Arthas April 08, 2024 No comments
Don't forget to rate and review the novel on Novelupdates
It was during that period between late spring and early summer — the day Isabel first met Kyle was a day when the whole world was covered in greenery..
Isabel was already quite familiar with Kyle's reputation. He was known as Winfred's illegitimate son - a scoundrel and a good-for-nothing. Winfred's shame, they said, as Kyle was incompetent, mean, and prone to mischief — that was the world's opinion of Kyle Winfred.
Though these were just rumors, Isabel had no reason to doubt them; after all, there was no smoke without fire, and a tree without roots cannot grow leaves.
— I'm... Kyle Winfred.
From the very beginning, Isabel didn't like Kyle Winfred.. His flushed face when their eyes met, his slightly flustered tone, the way he constantly glanced at her - it all rubbed her the wrong way. He was just so different from her.
Yet, she didn't reveal the primal emotions bubbling inside. She faced him with a pretense of smiles and laughter, treating him like any other young man.
Perhaps that was the catalyst. Kyle's obsession with Isabel only grew over time. He would frequently visit her estate, begging for her affection and showering her with precious gifts. He would smile innocently, as if he could finally breathe when he saw her face.
Yes, Kyle was in love with Isabel. His eyes shone with a devoted love, and his azure gaze was fixed solely on her.
Isabel was aware of this fact. Anyone would be able to tell from the way Kyle looked at her. Even when she harshly reprimanded him for his minor mistakes, even when he threw tantrums as if he wasn't hurt, even when she unintentionally said harsh words.
— Isabel, I'm so glad you're here.
Kyle's eyes were always on Isabel; those blind eyes, which she had never seen before, seemed to be approaching her romantically. When she realized that, for some reason, a part of her heart felt uncomfortable.
And then one day.
The mansion was turned upside down by shocking news.
— Isabel! The Winfred duchy has proposed a betrothal!
Her father was more than happy about the fact that she was going to be married in House Winfred; the fact that she had to marry a man she had never thought of as a man made a corner of her heart grow cold.
Her father, the proposing Winfred, and even the love-struck Kyle - she found them all utterly repulsive.
— Kyle Winfred? Don't be ridiculous. He's just an illegitimate son, and he's been causing so much trouble using the Duke's name.
— I heard from the servants working at Winfred that he throws tantrums if he doesn't get his way.
— He's also very greedy and can't hide his inferiority complex when he sees someone better than him.
The rumors that circulated were nauseating. She shuddered at Kyle's notorious reputation.
The news of the engagement between the Empire's greatest troublemaker and the darling of Yustia spread through society like wildfire.
The constant worries and criticisms were dreadful. It was suffocating.
After that day, Isabel rebuffed Kyle at every turn. She hurled insults at him whenever he visited, stabbed him with barbed words, and demanded the engagement be called off in a high-handed manner. Yet the devotion in his gaze, which she found so infuriating, remained unwavering.
— Get rid of your delusions! It's a torment to even be engaged to someone like you!
Kyle's face, which was instantly distorted, was pathetic.
Isabel was convinced. She was sure that was Kyle's true face.
That the empire's greatest good-for-nothing had been wearing a mask to deceive her all this time.
Kyle could muster no response and hastily left. Surely, he would not return.
Despite achieving the outcome she desired, a nagging unease took root in Isabel's heart.
— Isabel, I missed you.
A few days later, Kyle visited the Yustaa's mansion again with a cheerful smile on his face. Isabel found it both exasperating and, deep down, a relief - his love for her remained steadfast.
From that point on, Isabel grew numb. Any lingering guilt vanished, and her verbal assaults on Kyle only intensified.
She yearned to call off the engagement.
However, she could not bring herself to directly ask her father to break off the engagement.
She didn't want to ruin the happiness of her family with her own hands.
Instead, she unleashed her directionless fury upon Kyle, hoping he would grow tired of her and unilaterally demand the engagement be annulled.
Seemingly sensing her wish, he only pressed forward with the engagement.
— Isabel, there has never been a time in history when an engagement between two Houses has been annulled so brazenly.
