01
Warm sunlight streamed through the large window, gently lighting up the hall.
The party hall, decorated with pure white flowers and ribbons, looked beautiful.
Below, guests dressed in elegant clothes sat neatly on prepared chairs, quietly chatting with one another.
It was completely different from the usual gloomy atmosphere of Kanus Castle.
The hall for the wedding was refined and graceful.
However, if someone said this was the Grand Duke’s wedding hall, many people would doubt it.
That was because the place looked far too simple for a Grand Duke.
Then again, the wedding had been arranged very suddenly.
The Grand Duke’s family, which was not used to luxury, had struggled to prepare everything in a hurry. This hall was the best they could manage.
Marquis Arbore looked around the hall with a frown.
He lived a luxurious life in the capital, so he was not pleased with this hastily prepared wedding.
He hadn’t expected a warm welcome, but the poor preparations made him feel as if he was being disrespected.
Still, he kept his composure because this marriage had to succeed no matter what.
“Did you explain everything properly to Fioni?”
The Marquis whispered to his son while looking at the Grand Duke, who was receiving blessings from the priest.
Antonio, who had been observing the surroundings with a cold expression, nodded slightly.
“She’s not stupid. I think we can trust her and wait.”
Only then did the Marquis relax a little.
“The bride will now enter.”
At the voice from the entrance, the guests turned their heads.
A beautiful woman with pomegranate-red hair slowly walked in.
She had sharp, elegant eyes and shining golden pupils.
Even without heavy makeup, she looked extremely stunning.
Her slightly sheer veil couldn’t hide her intense gaze, and her slender, curvy figure made the pure white wedding dress look more alluring than innocent.
She was the bride of this wedding—Fioni Arbore.
The Marquis’s only daughter.
A pitiful noble lady who was about to marry the so-called “Devil Grand Duke.”
This was not a marriage filled with love or excitement.
Nor was it a marriage for harmony between families.
Everyone attending had their own reasons for being there, and in their eyes, Fioni was just a weak girl sacrificed by her father’s greed.
But that was only shallow sympathy from people who didn’t know her true thoughts.
Because Fioni also had something she wanted.
She straightened her back and walked confidently down the red carpet.
Her eyes met the Marquis sitting ahead.
He looked at her coldly.
She could clearly see his intentions—he planned to use her to gain favor with the Emperor.
Before coming to the Grand Duke’s territory, he had warned her many times.
He intended to use his own daughter as a spy.
But Fioni didn’t care about his plans.
She had her own goals.
She quietly glanced toward the front row of the guests.
There sat a small boy with black hair.
He was the reason she decided to marry the Grand Duke.
Perhaps because the castle felt unfamiliar today, the child looked nervous and uneasy.
When their eyes met, he was startled and quickly hid behind the back of his chair.
Fioni calmly looked forward again.
If anyone noticed her interest in the child, they would find it strange.
The red carpet across the hall wasn’t very long.
Soon, the Grand Duke waiting at the altar came into view.
This wedding had been so rushed that this was actually their first meeting.
The Grand Duke’s expression as he looked at Fioni was completely dry and emotionless.
Under his lazy-looking eyes were dark black pupils that felt ominous.
His name was—Leonard Noir.
A man with black hair and black eyes—something no ordinary human in this world could have.
He was the head of the Noir Grand Ducal family, the only human capable of using magic.
He was only twenty-five years old.
But he lacked the vitality of a young man.
Fioni did not avoid his gaze and looked straight at him.
She didn’t want to be looked down on by anyone—
Not by her future husband, and not by the people watching her closely.
Soon, she stood in front of him.
Leonard showed no reaction to her intense gaze.
With a formal expression, he held out his arm.
Fioni lightly placed her hand on it, barely touching him.
Leonard slowly moved, escorting her forward.
It was a considerate gesture, helping her walk in her uncomfortable dress.
Fioni couldn’t hide her surprise and glanced at him.
She had expected him to be hostile.
After all, he must know her father’s intentions.
To him, she was likely an unwelcome presence.
But he wasn’t acting that way.
Sensing her gaze, Leonard briefly looked at her.
His dark eyes were still emotionless.
Then he gave a small nod in greeting.
Fioni unconsciously nodded back.
As he returned his gaze forward like nothing had happened, she felt confused.
His eyes weren’t kind—
But his behavior was very polite.
Maybe life in the Grand Duke’s household would be different from what she expected.
She felt her mouth go dry from nervousness.
Honestly, it would have been easier if he had been openly hostile.
People whose thoughts you cannot read are the hardest to deal with.
With his gentle escort, Fioni stopped in front of the priest.
The priest offered blessings, though his expression didn’t look very pleased.
Fioni barely listened, just waiting for the ceremony to end.
“At this moment, under the blessing of God, these two become one…”
At last, the long speech ended.
The guests stood and applauded.
As Fioni turned to leave, she saw her father smiling falsely.
The black-haired child clapped awkwardly, still looking scared.
Beside her, Leonard continued to escort her with care, though his face remained cold.
Fioni noticed his gaze briefly shift toward the Marquis.
His black eyes turned icy.
And so, with different thoughts in their hearts, the Grand Duke’s second marriage ended peacefully on the surface.
By evening, the sun had already set.
Fioni stared blankly at the purple sky outside the window.
The unfamiliar wedding had been exhausting.
She had been standing the whole time, and now she was very tired.
After the ceremony, the Marquis’s family quickly left.
Even though it was late enough to stay the night, neither side mentioned it.
Right after the Marquis left, knights from the Grand Duke’s household followed them on horseback.
They were there to secretly watch the Marquis until he left the territory.
It was a clear warning to Fioni—
Don’t try anything foolish.
She watched calmly. She had already expected she wouldn’t be welcomed.
After preparing herself, she waited in the Grand Duke’s room—
Now their shared bedroom.
Even though this was an unwanted marriage, the room had been decorated for the first night, with candles, flowers, and lace.
Looking at the decorations, Fioni thought about Leonard.
How should she treat him?
She still hadn’t decided.
The worst situation she had imagined was that Leonard would truly be a cruel, devil-like man as the rumors said.
If that were true, her life here would be terrible.
She had some confidence in herself, so she decided to endure it—
But honestly, she had been scared.
This was a foreign place with no one to rely on.
And her husband was someone who would naturally be hostile toward her.
Anyone would be afraid.
Fortunately, the real Leonard didn’t seem as terrible as she had feared.
He had been calm and polite, even when speaking to her father.
It was too early to judge, but he didn’t seem cruel or quick to anger.
Fioni let out a small sigh.
To Leonard, she would clearly look like her father’s spy.
No matter what she thought of him, he would still see her as someone to be cautious of.
She understood that.
But even so, she couldn’t treat him carelessly.
In truth, she felt a little sorry toward him.
Looking out the window again, she saw stars appearing in the dark sky.
Her reflection appeared in the glass—
A woman with red hair.
It was a face she had now grown used to.
When she first saw it, it had felt so unfamiliar.
In her original world, such bright red hair and golden eyes could never exist naturally.
That’s right—
She was Fioni,
But also not Fioni.
She wasn’t even originally from this world.
A few years ago, before waking up in this body—
She had been an ordinary office worker.
After an accident, she was sure she had died.
So waking up in a stranger’s body, in a strange world—
It had completely shocked her.
For a moment, she even wondered if this was the afterlife.
But the pain and realism of this world quickly proved otherwise.
It was simply too real.
