There once lived a lady of unparalleled renown. Wealthy, beautiful, and educated—she was Sylvette Virelle, eldest daughter of Duke Argus Virelle and Duchess Claudia Virelle, the former first princess of the empire.

But her name was not known for her titles or gowns–It was remembered with a sigh, headache, or a prayer.

“FATHER!!!”

The shrill cry rang across the halls, sharp and wild.

Dressed in a crimson gown far too daring for a girl yet to come of age, Sylvette Virelle burst into the room with reckless excitement.

Despite his obvious disappointment, the Duke greeted his daughter with a wide smile. He opened his arms, and she darted into them without hesitation, wrapping herself in his embrace.

Maids glanced at each other and shook their heads. The scene may have looked like a tender family moment, but to the staff, it spelled chaos.

“Have you invited Sir Avian to my birthday?!” she asked eagerly, her voice bubbling with anticipation.

The Duke sighed softly. “Yes, dear. It was about time we connected him to our family.”

Her eyes sparkled.

“Does that mean...” she said with a sly grin, though her excitement was barely contained.

Ever since she was a child, Sylvette had adored Sir Leon Avian—captain of the White Knights, famed for his strength and beauty. The perfect gentleman for marriage, and just five years her senior.

She never forgot the day she first saw him in the garden, when she was only seven. He stood among the flowers she loved so dearly, like a vision from a dream. That day, she made a vow.

She would marry him.

And now, it seemed her wish was coming true.

***

“Lowen! Have you heard?!”

Sylvette barged into her younger sister’s chamber, paying no heed to the fact that Elowen was mid-change. She leapt onto the bed, kicking her feet and squealing with joy.

Elowen did not flinch. Such behavior was routine.

“Yes, I have. Father has arranged your engagement to Sir Avian, hasn’t he?” Elowen said, her voice soft and even.

She was grace incarnate—elegant, composed, the opposite of her unruly elder sister.

“So you do care about my affairs after all! And here I thought you weren’t interested in me,” Sylvette teased, curling into the pillows.

Elowen shook her head.

“I’m not. The maids were gossiping. It was impossible not to hear. You made a huge fuss about it.”

Sylvette got up and took a comb, gently brushing through her sister’s long, orange-colored hair.

In the mirror, the sisters exchanged subtle smiles.

Despite her reputation for being brash and improper, Sylvette always treated Elowen with warmth and tenderness.

“You’re truly beautiful, Lowen. I’m sure Lord Ethan will fall for you all over again when he sees you like this,” Sylvette said proudly.

But Elowen's smile faltered.

“Is something wrong?”

Elowen hesitated. “Father... he’s arranged my marriage to another. As soon as he found out about Ethan and me.” She gave a bitter smile.

Sylvette's heart sank. Words deserted her. Their parents had always favored Sylvette—the golden-haired heir, the perfect daughter. Elowen, by contrast, was neglected for her modest looks and unremarkable academic performance.

“I wish I were like you, sister. You have Mother’s blonde hair, and your eyes... they’re like the sea. Mine are just plain brown,” Elowen murmured, on the verge of tears.

Sylvette paused.

Brown eyes. A mark of diluted nobility. Neither the Duke’s blue nor the Duchess’ green.

A disgrace in noble society.

“You look down on yourself too much, Lowen... you’re beautiful too,” Sylvette whispered.

Elowen let out a soft laugh. “Ethan used to say that. But I know he was just trying to make me feel better.”

“When someone falls in love, they see perfection, flaws and all. So be confident. Lord Ethan sees you that way, I’m sure of it,” Sylvette replied with a smile.

Elowen turned to face her.

“I’m meeting my fiancé today. Will you come with me, sister?” she asked, holding her hand.

Sylvette nodded without hesitation.

If her sister needed her, she would be there.

The two of them stepped out of the mansion. A luxurious carriage awaited them at the entrance.

As the door opened, Sylvette’s breath caught in her throat.

A man stepped out. Hair as black as night, eyes the color of blood. Towering, composed, breathtaking.

