If I could define my emotional state right now, describing it with just one word would be difficult, but I'll try.

CRAZY.

I'm going CRAZY.

I woke up in an unknown room, with strange clothes and hair of a different color. If I didn't know it was impossible, I would think I had entered a novel or arrived in some strange world. Hahahahaha.

"..."

I stood up and looked at myself in the mirror closest to the bed. My hair was no longer brown, it was now black, reaching a little below my waist.

"What the hell?!" I exclaimed in a low voice fearing that someone would come. My eyes were different, now a bright amber color. I touched my face in case it was fake. Was I dreaming? MY EYES USED TO BE BROWN, POOP COLOR!

Knock Knock

I leaned back against the dresser with fear. The door opened slowly, revealing a girl in a black dress and a white apron, like the one worn by the maids of nobles in the past.

"Good morning, Lady. How did you sleep?" she asked informally, looking at me with some disdain. I nodded, still terrified.

I gathered all the courage I could and asked in a trembling voice. "Who are you and where are we?" The girl looked at me confused. Please don't look at me like I'm crazy…

"We are at the Marquis Allen's mansion, in the Grace Empire. I am the temporary personal maid of my Lady, Calie," she spoke without looking at me in the face while taking a dress out of a room near the bed. Marquis Allen? Grace Empire?

Did they kidnap me, drugged me, and put me in an illusion chamber to see how the human brain reacts to the drug? ... Okay, Leah, breathe. "Hey..." Calie looked at me with scorn.

I didn't realize when she had started to get me dressed. "W-what are you doing?!" I tried to walk away.

"Don't make this any harder, Miss Sophia, no matter what you do, you will have to marry Duke Kleas," she told me while holding my arm and tightening a corset. WHAT?!

"D-did you say Miss Sophia?" I stammered with terror at the answer. "That's right...?" she replied tiredly. Sophia Allen... Duke Kleas... Grace Empire…

OMG! Aren't all these names from the novel "Loving You Till Death"?! Am I inside that trashy novel and I'm no more and no less than the villainess?!

Calie sat me down in the chair in front of the vanity and started to put on my makeup.

Okay. Let's think.

The story was about the crown prince and a noblewoman from the countryside, typical. The villainess, Sophia Allen, was the prince's fiancée, but it hadn't been formally announced.

In general, the story was about an arrogant prince who hated his fiancée, fell in love with the protagonist, prevented her from finding out about his engagement, and deceived Sophia. The only reason I read that whole novel was to find out what happened to the villainess. After all, the only thing she does is protect her honor, without ever harming the protagonist's health.

Tremendous change of events, they incriminate her for trying to poison the protagonist, and, since she was the daughter of a marquis, they sent her to marry the Duke of the North, Duke Kleas, who was rumored to be horrible and merciless. They wanted him to kill her. They defeat the real villain, the empress. And, as always, the protagonist forgives the prince for the deception, and they get married. THE END.

A horrible plot and a similar ending. And it seems that we are almost at the end of the story since they were preparing Sophia to go to the duke's territory to marry him.

Calie finished with my preparation and I looked at myself in the reflection perplexed.

As she was described in the novel, Sophia was someone of such beauty that she stole the sighs of others. With black hair, snow-white skin, and amber eyes. A slim and well-developed body.

But Sophia's personality was always described as rotten. Arrogant and unkind. The opposite of the protagonist, Alissa, who was kind, quiet, adorable, cheerful, dazzling, beautiful, humble, and any other positive adjective. Practically, a perfect character.

I left the room and followed Calie to the entrance where the marquis, along with his wife and my half-brother Creig, were waiting with annoyance.

"You're late," the head of the family said firmly.

"I apologize, father," I bowed like a lady. I may be from the XXI century, but I knew my way around this etiquette thing.

"Tch." Creig clicked his tongue with contempt.

"Remember not to get into trouble with the duke, it's enough that you've destroyed the family's honor," he spoke as he walked towards the stairs, without saying goodbye. The marquise and Creig followed him, leaving me alone at the entrance. I headed to the carriage that would take me to the duke's territory.

Sophia's personality was to be expected if she lived her whole life with those people. I got into the carriage with the help of the driver and Calie got in after me. The carriage started to move and I felt my head spinning. It was like being in a truck but smaller.

"How long will it take to get to the duke's territory?" I asked Calie timidly.

"2 weeks," she said without looking away from the window.

"Oh..." I replied.

...How awkward.

I looked out the window as we were passing through the city. The Allen mansion was in the capital, so that's why the travel time was longer. The people looked happy, there were flyers all over announcing the engagement of the protagonist and the prince. I closed the curtain and settled in. This will be a total nuisance.

