TNDHD 1

Chapter 1

My husband had not returned yet.

But when he left the castle two days ago, he had promised he would be back within that time, and since there had been no word from him afterward, it was certain he would return even in the middle of the night today.

He was a man strict with his duties and promises. Even though we had only been married for half a year and I could hardly say I fully understood him, that was the one thing I could say with certainty.

Even if he postponed meals because of his busy daily schedule, he was the kind of man who would always keep even the promises he casually made to me.

“I have something to say, Kagan.”

To such a man, I had something I absolutely needed to say tonight.

“I think it would be better if we divorced.”

For weeks now, all I had been thinking about was how to bring it up so that the conversation with my husband would go as smoothly as possible.

Of course, there was no such thing as a smooth breakup. In the world of great nobles, was divorce ever a common matter? And for my husband especially, it was nearly an unthinkable topic.

Kagan Steinway, Duke of Waveriver. The lord governing the third-largest territory in the Viacera Empire, and an Ingestan who supported the conservative Old Church.

A man in such a position would never welcome divorce. Not long ago, when the Fourth Prince became the subject of gossip for filing for divorce due to personality differences, Kagan had openly said with disdain that “Is that the conduct of royalty who should set an example?”

“Until death parts the two of you.”

It wasn’t as though I had taken this decision lightly either. Whenever I recalled the oath we had exchanged at our marriage ceremony, I too, as a believer of the same Old Church, felt a voice of guilt scolding me.

The words of the vow I had sworn to uphold for a lifetime still shimmered in my mind like ink that hadn’t fully dried.

Even Kagan’s voice, solemnly reciting it like a knight’s oath, still rang vividly in my ears.

“I will cherish and love you as I do my own body.”

I could acknowledge that he was, in general, a dutiful husband. One could even call him obsessive in his sincerity and devotion.

In my view, Kagan was a man who would continue married life even if my face were to transform into that of a swamp toad monster dwelling in the misty forest. Whether he liked it or not. He would surely continue living by the vow, body pressed to his toad-wife, and even have children.

Really. “Our child takes after your face.” No, never mind that. Let’s quickly try for a second one, Ruwan.

He was a proper and diligent husband. I didn’t particularly want to complain about his lack of charm or his quietness as a flaw. If he had been a man who sweet-talked and skillfully manipulated women, I would have found that far more uncomfortable.

A man with wealth, power, a strong body, and even beauty—yet rigid against worldly temptations. A man who treated his wife, who had far less status and background, with respect and courtesy at all times.

…At least, that was how he behaved in front of me.

“Please grant me a divorce, Kagan.”

What about behind my back?

Not long ago, I had accidentally glimpsed a version of him that felt like an entirely different person from the husband I knew. Perhaps I had been foolish to assume I understood him in the first place.

It turned out I didn’t know my husband at all.

“I simply… I can no longer… I really, I can’t anymore, cough.”

I even cleared my throat unnecessarily, practicing my voice while looking at my reflection in the window. Even that made me self-conscious.

If, at the moment when those icy eyes of his—sometimes as cold as shards of frozen ice—were staring at me, I would even be able to open my mouth at all.

“I…”

Perhaps I would be ignored in silence, or met with cold ridicule. If I were lucky, that would be all. Or perhaps he would, while carefully suppressing his emotions every time I expressed discomfort, finally drop even that courtesy and reveal his cruel true nature.

Yes. If the “higher monster that slaughters lesser beasts” I had once heard about in noble society truly existed within Kagan…

Would I finally witness it myself?

“You gave the ledger to that woman?”

“What a pointless thing.”

“I’m going to lose my mind if I have to take that woman to Duvon as well.”

“I wish she’d just stay home and look at flowers.”

I had already heard it.

I had come to know that my husband, when I was not present, used rather harsh words to describe me. On multiple occasions. Coincidence had repeatedly exposed his dual nature to me.

At the time, I had told myself he must have had his reasons, or that I must have made a mistake somewhere. I had agonized over it alone, but it was meaningless. One cannot understand others through imagination alone.

After much deliberation, I had even tried to speak with him directly. In the end, that too had failed. There had never been time or circumstances in our relationship for a frank conversation to resolve anything.

He was always busy, and kept his distance from me with manners that felt almost excessive. As with many noble couples, perhaps, but it felt especially true for us.

“That woman.”

Was that why he had always been so silent and stern in front of me—holding back the words he so disdainfully wanted to say?

“I don’t think I am suited to be a duchess.”

In truth, this wasn’t even my own thought.

It was simply because I had come to know that this was what you thought.

“So, about the divorce…”

“Madam.”

Suddenly, a knock sounded, and the door opened.

Mila entered, lowering herself in a deep curtsy as if apologizing for the intrusion.

“You should go down to the first-floor lobby. Right now.”

“What is going on?”

I placed the horn comb I had been idly turning over onto the windowsill and turned around. My ears grew hot with embarrassment, as if I had been caught like a thief hearing my own shameful muttering.