Kyle murmured calmly. There was no trace of anger or sadness in his composed voice. It was gentle, like soothing a child with less wisdom.
How dare he.
Isabel ended up blurting out a lie without thinking; in order to restore her wounded pride, to tear down Kyle Winfred's self-esteem.
— The ring?
— Oh, that.
— I threw it away. It was in the way.
Kyle's azure eyes widened in shock, his breathing ragged, as if a blade had pierced his very core. A chilling silence enveloped them. He then turned and left the parlor, his retreating form shrouded in deep anguish.
Isabel's heart pounded. That day, she had uttered her first-ever lie.
* * * * *
At long last, Kyle and Isabel officially became husband and wife.
And as time passed, their relationship underwent considerable changes.
Kyle no longer begged Isabel for affection. Isabel, however, still detested him intensely. At her insistence, despite being married, they used separate chambers and skipped the conjugal visits needed to conceive an heir.
All communication between them was through servants, as Isabel assiduously avoided encountering Kyle.
She began having nightmares. Due to recent sleepless nights, her condition worsened, and her fits of illness became more frequent.
One rainy night, as she struggled with a high fever, fearing she might not survive, the manor descended into pandemonium.
— M, milady…! Something terrible has happened…!!
As she dragged her weak and trembling body out into the hallway, she was hit by a strong smell of blood that filled the air.
Isabel lifted her head.
Following the trail of dark blood splattered on the floor, her gaze met Kyle Winfred's fiercely glinting eyes.
Kyle had killed the nanny.
He had killed his own, on the pretext of mere blasphemy.
— What, blasphemy? By what right do you dare!!
— You killed her just because she deserved it? Is that what you're telling me now?
— Get out of my sight, Kyle Winfred.
She spat out the words, each one sharpened like a blade. Her hand trembled with rage as she gripped Kyle's collar mercilessly. Kyle offered no explanation, though his eyes hinted at wanting to say something. Instead, he chose silence.
She didn't bother asking for a reason. She didn't want to hear any hastily fabricated excuses.
The next day, she rose from her sickbed. Fueled by simmering hatred, she felt rejuvenated.
Kyle had departed for the imperial court, leaving without a word after shattering her heart.
And then...
— M, milady…! Something terrible has happened! There are outrageous rumors circulating in high society…
Rumors of an extramarital affair she allegedly had with a man she met at a social gathering rocked society. It happened the day after Kyle Winfred left for the palace.
She was so amused that she couldn't help but snort.
That evening, after returning from the imperial court where she had requested a sacred trial for divorce, her close friend Ludvik visited her mansion and poured out his woes.
As she served him warm tea and refreshments, she asked him the reason, and Ludvik spoke in a choked voice.
— Isabel, that bastard Kyle Winfred is completely insane.
— He's going to join hands with the nobles and rebel soon.
— Let's leave together.
— You've always wanted to leave this mansion, haven't you?
Isabel rubbed her dry face with her hands; a throbbing headache from deep disappointment clouded her mind.
She sent Ludvik away with a polite refusal. Even if she couldn't fully trust Kyle, she had no intention of leaving the mansion with Ludvik.
Rebellion, he says?
No matter how unstable Kyle may have become, it was simply inconceivable that he would make such a ludicrous judgment.
And then, the next day.
She received news through a servant that Ludvik had died.
She knew intuitively.
That the culprit behind the incident was none other than Kyle.
And with this.
The last thread of her reason snapped.
— Fetch these for me.
As the air in the room grew icy, she secretly instructed a maid to prepare something. Only she could stop Kyle's escalating madness. Isabel believed this without a doubt.
She dipped a deadly poison into a teacup.
The table was set to perfection, and Kyle, who had answered her summons, entered, his face nonchalant.
He drank from the cup without suspicion.
Coughing up blood, he continued to drink, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
— I curse you!!!
A faint smile crossed his face as he collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony before ultimately succumbing to death.
In the ensuing silence, the only sound was Isabel's muffled sobs.
* * * * *
Isabel had killed Kyle. Though she repeatedly told herself it was an act of desperation, she was wracked with guilt, feeling as if her very skin was being flayed.
— My lady, poison was found in the nanny's luggage.
