I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 152

Evelyn recognized him immediately.

The man before her had the exact same face as Kalian—but he was not Kalian.

‘A softer, gentler version of the First Guardian.’

 

Kylus bent down to meet her eyes. “Who are you?”

 

Silence.

 

“How do you know my name?”

 

Only after seeing the man’s uncertain expression did Evelyn realize her mistake.

 

‘But this is a dream. Maybe I should just pretend I don’t know him.’

 

Yet despite her thoughts, she couldn’t stop herself from speaking.

“Perhaps it’s even stranger that I don’t recognize Your Highness. I’m a northerner, after all.”

 

He took a step closer. Seeing her stumble back, he raised his hands in reassurance.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. Just…”

 

Then he smiled gently.

“I was surprised you were human. I thought I’d met a forest fairy.”

 

‘A fairy.’

 

Evelyn blushed at the compliment.

‘I’ve never heard that before—not even from Kalian.’

 

Her toes tingled with embarrassment. Though Kylus was Kalian’s predecessor, he seemed far sweeter in temperament.

 

As she thought this, her surroundings shifted abruptly.

 

Now, she stood in a bedroom.

‘Ah, this is Daphne’s memory.’

 

Daphne’s memories flooded her mind like a forced torrent.

‘So that was Daphne and Kylus’ first meeting in the cabin earlier.’

 

Evelyn seamlessly merged into Daphne’s perspective.

 

Daphne was married to Kylus. Kylus—orphaned young—had crowned her as his grand duchess despite the elders’ objections.

 

And tonight was their first night together.

 

In the flickering candlelight, Kylus gazed at her tenderly, a melancholy gleam in his hazel eyes.

“I don’t know how to win a woman’s heart,” he admitted. “I worry my fierce love might hurt you.”

 

‘He claims not to know how to win hearts, yet his eyes brim with genuine love.’

 

Evelyn-as-Daphne gently stroked his hand.

“Don’t worry. Even if that love ruins me, it won’t change my feelings for you.”

 

With a satisfied smile, Kylus laid her down, his strong arms caging her face as their gazes locked. His eyes burned with solar intensity and indescribable possessiveness.

 

They spent the night as one—a night that stretched endlessly.

 

When it finally ended, Evelyn’s vision shifted again.

 

“Ugh—!”

 

Now she writhed in agony, her ankle trapped amidst bloodshed. She’d fallen victim to Imperial forces while fleeing the Oracle.

 

“You wouldn’t have gotten far. We have orders to take you both alive!”

 

“Yes!”

 

Imperial troops and cultists closed in, their footsteps smothering like fog.

 

Kylus—far from unharmed—drew his sword left-handed. His right arm was severed at the shoulder; his left eye blinded by poisoned steel.

 

Evelyn had wrapped her robes around his wounds, but blood still seeped relentlessly.

 

‘A hot lump rose in her throat. He did this to protect me.’

 

Kylus stroked her tear-stained cheek reassuringly.

“Hang in there. This will hurt, but it’s better than their torture.”

 

He raised his sword—apparently planning to amputate her trapped ankle.

 

Evelyn closed her eyes, hands clamped over her mouth in prayer.

‘Dear God, grant us mercy and strength to endure!’

 

But the expected pain never came.

 

“K-Kylus…?”

 

Her eyes opened to see the man kneeling, tears streaming down his face.

“I can’t. How could my hands harm you?”

 

Evelyn embraced his shuddering form, feeling his desperate sobs vibrate through her.

 

‘We can’t both break down here.’

 

“Look at me, Kyle.” She gripped his shoulders, meeting his gaze squarely. “You’ve done enough. I’ll cover your retreat—go first.”

 

‘The ending is already set. But he can’t know that.’

 

Kylus protested violently, pulling her close.

“I can’t! Leaving you means death for me. I’d rather die with you!”

 

As they argued, birds erupted from nearby trees. The ground trembled with approaching footsteps.

 

“Kyle, you have responsibilities!”

 

Her heart pounded as she pushed him—but his grip was iron.

 

“Run now, or I’ll—!”

 

Evelyn faltered mid-threat.

 

A terrifying premonition struck.

‘What if he dies here? What of our future? Our child on the boat?’

 

“No, you can’t!”

 

Just the thought drained the blood from her face.

 

With sudden resolve, she drew her dagger and pressed it to his throat. The cool blade kissed his pulse.

“Save yourself. It’s a Guardian’s duty—our only chance to meet again.”

 

Kylus begged wordlessly, but Evelyn tightened her grip. A trickle of blood stained his tunic.

 

‘The ankle pain eclipses the wound’s sting—but his horror is palpable.’

 

“Daphne!”

 

His anguished cry echoed as he collapsed, pleading.

“Stop! Please, or it’ll truly—!”

 

The vibrations intensified; footsteps neared.

 

“Go! Forge a future—it all depends on you!”

 

Suddenly, her vision spun and blurred.

 

Ah—!

 

His fading voice sounded underwater as her senses dulled. Her eyelids grew leaden.

 

The last thing Evelyn saw before sinking into blackness was knights charging toward her…

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Hah!”

 

Evelyn jolted awake, gasping. Disoriented, she groped around until her eyes adjusted to the cozy attic.

 

‘Oh God—another dream.’

 

Still early in the morning, she wiped her sweaty brow and sat up.

 

‘For the umpteenth time…’

 

Since leaving the Grand Duchy, Evelyn had endured recurring, inexplicable dreams. The scenarios varied, but the characters remained constant: Daphne and Kylus.

 

In these visions, she became Daphne—speaking to, loving, even merging with Kylus. She experienced their emotions, their crises, with visceral intensity.

 

“Why do I keep having these dreams?”

 

Her head throbbed. She slumped onto the couch, massaging her temples as she pieced together the dream’s fragments.

 

‘The first time, I felt jealous—like I was intruding on my husband’s unknown past.’

‘I thought, “So this is love at first sight.”’

 

‘I couldn’t believe my husband could be so tender.’

 

The disparity between Daphne’s Kylus and her Kalian had initially stung.

 

‘They’re different people… yet not.’

‘Even if Kylus is Kalian’s past life, their personalities and eras don’t align.’

 

Logically, she understood. Emotionally, the resemblance unsettled her.

 

She began questioning the nightmares’ origin.

“If these were Kalian’s and my past, I’d assume they were lucid dreams. But this?”

 

No matter how she racked her brain, the reason eluded her.

 

Evelyn moved to the window, sliding it open. The crisp dawn air cleared her mind slightly.

 

“We’ve been here three weeks now.”

 

Though Bernard and his brothers had insisted she stay at the mansion, Evelyn had stubbornly returned to Mrs. Allen’s attic.