The Grand Duke of Exepsion officially announced his marriage to Odely Cardel.
That day, the entire Empire was thrown into an uproar.
Was it a political marriage? Or blackmail?
Was there some grand conspiracy hidden behind it?
Countless rumors spread.
Ludville’s reputation was that fearsome.
He was a war hero beyond dispute, and every battle he commanded ended in victory.
Yet not a single soldier who had fought beside him ever called him a hero.
He was a merciless commander who could cut down even his own subordinates without hesitation if necessity demanded it.
Honor and justice were nothing more than tools in his hands.
On one day, he had every prisoner executed.
On another, he released a traitor completely unharmed.
Why?
Because every decision he made was based not on emotion, but on calculated gain.
Ludville Exepsion.
His name became synonymous with an emotionless machine of war that produced only one result—
Victory.
So once the Grand Duke of Exepsion had made up his mind, no one could stop the marriage.
Not even the mighty House Cardel.
“Your Grace, how could you commit such an outrageous act? This is no different from kidnapping! Return my daughter to me!”
The Duke of Cardel protested in fury, but…
“Kidnapping? If that’s what you believe, then bring the matter before the Imperial Court.”
“…”
“Then everyone will learn where I found her… and in what condition.”
“…”
“Is that what you want?”
Grinding his teeth in rage, the Duke of Cardel ultimately had no choice but to retreat without recovering Odely.
As gossip spread among the nobles, the wedding proceeded with astonishing speed.
The Duke of Cardel and his heir, Gawin, sat silently among the guests.
Yet their pale faces and stiff expressions revealed everything.
They had lost the Purifier who had sustained their family.
Even so, they had no choice but to remain silent.
Their family’s honor.
Its glory.
Its power.
Its reputation.
They had to protect, at all costs, the elaborate lie they had spent centuries building.
“In the name of God, these two souls are now one. May love be born even in suffering, and hope even in despair.”
With the final blessing spoken, the High Priest raised both hands over the bride and groom, blessing their union.
Strangely enough, there was no exchange of rings.
A single worn silver ring already rested on Ludville’s left ring finger.
Its simple design gleamed softly in the light.
Far too modest for the Grand Duke.
Could it be… someone already holds his heart?
If so, it all made sense.
She had wondered why, among so many noble ladies, he had chosen Odely.
He had simply needed the perfect fake wife to escape his family’s pressure.
As the daughter of House Cardel, her status was beyond question.
She was known to be frail, so no one would expect her to appear publicly.
And her circumstances left her with no room to negotiate the terms of a contract marriage.
In the end…
This, too, was just another performance.
She was merely a supporting actress,
stepping onto the stage to protect the Grand Duke’s true love.
…It’s not so bad.
If anything,
she should be grateful.
At least she had escaped her family before dying.
So she had no right to feel disappointed.
“As the final proof of your love before God…”
Before the High Priest had even finished speaking,
a firm hand lifted her chin.
For the brief moment their eyes met,
she found no emotion in his gaze.
A ceremonial kiss.
As the cold, loveless kiss lingered,
Odely closed her eyes amid the cheers.
****
After the funeral, Odely had no idea how the time had passed.
When she finally came back to herself, she found herself sitting inside the council chamber.
When did I even come here? Her memories came only in broken fragments.
“This will is absurd!”
“They’re divorced! That makes them strangers! They didn’t even have children! Who is supposed to inherit the title?”
“To suddenly hand the Grand Duchy to someone who has neither the approval of the Noble Council nor a lawful designation as heir—this has never happened before!”
“She may be from House Cardel, but before her marriage she was too sickly to even leave her family’s estate! We have every reason to question both her health and her ability!”
The meeting hall had descended into complete chaos.
None of the vassals remained quiet.
They waved documents in the air,
their voices rising,
their fists slamming against the table.
But Odely sat silently in her chair,
letting every word pass in one ear and out the other.
The voices around her sounded distant and muffled.
Snap.
Snap.
“My Lady. My Lady!”
Someone snapped their fingers right in front of her face.
A man dressed in black mourning clothes stared at her with cold eyes.
“Are you listening?”
Marquis Belgrave.
Among all the Grand Duchy’s vassals,
he wielded the greatest political influence.
Lost in thought,
Odely answered a beat too late.
“Ah…
No, I wasn’t.”
“…”
“Could you repeat that?”
The marquis paused before letting out a weary sigh.
Suppressing his irritation, he spoke in a low, rigid voice.
“According to His Grace’s will, every right and possession—including his wealth, lands, fortresses, estates, merchant guild shares, and even his title—will be transferred to Lady Odely.”
“I see.”
“Of course, if you do not wish to accept them, you may refuse. Frankly speaking, that would be the decision everyone would find easiest to understand.”
It sounded very much like a warning.
If she refused to step aside,
they would stop her by whatever means necessary.
“I’ll give you time to consider. Please reach a decision as soon as possible.”
With that, the marquis withdrew.
The other vassals followed behind him.
The once-noisy meeting hall fell silent.
Odely regretted coming here.
As if I came seeking wealth or glory.
The truth was, she had no interest in titles or riches.
Then why had she rushed here the moment she heard that her husband on paper had died?
The reason…
…I don’t even know.
Leaning back in her chair, Odely let out a quiet sigh.
Whenever she closed her eyes, she still saw him, lying peacefully among the white flowers.
She tilted her head back and rubbed both hands over her face.
“Lady Odely.”
When she opened her eyes, the aide who had brought her here was standing before her.
His eyes were red as he held out a small box.
“As instructed by His Grace’s will, I kept this belonging in my care. However… I believe it would be best if you were the one to examine it in the end.”
Odely accepted the small box from him.
It was surprisingly light.
“His Grace ordered that it never be opened. He told me repeatedly that it was to be buried deep underground and never allowed to fall into anyone else’s hands.”
“But you disobeyed him.”
“I’ll gladly accept whatever punishment awaits me.”
Though he appeared perfectly loyal, Edwin had always quietly defied orders he could not agree with.
Odely carefully opened the box.
Inside lay the ring Ludville had always worn on the ring finger of his left hand.
“Why this?”
It hardly seemed important enough to warrant such a solemn delivery.
Odely picked up the ring, turning it over between her fingers.
The marks of time were etched into its worn surface.
For some reason, it made her feel strangely unsettled.
Looking at this ring,
she had always assumed there had been another woman hidden in Ludville’s heart.
She continued to stare at it with complicated emotions.
Then, she felt something engraved on the inside of the band.
An engraving?
Puzzled, she tilted the ring and read the tiny letters.
At the same moment, her eyes widened.
[ODELY]
Her own name was engraved inside the weathered ring.
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