She was anxious these days. You might wonder what’s scary about being loved by Aloken, the kingdom’s best groom. Still, in fact, she was afraid of happiness itself. He’s in love with someone who is destined to be beheaded without knowing anything.
Fanora Celsius was a cruel person who didn’t hesitate to kill her enemies. But she felt guilty now. And to her fiancé… If he knew my secret, he might turn around.
That’s right, killing a noble is the most serious crime in this kingdom. Even a few years later, everything would be over if a small clue was found. It was contradictory indeed. She took revenge to recover her lost smile, but rather, those actions began to threaten her future and happiness.
But if I keep my mouth shut and marry him like this… Isn’t this marriage a scam? This whole situation was proof that Fanora had taken the wrong way. She couldn’t complain now because she had been determined from the beginning.
“No. There is nothing like worry.”
Fanora couldn’t help but bring the lie out of her mouth. When Aloken heard it, he frowned and asked a question. “You’re not thinking about someone else when you’re with me, are you?”
“What?”
It was a groundless question that she hadn’t even thought of, so Fanora even laughed. “Where else would there be a man for me to think about other than you?”
“Well. For example… like Carl Andras?”
But Fanora’s expression subsided again because of the name mentioned. Her friend, who had treated her affectionately, notified her not to see him anymore. So, when she thought of Carl, she didn’t feel good.
“Enough with Carl.”
“Why?”
“We parted away. Because we had differences of opinion.”
Right. In fact, she had been worried about it for a long time. Carl thought his rumors would harm her, but Fanora thought the opposite. One day, if Fanora’s revenge was revealed, Carl, who helped her, would also suffer formidable damage. So she thought it was lucky that she had cut off the contract with him earlier.
“That’s truly… a pity.”
Apart from Fanora’s feelings, of course, Aloken looked quite satisfied.
“Please don’t misunderstand. Just dealing with you alone is enough to make my head explode. People don’t always behave according to common sense.”
Fanora tilted her glass, not seeing the expression of her fiancé, which was still looking into her eyes.
“I think it’s a lie to say that you don’t have any worries…”
“…”
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re not thinking of other people. If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask anymore.”
Fanora realized that his gaze was persistently following her. She was like a ghost in society before, but now it seemed like someone recognized her.
“Do you… hate it that much when I just think about other people?” Fanora’s gaze softened.
“It even annoys me to see you’re close to someone else.”
“So obsessive.”
“Do you feel unpleasant?” He had a worried expression on his face.
Seeing that worried look, Fanora smiled again. Her small laughter quickly dissipated in the winter wind. “It should be unpleasant, but I didn’t feel it.”
She soon emptied a glass of juice. However, she did not let go of the glass from her hand and continued the conversation by spinning it around for no reason. “When do the fireworks start?”
“Midnight.”
“It will start soon. Before it gets loud, I have something to tell you.”
“Is it related to the contract extension?”
“Yes.”
Fanora made a light joke before delivering this year’s information to him.
“If you like it after hearing it again, please keep your engagement with me.”
“Let’s get started.”
“Then…”
When her fake fiancé heard this, he laughed and then started listening.
“It looks like the Gamiel Kingdom will betray us.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is a possibility that war will break out soon…”
And then.
“!”
Boom! An explosion echoes from the direction of the garden. The unexpected noise startled Fanora. On the other hand, Alone said with a calm face, “There are still a few minutes left, but this year it’s exploding early.”
“I’ll hear the details later in the office.”
“…”
“Because it’s our first New Year’s Eve together.”
At the same time, Aloken rose from his seat. Fanora also stood naturally, as if drawn by the fireworks.
“Looking at it up close, it’s so gorgeous…”
Boom! Bang. The sphere of light soared upward and exploded once more as it reached its peak and slowly fell downward, leaving a trail like a star’s tail. The sky on the terrace where they were standing was filled with twinkling.
“It would be dangerous if you lean on like that.”
“Oh.”
“Then there’s someone who died, so be careful.”
