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Chapter 1
Prologue
In the 562nd year of the Ristea Empire.
Rosena Osburn gazed around the banquet hall of the Hays Ducal Residence, her eyes brimming with emotion.
The dazzling lights of the magnificent chandeliers seemed to shine just to bless her bright future.
Today was the day her husband, Evan, would officially be recognized as a member of House Hays.
It had only been a few days since the truth came to light: Evan, who had lived his entire life as an orphan without even knowing his parents’ faces, was actually the illegitimate son of the late Duke Hays.
Rainer Hays, the late duke’s younger brother and the current duke, had found Evan and adopted him as his son, completely transforming his life.
He was no longer Evan March, a commoner and businessman. He was now Evan Hays, the heir to a ducal house.
‘It feels like a dream.’
Rosena savored the intoxicating moment as she watched Evan mingle effortlessly with the high-ranking nobles.
Just a few months ago, the very people gathered here had pointed their fingers at her and Evan.
‘A despicable man who cheated with his fiancée’s friend.’
‘A wicked woman who coveted her friend’s fiancé.’
Those were the words people had whispered about them.
‘Cecilia, that wretched girl, had to make such a scene…’
Remembering the humiliation of the past, Rosena unconsciously pressed her lips together.
When Cecilia publicly exposed the affair between Rosena and Evan, the relationship between the two women, who had grown up like sisters, was irreparably shattered.
To make matters worse, Rosena was already carrying Evan’s child at the time, leaving her powerless to do anything about the situation.
Because of the scandal, she had spent her entire pregnancy hiding inside her home, avoiding people’s judgmental stares. She had even been forced to forgo a proper wedding ceremony, settling instead for a simple exchange of vows at a church.
For a time, even her son, Jeremy, had felt less like a blessing and more like the source of her misfortune.
‘But things are different now.’
Rosena lifted her chin proudly.
Evan had become the heir to House Hays, a ducal family distantly related to the imperial bloodline, and she herself had risen to the center of Ristea’s high society.
Jeremy, too, would now be treated as a legitimate member of the ducal family.
No one would dare look down on them anymore.
“Madam.”
A group of noblewomen gathered around Rosena, who was smiling triumphantly.
“You’ll soon be the Duchess of Hays. Congratulations!”
“Oh, goodness. The Duchess? It’s much too soon to call me that. His Grace is still so young, after all.”
“I heard you gave birth recently. Congratulations! And yet, you still look so beautiful. I’m positively envious. Ho ho ho.”
“You’re too kind. I’m grateful that you think so highly of me.”
At the noblewomen’s flattering remarks, Rosena giggled shyly behind her fan.
These were the very same women who had looked down on her over her scandal just days earlier, but Rosena decided not to hold it against them.
After all, her mind was already occupied with other matters.
‘The current Duke Hays promised to pass his title on to Evan, too.’
Strictly speaking, Evan was the true heir to House Hays by blood.
His father, the late duke, had been the eldest son of the family.
Before the late duke could find Evan, he had unfortunately passed away, leaving his younger brother, Rainer, to inherit the ducal title temporarily.
In the end, it was only natural that Evan would take his place.
‘The Duchess of Hays… No one could possibly suit that title better than me.’
Rosena firmly believed that reaching the position of her dreams was now only a matter of time.
Thinking about it that way, Cecilia’s decision to abandon Evan and leave had actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
‘Perhaps I should thank her the next time we meet?’
Cecilia had vanished without a trace, and there had been no news of her for months.
She was probably hiding somewhere, consumed by the humiliation of having her fiancé stolen from her.
‘Once I’m settled in the ducal residence, I should have someone investigate Cecilia’s whereabouts. There are plenty of capable servants here.’
Considering all the disgrace Cecilia had brought upon her, Rosena sometimes wished the woman would simply drop dead.
She could only imagine how satisfying it would be to see it happen with her own eyes.
“Rosie.”
At that moment, Evan approached her.
He bent down and kissed Rosena on the cheek, drawing admiring sighs from those around them.
Rosena smiled coyly and gazed up at her man.
“Congratulations on becoming the young duke, Evan Hays.”
“What are you talking about? This is only the beginning, Rosena Hays. And we’re going to begin it together.”
Rosena Hays.
What a magnificent name!
With a satisfied smile, Rosena clinked her celebratory glass against Evan’s.
Their future seemed destined to hold nothing but glory and happiness.
“His Grace, the Duke of Hays, is entering!”
At the attendant’s booming announcement, the banquet hall fell silent.
As though on cue, everyone’s attention turned toward the entrance.
A tall, broad-shouldered man dressed in an impeccable formal suit entered the hall.
He was Rainer Hays, the only duke in the Ristea Empire.
Beneath his hair, darker than ebony, his face possessed an unmistakable air of cool elegance.
