TWOP Ch 1

The hour when day met night was gray, like a woman’s worn-out clothes. The harsh winter cold descended, but the crowd gathered in the square grew larger and larger. The faces of those who had flocked to see the woman, known as the most wicked witch in history, seemed excited, fearful, and even thrilled.

A short while later, the woman, her ankles bound in chains, was dragged by the executioner to the stake. She was covered in blood and bruises, as if she had been subjected to intense torture, but it did not hide her beauty.

“You filthy witch!”

A young man in the crowd picked up a stone and threw it at her.

Thwack

With the sound, the skin beneath the woman’s eye tore and blood trickled down, but she didn’t scream. People were even more enraged, believing she didn’t feel pain due to the power of her witchcraft.

A priest, holding a bible in one hand, walked pompously toward her. As the murmurs died down, he made a brief sign of the cross and asked the woman,

“I will give you one last chance to repent. If you answer, your life will be spared.”

“Ask.”

The woman turned her head and replied in a faint voice.

“Did you have sexual relations with the devil?”

“No.”

“Did you make a deal with the devil for personal desires?”

“No.”

“Did you practice evil witchcraft to harm people?”

“I…did not.”

With each denial, the woman’s expression remained calm, as if she had transcended pain. The jeers of the people began to spread again. The madness of the ignorant, who wished for the beauty they didn’t possess to disappear. Their eyes gleamed, eager to see the witch’s body consumed by flames.

“As expected, there is no remorse. Do you have any last words?”

The woman lifted her eyes to the sky.

Although it was early evening, the full moon was high in the sky. Just a moment ago, her feet had been cold from touching the frozen ground, but now they felt hot and feverish as if burned by fire. Not from pain, but because she longed to run freely, as she had in her younger days.

The woman’s lips slowly parted.

“When the moon rises….”

“What?”

The priest, unable to hear her clearly, leaned closer.

“I want to dance.”

Freely, like that day long ago.

✧🏰˖°

Flash

Margarita, who had fallen asleep with her head resting on the sofa, opened her eyes. The sight of the palace waiting room, filled with flowers, came into view.

Perhaps she had fallen asleep without realizing it, as she had not been feeling well for several days.

Aside from that, she had a strange dream. She had been having dreams frequently lately, but never one so bizarre, as if she had experienced someone else’s life. Perhaps her current unbelievable situation had caused such a dream. Being a bride abandoned on her wedding day had been a greater blow than she thought.

“Elise. How much time has passed since the ceremony?”

Margarita asked, feeling slightly dizzy. Despite consistently taking medicine, her fever had spiked since morning. Combined with the occasional heart pains she had been experiencing, her condition was a mess.

“It has been almost two hours, Princess.”

Elise, the head maid, replied. With her graying hair, she had served in the royal palace for a long time, managing the royal staff. The fact that she, entrusted with such an important role, had left the main palace to personally attend to Margarita signified the importance of this marriage.

“Two hours….”

Margarita smiled bitterly and looked down at herself. The wedding dress, white silk gloves, and veiled headdress were still in place. She was waiting in the palace annex for the groom who had yet to appear.

Carlos, the Duke of Paitan, who should have arrived at the royal palace three days prior, had yet to appear, only sending several messages saying he was almost there. Along with flimsy excuses: the wheel of the carriage carrying the dowry had broken, the road was blocked due to heavy snow, they had encountered bandits and a battle had ensued.

How much did he not want this marriage?

It wasn’t difficult to understand.

“The Duke must have heard the rumors about me, right?”

“What rumors are you referring to, Princess?”

“The rumors about the Crown Prince and me….”

The rumors that they were more than siblings.

Margarita couldn’t bring herself to say more and swallowed the rest. She knew that the Crown Prince’s unusual obsession with his youngest sister, herself, had become fodder for gossip. The Duke must have heard those rumors as well. Furthermore, given the terrible relationship between the kingdom and the duchy, he wouldn’t want to marry her and be subject to the royal family’s interference.

Perhaps that was why Duke Carlos had requested the King to annul their engagement three times, an engagement that had been arranged since childhood. The King refused his requests and instead continuously pressed for the marriage with his youngest daughter, Margarita.

During the long period of refusals and coercion from both sides, Margarita had become the subject of ridicule, and her value as a bride had steadily diminished.

Just when it seemed the engagement would be broken off, a few months ago, the Duke had unexpectedly agreed to the marriage. Perhaps he wanted to get rid of a nuisance, given the deteriorating relationship between the kingdom and the duchy?

In any case, what was the reason for him agreeing to the marriage and then not showing up? She had already become a laughingstock for both the kingdom and the duchy because the royal family had forced this marriage to happen, and now Margarita’s situation was about to become even more ridiculous.

“What’s the atmosphere like at the Cathedral?”

“Well…. His Majesty the King couldn’t endure any longer and returned to the palace. The Crown Prince and the Cardinal are still there.”

“And the nobles?”

“With the Crown Prince’s permission, some of them left in anger. The atmosphere isn’t good, Princess.”

“I see.”

It was as she expected. It was a miracle that her ailing father had even left his bedchamber. The royal family, who strongly desired this marriage, must have swallowed their pride and waited for the Duke. The nobles, feeling deceived by the duchy, must be offended.

“Princess. Don’t worry too much. They say Duke Carlos is not an ordinary man, so he must know the truth behind the rumors. Besides, if he has ears, he must have heard that you are the most beautiful woman in the kingdom and possess a kind heart. That’s why he must have finally agreed to this marriage, right?”

“Heh. Thank you, Elise.”

Although the consolation didn’t resonate deeply, Margarita forced a smile. Elise, who knew all the big and small matters of the royal family, kept secrets and didn’t get close to any member of the royal family. Considering her position and personality, Elise, who was usually extremely blunt, was being strangely kind today.

Margarita stopped smiling and looked out the window.

What would the Duke do now?

There would be no annulment. If the royal family were the type to back down, they wouldn’t have waited until she was this old. They wouldn’t have been waiting for him until so long after the scheduled wedding time. The Duke knew that, yet the reason for his actions was completely beyond her comprehension.

While Margarita was lost in thought, a crow cawed and landed on the balcony railing. It began hopping around and cawing, as if it had brought some news.

“A blasted crow on such a fine day.”

Just as Elise frowned and rose from her seat,

“Princess! Princess!”

A young maid rushed in, flustered.

“Please prepare to move to the Cathedral. His Grace the Duke has arrived.”

“What?”

Margarita’s eyes widened, and she rose from her seat. Her future husband had finally appeared. She couldn’t tell if the swirling emotion in her chest was relief or disappointment.

✧🏰˖°

The Duchy of Paitan was located in the northwest of the Kingdom of Valveron. Although a duchy within the kingdom, it had its own laws and political system and did not pay taxes to the kingdom. This was a promise made by the King of Valveron some one hundred and thirty years ago to appease Paitan after invading them. Thus, the two nations, united yet separate, had always had a strained relationship. Especially as the Duchy of Paitan grew more prosperous, the relationship between the two worsened. Therefore, to promote peace between the two nations, the current King of Valveron had proposed a political marriage to the previous Duke of Paitan: a marriage between the young Lord Carlos Hannibal and Princess Margarita Emmanuel Felipe.

‘You will marry Carlos for the sake of the kingdom.’

These were the words Margarita had heard repeatedly since she was ten years old. She had always been told stories about the duchy and the duke, and educated on the mindset required for the sake of the kingdom.

It was an inescapable fate, so she endured it. That was why she had accepted it when the wedding date was set, though it wasn’t easy. The Duke was too formidable a person for her to handle, and he carried chilling rumors with him.