elia struggled to breathe after only a short run. Jeremy kept pulling her forward.

“Just a little more, Mother.”

After descending the underground stairs for quite some time, a hidden back door appeared—an escape route leading out of the northern castle.

Lucas hurriedly unlocked the heavy padlock and opened the door.

Only a handful of trusted people—including Grand Duke Felix—knew of this passage. The Imperial Knights hadn’t reached it yet.

Relief washed over Jeremy as he guided Elia outside.

“Mother. You go first. I’ll go back with Father.”

“No! Jeremy, you can’t! I can’t send you there too!”

Elia desperately grabbed his hand.

She couldn’t abandon her husband—and she certainly couldn’t send her son back to that place.

“I’ll bring Father and follow you soon.”

“But Jeremy—”

“Mother… you trust me, don’t you?”

Jeremy’s expression was resolute.

Faced with his determination to retrieve his father, Elia couldn’t bring herself to stop him.

“S-Sob… Jeremy……”

Tears blurred her vision, making her son’s figure fade again and again.

Creeeak.

The tightly shut back door opened once more.

Elia stepped back into the castle.

I can’t leave my family behind… and run away alone.

Steeling herself, Elia climbed the underground stairs.

The closer she got to the first floor, the louder the shouts became.

“AAAH! My arm—!”

“Hold the line!!”

The first floor of the northern castle was filled with clashing Imperial and Northern knights.

The relentless clang of blades and the nauseating stench of blood overwhelmed her senses. Elia hesitated at the foot of the stairs.

The Imperial Knights were far more numerous—but with Lucas and Jeremy fighting at the front, the tide was beginning to turn.

That was when she saw it.

An Imperial knight silently approaching Jeremy from behind.

Jeremy hadn’t noticed.

“No—!!”

Forgetting her fear of blades, Elia ran toward him.

“—Ah!”

The moment she reached Jeremy and stepped in front of him—

—a sharp blade pierced her abdomen.

“M-Mother?!”

Only then did Jeremy notice her.

He cut down the Imperial knight in one swift motion and caught her collapsing body.

“Haah… haah… Jeremy. Are you hurt?”

“Why—why are you here?!”

Elia forced her heavy eyelids open, fixing her gaze on her son.

“Thank goodness… you’re safe……”

Relief filled her fading smile.

“Cough!”

Blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

“No… don’t leave me… Mother!”

Her body tilted, Jeremy’s tearful voice growing distant.

Elia’s hand slipped from his grasp.

“……Aaaaah! Mother!!”

Jeremy’s anguished scream echoed across the battlefield.

“Ugh……”

A pale beam of light descended into her sharpening vision.

Her body felt weak and hollow, as if she hadn’t eaten in days.

Slowly sitting up, long, slender hair fluttered in the air.

Where… am I?

Her body felt lighter than usual, yet unbearably thirsty.

Elia barely managed to sit upright.

Creeeak.

The bed springs screeched unpleasantly.

A small, cramped room.
Uneven wooden floors.
A cracked full-length mirror.

As Elia looked around the familiar space, realization struck her.

This was the attic room she had lived in before her marriage—back at the Arnes Marquisate.

As the illegitimate first daughter of House Arnes, Elia had lived here in isolation.

Panicked, she climbed out of bed and stood before the mirror.

Reflected back was not a woman in her late thirties—but a young Elia, barely grown.

“T-This is……”

Her eyes widened as she touched her cheek.

“Did… I come back?”

She didn’t know why—but she had returned to the past.

Creeeak.

The old hinges screamed as the door burst open.

“Sister!”

A bright voice called out to her.

Serena Arnes.

Her younger sister, three years her junior.

Unlike Elia, Serena was born of the Marchioness herself.

With chestnut-gold hair and light brown eyes, her delicate features resembled their father—beautiful and refined.

She looked far younger than the last time Elia had seen her.

“The Grand Duke is here!”

“Th-The Grand Duke…?”

Elia searched her memories.

“Yes! Hurry! He’s waiting for you!”

Serena waved a dress excitedly in front of her.

Elia clapped a hand over her mouth.

She remembered this.

This exact moment—on her twenty-first birthday, the day her marriage was decided.

How… could this be happening…?

“Put this on and come quickly.”

Serena tilted her head at Elia’s blank stare, then laughed softly and handed over the dress.

A dull, black dress—clearly poorly maintained.

I wore this when I met him…

Back then, Elia had constantly tugged at the frayed hem in shame.

A meeting she wished she could erase.

“Serena.”

“Hm?”

“Do you really think this dress suits me?”

Her expression stiffened for a moment—

—and then Serena let out a mocking laugh.

“Of course it does.”

She rolled her eyes slightly, barely suppressing her amusement.

“Ha……”

With a cold gaze, Elia looked at Serena for a long moment—

then brushed past her and left the room.

“Huh? Sister—you haven’t even put it on—!”

Startled by the unfamiliar look in her eyes, Serena hurried after her with the dress.

“S-Sister! Why are you going to my room—?!”

Instead of heading to the first-floor parlor, Elia stopped in front of Serena’s room.

“Sister!”

Serena rushed in—only to see Elia standing before her wardrobe, doors flung wide open, calmly selecting clothes.