Chapter 1

It was a very strange sensation.

It was a tingling feeling that swept through me from head to toe, as if I had been drowning in water only to be suddenly pulled up to the surface in an instant.

“My lady! Are you all right?”

“Oh my! The bride….”

“Shall I call for a physician?”

The voices of several people around me buzzed from every direction.

After hearing came touch.

Someone’s thick arms were wrapped tightly around my body.

Then I felt the violent pounding of a heart—

“Gasp!”

Naturally, I opened my eyes.

“Uh….”

The moment I came to my senses with a start, as if waking from a dream, a pair of bluish-violet eyes filled my vision.

There was an enchanting, mysterious light in those irises, but they were unmistakably filled with displeasure.

The face that had been so close to mine soon moved away, revealing the entirety of a man’s face.

It wasn’t exactly the kind of thought I should have been having when I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but…

‘What the hell? He’s ridiculously handsome.’

Even with that utterly cold expression, his good looks were enough to make me want to linger nearby just to admire him.

His hair was as black as pitch, yet in another light, it shimmered like the night sky.

A prominently raised nose with a straight bridge and a smooth jawline.

His entire face looked as though it had been painstakingly carved from nothing but straight lines, but the most striking feature was undoubtedly the one I had noticed earlier…

“What kind of trick are you pulling this time?”

Then his voice, as imposing and weighty as his features, rang out.

His deep bass seemed to resonate like an echo spreading through a cave, passing through his massive frame before reverberating around us.

But unlike his pleasant voice, his tone was exceedingly sharp.

As he asked what I was doing, he pulled me away from him.

He was so strong that I staggered from the force, and only then did I notice the pure white dress I was wearing and the silk gloves covering my hands.

‘This place… is a wedding venue?’

Why on earth was I dressed in a gown like this?

Leaving my confusion aside for the moment, I awkwardly got to my feet, following the tall man who had already risen.

The scene that gradually came into view made me wonder if I was floating through a dream.

This was a small chapel, and standing in front of the man and me was an elderly priest in ceremonial robes, looking flustered.

“Are you all right? May we resume the ceremony…?”

“Just proceed!”

Before I could answer, a hysterical voice shrieked from behind us.

It belonged to an extravagantly dressed noblewoman.

Wearing a bright red dress adorned with an abundance of jewelry, she crossed her arms and gave a sharp nod, clearly irritated.

Despite her lavish attire and the way she was raising her voice so sharply, the elderly clergyman couldn’t say a word to her.

She must have been someone of considerable status.

Beside her sat a middle-aged man with a perpetually cold expression.

He casually waved his hand as if telling them to hurry up.

“Haa….”

At that, the young man standing beside me let out a deep sigh and furrowed his brow.

Now that I was standing, I realized just how large he was.

He had a solid build and was very tall.

I had to tilt my head back quite a bit just to meet his eyes.

As I secretly examined his face, I had a sudden realization.

‘This has to be….’

This was definitely the transmigration into a romance-fantasy novel I had only ever heard about!

“Ahem! Then, we shall resume the wedding ceremony.”

I was completely bewildered, but for some reason, I didn’t feel all that bad about the situation!

My greatest strength was my maxed-out adaptability.

‘Let’s take a quick look around. I can stand just fine.’

Both legs sturdy. All four limbs intact. Okay.

My vision had been a little dizzy earlier, but that was probably just because I had transmigrated into another body.

Five fingers on each hand.

And my toes… I wiggled them around.

No problem there, either.

Oh, had I gotten a little shorter?

It was while I was enthusiastically wiggling my fingers and toes and inspecting every inch of the body I had transmigrated into that the priest continued speaking without interruption.

“The declaration of marriage shall now be made. Under the grace of God, His Highness Zenos Celeste, Grand Duke, stands here before us. Your Highness, do you swear to take Lady Renee Blanche, Marchioness’ daughter, as your Grand Duchess and to spend your life with her in love and fidelity?”

“…….”

Perhaps because of the slow and quiet voice characteristic of clergy, most of the words went in one ear and out the other.

But a few important words caught my attention.

‘So that man is a Grand Duke?’

Well, with a face like that…

Could he be the male lead of some romance-fantasy novel?

But no matter how hard I racked my brain, I couldn’t remember the names Zenos Celeste or Renee Blanche.

Then again, I had always been terrible at remembering people’s names, let alone the names of characters in novels.

The biggest problem was that, although I seemed to have transmigrated into a novel, I had absolutely no idea which novel it was.

‘So being a text addict in my past life has come back to bite me….’

From web novels to academic papers.

Maybe it was because I had read anything and everything as long as it contained written words.

