Chapter 2
<Even When Winter Passes, the Flowers Do Not Bloom>
That was the title of the fantasy novel.
Her memory was hazy, but if she remembered right, it was a story about a protagonist who only wished to be happy.
The protagonist always covered their face. Despite being overpowered, they were constantly injured, betrayed, swindled, and tormented by one misfortune after another.
Things were so bleak that not only the protagonist but every supporting character around them ended up miserable as well.
As the plot of the novel resurfaced bit by bit, Altperia’s face turned pale.
“Wait a second… if things go the same way, that means Allen becomes my husband.”
She hadn’t signed the engagement contract yet, so technically they were still strangers, but according to the novel, they would soon be wed.
Allen’s name was impossible to forget—
because he was one of the pathetic, irredeemable villains in the story!
Allen was a despicable man who committed crimes against women and eventually even laid hands on the Second Prince’s lover.
“I didn’t recognize who you were—it was an honest mistake!”
After escaping the dangerous situation, the Second Prince’s lover publicly accused Allen.
Though he insisted he was innocent, the investigation exposed every crime he had ever committed.
In the end, he and his wife were both executed for conspiring against a future member of the imperial family.
And that pitiful wife who was always described as being gaslighted and abused whenever Allen appeared in the story—
her name was none other than Altperia.
“Of all people, I had to be the villain’s wife who dies along with him?!”
Worse yet, she even begged the prince to spare her husband’s life to the very end.
As the memories came flooding back, Altperia’s face burned with embarrassment.
“I knew he was cheating on me!”
In fact, she had often stumbled upon Allen’s sleazy behavior. Every time she caught him in the act, he would clasp his hands together and grovel.
“It’s true I spent time with another woman, but you know you’re my one true love, right?”
He’d spout sweet, meaningless words like that while shamelessly clinging to her.
Any sane person would’ve thrown him out, but she had said—
“I believe you, Allen.”
—and forgiven him. Just like that.
“Why was I holding on to garbage no one else would even pick up?”
Sure, Allen was somewhat handsome, but that was the only redeeming thing about him.
When she thought about how she once whispered “I love you” to a man so vile in both character and action—
“Ugh, my dark past!”
She regretted not slapping him the first time he crossed the line. The mere memory of how deeply she had fallen for him made her want to die of embarrassment.
“Aaaah! Delete those memories! Delete them now!”
After regaining her memories from her past life, Altperia shut herself inside the Valtré estate in the capital, using exhaustion from her long journey as an excuse.
In truth, she was reflecting on herself.
That period of self-reflection didn’t last long.
If she wanted to avoid dying as the wife of a villain, executed by association, she had to act fast.
“First thing’s first—I have to break off the engagement with Allen.”
How could she have ever said she’d give up her noble title for a piece of trash like him?
“Why would I give up my title? The dukedom belongs to me.”
As long as she held her position, she wouldn’t have to starve or live miserably like in her past life.
The fact that she had even considered throwing away her birthright proved she hadn’t been in her right mind.
But then a thought struck her—
“Wait, even if I become the Duke of Valtré… there’s still a problem.”
The Valtré territory often suffered from monster attacks.
Strangely, though, for the past few years none had appeared, likely because of the ongoing war.
According to the original novel, the monsters had simply been gathering strength. Then, one day, they appeared in hordes.
Even Valtré’s seasoned mercenaries—trained in monster slaying—were wiped out instantly. The territory was utterly destroyed.
“I’m doomed, aren’t I?”
The Valtré family had long produced swordmasters through every generation.
But Altperia had no talent with the sword whatsoever, so she was educated mainly in administration and estate management.
She could run the territory efficiently, yes—but defending it with force was out of the question.
At this rate, even if she inherited the dukedom, the monster hordes would still wipe everything out!
After spending several days shut in her room, Altperia finally rose from bed.
Her maid, Seirune, who had been standing guard outside, brightened instantly.
“My lady, are you feeling better?”
“Yes. Nothing’s happened while I was resting, has it?”
As Seirune prepared some light refreshments, she replied,
“The capital’s been in an uproar because of the hero from the victory parade.”
“Oh, that so-called hero?”
That news had triggered her memory from her past life in the first place—quite the shock, really.
“Yes, my lady. They say he’s a monster who devoured a hundred men! Rumor has it he arrived in the capital today, and people are terrified they might cross paths with him.”
Seirune began listing the many terrible rumors about Luke.
