Chapter 003
‘I hope they didn’t realize that last bit was a lie.’
To be honest, telling them to give my regards to “that lady” was a total lie.
I couldn’t care less about some noble lady!
I just wanted to bask in the warmth of that bonfire right now!
My patience had reached its limit thanks to this weather, which was cold enough to kill.
“……Then, we shall take our leave.”
Perhaps they finally read my inner thoughts.
The two maids hesitated for a moment, bowed so deeply their faces were hidden, and then vanished in a flash.
I closed the heavy door and let out a light sigh of relief.
The interior, shielded from the biting wind, was cozy—and soon, my heart felt just as warm.
‘Sweet~ A campfire as soon as I get home.’
I’m going to zone out watching the fire before I sleep.
Possession is the best!
* * *
Meanwhile, as the faint light of dawn began to break.
A man sat with his back straight and poised, despite not having slept a wink. He stared out the window while the sky, once as pitch black as his own hair, slowly bled into a violet-blue that mirrored the color of his eyes.
To be precise, he was staring outside.
His gaze was fixed on the annex visible in the distance.
In that old, cramped annex sat his new bride.
The man—Zenos Celeste—sank into his thoughts, letting out a self-deprecating mutter.
“It’s not even funny.”
Renée Blanche.
No, the woman who was now Renée Celeste.
She was exactly as he had heard.
No, she was far more beautiful than the rumors.
As if proving she carried the blood of the Marquis of Blanche, her silver hair cascaded down like waves and looked softer than any silk…….
In contrast to her overall delicate impression, her burning red eyes were striking and drew the gaze.
Those eyes, as enchanting as if a master craftsman had embedded rubies in them, seemed to hold a strange, watery glint.
“…….”
Her eyes had grown round, as if she were terrified.
An unwelcome guest who arrived in the desolate North by riding in a luggage wagon—a vehicle even the servants avoided.
Her small, frail frame couldn’t be hidden even under a voluminous wedding dress.
Perhaps because her impression was so fragile and tender.
It was hard to believe she had been an adult for quite some time.
“……A foolish woman.”
Trembling as if she had become the tragic heroine of a melodrama.
In many ways, she was a woman completely incompatible with him.
He had returned first in his own carriage with the intent of breaking her spirit from the start, but Renée’s choice was an act of eccentricity he never could have imagined.
‘A Marquis’s daughter riding in a servants’ carriage? And a luggage wagon at that? She must have no pride.’
What on earth is she plotting?
The Marquis of Blanche was a prominent family supporting the Second Prince, born of the current Empress.
They were clearly on the opposite side of the Grand Duchy of Celeste, which supported the Crown Prince, born of the late former Empress.
However, there was a problem more important than these political conflicts.
‘Since bringing in the new Empress, the Emperor has certainly lost his sharp edge.’
The current Empress, Isabella Rembrandt.
She was not a woman who hid her ambitions.
It began with her giving birth to the Second Prince shortly after being crowned.
Since then, the Emperor’s robust health had gradually declined.
At some point, he began delaying state affairs to stay in the Empress’s bedroom until late afternoon.
Not only that, the Emperor started making reckless remarks that caused chaos, such as suggesting he “might give the Second Prince a chance” at the position of Crown Prince, which had been firmly held by the First Prince.
How many people could truly swear that Isabella had no hand in this?
With the weakened Emperor under her thumb, the Empress acted without restraint.
Furthermore, she joined forces with the Temple—a significant political power—to solidify her own position and that of the Second Prince.
Today’s marriage was part of that scheme.
‘I held the ceremony because I couldn’t dare defy the Emperor’s command…… but this is clearly a move by the Empress to keep me in check.’
Politics aside, the Marquis of Blanche and his kin were greedy humans who chased only their own interests.
Thinking of that disgusting family made anger flare up again.
At the same time, the rabbit-like face of the woman overlapped in his mind.
Red eyes, said to bring misfortune.
‘There were even rumors that she was the Marquis’s illegitimate child…….’
Judging by the atmosphere of the Marquis’s family during the wedding, it seemed that wasn’t just a groundless rumor.
“……Ha.”
Zenos, who had been standing as if nailed to the spot, turned away from the window with an annoyed gesture.
In noble society, husbands and wives were often more distant than strangers anyway.
Furthermore, was she not a woman of the Blanche family?
There was no way he would ever grow fond of her.
Therefore, he would never let her close.
Above all, Zenos had a more urgent problem than Renée.
Knock, knock.
