Chapter 1

“Please marry me.”

“……”

At the woman’s unexpected words, the man’s hand paused halfway to lifting his teacup.

That was all.

For a long moment, he didn’t so much as twitch. With his crimson eyes, he merely cast her a brief glance, as though he hadn’t heard a single word.

“If things keep going like this, I’ll end up married to some perverted old geezer.”

Growing more desperate by the second, she hurriedly explained.

“My parents were murdered thirteen years ago. Our title and fortune passed into the hands of some distant relative I’ve never even met. I’ve become a thorn in the family’s side, and now they’re planning to sell me off with a dowry.”

“……”

“I know how this must sound. A woman showing up out of nowhere and asking you to marry her—it must seem like I’ve lost my mind. But Your Grace won’t lose anything by accepting.”

Despite her relentless proposal, the man remained astonishingly calm, not the slightest trace of surprise on his face.

How much time passed?

“Are you in your right mind?”

Only after an agonizing silence did he finally speak.

She let out a small laugh.

At least that was a relief. He hadn’t thrown her out the door while calling her insane.

“Yes. I never imagined I’d end up doing something like this either. But… I’m in a very desperate situation.”

At her frank admission that she wasn’t in a position to be picky, his narrow eyes sharpened.

“If I accept your proposal… what exactly do I gain?”

The sudden question caught her off guard.

But only for a moment.

“I won’t live very long.”

“……”

“I’ll be dead soon.”

By your hand.

Of course, that was still a future he knew nothing about.

And she had absolutely no intention of telling him.

Everything had to unfold exactly as she had seen it.

“I know you have no desire to marry, Your Grace. But circumstances will force you to eventually. So… use me.”

“……”

“A bride with only a short time left to live. You won’t find a better arrangement than that.”

Wouldn’t it be far cleaner than going through a divorce?

The question made him hesitate.

Only briefly.

Then the corner of his mouth curled upward in a faint, incredulous smile.

Her heart immediately tightened.

What if he refuses?

But no matter how long she waited, the rejection never came.

Which meant…

He was seriously considering it.

A tiny smile found its way onto her lips.

This might actually work.

She had walked straight into the wolf’s den and managed to get this far.

That was more than enough.

All she could do now was quietly wait for his decision.

Still…

She wasn’t particularly worried.

The future has already been decided.

Exactly one hundred and ninety-nine days from now…

She would die by this man’s hand.

That was the future waiting for her.

Two Days Earlier

“…Miss! Miss Bella! Lady Bella!”

The frantic voice jolted Bella awake.

She frowned as she opened her eyes.

Standing directly before her was a maid hopping anxiously from foot to foot.

“Mmm… What is it, Roxy? It’s barely dawn…”

“Barely dawn? The sun’s already high in the sky!”

“…What?”

Bella frowned in confusion before hurriedly turning toward the bedside table.

The clock’s hands had advanced far beyond their usual position.

She had overslept.

By two whole hours.

“Please hurry! Quickly! My lady has already been awake for ages!”

The maid pulled a dress from the wardrobe and urged her on again.

Bella scrambled out of bed.

She hastily wiped her face with a damp towel, threw on her clothes, and, having no time for makeup, tied back her unruly hair with the first ribbon she could find.

She was giving herself one final glance in the mirror when—

“Bella!”

Oh, wonderful.

The shout echoing up from downstairs made her brow crease automatically.

She experienced this every single morning.

And yet somehow…

She never got used to it.

“They’re awfully energetic this early.”

Grumbling under her breath, Bella picked up the broom leaning beside the door and stepped outside.

The moment she opened it, the staircase greeted her with a thick layer of white dust that had settled overnight.

“Haaah…”

Another dreadful day had begun.

“Bella, you really should be grateful to us.”

“……”

“You’re hopeless at work, yet we’ve never thrown you out. We feed you, give you a roof over your head… We care for you like family.”

The noblewoman’s booming voice filled the dining room.

Standing beside her while pouring water into a glass, Bella smiled faintly.

Not because she agreed.

Because the absurdity of it all was almost laughable.

Setting down the pitcher, she glanced toward the woman.

From head to toe.

The extravagantly dressed lady was the current mistress of this estate.

No.

That wasn’t quite right.

She was merely a detestable fox pretending to be its mistress.

The lavish dress looked awkward on her, as though she were wearing someone else’s clothes.

Like a black crow proudly strutting about in feathers stolen from brighter birds.

If I laugh now, she’ll make another scene.

Being wise enough to know better, Bella quickly erased the smile from her face.

She bit her lip to suppress the laughter threatening to escape, carried the freshly prepared dishes from the kitchen, and, like the other maids, stood silently against the wall.

Wait until the master’s meal is over.

It had been the very first rule they taught her.