“Assistant Ben is waiting for you.”

Mila looked urgently distressed. Her tense expression and voice made it obvious something was wrong.

A bad feeling rose within me. For Ben, Kagan’s aide, to call me at such a late hour—this could not be for anything trivial.

I hadn’t done anything suspicious on my own… so what could it be?

Ben stood at the entrance of the first-floor lobby like an unfamiliar guest. His posture, as expected of a knight from a prestigious family, was perfectly upright, but the muscles around his mouth were slightly twisted.

And the moment I saw the young knight standing beside him, an indescribable unease crawled up my spine.

That was one of the knights who had gone with Kagan to the Mist Forest.

Why is he kneeling like a criminal?

“Duchess.”

Ben spoke quickly, urgency bleeding through his tone.

“I must go to the Mist Forest immediately. I will report the details when I return tomorrow.”

“What is happening, Sir Ben?”

The Mist Forest was the destination Kagan had gone to two days ago with his knights.

“He should be returning soon anyway.”

It was also called the Forest of Monsters.

Across the Eresia continent, there existed forests covered in mysterious mist infused with magical power. The floating fog, like a living creature, concealed the monsters’ nests deep within the woods. One such Mist Forest existed in the mountains of Regrota within Waveriver.

It was recognized as a dangerous unknown, but on a continental scale, these forests had long since entered a period of relative stability. After the Great Monster War ended over 120 years ago, they had become regions controlled by local lords.

Unless one deliberately ventured into restricted deep zones, encounters with monsters were rare. Thanks to this, ordinary people in modern times lived their lives barely even believing in monsters.

Managing the Mist Forest was also a routine duty for Kagan as a lord. The monsters inhabiting Waveriver’s Mist Forest were said to be less aggressive than wild boars. By periodically inspecting the forest and conducting a yearly “hunt” during the monsters’ breeding season in summer, the year would pass without incident.

“Please kill me, Duchess.”

And yet, what was this supposed to mean?

I looked down in shock at the pale face of the young knight.

“It is my incompetence for losing my lord.”

“What are you all talking about… I don’t understand…”

“The Duke has gone missing in the Mist Forest.”

Ben cut straight to the core of the situation.

The absurdity of it left my lips stuck together.

The young knight spoke again, struggling to hold back tears.

“This morning, we were returning after our usual patrol of the Mist Forest. But the Duke, who was leading us, suddenly crossed into a restricted nest area. I followed him as fast as I could, but he rode ahead at a speed I could not catch up with…”

“Enough! I did not tell you to make excuses.”

Ben’s reprimanding voice overlapped with the knight’s fear-filled tone. Was I dreaming? Had I fallen asleep waiting for Kagan?

I looked at the two men in disbelief.

“Anyway, I must go to the Mist Forest immediately, Duchess. And please instruct the head butler to keep this matter contained.”

Ben turned as if ready to leap into the night air at any moment.

I quickly stepped forward to stop him.

“Bring my coat, Mila.”

“But Madam…”

“Do it.”

“No. That will not be necessary. Please wait here, Duchess. I will confirm first and return.”

Ben and Mila both stopped me. In any case, I still retained enough reason to understand that following them into the Monster Forest at night would not be wise.

I ended up standing alone by the entrance. I stared blankly into the darkness as the backs of the two knights disappeared.

“…That’s impossible.”

No way.

Kagan was missing?

“You must be mistaken.”

How could something so absurd happen?

All the land of Waveriver lay under his authority. The Mist Forest, which frightened careless travelers and the monsters dwelling within it—all of it was under his control.

He was stronger than anyone. He was not merely a knight with a ceremonial title granted by nobles. He was a true monster hunter who had slain high-grade monsters in Nosca, where even the king of monsters was buried.

So neither humans nor monsters—at least nothing living within Waveriver—could possibly touch even a single hair on Kagan’s head.

To attach the word “missing” to such a man felt nothing but an unpleasant sense of dissonance.

“Madam, Madam.”

Mila had been calling me for a while, tugging at my sleeve.

“You should go back inside and rest. You don’t need to worry so much. I’m sure the Duke will return in the morning as if nothing happened.”

I thought the same as her, of course.

“Of course. He’ll come back.”

Even so, I stood at the entrance for a long time. I stared into the darkness, sinking into a dazed state. My legs were probably heavy from lack of exercise lately, which is why they wouldn’t move easily.

Even though everyone was asleep, the castle felt strangely restless. I could hear murmurs and noise in my ears.

Thump, thump—the sound might have been coming from my own heart.

The night Kagan did not return.

The night when two young knights exchanged uneasy glances, thinking he might never return.

“Kagan…”

I had something I wanted to say to him tonight.

I wanted to talk to him.

Even though the sun had already sunk deep into the sea and the stars were beginning to shimmer, the sky grew darker and darker.

It felt as though a long, deep night was about to arrive.