“Grand Duke, it’s Karl.”
“Enter.”
With the knock, the butler, Karl, entered the study dressed immaculately.
He was carrying a tray with medicine bottles in both hands.
“As I thought, you have been awake until now again today.”
“Falling asleep is a more painful ordeal, after all.”
“Even so, you must close your eyes for at least a little while.”
“That medicine doesn’t work, Karl. Just like all the other medicines in the world.”
Underneath Karl’s monocle, only worry flickered.
Zenos swallowed another rising sigh, snatched a medicine bottle, and downed it.
As he swallowed the thick potion, both his mouth and his heart felt bitter.
“……There can be no medicine for madness.”
It was a disease that had manifested since his father’s generation.
Even the name of the disease was unknown, so it was simply called “Madness,” but perhaps that was the name that suited it best.
‘Yes, it’s for the best. The chance of us ever becoming a real married couple…… will never happen.’
Zenos intended to end everything with his generation.
Everything that flowed through his blood. All of it.
* * *
One week into being possessed into an unknown novel.
“Wow. The sunlight is coming in.”
Surprisingly, every day is peaceful.
I gazed at the sunlight pouring through the window and sipped my herbal tea contentedly.
The small garden, settled into winter, was tranquil.
In a world turned entirely white, it was a cozy morning with mountain birds chirping in the distance.
Snowflowers resting on the conifers and long rows of icicles hanging from the eaves sparkled in the sunlight.
Beside the table where I sat, logs crackled in the fireplace, melting the cold air.
I put down my teacup with a satisfied smile.
“Perfect.”
It really is perfectly pastoral!
It’s the very “life in the countryside” that any office worker worn out by city life would have dreamed of at least once!
A leisure I couldn’t enjoy in my life before the possession.
After spending a few days living idly and freely, my body and mind felt relaxed and loose.
However…….
‘Being like this for an entire week is getting a bit boring…….’
It’s peaceful.
But that was synonymous with having absolutely nothing to do.
Furthermore, as a renowned workaholic in my past life, this lifestyle of doing nothing felt incredibly foreign.
The endless hours spent waiting in a rental car to pick up my advisor’s son—who treated me like a chore manager—actually felt more interesting than this.
“Isn’t there anything to do?”
I stood up, feeling a bit stiff, and stretched.
They said the cottage had been given a simple cleaning, but perhaps because no one had lived here for a long time?
There were quite a few spots that needed a little touch-up.
Of course, compared to the five-pyeong studio I lived in in my past life, this place was more than I deserved.
Plus, maybe because I was fixing it up myself, I felt like I was growing even more attached to it.
Whenever I was in trouble or needed something, the chubby-cheeked maid, Betty, would bring exactly what I needed as if she were reading my mind.
Since I had plenty of time anyway and felt awkward staying still, a week flew by as I swept and polished the cottage. The problem was today.
I had run out of things to sweep and polish.
‘Gardening seems like it’ll be difficult since it’s winter…….’
Still, when spring comes, I can spend my days tending to a wonderful garden!
The thought that I could achieve the life I had always longed for next season made me hum a tune involuntarily.
As I hummed and took a stroll around the garden, I spotted a small shed in the backyard.
I had just made up my mind to spend time organizing that place today.
“Oh?”
Right next to the shed, I saw short-cut logs and a hand axe laid out neatly.
They were likely for chopping firewood.
“……Shall I give it a try?”
In an instant, a surge of baseless confidence rose within me.
‘The amount of firewood consumed overnight is too much anyway.’
I don’t have any major complaints about living here, but is this just the limitation of a medieval setting?
Because the fireplace was the only source of heating, the pile of logs was shrinking faster than expected.
‘I feel bad asking someone to do it. And I have nothing else to do anyway…… I’ll just do it myself.’
Action followed instantly.
I opened the shed door, chose the sturdiest-looking piece of firewood, and cheerfully placed it on top of the chopping block.
I already felt proud of myself.
‘Today’s entertainment.’
Hahaha! I’m going to spend the whole day chopping wood.
I took a deep breath and gripped the axe with both hands, looking determined.
However…….
“Ugh!”
The axe I swung up with such spirit was heavier than I thought, and my body was pulled along with it!
Following the shifted center of gravity, my body flipped over backward like a backflip.
“Aaagh…….”
It hurts so much!
For a moment, tears even welled up in my eyes.
“My goodness, Your Grace!”
In the distance, I saw Betty screaming and dropping the tray she was holding.