“My goodness! Perhaps the rumors about him being the most handsome man in Ristea aren’t exaggerated after all.”
Everyone seemed to hold their breath as they watched Rainer.
Unfazed by the attention, Rainer approached Evan and Rosena with graceful, measured steps.
“Congratulations, Evan.”
“Yes, Your Grace… No, Father.”
Evan eagerly grasped Rainer’s hand and nodded.
At the sight, the corners of Rainer’s mouth lifted ever so slightly.
His smile looked less like one of congratulations and more like a subtle sneer.
However, Evan was too busy fawning over him to notice.
“There’s only a four-year age difference between us. Why are you calling me Father?”
Rainer raised a hand and straightened Evan’s collar.
As he pointed out, the two looked far more like brothers than father and son.
“Adoption was simply the most convenient procedure out of all the available options. So there’s no need to make things awkward.”
Rainer gave Evan a light pat on the shoulder.
His gaze slowly swept over Evan and Rosena in turn.
A father and son separated by a mere four years, along with the son’s wife.
An inexplicable tension hung between them, given their rather unusual relationship.
“Your Grace, does this mean we’ll finally get to meet the Duchess today?”
It was Rosena who stepped forward to break the awkward silence.
News that the Duke of Hays had secretly married had set high society abuzz for some time.
However, no information about the duchess had been made public, only fueling everyone’s curiosity and speculation.
“A secret marriage! We can’t help feeling a certain kinship with you, can we? Perhaps fate really does run in the family, even between father and son.”
Rosena laughed sweetly, doing her best to win Rainer’s favor.
“Well, Miss Rosena.”
Rainer’s response, however, was cold.
Rosena faltered.
She hadn’t expected her father-in-law, who was only four years older than her, to treat her like a daughter-in-law.
But still… Miss Rosena?
She had exchanged marriage vows with Evan, after all!
“I believe my situation and yours are entirely different. At the very least, people congratulated me on my marriage.”
Rainer’s sarcastic remark made Rosena’s face burn.
His words were unmistakably mocking the scandal surrounding her past.
She had thought that now Evan had become the young duke, she would no longer have to endure such humiliation.
“Ahaha… Y-yes, of course. We were a little immature back then.”
Sensing the increasingly chilly atmosphere, Evan hurriedly stepped between them.
He wasn’t pleased with Rainer’s remarks either, but the man was the one who had brought him into the ducal family.
Moreover, Rainer had distinguished himself in war and was on friendly terms with the Crown Prince. Picking a fight with him right from the start would only put Evan at a disadvantage.
“In any case, we’re very curious about the Duchess as well. After all, she would technically be my mother, wouldn’t she?”
“Your mother…”
Rainer repeated Evan’s final words, looking intrigued.
“An interesting way to put it. Be sure to show your ‘mother’ the respect she deserves.”
“Of course!”
Evan nodded repeatedly, practically groveling.
Apparently satisfied, Rainer patted Evan on the shoulder a few times.
“As it happens, just as Miss Rosena said, you’ll be meeting her today.”
“Today?”
“Of course. My wife has been looking forward to this day just as much as you have.”
“Oh, I see.”
Evan nodded and discreetly glanced at Rosena beside him.
It was a silent signal telling her to make a good impression, since this would be her first meeting with the duchess.
“……”
However, Rosena’s expression remained stiff at Rainer’s continued use of the insulting title.
The humiliation was not something she could easily brush aside.
“Rosie!”
“Ah, fine! I said I understand!”
Only after Evan poked her in the waist with his finger did Rosena reluctantly nod.
At that moment, the ducal attendant’s booming voice rang out once more.
“Her Grace, the Duchess of Hays, is entering!”
The murmuring crowd fell silent, and every eye turned toward the entrance.
Everyone held their breath, eager to catch a glimpse of the duchess.
Creaaak.
The heavy doors swung open, revealing a woman standing on the other side.
The moment they saw her walking gracefully into the hall in a pure white dress, Evan and Rosena felt as though someone had struck them hard over the head.
“Huh…?”
The woman approaching them with a dazzling smile was…
“C-Cecilia? Cecilia Fanning?”
“N-No way. How could she…?”
Evan and Rosena stammered in disbelief, their eyes wide and their faces utterly dumbfounded.
They stared blankly as Rainer naturally took Cecilia’s hand and led her forward.
“You’re late. Every second I spent waiting felt like a whole year.”
“I’m sorry. I was so nervous.”
Then Cecilia’s gaze shifted toward the two of them.
“Hello. We’ve met before, haven’t we?”
Cecilia stopped in front of the pair, whose faces had gone deathly pale.
With a perfectly composed expression, she turned toward her former fiancé.
“I look forward to getting along with you, my dear stepson. And…”
Cecilia’s gaze slowly moved toward Rosena.
Her lips curved into a gentle smile.
“My daughter-in-law, Miss Rosena.”