In that instant, Sylvette understood something she never believed in.

Love at first sight.

And that...

Was how the novel, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘥, that I had read, began.

“My name is Hyde Cedric. It’s a pleasure to meet you, my lady,” he said, his voice soft and gentle—like a velvet ribbon wrapping around her heart.

Their eyes met, and for a second, the world around Sylvette stopped.

He was, without question, the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

But she had to stop herself. She wasn’t here for love. She was here to support her sister. The man standing before her—the war hero with eyes like bloodied rubies—was Elowen’s fiancé.

Even if it was a loveless engagement, it didn’t change that truth.

And yet… his gaze lingered.

His eyes, deep and unreadable, looked at her with a quiet, startling intensity—as though he could see through every mask she had worn all her life.

“Pleasure to meet you, Lord Cedric. My name is Elowen Vi—” Elowen had already sensed the shift. With a knowing smile, she stepped closer to Sylvette.

“This is my older sister, Sylvette Virelle. She’s the heir to the dukedom,” she said, still smiling politely at the man before them.

The gentleman responded, but his eyes remained elsewhere.

They were on Sylvette.

And in that moment, she realized—if things continued this way, the engagement would fall apart.

“Sylvette,” Lord Cedric repeated softly. “That’s a beautiful name.”

He said it while staring at her golden hair, her trembling hands, her eyes that refused to meet his. She looked like she had come out of a dream he’d forgotten until now.

She couldn’t look at him. She just couldn’t. Because if she did, she knew she’d be swallowed whole by the way he looked her.

So she looked down, cheeks burning red.

After that, everything blurred. The war hero and her sister spoke about their future marriage. Sylvette didn’t catch a word. She didn’t need to. Because when the door opened, she saw it.

That satisfied grin on Lord Cedric’s face.

𝗛𝘆𝗱𝗲 𝗖𝗲𝗱𝗿𝗶𝗰. The name everyone in the empire knew.

The war hero. The undefeated. The man who had led armies to victory—be it against the Holy Empire or the continent’s biggest empire. He was flawless. He was everything.

And yet, Sylvette knew she could never have a man like him.

So she chose to settle. She agreed to marry someone else—someone equally perfect on paper. That man was Lord Leon Avian.

But now… now that she had felt what love was like, even just a glimpse, she couldn’t go back.

Especially not after realizing Elowen was already in love with someone else.

There was no time left.

She ran.

Straight into the Duke’s office, falling to her knees—something she had never done before.

“Father! Please—I beg you! Cancel my engagement to Sir Avian. I wish… I wish to be wed to Lord Cedric instead!”

The Duke stared at her, stunned. He had always believed Sylvette to be content with her path.

“Sylvie… You know I would give you the world if I could. But your sister’s fiancé… that is something I cannot—” He sighed heavily.

Desperate, Sylvette cried louder.

“Elowen has a lover! You know about that already! What about Lord Ethan?! Surely… the war hero wouldn’t accept such an arrangement once he knows! Wouldn’t it be better if I marry him in her place?!”

The maids stood frozen. They had never seen her like this before.

But the Duke’s patience thinned.

“I told you, Sylvette. It’s impossible. If you value my favor, leave. Now.”

That was it. She had lost.

She stood up, weak in the knees—and was met by Elowen waiting by the door.

“I thought you’d convince Father,” Elowen said quietly. “But it seems you failed.”

Sylvette’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“Did you really not notice?” Elowen let out a laugh, one that sounded more hollow than amused. “I invited you that day so he would notice you. So you’d fall for him too. I never wanted this marriage.”

Sylvette stared at her. “Elowen…”

“I don’t blame you,” she said. “In fact, I’m thankful. Because of you, I met him. But… it seems this one thing might truly be out of my reach.”

But Elowen knew her sister well. Too well.

“Don’t worry, Sister,” she whispered. “It won’t be long until you get what you want.”

***

The next day, Lord Cedric returned to the mansion.

Sylvette couldn’t bring herself to see him.