//Almost two weeks later//

We were less than two days away from reaching the territory and one more to reach the mansion. I looked at Calie, who, although she was supposed to be my maid, had not helped me with anything. "What are you looking at?" she asked me rudely.

I understand that I am not from this world, but I know that she should not talk to me like that, even if I were not a noble. -"Absolutely nothing," I said with a smile. "Can we stop the carriage for a moment?" I asked, and she looked at me with disdain.

"Stop," she said to the driver.

The carriage stopped and I got out. I took a gold coin and approached the driver. "When I say go, move forward without stopping no matter what, deal?" I said in a low voice so Calie couldn't hear. The driver looked at me with confusion but nodded while taking the gold coin. I got back into the carriage and looked at Calie.

"Can you look outside? I think I dropped something," I asked her kindly. She looked at me with contempt but did as I asked. When she leaned over to look outside, I pushed her and closed the door.

"GO!" I shouted and the carriage started moving again. Calie's screams calling my name and some more insults could be heard clearly. I threw a bag with about 10 silver coins out the window, enough to return to the capital.

"Goodbye," I said waving my hand as we drove away from her insults. "Hah," I sighed happily. One less nuisance.

I mean, I even left her money, she should be grateful. The next two and a half days were the most pleasant of the entire trip. Without a crazy woman watching me all the time and seeing me as a disgrace, everything seemed more wonderful.

"We are arriving at the main city of the territory," the driver warned me. After I gave him the gold coin he seemed to behave more kindly. I leaned out the window and saw a lot of people having fun on the street, walking and buying food. The duke's territory may be cold, but it is pleasant and rich. Half an hour later we arrived at the mansion. "IDENTIFY YOURSELF!" The gate guard shouted. I peeked through the window, curious. A gate raised between us and a garden, that seemed to extend more than a kilometer from there. One of the guards signaled the other, and he walked over. He looked through the window of my carriage and nodded.

"I bring Lady Sophia Allen," the driver said to the guard inspecting the carriage.

"They told us the lady would bring a maid with her." He said suspiciously.

"Uh… she had to get off in the middle," he replied.

— I kicked her out of the carriage… quite literally — but I couldn't say that.

" I see. You may enter," the guard said as the gate opened.

Ok, that was easy. Is every noble like this that they're used to it????

As we arrived at the door, there was a woman and two girls in maid's uniforms, a man in a suit, and a knight. The latter approached and helped me out. The woman, who seemed to be the head of the staff, looked at me with intrigue.

Sophia's reputation had always been horrible, a girl with anger problems and a rude attitude. Everyone considered her strict, although technically she only followed the rules of society. At first, she was a social queen, even when she was expressionless and behaved with dignity; but after the protagonist appeared and won the prince's heart, many turned their backs on her. They called her names behind her back and even excluded her from society.

"Welcome, Lady Allen," the lady greeted with a bow. "My name is Alicia, I am the Head of Staff," she introduced herself and then turned to the man in the suit. "This is Neil, the butler. And he is Evan, who will be your temporary escort," she said as the knight bowed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you," I said with a smile.

I thought that would calm the atmosphere a bit, but their gazes still looked puzzled. "I'll take you to your room," Alicia spoke a few moments later. I nodded and followed behind her.

The mansion was big but the lobby alone was bigger than a two-story house. The walls were decorated with paintings of strange people, all of them serious. There weren't many decorations and there was little natural light. We went up the stairs to the third floor and the second room on the corridor.

Alicia opened the door and ushered me in. The room was even more incredible. If the lobby was the size of a two-story house, the room was the size of an entire floor. A kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, even a normal-sized bedroom could fit here. If arranged, it could even fit an office.

The first thing in sight was a living room, the furniture in beige and coffee colors made a beautiful harmony. The bed, which was a few steps from the living room, was made up of olive green sheets. There were three more doors in the room. I assumed that two of them would be the closet and the bathroom.

I opened the first one and a bathroom the size of a room for two greeted me. There was a large tub that could fit at least three adults. I imagined myself peacefully taking a bath there, with soft music playing. Ugh, now that I notice it... There are no phones in this world and it was. No phones, no music, no internet. I sighed heavily.

"Is something wrong, my Lady?" Alicia asked worriedly. I looked at her with a nervous smile on my lips and shook my head.

I left the bathroom and opened the second door. Being my suspicions certain, it was a closet. There weren't that many dresses, since there hadn't been an owner of this room for a long time. "If you wish, I can call the designer to order more dresses, my lady," Alicia said, looking at me.