After more than a decade of war, it seemed people had found plenty of gossip to entertain themselves.
“But… all of that’s nonsense.”
The war had started with the invasion of a dark sorcerer. For over ten years, the Empire had been losing ground, unable to reclaim its lands.
Then Luke appeared—and everything changed.
He not only reclaimed the lost territories, but also personally hunted down the dark sorcerers one by one.
He was the man who turned a hopeless war into victory.
He should’ve been celebrated as a hero. But the Duchess of Grandhilde—wanting her own son to become the next heir—spread every vile rumor she could to tarnish his name.
Thus the bastard son of the Grandhilde family, Luke von Grandhilde, became both a hero and a monster feared by all.
He was the protagonist of that grim, tragedy-laden fantasy novel.
Luke had built a close friendship with the Second Prince through the war.
But when the Emperor arranged a marriage between Luke and the youngest princess during the victory parade, Luke began to distance himself.
“Of course he would. Marrying his close friend’s little sister—how awkward.”
Naturally, he declined politely, but the Emperor was not one to back down easily—
especially after the sealed Dragon was released soon after the parade.
It was Luke who slew that raging Dragon.
Though gravely injured, he had killed the king of monsters with nothing but his human strength—an unbelievable feat.
Realizing Luke’s immense power, the Emperor’s obsession with him only deepened.
“Ugh, now that I think about it, he’s just like me.”
Both suffering headaches because of unwanted marriage proposals.
As that thought crossed her mind, Altperia suddenly had an idea.
In many stories, the best way to break an unwanted engagement was… to get engaged to someone else.
If two troubled people became engaged, they could both avoid unwanted political marriages.
“And Luke’s basically a walking cheat code.”
With him around, even a swarm of monsters wouldn’t be a problem.
Having made up her mind, Altperia decided to put her plan into action immediately.
“Tonight, I’ll meet Luke.”
In the original novel, Luke had a unique setting—
he was possessed.
The real Luke von Grandhilde had died young, starved to death in a dark attic after enduring years of abuse from the Duchess.
When he opened his eyes again, someone else’s soul had taken over his body—
a man who, in modern times, had been a hunter in a fantasy-like world.
That hunter had been known as a Sword Saint, favored by the “Constellations”—transcendent beings who took interest in mortals.
“And he still has a Constellation with him.”
Constellations sometimes gifted rare items to those they liked—treasures impossible to find anywhere else.
They were like guardian angels, in a sense.
If she stuck close to Luke, she might even benefit from his Constellation’s generosity.
“They usually give out food, but still—that’s something.”
Altperia knew Luke’s in-story timeline well.
During the preparations for the victory parade, Luke had spent his nights alone, drinking in a tavern.
Which meant that tonight, having just arrived in the capital, he’d be doing exactly that.
“Seirune.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“Lend me one of your cloaks.”
If word got out that she had snuck out at night, Allen would cause no end of trouble. It would be better to disguise herself and leave quietly.
“My clothes? What for?”
“It’s been a while since I came to the capital. I’d like to take a quiet walk. I’ll need a disguise.”
It was unlike the usually composed Altperia to do something so impulsive, but loyal Seirune obeyed without question.
Still, the idea of her mistress going out alone at night made her uneasy.
“Forgive me for asking, but… the young master Allen didn’t invite you to meet him at this late hour, did he?”
Apparently, Seirune thought her mistress was sneaking out because Allen had called for her.
Given the kind of man he was, it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption, but Altperia didn’t want any misunderstandings.
“I’m planning to break up with Allen.”
“What? Truly?”
“Yes.”
Seirune clapped her hands together, delighted.
“My goodness, that’s wonderful news! I didn’t dare say it before because you seemed to love him so much, but… he was always surrounded by women. I never thought he was a good man.”
Altperia had already made up her mind to throw him away.
Whatever deep love she might have felt before was gone the instant she regained her memories. There wasn’t a single shred of affection left.
In fact, she felt only regret for all the time she’d wasted on him.
“Just remembering that part of my past makes me sick.”
“You’re right,” she said with a small smile. “I could use a change of mood.”
“Understood, my lady! I’ll get everything ready right away!”
Seirune helped her into the cloak, carefully coiling Altperia’s silver hair into a bun and pinning it in place so it wouldn’t stand out, then pulled the hood low over her head.
Now fully disguised, Altperia quietly stepped outside into the night with Seirune at her side.