— Evidence has emerged that the nanny has been constantly poisoning your food…
— It seems that the master found out about it and killed the nanny...
The sight of Kyle drinking the tea she had given him and vomiting blood pierced her heart.
— A message has arrived from the Imperial Court.
— They say, the person who deliberately spread the rumors was none other than your close friend, Master Ludvik...
Kyle's adoring gaze, which had never left her, haunted her.
— Milady, did you hear?
— The Ludovic who would often visit our manor was a spy for a foreign principality!
— According to the note that was found, he planned to kidnap you and take you hostage... Well, well! He died well, indeed.
As her sanity gradually recovered, a realization dawned on her.
Kyle... my husband...
Even until the moment he died, he loved me.
“Ah, ah... aaaaaaah...!!’
"Ah, no, nooo!" Isabel screamed in anguish, tears welling up in her bloodshot eyes; she clawed at her own skin until it bled.
— Isabel, I'm so glad you're here.
Kyle's voice, echoing his relief at her presence, struck her like a steel spike through her mind.
Her eyes filled with tears.
As self-loathing flooded her, her breathing became labored.
I just wish I could die.. Such arrogant thoughts dominated her mind
"Kyle... Kyle!!"
If only she had just accepted his love, cherished him with warmth. Or better yet, if only she had never existed in this world.
All the opportunities she had missed tormented her.
"Please... just one more chance..."
Her faint, anguished plea was barely audible.
"I... I was wrong..."
She yearned to see Kyle, to hear his sweet voice calling out to her, even if it were just an illusion.
A thick remnant of regret pooled within her
Then it happened.
『You may lose what is most precious to you』
『Would you care to start anew?』
Through her blurred vision, something translucent caught her eye.
A warning that she might lose what was most precious.
And a whisper asking if she wanted to start over.
"...Please."
She didn't hesitate.
Whatever was most precious to her, it couldn't be more precious than Kyle.
Soon after, as a ringing filled her ears, her vision narrowed.
『The regression begins.』
『I wish you good fortune.』
And with that, Isabel lost consciousness.
Arthas April 08, 2024 No comments
Don't forget to rate and review the novel on Novelupdates
It was during that period between late spring and early summer — the day Isabel first met Kyle was a day when the whole world was covered in greenery..
Isabel was already quite familiar with Kyle's reputation. He was known as Winfred's illegitimate son - a scoundrel and a good-for-nothing. Winfred's shame, they said, as Kyle was incompetent, mean, and prone to mischief — that was the world's opinion of Kyle Winfred.
Though these were just rumors, Isabel had no reason to doubt them; after all, there was no smoke without fire, and a tree without roots cannot grow leaves.
— I'm... Kyle Winfred.
From the very beginning, Isabel didn't like Kyle Winfred.. His flushed face when their eyes met, his slightly flustered tone, the way he constantly glanced at her - it all rubbed her the wrong way. He was just so different from her.
Yet, she didn't reveal the primal emotions bubbling inside. She faced him with a pretense of smiles and laughter, treating him like any other young man.
Perhaps that was the catalyst. Kyle's obsession with Isabel only grew over time. He would frequently visit her estate, begging for her affection and showering her with precious gifts. He would smile innocently, as if he could finally breathe when he saw her face.
Yes, Kyle was in love with Isabel. His eyes shone with a devoted love, and his azure gaze was fixed solely on her.
Isabel was aware of this fact. Anyone would be able to tell from the way Kyle looked at her. Even when she harshly reprimanded him for his minor mistakes, even when he threw tantrums as if he wasn't hurt, even when she unintentionally said harsh words.
— Isabel, I'm so glad you're here.
Kyle's eyes were always on Isabel; those blind eyes, which she had never seen before, seemed to be approaching her romantically. When she realized that, for some reason, a part of her heart felt uncomfortable.
And then one day.
The mansion was turned upside down by shocking news.
— Isabel! The Winfred duchy has proposed a betrothal!
Her father was more than happy about the fact that she was going to be married in House Winfred; the fact that she had to marry a man she had never thought of as a man made a corner of her heart grow cold.
Her father, the proposing Winfred, and even the love-struck Kyle - she found them all utterly repulsive.
