Episode 1
Prologue
It was a war that had raged for a full six years.
The Kingdom of Glorious, blessed with lush forests and the natural beauty of vibrant greenery, stood in opposition to the Kingdom of Winternight. The relationship between the two kingdoms had gradually deteriorated since the reign of the previous king, and eventually, it escalated into all-out war.
Countless people’s blood soaked the dry earth, and every night was filled with the anguished cries of those forced to bid farewell to their loved ones. It was a war that left nothing but suffering for both allies and enemies alike.
And so, after six long years, the war finally came to an end with Glorious Kingdom’s victory.
At last, peace had arrived.
After the prolonged war ended, the soldiers returned home. Upon hearing news of the great victory, the citizens of Glorious poured into the streets to welcome them back.
Though many had not survived to return, history would remember their deaths as honorable sacrifices.
That day, festivals celebrating the victory were held throughout the kingdom. At the royal palace, a grand banquet was prepared for the soldiers who had fought bravely on every battlefield.
While the entire nation reveled in the joy of victory, the captains and vice-captains of the royal knight orders were summoned by the king and gathered in the audience chamber.
The king gazed warmly at his loyal subjects who had endured so much.
“You have all worked tirelessly. Thanks to your efforts, this kingdom has finally regained peace.”
At the king’s heartfelt words, every one of them bowed deeply.
The king looked over each of them one by one.
Soon, his gaze settled on a red-haired woman standing respectfully in plain attire.
Adora Alfred.
The youngest captain of the Green Knight Order and the only female knight in the Kingdom of Glorious.
No one who had fought beside her in this war could deny how instrumental she had been in securing victory.
After all, who could forget the moment when she beheaded the enemy commander—who had long been their greatest obstacle—and raised his severed head into the air?
That was the moment everyone realized the war was finally over and roared in triumph.
The king was proud to call her his subject.
“Alfred. I heard your contributions in this victory were exceptional.”
“It was nothing, Your Majesty. I only succeeded because my comrades fought beside me.”
Despite having every reason to be proud, she answered with humility.
The king smiled in satisfaction.
“No one would deny the importance of your achievements in this war. I wish to personally reward you for your service.”
“Your words alone are more than enough reward for me, Your Majesty.”
“No, this time I insist. If there is anything you desire, tell me. If you want a title, I shall grant it. If you want land, I shall gladly bestow it upon you.”
“…Then I do have one request.”
The king’s eyes widened.
He had expected her to refuse, so hearing that she actually had a request caught him off guard.
“What is it? Speak freely.”
“I wish to retire from knighthood.”
What?
For a moment, the king wondered if he had misheard her.
But her next words shocked everyone in the room even further.
“I intend to get married.”
Sir Adora Alfred… was getting married?
The woman who had worn trousers instead of dresses since childhood.
The woman who carried swords instead of flowers.
The woman who had defied everyone’s objections to become a royal knight and rise to the rank of captain.
And now she was saying she would abandon her knighthood for marriage?
The crimson beast of the battlefield, who smelled more of blood than flowers, wanted to marry?
No one could believe what they had just heard.
Some wondered if they had heard correctly at all.
The royal scribe standing beside the king forgot his manners and dug at his ears.
The attendants behind the king hiccupped in shock.
The knights standing near her widened their eyes and even pinched their cheeks or smacked their ears, trying to determine whether this was a dream or reality.
“That is why I wish to step down. Please grant my request.”
But Adora Alfred was completely serious.
She showed no sign of taking her words back.
Once everyone realized she truly meant it, the entire audience chamber fell silent as all eyes turned to her.
The king swallowed nervously and asked again.
“A-Are you certain you won’t regret this? You fought so hard to reach your current position.”
Through this war, she had earned not only the trust of the king but also the respect of those who once looked down on her.
The citizens, hearing tales of her exploits, had already begun praising her as a war hero.
She had accomplished enough to deserve even the greatest rewards.
This should have been her chance to rise even higher.
And yet she was willing to abandon everything?
It would make sense if she had lost a limb or suffered an injury that prevented her from wielding a sword.
But that wasn’t the case.
“Yes. I wish to live as one man’s wife now.”
Did she really just say she wanted to live as someone’s wife?
Everyone in the audience chamber stared at her in disbelief.
The king was no different.
A woman who had only ever cared about the sword now wished to abandon knighthood to become someone’s wife?