As she touched the railing, Aloken came closer. Afterward, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders as if holding Fanora so she wouldn’t fall off. Fanora naturally accepted her fake fiancé’s touch.
“Aloken, do you enjoy watching fireworks like this?”
“No.”
There was a smile on his face.
“But it’s all right now because there’s something else to see.”
“…”
“You look beautiful reflected in the fireworks.”
A word of affection and the eyes that always looked straight at her. She felt his love again. Fanora felt their relationship could no longer be defined simply as a ‘contractual engagement.’ So she mustered up courage.
“Aloken. If one day… I turned out to be a very bad person, what will you do?” There was something she wanted to confirm. “I have a secret. Your fiancée is actually a piece of crap.”
“I’m not a priest, so you don’t have to confess.”
“What if I’m a gambling addict? What if I was born as a con artist?”
Once again, the fireworks went off. This time, blue and yellow fireworks harmonized and scattered.
“It could be worse than that.”
“What kind of joke is this?”
“Take it seriously. Can you forgive me for hiding my criminal history?”
Aloken listened to her question, looked down at her, and put his hand around her shoulder. He took a step away from Fanora before speaking to her. “If you really have such a big flaw… thanks for the heads up.”
“…”
“Having such a woman as my fiancée would be difficult.”
Fanora looked at his cold, expressionless eyes. Perhaps, this was an expression close to his nature.
“…At one point, you said you’d accept me even if I had some flaws.”
It was definitely one of the reactions she had imagined, but frankly, it was still shocking. Fanora murmured, looking away from him with her bewildered eyes.
In response, Aloken put the hand that had been wrapped around her in his pocket and continued his words. “And you, I courted you so much, but didn’t you want to end this relationship?”
“…”
“I’ve changed my mind after hearing more useless information than I imagined. Okay, I will grant your wish,” he said. He also added that he would end his deal with her.
In response to his words, Fanora spoke reflexively. “Are you kidding me? How can a person flip an attitude so easily? A few days ago, you said you had absolutely no intention of breaking up our engagement.” It was difficult for Fanora to maintain composure when such a cold answer returned to the question she asked to confirm his trust.
What was she angry on her subject? Rather, it was Aloken who should be angry. It was none other than Fanora herself who was hiding a secret from her perspective fiancé that could cause major problems if they got married. Even so, Fanora was so upset that this situation melted her heart. In fact, deep down, she wanted him to love everything about her. The only reason she wanted to reveal her secret to him was to confirm his unshakable love.
“You’re not serious, are you? Can’t you just tell me that I’m going to marry anyone like I used to?”
Fanora felt pathetic for herself to talk as if she was hanging on him. However, instead of answering Fanora, Aloken suddenly widened his eyes.
“I was trying to give you a twist, but can’t you tell I was lying?”
And what followed was something Fanora never expected.
“…What?”
“But I’m serious about breaking the deal.”
He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small box wrapped in blue velvet.
“To think that you would try to break up with me by committing one crime after another at this point. Of course, it won’t work.”
The arduous Duke of the North sat on one knee in front of her. He lowered his stance and bowed his head like a knight’s oath.
Fanora looked at him puzzled, with tears in her eyes.
“I have no intention of prolonging my engagement with you any longer. So.”
Click. He opened a small box in his hand and showed what was inside. Inside it was a pair of rings with the rarest blue diamonds in the world. The only accessory that was excluded from the gift. What was before her eyes was none other than the proposed wedding ring.
“Now I want you to be my wife, not my fiancée anymore.”
Aloken Jalier proposed to her. Brilliant fireworks fell in the night sky as if to bless their future.
“…!?”
At the same time, it was twelve o’clock. In the distance, the bell of the clock tower announcing midnight rang. Dang
In the distance, the clock tower’s bell rang clear at midnight. Daeng, daeng, daeng… By the time the sound was buried in the sound of the fireworks.
<Ding.>
<You can enjoy today’s free chapter.>
“Ah!”