— Kyle Winfred? Don't be ridiculous. He's just an illegitimate son, and he's been causing so much trouble using the Duke's name.
— I heard from the servants working at Winfred that he throws tantrums if he doesn't get his way.
— He's also very greedy and can't hide his inferiority complex when he sees someone better than him.
The rumors that circulated were nauseating. She shuddered at Kyle's notorious reputation.
The news of the engagement between the Empire's greatest troublemaker and the darling of Yustia spread through society like wildfire.
The constant worries and criticisms were dreadful. It was suffocating.
After that day, Isabel rebuffed Kyle at every turn. She hurled insults at him whenever he visited, stabbed him with barbed words, and demanded the engagement be called off in a high-handed manner. Yet the devotion in his gaze, which she found so infuriating, remained unwavering.
— Get rid of your delusions! It's a torment to even be engaged to someone like you!
Kyle's face, which was instantly distorted, was pathetic.
Isabel was convinced. She was sure that was Kyle's true face.
That the empire's greatest good-for-nothing had been wearing a mask to deceive her all this time.
Kyle could muster no response and hastily left. Surely, he would not return.
Despite achieving the outcome she desired, a nagging unease took root in Isabel's heart.
— Isabel, I missed you.
A few days later, Kyle visited the Yustaa's mansion again with a cheerful smile on his face. Isabel found it both exasperating and, deep down, a relief - his love for her remained steadfast.
From that point on, Isabel grew numb. Any lingering guilt vanished, and her verbal assaults on Kyle only intensified.
She yearned to call off the engagement.
However, she could not bring herself to directly ask her father to break off the engagement.
She didn't want to ruin the happiness of her family with her own hands.
Instead, she unleashed her directionless fury upon Kyle, hoping he would grow tired of her and unilaterally demand the engagement be annulled.
Seemingly sensing her wish, he only pressed forward with the engagement.
— Isabel, there has never been a time in history when an engagement between two Houses has been annulled so brazenly.
Kyle murmured calmly. There was no trace of anger or sadness in his composed voice. It was gentle, like soothing a child with less wisdom.
How dare he.
Isabel ended up blurting out a lie without thinking; in order to restore her wounded pride, to tear down Kyle Winfred's self-esteem.
— The ring?
— Oh, that.
— I threw it away. It was in the way.
Kyle's azure eyes widened in shock, his breathing ragged, as if a blade had pierced his very core. A chilling silence enveloped them. He then turned and left the parlor, his retreating form shrouded in deep anguish.
Isabel's heart pounded. That day, she had uttered her first-ever lie.
* * * * *
At long last, Kyle and Isabel officially became husband and wife.
And as time passed, their relationship underwent considerable changes.
Kyle no longer begged Isabel for affection. Isabel, however, still detested him intensely. At her insistence, despite being married, they used separate chambers and skipped the conjugal visits needed to conceive an heir.
All communication between them was through servants, as Isabel assiduously avoided encountering Kyle.
She began having nightmares. Due to recent sleepless nights, her condition worsened, and her fits of illness became more frequent.
One rainy night, as she struggled with a high fever, fearing she might not survive, the manor descended into pandemonium.
— M, milady…! Something terrible has happened…!!
As she dragged her weak and trembling body out into the hallway, she was hit by a strong smell of blood that filled the air.
Isabel lifted her head.
Following the trail of dark blood splattered on the floor, her gaze met Kyle Winfred's fiercely glinting eyes.
Kyle had killed the nanny.
He had killed his own, on the pretext of mere blasphemy.
— What, blasphemy? By what right do you dare!!
— You killed her just because she deserved it? Is that what you're telling me now?
— Get out of my sight, Kyle Winfred.
She spat out the words, each one sharpened like a blade. Her hand trembled with rage as she gripped Kyle's collar mercilessly. Kyle offered no explanation, though his eyes hinted at wanting to say something. Instead, he chose silence.
She didn't bother asking for a reason. She didn't want to hear any hastily fabricated excuses.
The next day, she rose from her sickbed. Fueled by simmering hatred, she felt rejuvenated.
Kyle had departed for the imperial court, leaving without a word after shattering her heart.