All kinds of information had been mashed together in my head until it became one giant mess.

‘Whatever. I don’t know.’

Still…

At least I could say I was satisfied with my husband’s face.

With looks like that, he had to be a second male lead at the very least, so he was probably one of the main characters in this story.

My ideal type was someone whose first requirement was looks, second was looks, and third was height and physique.

So, naturally, his appearance appealed to me quite a bit.

While I was seriously admiring the man’s appearance in my head, the Grand Duke, who had been hesitating for quite some time after hearing the priest’s question, finally spoke in a heavily subdued voice.

“I… swear.”

Oh.

He didn’t sound like he was swearing an oath at all.

Actually, now that I had suddenly found myself with a husband, I couldn’t say I was entirely pleased with the situation, either.

“Lady Renee Blanche. Do you swear to take His Highness Zenos Celeste, Grand Duke, as your husband, fulfill your responsibilities as Grand Duchess, and spend your life with him in sincerity and respect?”

Uh, well…

I only just met him….

But, of course, there was really only one thing I could say in this situation.

“I swear….”

……What else could I possibly say?

“Now, before God and all the witnesses present, I hereby proclaim that the two of you are officially husband and wife. May this bond remain sacred and shine forever as a glorious union.”

The priest hurried through the declaration as though he were simply getting a troublesome task out of the way, then quickly left the chapel.

At the same time, the Grand Duke’s tightly closed mouth finally opened.

“You and I will probably never see each other again after today.”

“…….”

Wow.

Really…?

Had I been abandoned to separate living arrangements immediately after getting married?

Before I could even open my mouth—

“Of course, you came here prepared to accept this much, didn’t you?”

“That’s….”

“Do not expect me to fulfill any of the duties or obligations of a husband. I, in turn, expect nothing from you.”

‘Ah, come on! Let me speak, too!’

Honestly, I didn’t particularly have anything to say, but who would enjoy being told to shut up and live quietly?

‘What’s with him? He doesn’t look like someone who talks this much.’

I didn’t like talkative men.

And on top of that, he had a terrible personality?

“…….”

My interest in him plummeted instantly.

“Since neither of us will be comfortable, simply stay quietly as though you aren’t there. If possible, do not draw attention to yourself.”

Hmm.

I suppose my luck with husbands was doomed from the start.

I had never relied on anyone else’s help in my life anyway, so I wasn’t particularly bothered.

The Grand Duke, who had never once concealed his contempt for me, walked away with heavy footsteps.

The few servants who had remained behind soon disappeared with him like the ebbing tide, and the chapel quickly became desolate.

After all, the only official guests at this wedding were that middle-aged aristocratic couple.

And even then, the middle-aged man soon followed after the Grand Duke and left.

‘Are those people on the Grand Duke’s side? Or mine?’

My question was answered soon enough.

“……A lowly thing.”

The noblewoman’s malice was several times stronger than the Grand Duke’s.

After making sure the chapel was completely empty, the sharp-eyed noblewoman shot me a cold glare and spoke venomously.

“It seems the Grand Duke and we are of the same mind. How fortunate. Therefore, just as you have done until now, know your place and continue to live quietly, as though you were dead and nonexistent.”

Just then, a small maid approached without making a sound and bowed politely.

“Greetings. My name is Betty, and I am a maid of the Grand Duke’s residence. From now on, I shall serve as Her Highness the Grand Duchess’s personal maid.”

“Please take good care of my daughter. She is ignorant of the ways of the world and practically an imbecile. As a parent, I am terribly worried about her.”

So, to summarize…

This extravagantly dressed noblewoman was the bride’s mother?

My mother?

The Marchioness Blanche immediately changed her attitude as soon as another person appeared, opening her fan and putting on an air of refinement.

Of course, she didn’t forget to glare at me as though she wanted to kill me from behind the fan.

Her icy gaze pierced through the gap above the fan, making me shiver involuntarily and shrink back.

I couldn’t help but think how fortunate it was that a maid had come.

“I shall do my best. But, um….”

For the first time, a hint of difficulty entered the maid’s previously emotionless, businesslike voice.

“What is it?”

“J-Just now, His Highness the Grand Duke left in his own carriage….”

“Oh my. What about the bride?”

“He instructed her to come in a Blanche family carriage….”

“Oh dear. Unfortunately, we don’t have any carriages left. Is there no other carriage belonging to the Grand Duke’s residence?”

“There are the servants’ carriages… and the wagons for transporting luggage. I apologize.”

“…….”

Oh.

Day one of being transmigrated into a novel whose name I don’t even know.

……This is going to be a little difficult, isn’t it?