Fanora reached for the ring he handed her and inadvertently touched the ‘yes’ part of the letter that suddenly appeared in the air with the notification. In an instant, her eyes were filled with the midnight novel.
<#1. Deep forest (night)
Because of this war, Vasago’s antipathy toward the royal family reached its peak. In the end, as he suggested, she stole the holy relic Io from her father. Having safely replaced Io, they meet at the meeting place to plan their future. Aloken had arrived in advance with the butler who was always with him.
Vasago: As expected, you were right. My father intends to submit to them until the end! What do you mean he’ll be rewarded when this is over? He’s not the only one who uses the holy power. He’s not going to die because other trusted vassals take turns using Io’s power? What a joke!
Vasago: I can’t play with those warmongers any longer. This relic is poisonous to Kasius.
Aloken: What about Io?
Vasago took out the black box from her arms.
Aloken: It would be difficult to lose or take it away, so it would be better if someone wore it. I think you’re a good fit to be the owner of the holy relic.
Vasago: Will you be okay?
Aloken: The only one I truly believe in is you.
Vasago accepted Aloken’s words and tried to open the box and take out the ring. But Aloken stopped her.
Aloken: it’s the lover’s role to put the ring on. Come on, give me your hand.
Vasago: (Laughs as if she doesn’t like it) Even in this situation, you…
He received Io from Vasago.
Aloken: It’s lighter than I thought.>
Why at this time of all time! Fanora tried to erase the text that appeared immediately. However, because her gaze was always facing down, this sentence at the bottom of the novel caught her eye first.
<As soon as the holy relic was in his hand, Aloken examined Io’s appearance. And he immediately pulled out a sword from his waist. Surprised, Vasago, unable to understand his actions, froze…>
Aah.
<Aloken didn’t hesitate to thrust his sword through his fiancée’s heart.>
Aaah…
“…”
While reading the unexpected scene, Fanora swallowed her screams as her face turned blue. Even at this moment, when she couldn’t contain her astonishment, the bright fireworks were still going on outside the terrace.
She was anxious these days. You might wonder what’s scary about being loved by Aloken, the kingdom’s best groom. Still, in fact, she was afraid of happiness itself. He’s in love with someone who is destined to be beheaded without knowing anything.
Fanora Celsius was a cruel person who didn’t hesitate to kill her enemies. But she felt guilty now. And to her fiancé… If he knew my secret, he might turn around.
That’s right, killing a noble is the most serious crime in this kingdom. Even a few years later, everything would be over if a small clue was found. It was contradictory indeed. She took revenge to recover her lost smile, but rather, those actions began to threaten her future and happiness.
But if I keep my mouth shut and marry him like this… Isn’t this marriage a scam? This whole situation was proof that Fanora had taken the wrong way. She couldn’t complain now because she had been determined from the beginning.
“No. There is nothing like worry.”
Fanora couldn’t help but bring the lie out of her mouth. When Aloken heard it, he frowned and asked a question. “You’re not thinking about someone else when you’re with me, are you?”
“What?”
It was a groundless question that she hadn’t even thought of, so Fanora even laughed. “Where else would there be a man for me to think about other than you?”
“Well. For example… like Carl Andras?”
But Fanora’s expression subsided again because of the name mentioned. Her friend, who had treated her affectionately, notified her not to see him anymore. So, when she thought of Carl, she didn’t feel good.
“Enough with Carl.”
“Why?”
“We parted away. Because we had differences of opinion.”
Right. In fact, she had been worried about it for a long time. Carl thought his rumors would harm her, but Fanora thought the opposite. One day, if Fanora’s revenge was revealed, Carl, who helped her, would also suffer formidable damage. So she thought it was lucky that she had cut off the contract with him earlier.
“That’s truly… a pity.”
Apart from Fanora’s feelings, of course, Aloken looked quite satisfied.
“Please don’t misunderstand. Just dealing with you alone is enough to make my head explode. People don’t always behave according to common sense.”
Fanora tilted her glass, not seeing the expression of her fiancé, which was still looking into her eyes.