And then...
— M, milady…! Something terrible has happened! There are outrageous rumors circulating in high society…
Rumors of an extramarital affair she allegedly had with a man she met at a social gathering rocked society. It happened the day after Kyle Winfred left for the palace.
She was so amused that she couldn't help but snort.
That evening, after returning from the imperial court where she had requested a sacred trial for divorce, her close friend Ludvik visited her mansion and poured out his woes.
As she served him warm tea and refreshments, she asked him the reason, and Ludvik spoke in a choked voice.
— Isabel, that bastard Kyle Winfred is completely insane.
— He's going to join hands with the nobles and rebel soon.
— Let's leave together.
— You've always wanted to leave this mansion, haven't you?
Isabel rubbed her dry face with her hands; a throbbing headache from deep disappointment clouded her mind.
She sent Ludvik away with a polite refusal. Even if she couldn't fully trust Kyle, she had no intention of leaving the mansion with Ludvik.
Rebellion, he says?
No matter how unstable Kyle may have become, it was simply inconceivable that he would make such a ludicrous judgment.
And then, the next day.
She received news through a servant that Ludvik had died.
She knew intuitively.
That the culprit behind the incident was none other than Kyle.
And with this.
The last thread of her reason snapped.
— Fetch these for me.
As the air in the room grew icy, she secretly instructed a maid to prepare something. Only she could stop Kyle's escalating madness. Isabel believed this without a doubt.
She dipped a deadly poison into a teacup.
The table was set to perfection, and Kyle, who had answered her summons, entered, his face nonchalant.
He drank from the cup without suspicion.
Coughing up blood, he continued to drink, as if he had been waiting for this moment.
— I curse you!!!
A faint smile crossed his face as he collapsed to the ground, writhing in agony before ultimately succumbing to death.
In the ensuing silence, the only sound was Isabel's muffled sobs.
* * * * *
Isabel had killed Kyle. Though she repeatedly told herself it was an act of desperation, she was wracked with guilt, feeling as if her very skin was being flayed.
— My lady, poison was found in the nanny's luggage.
— Evidence has emerged that the nanny has been constantly poisoning your food…
— It seems that the master found out about it and killed the nanny...
The sight of Kyle drinking the tea she had given him and vomiting blood pierced her heart.
— A message has arrived from the Imperial Court.
— They say, the person who deliberately spread the rumors was none other than your close friend, Master Ludvik...
Kyle's adoring gaze, which had never left her, haunted her.
— Milady, did you hear?
— The Ludovic who would often visit our manor was a spy for a foreign principality!
— According to the note that was found, he planned to kidnap you and take you hostage... Well, well! He died well, indeed.
As her sanity gradually recovered, a realization dawned on her.
Kyle... my husband...
Even until the moment he died, he loved me.
“Ah, ah... aaaaaaah...!!’
"Ah, no, nooo!" Isabel screamed in anguish, tears welling up in her bloodshot eyes; she clawed at her own skin until it bled.
— Isabel, I'm so glad you're here.
Kyle's voice, echoing his relief at her presence, struck her like a steel spike through her mind.
Her eyes filled with tears.
As self-loathing flooded her, her breathing became labored.
I just wish I could die.. Such arrogant thoughts dominated her mind
"Kyle... Kyle!!"
If only she had just accepted his love, cherished him with warmth. Or better yet, if only she had never existed in this world.
All the opportunities she had missed tormented her.
"Please... just one more chance..."
Her faint, anguished plea was barely audible.
"I... I was wrong..."
She yearned to see Kyle, to hear his sweet voice calling out to her, even if it were just an illusion.
A thick remnant of regret pooled within her
Then it happened.
『You may lose what is most precious to you』
『Would you care to start anew?』
Through her blurred vision, something translucent caught her eye.
A warning that she might lose what was most precious.
And a whisper asking if she wanted to start over.
"...Please."
She didn't hesitate.
Whatever was most precious to her, it couldn't be more precious than Kyle.
Soon after, as a ringing filled her ears, her vision narrowed.
『The regression begins.』
『I wish you good fortune.』
And with that, Isabel lost consciousness.
