Chapter 1
“So, you married a corpse.”
A deep, pleasant voice echoed through the wedding hall. It matched the speaker’s handsome appearance. Even his words felt sharp, like a blade.
A corpse… it was funny, but he wasn’t wrong. The bride, Anais, was surrounded by flowers, frozen in place, unable to move.
The attack of a dark mage had trapped her with freezing magic. She was alive but couldn’t move below her neck.
This was a disaster—both for her body and for this wedding.
But I’m not Anais.
The day before, I had entered Anais’s body. To be precise, our souls had switched.
She was a minor saint named Ellen, and Anais—the owner of this body—was one of her followers I had helped.
I wanted to go back to my own body and fix everything, but there was nothing I could do. Even now, as the wedding was happening.
What made it worse was that I couldn’t help noticing Anais’s husband.
He’s really handsome.
Silver hair like moonlight, dark eyebrows, long attractive eyes with blue-gray irises, a high, well-shaped nose, and a sharp jawline.
Duke Lissio Debesser looked like a carefully sculpted statue. Even his emotionless expression was perfect.
Is he cold because he’s noble?
I, Ellen, was a commoner from the slums. His noble status and flawless appearance were intimidating, even a little unpleasant.
The wedding he had prepared felt the same. He seemed to have tried to make it beautiful, but…
The veil over my face, the flowers around me, the way I folded my hands politely on my lap—it all made me think of only one thing.
“This feels more like a funeral than a wedding, doesn’t it?”
I laughed nervously to break the silence. Lissio’s eyes lingered on me for a moment, but his tightly closed lips never opened, and soon his gaze drifted away.
Cold… but I shouldn’t expect his personality to match his looks. He wasn’t only handsome; he had high status, vast wealth, and fame as the empire’s only sword master and a hero of the battlefield.
Perfect! Anais won’t be able to give him up easily.
Yes, right now, I was just waiting for Anais to come. A noblewoman like Anais wouldn’t live in a commoner’s body, especially not a minor saint’s.
The only problem was that I was healthy, but Anais’s body was frozen.
I repeated to myself to calm my worry:
Anais will come for sure.
No one paid attention to me, and the wedding felt distant, like someone else’s story. Luckily, the shortened ceremony ended quickly.
Once we were officially married, Lissio immediately lifted me up in his arms.
“W-What are you doing?”
“It’s time for the first night.”
“The sun hasn’t even set yet. And…”
I glanced around the hall.
“Didn’t anyone from the temple come?”
“No.”
“Then why leave the doors open? Check carefully. She must have come…”
Maybe Anais couldn’t enter the Duke’s mansion because she was a commoner.
Yes, that must be it. Even if not today, she would come eventually.
Huh? What’s this?
My hand, resting on his chest, touched something round. Following its shape, I realized it was one of Lissio’s buttons—but the touch vanished like a mirage.
I can’t feel it anymore. Did I imagine it? It felt warm, though…
Wait…
“Huh!”
I gasped. Of course, I was in his arms.
“Are you uncomfortable?”
Now that I realized, yes—I was very uncomfortable.
“…You’re heavy. Call the maids.”
Lissio was big enough to carry me easily, but his arms felt strange and embarrassing.
He frowned slightly at my request. That was all. He didn’t call anyone or stop walking.
I had no choice. I couldn’t move, so I went wherever he carried me.
We arrived at the Duchess’s room. Because it was the first night, a bottle of wine was elegantly placed on the table.
He gently laid me on the bed and propped me up with pillows. He removed my veil, which had been skipped during the ceremony.
Wow…
His blue-gray eyes were like a beautiful galaxy.
In the silence, our eyes met. He tilted his head slightly, and his silver hair fell over his eyes in the moonlight.
I swallowed nervously. His relaxed, almost lazy posture felt strangely alluring.
Was it because he was so handsome? He didn’t avoid my gaze; if anything, he stared. My face flushed, unprepared for such a handsome man.
“Why are you staring at me like that?”
Earlier he ignored me, but now I couldn’t voice my thoughts.
Suddenly his eyes cooled, as if he lost interest. He turned away without hesitation and drank from the wine repeatedly.
The atmosphere felt suffocating. I was thirsty.
“Can I have some too? I’m thirsty…”
“Drink.”
He pressed the cold glass to my lips.
“But only a little.”
Wine slowly flowed into my mouth.
Hmm?
It was my first time drinking wine. The scent was fresh, the sweetness soft, and I liked it. Unfortunately, the glass was taken away quickly.
“I didn’t get much. I want more…”
“No.”
“It’s been a long day. Isn’t this for drinking?”
Lissio didn’t answer. He put the glass back, clearly not planning to give me more.
“If it’s been a hard day, you should rest more than drink wine.”
He tucked me in like a maid would, but more comfortably.
Lissio was strange. Cold in words, yet gentle in action.
Ah, forget it. Whether my husband is kind or not, it’s none of my business. I’ll just sleep.
I closed my eyes. I wouldn’t spend the first night in this body anyway.
The bed shifted slightly—I guessed he had approached.
A memory flashed in my mind:
Ah, the marks of the first night!
When I was a child, a wandering minstrel had told stories about the strange traditions of nobles checking the first night’s marks. My face had twisted in shock, but my ears were alert. It was a secret story I’d never hear anywhere else.
“Will you leave marks of the first night?”
“What?”
That frown again.
He probably didn’t like this question. I couldn’t care less; I had to make this marriage succeed, or Anais wouldn’t come back.
“I want a kiss mark. Make it very visible on my neck.”
I stretched my neck eagerly. Unlike me, Lissio didn’t move at all.
“Are you hesitating because it’s embarrassing? Or because of rumors? Dark magic doesn’t transfer.”
“Don’t…need to. Lie down.”
Lissio lay down, ignoring me completely.
“You’re being uncooperative. Are you scared?”
“Who would fear someone like you?”
He laughed softly, then said:
“If you’re not afraid, then do it.”
I closed my eyes, trying to seem calm, though my heart raced.
“If you want it.”
His fingers traced my collarbone lightly.
I didn’t know where it began. The sensation seemed to appear suddenly around my neck.
A tingling warmth spread over me. My mouth felt dry, like desert sand.
I swallowed nervously, trying to fight the strange heat. I peeked.
“Ah, not done yet?”
His thick eyelashes lifted, and his striking blue-gray eyes glimmered. His lips curved confidently.
“Embarrassed? Or scared?”
“Not at all. It’s nothing.”
I probably shouldn’t have pretended to be calm. His smile made me nervous.