“I think it’s a lie to say that you don’t have any worries…”
“…”
“Anyway, it doesn’t matter as long as you’re not thinking of other people. If you don’t want to talk about it, I won’t ask anymore.”
Fanora realized that his gaze was persistently following her. She was like a ghost in society before, but now it seemed like someone recognized her.
“Do you… hate it that much when I just think about other people?” Fanora’s gaze softened.
“It even annoys me to see you’re close to someone else.”
“So obsessive.”
“Do you feel unpleasant?” He had a worried expression on his face.
Seeing that worried look, Fanora smiled again. Her small laughter quickly dissipated in the winter wind. “It should be unpleasant, but I didn’t feel it.”
She soon emptied a glass of juice. However, she did not let go of the glass from her hand and continued the conversation by spinning it around for no reason. “When do the fireworks start?”
“Midnight.”
“It will start soon. Before it gets loud, I have something to tell you.”
“Is it related to the contract extension?”
“Yes.”
Fanora made a light joke before delivering this year’s information to him.
“If you like it after hearing it again, please keep your engagement with me.”
“Let’s get started.”
“Then…”
When her fake fiancé heard this, he laughed and then started listening.
“It looks like the Gamiel Kingdom will betray us.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is a possibility that war will break out soon…”
And then.
“!”
Boom! An explosion echoes from the direction of the garden. The unexpected noise startled Fanora. On the other hand, Alone said with a calm face, “There are still a few minutes left, but this year it’s exploding early.”
“I’ll hear the details later in the office.”
“…”
“Because it’s our first New Year’s Eve together.”
At the same time, Aloken rose from his seat. Fanora also stood naturally, as if drawn by the fireworks.
“Looking at it up close, it’s so gorgeous…”
Boom! Bang. The sphere of light soared upward and exploded once more as it reached its peak and slowly fell downward, leaving a trail like a star’s tail. The sky on the terrace where they were standing was filled with twinkling.
“It would be dangerous if you lean on like that.”
“Oh.”
“Then there’s someone who died, so be careful.”
As she touched the railing, Aloken came closer. Afterward, he wrapped his arms around her shoulders as if holding Fanora so she wouldn’t fall off. Fanora naturally accepted her fake fiancé’s touch.
“Aloken, do you enjoy watching fireworks like this?”
“No.”
There was a smile on his face.
“But it’s all right now because there’s something else to see.”
“…”
“You look beautiful reflected in the fireworks.”
A word of affection and the eyes that always looked straight at her. She felt his love again. Fanora felt their relationship could no longer be defined simply as a ‘contractual engagement.’ So she mustered up courage.
“Aloken. If one day… I turned out to be a very bad person, what will you do?” There was something she wanted to confirm. “I have a secret. Your fiancée is actually a piece of crap.”
“I’m not a priest, so you don’t have to confess.”
“What if I’m a gambling addict? What if I was born as a con artist?”
Once again, the fireworks went off. This time, blue and yellow fireworks harmonized and scattered.
“It could be worse than that.”
“What kind of joke is this?”
“Take it seriously. Can you forgive me for hiding my criminal history?”
Aloken listened to her question, looked down at her, and put his hand around her shoulder. He took a step away from Fanora before speaking to her. “If you really have such a big flaw… thanks for the heads up.”
“…”
“Having such a woman as my fiancée would be difficult.”
Fanora looked at his cold, expressionless eyes. Perhaps, this was an expression close to his nature.
“…At one point, you said you’d accept me even if I had some flaws.”
It was definitely one of the reactions she had imagined, but frankly, it was still shocking. Fanora murmured, looking away from him with her bewildered eyes.
In response, Aloken put the hand that had been wrapped around her in his pocket and continued his words. “And you, I courted you so much, but didn’t you want to end this relationship?”
“…”
“I’ve changed my mind after hearing more useless information than I imagined. Okay, I will grant your wish,” he said. He also added that he would end his deal with her.