Elowen had fallen sick. On purpose, Sylvette realized. It was all part of her plan.

And now, her fiancé had a reason to come.

Of course, a man like Lord Cedric would visit. He was a man of honor. He would surely be with her sister.

So Sylvette escaped.

She walked to the garden—hoping to be alone.

But he was already there.

Among the flowers.

As if the moment had been plucked out of a fairytale.

He stood with a bouquet of blue blossoms in hand, staring at them like they were the only beauty left in the world.

Sylvette held her breath.

His gaze, his presence—it all made her heart ache.

She turned to leave quietly.

But then she heard him.

“Sylvette…” he murmured. “So that’s her name. She looks just like this flower.”

She turned around, trying to steady her voice. “Excuse me… but outsiders aren’t allowed in the garden.”

He looked at her—really looked. Like a man who had just found something precious.

“Lady Sylvette… so you were here,” he said softly.

Then, he held out the bouquet, sheepishly. “Forgive me. May I offer these to you, as an apology?”

Sylvette blinked, surprised. He was… nothing like she imagined.

Too soft. Too shy. Too kind for a war hero.

“Thank you, Lord Cedric,” she said, gently smelling the blue petals.

“Hyde.”

“Huh?”

“You can just call me Hyde.”

***

It became the talk of the empire.

The eldest lady of House Argus had broken her engagement with the most eligible bachelor—Lord Leon Avian—for her sister’s fiancé.

They didn’t bother hiding it.

The Duke, furious, tried to ignore the scandal.

But the truth was undeniable.

The war hero never visited Elowen again. Just as Elowen did, only ever visiting Lord Ethan.

He only ever sought out Sylvette.

Because he was aware from the very beginning that his fiancee already had a lover.

So she was someone he cannot bother himself to be with.

Rumors swirled. That Sylvette had seduced him. That she was nothing but a temptress. Nobles whispered behind her back. Commoners threw stones at the Argus carriage.

But still… their love bloomed.

Until greed overtook them both.

The war hero wanted freedom and marriage.

He wanted Sylvette.

So he sought the throne.

***

“Hyde… tell me it isn’t true,” Sylvette whispered, her fingers trembling against his cheek.

His eyes darkened.

“Just wait for me. I’ll marry you,” he said, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

She clung to his coat, tears falling freely.

“Please… don’t go. You’ll die. Treason… it’s not something a war hero should face. I can take the humiliation—I can bear it for both of us.”

But he only kissed her once more… and left.

That night felt endless.

Days passed.

War erupted.

Each day, she read the newspapers—praying.

Until the headline came.

“THE WAR HERO WHO TRIED TO CLAIM THE THRONE HAS BEEN EXECUTED. GLORY TO THE RIVEN EMPIRE!”

And she shattered.

That same day, Sylvette took her own life.

She simply could not go on.

The war hero, who secretly had survived from the depths of hell, returned.

What awaited him was the body of his beloved, laid beautifully in their garden.

The end of prologue.

***

“So you’re telling me that’s the villainess?! She was way too pitiful to die like that! How is she even labeled as the villainess?” my sister yelled, clutching the book like it had betrayed her.

“What’s the fuss?” I asked, eyes still glued to my phone from the couch.

She groaned and turned to me. “Hey. You should read this. At least the intro. Please?”

I sighed, glancing at the mountain of practice exams on my screen. “You know Mom won’t let me read anything unrelated to school.”

“Can’t you sneak it? Just a little? I swear it’s really good!” she said, grabbing my wrist, eyes pleading.

“Seo Jisoo, you better not test me,” I warned, narrowing my eyes.

She sighed in defeat.

"Okay, I won't force you. But if you ever want to read it, the title’s Withered Sword!" she said, scurrying away from me.

I let out a sigh as I turned to the pile of assignments still waiting on my desk.

But then I noticed something.

Sitting right there was the very book my sister had been reading earlier—and the cover...

"Oh my gosh," I gasped.

The male lead looked way too handsome to ignore.

And just like that, I decided to read the book.