He genuinely wondered whether she had suffered mental trauma from the war.
Yet despite everyone’s shock, her expression remained unwavering.
As always, she stood firm and composed.
The king was still bewildered, but he had already promised to grant whatever she wished.
In the end, he nodded.
“Very well. I grant your request.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Having received the king’s permission, Adora bowed politely.
She seemed noticeably lighter, relieved.
And she paid no mind to the countless stunned gazes directed at her.
Not long after, rumors spread that the Alfred family was searching for a marriage partner.
The rumor threw the entire kingdom into chaos.
Sir Alfred—the woman everyone assumed would remain single forever—was getting married?
And she had even resigned from knighthood for it?
It became the hottest topic in the kingdom for quite some time.
At the same time, everyone became curious about who exactly would marry her.
A few days later, a man visited the Alfred estate.
He proposed to her.
And soon afterward, news spread that she had accepted.
When the citizens learned who her fiancé was, they were once again left utterly shocked—but for an entirely different reason.
Because the man she agreed to marry was—
the shame of the royal family,
the ornamental rose,
the so-called half-blooded fourth prince,
Lionel Leonik Glorious.
1. The End of a Revenge (1)
The carriage rattled violently as it rolled down a steep slope.
The force of the shaking caused the cloth-covered boxes inside to slam against one another, while the passengers seated on either side swayed back and forth.
The carriage, packed with both cargo and people, was heading toward the eastern region.
Each passenger carried their own story.
The long war had ended in a glorious victory.
In the capital, festivals celebrating the triumph were still ongoing, and the season—where fresh greenery had just begun to emerge—made the blessing feel even greater.
But the losses caused by the war were far too severe for people to simply lose themselves in celebration.
Each person in the carriage bore visible scars of war.
A woman sitting curled up inside had her skirt gradually lifted higher every time the carriage jolted, revealing her amputated leg.
She had lost it after being swept into the war while traveling to another village in search of work.
The man sitting beside her had lost one arm in battle.
His face was wrapped in bandages everywhere except for his right eye.
An old man who had lost both of his sons in the war sat hunched over, leaning on a wooden cane even more crooked than his own body.
His hands were thinner and frailer than the cane itself.
Beside him sat a widow whose husband had died in the war.
She gently stroked the back of her young son’s head as he lay sleeping in her lap, though her face was filled with uncertainty about how they would survive from now on.
Silence lingered inside the carriage.
No one showed interest in anyone else.
No one asked questions.
The same was true for the woman sitting at the very end of the carriage.
Unlike the others, she had not lost any limbs.
Her body had not been pierced.
She had not gone blind.
With perfectly healthy eyes, she stared blankly at the scenery passing outside.
The sunlight illuminated her red hair even more brightly.
Her short hair, sturdy physique, and sword in hand made her resemble a mercenary at first glance.
A female mercenary might have once seemed strange.
But in times like these—when people who had lost their families to war, or those already driven by poverty, were resorting to theft just to survive—it no longer seemed so unusual.
The farther the carriage traveled into the eastern region, the rougher the roads became.
The journey was grueling.
Yet the carriage continued without rest.
After traveling for three days, it finally came to a stop at the foot of a mountain path.
The red-haired woman stepped down from the carriage.
She slung her luggage over her shoulder, sword in hand.
Without hesitation, she climbed the mountain trail surrounded by dense overgrown grass.
Soon, as she steadily climbed the steep hill without showing any signs of fatigue, a mansion came into view.
About fifteen people stood waiting in front of it.
The woman stopped walking and set down her luggage.
Then she looked at each face before her.
Some bore deep sword scars across their faces.
Others had old burn scars covering half their faces.
And even those without visible scars likely carried long wounds hidden beneath their clothes—on missing arms, legs, backs, or stomachs.
A middle-aged man standing at the front approached her and carefully took her hand.
Time had clearly left its mark on him as well.
Once sharp and youthful, he now had white hair and a grown beard that gave him a gentler appearance.
The people standing behind him looked much the same.
Though they seemed calmer than they had on the day she left, the way they looked at her now was undeniably different.
“My lady… welcome home. Truly… welcome home.”
“…John.”
At her quiet call, John—the butler of House Alfred—burst into tears.
The servants of the Alfred household gathered around her and embraced her as they sobbed.
Their warmth carried both years of worry and overwhelming relief.
Surrounded by them, Adora finally felt it.
She had truly returned home.