In response to his words, Fanora spoke reflexively. “Are you kidding me? How can a person flip an attitude so easily? A few days ago, you said you had absolutely no intention of breaking up our engagement.” It was difficult for Fanora to maintain composure when such a cold answer returned to the question she asked to confirm his trust.
What was she angry on her subject? Rather, it was Aloken who should be angry. It was none other than Fanora herself who was hiding a secret from her perspective fiancé that could cause major problems if they got married. Even so, Fanora was so upset that this situation melted her heart. In fact, deep down, she wanted him to love everything about her. The only reason she wanted to reveal her secret to him was to confirm his unshakable love.
“You’re not serious, are you? Can’t you just tell me that I’m going to marry anyone like I used to?”
Fanora felt pathetic for herself to talk as if she was hanging on him. However, instead of answering Fanora, Aloken suddenly widened his eyes.
“I was trying to give you a twist, but can’t you tell I was lying?”
And what followed was something Fanora never expected.
“…What?”
“But I’m serious about breaking the deal.”
He pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small box wrapped in blue velvet.
“To think that you would try to break up with me by committing one crime after another at this point. Of course, it won’t work.”
The arduous Duke of the North sat on one knee in front of her. He lowered his stance and bowed his head like a knight’s oath.
Fanora looked at him puzzled, with tears in her eyes.
“I have no intention of prolonging my engagement with you any longer. So.”
Click. He opened a small box in his hand and showed what was inside. Inside it was a pair of rings with the rarest blue diamonds in the world. The only accessory that was excluded from the gift. What was before her eyes was none other than the proposed wedding ring.
“Now I want you to be my wife, not my fiancée anymore.”
Aloken Jalier proposed to her. Brilliant fireworks fell in the night sky as if to bless their future.
“…!?”
At the same time, it was twelve o’clock. In the distance, the bell of the clock tower announcing midnight rang. Dang
In the distance, the clock tower’s bell rang clear at midnight. Daeng, daeng, daeng… By the time the sound was buried in the sound of the fireworks.
<Ding.>
<You can enjoy today’s free chapter.>
“Ah!”
Fanora reached for the ring he handed her and inadvertently touched the ‘yes’ part of the letter that suddenly appeared in the air with the notification. In an instant, her eyes were filled with the midnight novel.
<#1. Deep forest (night)
Because of this war, Vasago’s antipathy toward the royal family reached its peak. In the end, as he suggested, she stole the holy relic Io from her father. Having safely replaced Io, they meet at the meeting place to plan their future. Aloken had arrived in advance with the butler who was always with him.
Vasago: As expected, you were right. My father intends to submit to them until the end! What do you mean he’ll be rewarded when this is over? He’s not the only one who uses the holy power. He’s not going to die because other trusted vassals take turns using Io’s power? What a joke!
Vasago: I can’t play with those warmongers any longer. This relic is poisonous to Kasius.
Aloken: What about Io?
Vasago took out the black box from her arms.
Aloken: It would be difficult to lose or take it away, so it would be better if someone wore it. I think you’re a good fit to be the owner of the holy relic.
Vasago: Will you be okay?
Aloken: The only one I truly believe in is you.
Vasago accepted Aloken’s words and tried to open the box and take out the ring. But Aloken stopped her.
Aloken: it’s the lover’s role to put the ring on. Come on, give me your hand.
Vasago: (Laughs as if she doesn’t like it) Even in this situation, you…
He received Io from Vasago.
Aloken: It’s lighter than I thought.>
Why at this time of all time! Fanora tried to erase the text that appeared immediately. However, because her gaze was always facing down, this sentence at the bottom of the novel caught her eye first.
<As soon as the holy relic was in his hand, Aloken examined Io’s appearance. And he immediately pulled out a sword from his waist. Surprised, Vasago, unable to understand his actions, froze…>
Aah.
<Aloken didn’t hesitate to thrust his sword through his fiancée’s heart.>
Aaah…
“…”
While reading the unexpected scene, Fanora swallowed her screams as her face turned blue. Even at this moment, when she couldn’t contain her astonishment, the bright fireworks were still going on outside the terrace.
