Just as Vanessa had grown up watching the Count as her father, the Count knew his only daughter just as well. Strangely, as she spoke of the man who was to be her husband, he saw no trace of love in her eyes. Her gaze felt even more hollow than when she looked at him, and he couldn't help but ask the question. His words pierced her heart like a dagger. It ruthlessly exposed the guilt she had been trying to ignore—the fact that she was using Hayden. Vanessa set her teacup down

The realization struck her with a violent clarity. Declan viewed her current struggle—the life she was desperately trying to navigate after her return—as nothing more than a passing whim. It was evident in the way he still treated her like a wife he had safely locked away in a gilded cage. The resentment that had been simmering in her gut boiled over instantly. She shoved him away with all her might. Taking advantage of the moment he was caught off balance, she scrambled to h

[Hayden] "Declan?" Hayden rose halfway from his seat, startled by the unexpected guest. Declan, looking far more composed than he had at the recent banquet, shifted his gaze between the pair sitting intimately together. A crooked, mocking smile played on his lips. [Declan] "I heard you were enjoying luncheon, so I thought I would stop by." [Hayden] "When did you return from the Duchy?" [Declan] "Just a moment ago." The two men spoke with an easy familiarity. Declan answered w

[Hayden] "I was a bit surprised to hear you were looking for me, My Lady." Hayden scratched his cheek, his expression clearly reflecting his bewilderment. Vanessa understood his confusion completely. In the life before her return, she and Hayden had been nothing more than acquaintances who exchanged formal greetings at this time of year. In short, this was the first time they had ever been alone together. [Vanessa] "Thank you for agreeing to speak with me. Actually... there i

Though she had spoken the words herself, she found it hard to believe. Like a prisoner on death row awaiting sentencing, she had been unable to escape her anxiety for the past three days, dreading the very reunion that was happening now. She had been plagued by the fear that this dreamlike situation would vanish the moment she closed and opened her eyes. Would she be forced to return to Declan’s side, suppressing her emotions just to survive? Or worse, would she fall into an

Noble A] "Oh my, is that actually true?" [Noble B] "I suppose it makes sense. Since he is a member of the branch royal family, he must be attending in person to celebrate the Crown Prince’s birthday." [Noble C] "This will be my first time seeing him." [Noble D] "Is that so? I caught a glimpse of him from afar at the last banquet, and he was strikingly handsome." The ladies' faces flushed a soft pink as testimonies were traded back and forth with growing excitement. It was a c

The incident involving the precious lady of the Rohawk family—her sudden, early-morning outburst of sobbing—eventually settled as time passed. Since she could not possibly explain that her tears were a child-like reaction to reuniting with the family she thought she would never see again, she claimed she had simply suffered a harrowing nightmare. In a sense, it was not an absolute lie. The time she had spent wandering, trapped within the labyrinth Declan had constructed, was

Her father, unjustly executed on trumped-up charges. Elliot, who met a wretched end while trying to save her. If time turned back, would they breathe again? Though the situation felt entirely surreal, Vanessa could not let go of this final sliver of hope. The Goddess Rohodre understood Vanessa’s heart perfectly. Wearing the same gentle smile as before, she answered. [Rohodre] "Of course. That is the very nature of turning back time." [Vanessa] "..." [Rohodre] "You look as tho

Vanessa had never spent much time dwelling on what lay beyond death. Perhaps she was no different from anyone else in that regard. After all, life after death is a realm that remains beyond the reach of human knowledge. One hopes that the destination reached after a long journey is not too arduous. But when she finally opened her eyes again... She found herself in a space so ethereal it defied imagination. Her first impression was simply 'white.' The place was so pristinely s

[Vanessa] "The fact that I married the man who slaughtered my family is disgusting. This place, which I can never escape... it is all so monstrously repulsive." [Declan] "..." [Vanessa] "Everything is hideous to me now." HEr expression remained desolate, yet she could no longer suppress the tide of emotion. Her green eyes slowly filled with tears. Though she stood on her own two feet, she looked to Declan as if she were a fragile porcelain doll held together by a single threa

Once the physician had departed, Vanessa drew out the dagger she had concealed within the folds of her skirt. As she pulled the handle, a silver blade—blunt yet lethal enough to cause grave harm—slid elegantly from its sheath. She slid the weapon back into place, stood up, and began to walk with a rhythmic, unsteady sway. There was no strength in her stride as she headed toward the terrace. It was as if she were forcing herself to drag along legs that no longer had any life i

The moment she saw the stain, a scalding heat surged behind her eyes and the world began to spin. A paralyzing shiver raced down her spine, and her legs gave way, leaving her to collapse onto the floor. Her mind was too numb to register the dull thud of her fall or the ache in her body. A cold, terrifying dread wrapped around her like a shroud. [Vanessa] “Ugh...” Bile rose in her throat, and she quickly pressed her hand against her lips to stifle the urge to retch. She was no

Her voice, sharp and cold, sliced through the stifling silence of the bedroom. She had uttered the words—that she no longer loved him—not because they needed to be said, but because she hungered to see Declan’s composed mask finally crack. She was tired of being the only one drowning in desperation. This man had dragged her into the bowels of hell, yet he remained untouched, while she was a fraying tapestry of grief. His face didn't shatter. But his eyes... they changed.

Vanessa lifted her head, her vision slowly sharpening. The maid’s face was one she recognized, standing out in the sterile perfection of the manor for one simple reason: Sophie was still human. The other servants moved like hollow automatons, their every breath dictated by Declan’s iron will. None of them dared an original thought or a stray glance. But Sophie was different. Perhaps she was too new to the Grand Duchy, but the flicker of anxiety in her eyes and the warmth of

The physician stared at the Grand Duchess, her face a mask of uneasy hesitation, before she finally found her voice. [Physician] “I don’t know the particulars of the rift between you and the Grand Duke, My Lady, but many marriages find a second life in a child. Perhaps this is an opportunity for—” [Vanessa] “...Because you don’t know.” [Physician] “Pardon?” [Vanessa] “You can only say that because you are blind to the truth.” Vanessa wasn’t looking at her. Her gaze was fixed

In a noble household, the atmosphere is a living thing, a reflection of the masters’ hearts. The servants of the Vinkart estate were no different; they were reeds bending to whatever storm blew from the main chambers. When Vanessa had first arrived as a commoner and a sinner, they had busied themselves with venomous whispers. When she became the Grand Duchess and a doting bride, they had scurried in terror, fearful that a past slight might lead to their heads rolling. Now, t