To them, Bella was no different from the maid standing beside her.

She had grown accustomed to it now.

But in the beginning…

She’d been beaten countless times whenever she failed to adapt.

“Do you think raising someone else’s child is easy? Find me another person as kind-hearted as I am. Anyone else would’ve sold you off years ago.”

The noblewoman laughed delicately before turning to the young fox seated across from her.

The girl, blessed with the same crooked smile as her mother, grinned at Bella.

“That’s right, Bella. You should be thankful.”

Here we go again.

“Our family protected the title and fortune of the count’s house when it was about to disappear. I never understood why everyone was so obsessed with having sons… but now I finally do.”

Giggling, the girl slowly bit her crimson lips before glaring at Bella.

“Oh, and don’t resent us for it.”

She smiled sweetly.

“This is all your mother’s fault for dying without giving birth to a son.”

“……”

“So what if she was the Imperial Prophet? The poor fool couldn’t even foresee her own death.”

Bella’s expression hardened.

She could endure insults directed at herself.

But she would never tolerate anyone disgracing her parents.

The woman’s narrow eyes widened with delight the moment she noticed Bella’s reaction.

“Oh my, Bella. Did that upset you? Why are you glaring at me like that? How frightening.”

The little fox suddenly put on a terrified expression and began pretending to cry.

She whimpered dramatically, claiming she was terrified to death.

That Bella had gone too far.

On and on she went, exaggerating every little thing.

But Bella saw it.

Behind those watery eyes…

She saw the tiny devil delighting in the anger burning inside her.

What an insufferable brat.

Silently sighing, Bella loosened the fist she’d unconsciously clenched.

There was no point rising to the foxes’ provocation.

She would only suffer for it.

The moment she snapped back, they’d seize the excuse to hit her.

Right. Better avoid filth than step in it.

Having calmed herself, Bella forced a pleasant smile.

That, apparently, was enough to irritate the younger fox.

The girl suddenly grabbed her bowl of soup.

Ah… so today’s the day she throws that.

Bella shut her eyes tightly.

She simply waited for the inevitable pain.

“Ahem. Cecile, that’s enough.”

“Hmph. What’s the problem? It’s only us here.”

“Even so… today is different.”

…Hm?

Bella’s eyes narrowed.

The girl had backed down far too easily.

Normally, Cecile would’ve hurled the entire bowl of boiling soup without a second thought.

Something wasn’t right.

She stood there in silence, carefully observing the strange atmosphere hanging over the table.

“What are you doing, Bella? Sit down.”

“…Pardon?”

“You need to eat too.”

The sudden kindness left Bella frozen.

Wait… what’s going on today?

Normally, she wasn’t allowed to eat until after the foxes had finished.

And certainly not in the dining room.

She ate scraps in a corner of the kitchen alongside the servants.

Once upon a time…

She had eaten at this very table while servants attended to her.

But that was long ago.

Now, she was only a “young lady” in name.

In truth, she was little more than another servant.

This is suspicious.

After hesitating for a moment, Bella cautiously sat down in her old seat.

It had been thirteen years since she’d last done so.

Thirteen years earlier…

Her parents, Count and Countess Eton, beloved by the people of their territory, had been murdered by unidentified assassins.

The Emperor’s longtime friend had been killed.

An enormous investigation followed.

Yet not even the smallest clue was ever found.

Eventually, the case was quietly closed.

That was when Bella’s life began to unravel.

Under Arhen’s laws, only sons could inherit noble titles.

As the late Count’s only daughter, she had no right to succeed him.

There was one possible solution.

She could marry and bring her husband into her family as a live-in son-in-law.

But Bella had only been five years old.

That wasn’t an option.

Just as the county and its wealth were about to revert to the Imperial Family…

Some distant relatives appeared.

Using a newborn baby who couldn’t even open his eyes yet as their justification, they seized the count’s title.

Officially, it was only until Bella reached adulthood and was old enough to marry.

Instead…

She spent the next thirteen years enduring humiliation and abuse at their hands.

Now that she had finally come of age, Bella demanded the return of her family’s title, just as promised.

They refused.

Not only did they keep both the title and the estate, they rejected every marriage proposal sent her way.

Eventually, they even forbade her from leaving the house so she would never have the chance to meet a man.

The truth was obvious.

They had never intended to return anything.

They’re planning to lock me away forever without ever letting me marry.

The scheme was painfully transparent.

Sometimes she wondered…

Wouldn’t death be preferable to living like this?

At this rate I’ll die from overwork or sheer misery anyway… Maybe I’d be happier choosing how my story ends.

Just as she found herself wishing for this miserable life to end as soon as possible—

“A marriage proposal has arrived for you.”

“…What?”

Wait.

What did she just say?