GMHYS 01

Chapter 1

To Eleanor.

My beloved Eleanor, are you doing well? You must be having a hard time because of Belisa.

Contrary to what you fear, Belisa hasn’t noticed anything yet. But at this rate, she may soon find out.
Still, I’m not afraid of anything.

I believe God will protect our love. I’ve loved you from the beginning, and that feeling hasn’t changed.
It must be because God’s grace is with us.

Eleanor, I don’t know how what I’m about to tell you will affect you.
But I believe you will be happy in some ways, and sad in others.

My angel, Eleanor. Belisa has had a miscarriage.

She can no longer bear children. Don’t be too sad, Eleanor. Belisa is fine.

Just as I promised, my heir will be the child you give birth to.

I’ll write again soon, Eleanor. I look forward to the day I can meet you again.

With all my love,
Frederick.

“Crazy bastard.”

The curse slipped out of Belisa’s mouth before she even realized it.

The aching pain in her body and the agony tearing her heart into a thousand pieces—
both vanished.
She forgot even the beautiful sunset brushing at her feet.
A sharp pain stabbed through her head.

Her trembling eyelids—fluttering like insect wings—slowly lowered.

Hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

‘It’s all right. God must have loved our child too much and took them to Him early, Belisa.’

Just moments ago, the man who claimed to be her husband had held her and whispered this.
And this letter…
Frederick had written it.

Belisa slowly steadied her ragged breathing.
Her heart pounded as if convulsing, and her fingers shook uncontrollably.
She had so little strength she could hardly move.

“…Get a hold of yourself, Belisa.”

Was she really going to let this happen?

Frederick was rejoicing over her miscarriage and promising the position of heir to his mistress.

There were countless accusations Belisa wanted to scream at him.
But that would be useless. She could not waste her strength on something meaningless.

Her lips pressed together until they hurt.

The hand holding the letter trembled, her eyes glittering with a vicious light.

The letter made it clear—Belisa would no longer be able to conceive.

Her dreams of a happy marriage had always included a child.
And now, because of that man, she might have lost that chance forever.

She wiped her tears roughly.
The crushing despair threatened to drag her into hell itself, but she refused to break.

She thought of Eleanor—
that deceitful woman who claimed she “couldn’t meet a man she loved” and would enter a convent.

Belisa touched her face with trembling fingers.
More hot tears fell through the gaps between them.

Her blood boiled.

An uncontrollable storm of betrayal, humiliation, fury—
emotions too tangled and vast to describe churned violently inside her.

“Ugh…”

Blood seeped between her teeth.
She looked into the small mirror on her desk—her eyes bloodshot.

As she staggered and grabbed the desk—

Click.

The door—long closed as if to trap her in the room—opened.

“Belisa? Are you in here?”

The voice was disgustingly gentle.

Belisa did not look away.
She lifted her bloodshot eyes and glared at Frederick.

He walked in, still wearing the mask of the perfect, caring husband.

“What’s wrong, Belisa? Did something happen—”

His hand reached toward her—then stopped when he saw the letter in her grasp.

Recognizing the seal of the Sisterhood of Fedorica, he exhaled.

“…Ah.”

As if he understood everything.

He ran a hand over his face.

“That idiot steward must’ve let the letter slip.”

That was his first response.

Belisa exhaled sharply.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me?”

“Say what? The letter explains everything.”

He shrugged, as if nothing more needed to be discussed.

“What’s written there is the truth, Belisa. Come here.”

He embraced her—Belisa, who stood stiff as a stone—
patting her back as tenderly as ever.

“Don’t think too hard. God simply didn’t grant us a child.
So I thought we needed a woman who could bear one.”

“A contradiction. You were already doing filthy things with Eleanor even before we were married.”

Frederick scratched his forehead.

“You found out that much? Hm.”

His eyes rolled gently, casually.

Everything was exactly as she’d remembered—
nothing about him had changed.

Yet something had gone terribly wrong.

More tears spilled down.

Frederick sighed softly and wiped her tears as always.

“Why cry? It hurts me to see you like this.”

He kissed her gently.

“Think of it as a precaution, Belisa.
Eleanor is simply a substitute.
Just as it was fate that God took our child,
and fate that you can no longer bear children—
it’s fate that Eleanor carries the child who will continue our line.”

His gentle voice—
every single word cut into Belisa’s heart like a blade.

She swallowed her tears.

“Die, Frederick.”

At her poisonous words, Frederick smiled.

“Oh dear. You’re angry.”

“I curse you. And I curse myself for marrying you. I—I…”

Frederick interrupted softly.

“I still need you, Belisa. I think you know what I mean.”

Her tears fell like rain.

Her soul felt like it was burning, yet Frederick remained perfectly calm.

Belisa seized the hand wiping her tears—
grabbed it like a raptor.

“Beli—ah!”

She bit down on Frederick’s hand.

He managed to yank her off.
He watched her with a strange expression as she smiled—
her lips smeared with blood.

He wrapped his injured hand with a handkerchief and spoke mildly:

“Guards.
Lock Belisa in her room immediately. She must not take a single step outside.
The Empress seems unwell and is saying strange things.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

The attendants outside answered stiffly.

And Belisa was locked away.

One day, two days, one week, then a month.

Belisa thought—
trapped in that room.

Where did everything go wrong?
What had brought her so much pain?
Who else was involved?

“Your Majesty, the Empress. If you don’t eat anything, this will be very serious.”

Countess Briana spoke with concern.
She had served Belisa for ten years.

She continued with a sigh:

“His Majesty is terribly worried as well.
And a letter came from the Kingdom of Medice—they are concerned about Your Majesty.”

She held out the unfolded letter.
Belisa lay sprawled on her bed, moving only her eyes.

Dear sister,
How could you make such a foolish choice?
There has never been an emperor who loved only one woman.

Belisa let out a weak laugh.
Her frail, underfed body trembled with the sound.

She waved an arm as thin as a skeleton.
The letter fell to the floor, and Briana frowned.

“…If you weren’t so dull, His Majesty wouldn’t be looking elsewhere.”

Belisa had no ally.
She laughed emptily.

“I’ve wasted my life.”

“Pardon?”

“I said get out.”

Briana picked up the letter.

“Your Majesty, if you keep acting like this, you may not be able to keep your position.
Lady Eleanor’s status may be questionable, but she’s still a daughter of House Medice.”

At last, Briana revealed her true colors—
her raised eyes sharp with malice.

It must have been Briana who blinded Belisa—
who kept her from seeing or knowing anything.

So this was the price of trust.