I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 157

Petals scattered.

 

While Deborah waited for the ceremony, she slipped into a brief dream.

 

“Child, lead the foolish on the right path. The one you will serve is in the darkness, not the light.”

 

A black-haired man with twin horns beckoned to her.

Deborah hesitated to approach.

No wonder—he was a demon.

He would tempt her to serve the darkness, not the light.

 

“!”

 

A voice called from beyond the barracks door, snapping her awake.

 

“Grand Duchess, it is time for the ceremony.”

 

‘Grand duchess?’

 

Deborah’s fierce expression softened instantly.

 

‘Oh, right. They know me as the Grand Duchess now. I almost forgot.’

 

It must have been midnight.

 

“Wait outside for a while. I’ll be ready in a moment.”

 

She straightened her clothes and stood, nervousness erasing the dream from her mind.

 

‘I must have dreamed it out of anxiety.’

 

Shrugging it off, she changed into her black dress, draped the ceremonial cloth over her shoulders, and stepped outside.

 

The villagers stood in a circle around an altar, a bonfire roaring at its center.

 

“The messenger of the gods has come!”

“O Holy Spirit, save us with your light!”

 

Their hopeful voices rose as they turned to her.

Deborah gazed into their eyes—blind faith and desperate envy—and felt a rush of power.

 

“I will perform the ritual now!”

 

She bit down hard on her left index finger, drawing blood.

 

“Ouch!”

 

Pressing her bleeding finger to the ground, she began drawing an unfamiliar magic circle.

 

‘What is this?’

 

Her hand moved of its own accord.

The words pouring from her lips were no longer hers—a guttural, unintelligible prayer.

 

“Holy Savior, use your sinful creatures according to your will, and fill us with faith!”

 

Deborah stiffened.

 

‘What in the world am I saying?’

 

Whooooooo—!

 

The weather twisted violently.

A dense fog rolled in, thick as the apocalypse, and a gale howled, shaking the earth.

 

“Oh, the gods have answered! The Grand Duchess’s power has wrought a miracle!”

 

The crowd erupted in awe.

 

“Wow—!”

 

Then—

 

“Ha, look at the sky—it’s a red moon! A red moon!”

 

Every head snapped upward.

 

“Huh? A red moon means… dungeons are opening?”

“But this isn’t the season for dungeon raids!”

“No! That’s no ordinary moon. Its size, color, shape…!”

“It looks like… a devil’s eyeball!”

 

“Ewww, creepy!”

 

Their shuddering gazes returned to the altar.

 

Deborah stood with arms outstretched, as if possessed.

The blood moon loomed above her, its yin energy thickening the air.

A voice—deep, distorted—ripped from her throat.

 

“Foolish ones, witness the grace of your creator with your mother’s blood and your father’s flesh…!”

 

Kugung!

 

Lightning split the dry sky.

Deborah’s body levitated, dangling like a puppet.

Black energy swirled around her, defiling the sacred ritual.

 

“Your Highness… the Grand Duchess…?”

 

Fear contorted the villagers’ faces.

 

“Hmph!”

 

An elderly man collapsed, finger trembling toward the magic circle.

 

“Demons… demons are crawling from the ground…! They’ll slaughter us all!”

 

The crowd scattered.

 

Max and Dwayne’s eyes bulged as they followed the old man’s pointing finger.

 

“What the hell is that…?!”

 

Shadowy figures oozed from the circle, morphing into demonic shapes.

They latched onto villagers, their victims’ eyes bleeding crimson.

 

“Krrrr.”

“Kaaaah!”

 

Deborah watched, unsure whether to cheer or scream.

 

“My children, the Lord of the Heavens will devour you. Seek no salvation in the light. Only darkness will spare you.”

 

The voice wasn’t hers—something spoke through her.

 

“What the hell is going on?!”

 

Even the cultists—priests sent to capture Deborah—froze.

Their torches guttered as darkness consumed them too.

 

“CURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!”

 

The shadows reached for Max and Dwayne.

 

‘Is this the end?’

“Fuck no! Damn it, do something!”

 

Then—hooves.

A ray of light pierced the horizon.

 

“Dawn! It’s dawn!”

 

A figure in pure white charged toward them.

Max and Dwayne fell to their knees.

 

‘If the Goddess of Light descended, she would look like this.’

 

A person approached, radiant.

 

“Your Highness, the Grand Duchess…”

 

The missing Grand Duchess had returned.

To save them.

To pull the world back from the abyss.

 

 

* * *

 

 

At a northern checkpoint, Kalian surveyed the slaughtered soldiers.

 

“The power of death.”

 

His voice was leaden.

The wind carried the stench of blood as he closed a corpse’s vacant eyes.

 

“Julius, your soul is rotten.”

 

Above, a blood moon swelled—unnaturally large, painting the world crimson.

 

‘The Otherworldly Gate.’

 

Julius had opened it.

His goal was clear: resurrect the Devil’s daughter under the red moon and seize the empire.

 

‘What does he gain from ruling a ruined world?’

 

Kalian scoffed.

Julius had once spoken of salvation—now he was just a butcher drunk on power.

 

“Gather round!”

 

He barked orders, dividing the knights: some to retrieve bodies, some to guard the estate, others to summon the Grand Duchy’s elders.

Their resolve unwavering, they galloped into the blood-tinged mist.

 

Kalian mounted his horse, jaw clenched.

 

‘Evelyn, stay safe.’

 

His wife’s gaunt face haunted him. He shook it off and spurred his horse forward.

 

‘I must reach the Grand Duchy. Stop the ceremony. It’s the only way to save her.’

 

He knew Deborah’s plan. Had all but encouraged it.

 

‘Prove your power. Your duty is to save them.’

 

But without power, Deborah had one path left: ‘Become Evelyn.’

 

Disguise herself as the duchess. Play the fool. Back herself into a corner.

 

Kalian was certain—this was Deborah’s last gambit.