IPBD CHAPTER 1

Chapter 1

There is an old saying:

One should not carelessly pick up a black-haired beast.

Though slightly different from the proverb we know, Emilina thought it amounted to the same thing and let out a deep sigh, feeling uneasy.

It felt as though her life had gotten twisted from picking up that black-haired beast by mistake.

And, it was just a moment ago that she came to think this way.

At the victory ball celebrating the end of the war with the Kingdom of Genova, the main hero, Duke Kirzen Dietrio, had spoken to Emilina.

“Emilina Klein?”

The man who hadn’t even blinked at the interest of the nobles suddenly singled her out by name.

In that instant, all the attention in the hall focused on her.

The unexpected attention made Emilina feel burdened.

Kirzen, however, didn’t seem to mind at all.

On the contrary, he smiled leisurely and stepped closer to her.

Then, slightly bending at the waist, he whispered softly so that only she could hear.

“You once picked up a black… no, a black cat, didn’t you?”

“What?”

“You called him Kir, didn’t you?”

His calm voice was filled with certainty.

Emilina, in confusion, stammered.

“H-how do you know that?”

Kirzen smiled wordlessly and gently tucked her loose hair behind her ear.

The gesture looked as though he was treating a beloved lover.

Had it been any other young lady, her heart might have fluttered at the act, but Emilina, feeling uneasy, instinctively pushed his hand away.

This was because the Kirzen she knew wasn’t someone who would do such things.

Kirzen withdrew his hand, now rejected, and smiled bitterly.

“He told me.”

“…How can I believe that?”

“Whether you believe it or not is your choice, my lady, but don’t you want to see him?”

“I do want to, but…”

What does that have to do with you?

Emilina swallowed her last words and looked at Kirzen. A mischievous smile had already appeared on his lips.

He seems to be up to something, but I can’t guess what it is.

“It was ten years ago. Why are you suddenly looking for me?”

“Because he’s been lonely at night.”

“Pardon?”

Emilina was briefly taken aback, but Kirzen continued with a surprisingly serious expression.

“He misses you so much that he’s fallen ill.”

“…”

“And so, I have a request.”

Kirzen paused for a moment, rubbing his chin.

A quiet silence hung between them.

What kind of request is he stalling for? Emilina swallowed nervously.

Just as the awkward atmosphere made her fidget with the hem of her dress, Kirzen’s low voice broke the silence.

“Would you become my wife?”

The unexpected words from his lips caused a stir around them.

People gasped in disbelief from all corners.

Even Emilina, the one being proposed to, stared at Kirzen with wide eyes.

“What did you just say?”

“I asked you to marry me.”

Kirzen, in an exceedingly gentle voice, repeated his request.

Then, without warning, he took her hand and lifted it to his lips.

…It felt strange.

Emilina quickly tried to pull her hand back, but he didn’t let go.

Instead of letting go, Kirzen tightened his grip gently, just enough so that it didn’t hurt, as if he couldn’t bear to let her slip away.

Emilina was too dumbfounded to speak, stammering as Kirzen, with a satisfied expression, added another comment.

“You only need to bring yourself.”

His golden eyes gleamed with a lustful desire, like a predator about to capture its prey.

Emilina was simply stunned.

Is this man in his right mind?

“How in the world did you come to that conclusion?” she asked.

“Do you dislike the idea of marrying me?”

“Well, that’s because…!”

Because it makes no sense at all!

Emilina had to hold back the urge to shout at Kirzen.

“Do you think marriage is some kind of child’s play? We’re from completely different social statuses.”

“That’s not an issue.”

“Do you realize that this is the first time we’ve met?”

“Then we’ll just have to keep meeting.”

“Says who? I have no intention of seeing you again.”

“You definitely will.”

At Kirzen’s firm reply, Emilina sighed deeply, the breath rising from within her chest.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace, but I have absolutely no intention of seeing you in the future.”

Never, ever!

Her resolute gaze made Kirzen smile awkwardly.

“That might be difficult. Legally, we’re already married.”

“Your joke has gone too far.”

“I’m simply informing you of the truth.”

“How is that even true? I never agreed to anything. Did you forge illegal documents or something?”

“It seems you really haven’t heard anything,” Kirzen replied with a bitter smile before continuing calmly.

“It’s a marriage certificate, properly approved through the legal process. It’s not illegal.”

“That makes no sense. I never agreed to any of this…!”

At that moment, a realization flashed through Emilina’s mind.

Under national law, there was one condition where a marriage could be approved without her consent!

Emilina’s eyes widened as she quickly scanned the hall.

In the distance, she spotted a middle-aged man avoiding her gaze—her father, Mactron Klein.

‘My God.’

Is this for real?

This was a forced marriage!

Emilina turned to Kirzen in disbelief.

He, showing no intention of hiding anything, responded with a composed smile.

“When I told your father I would take you as my wife, he gave his permission.”

He even asked me to make sure you would be happy.

His soothing voice echoed in her ears, and his gaze seemed to plead with her not to deny the truth.

“This is unbelievable…”

To think I’ve gained a husband without even knowing it.

Does this even make sense?

And of all people… him?

This was bad.

Very, very bad.

How did I end up getting involved with him?

Emilina reflected on how things had gotten to this point.

And then, she suddenly realized one thing:

It all started when she picked up Kir—the black cat.

It had been an unexpected accident.

She had been on her way home after an interview at a famous restaurant when she was hit by a dump truck and died instantly.

And then, she was reborn.

She had been reincarnated as Emilina Klein, with the memories of her previous life intact.

At first, she didn’t realize she was a character in a book.

It wasn’t until she turned 12 that she discovered this truth.

“Duke and Duchess Dietrio die in a mysterious accident. Their heir, Kirzen Dietrio, inherits the title of duke.”

When Emilina happened to see the newspaper her father brought home, she realized she was in the world of a novel.

The Kirzen in the newspaper was the male lead from a romance-fantasy novel she had read in her past life.

It was the story of Kirzen, who had lost his emotions due to a tragic childhood, gradually learning to love after meeting the female protagonist.

To be honest, she barely remembered the plot, as it had been so long since she read it.

But one thing was certain:

“Emilina will die by Kirzen’s hand.”

The reason? She was associated with Serica Chase, the villainess who tormented the female protagonist.

Emilina sighed deeply, her face full of frustration.

“If I had to be reborn in a novel, it would’ve been nice to be the female protagonist.”

Of all the possibilities, she ended up as an insignificant villainous extra. It felt a bit unfair.

But what could she do? It wasn’t something she could change.

Still, she had no intention of dying obediently, following the original plot.

She had died young in her previous life, without ever having truly lived. In this life, she wanted to live for a long time.

Thankfully, there was one fortunate thing—she had been reincarnated long before the novel’s events even began.