"No, it's fine," I said with a smile. Even if there weren't that many dresses to fill this whole closet, there must have been at least 20. The room was so big that even if there were 50 dresses it would still look empty. I headed towards the third door, but it was locked. "Where does this door lead to?" I asked out of curiosity.

"Ah..." Alicia looked at me unsure whether to answer or not. But a few moments later she spoke - "This door leads directly to the Duke's room." she said. I instinctively walked away from the door. Alicia seemed surprised by my act and I smiled at her.

"Thank you for your guidance, but I would like to rest a bit," I said.

"It's my pleasure, my lady. I'll leave you to have a pleasant rest," she said with a bow and left the room.

When I no longer heard her footsteps, I sighed heavily. I took off the uncomfortable dress and put on a nightshirt that came in the suitcase. After that, I fell onto the bed. Finally, I could rest after so much trouble. I had just arrived in this world and had to travel for 2 weeks. I closed my eyes and let sleep take me away. Tomorrow the real fight would begin.

The wedding is tomorrow.

I don't want to get up. I feel like a college student who has to get up at 4 am, but it's cold and I'm comfortable in bed right now. I'm not going to lie, it's the best. I've never slept in a bed as comfortable as this one. I had woken up slightly and was about to go back to sleep when the door burst open.

"Good morning, Lady Allen," a female voice greeted me.

I sit up on the bed yawning and look at the owner of the voice.

Mrs. Alice looks at me seriously from the door and next to her, the same two girls from yesterday greet me with a bow.

"Good morning, Mrs. Alice," I greeted her back with a smile.

She looks at me, still bewildered.

"There's no need for formalities, you can call me Alice, Lady Allen," she says.

"Very well. You can call me Sophia," I reply.

"Very well, Lady Sophia," she says. "These are Lia and Yera, they will be your maids. Present yourselves, girls," she asks them.

"Good morning, Lady Sophia, my name is Lia Klin, I am the youngest daughter of Viscount Klin," says the girl with short brown hair. She had olive-green eyes and pearly skin. She was shorter than me.

"My name is Yera Ninmin, I am the second daughter of Count Ninmin," says the girl with blonde ash hair and blue eyes.

"A pleasure to meet you," I reply with a smile.

Lia returns the smile while Yera avoids eye contact.

Ahhh I see… It seems like I'm gonna have a lot of annoying situations from now on like all those FMC. That is if I was like them.

"Alright! It's time to get started! The wedding is this afternoon."

Ah... Yes.. the wedding.

And so the war began. A one-hour bath, scented oils, and a full-body massage. Then another two hours with make-up, dressing, and styling my hair.  Finally, I was in front of the mirror, wearing a long white dress with sky-blue details, a diamond necklace, and small but beautiful earrings.

"It looks great on you, Lady Sophia!"

"Ha ha.. thanks, Lia."

"Lady Sophia, everything is ready," Alice tells me from the door.

With great regret and care, I walk through the corridors of the mansion. My hands are sweating, my stomach is churning and I want to cry. I had read this novel from beginning to end, I remembered details of the story, even the names that are so hard for me to remember. And the name of the duke was unforgettable.

Aleph Kleas. I remembered it because I had found the meaning of Aleph, which is "leader." They had only mentioned him twice in the whole novel. The first time was when he helped the crown prince with the Empress's troops, and the second time when they sent the villain to marry him. They mention him as someone terrifying, bloodthirsty, and sadistic; someone who didn't care about the lives of others, someone arrogant.

At the main door, a carriage awaited me, ready to take me to the church. I stopped as I was about to get in. Was I going to do this, was I going to marry the duke, someone tied to the original story? My stomach churned at the thought that the moment I got into this carriage my only destiny would be death. I try to calm myself at the fact that it never mentioned if the villain died at the hands of Aleph, it only mentioned that she had left the capital to marry him. I took a deep breath.

"Nothing is set in stone, I can change my ending," I repeated to myself mentally as I got into the carriage. As soon as it starts moving, my already churning stomach starts to take action and I feel like vomiting. Alice, who had gotten into the carriage with me, notices and offers me a handkerchief with a beautiful embroidery on it. I look at her gratefully and take it. I hold it against my mouth, as I feel my eyes fill with tears.

Someday I imagined my wedding. A long white dress, with sparkling and small jewels. A beautiful veil over my head and a heart pounding with excitement in my chest. A church decorated with white fabrics, plants, and ribbons. The love of my life waiting at the end of the aisle, as my father walked me down the aisle. My friends and family around me. A smile on my lips and a future ahead of me. I could expect everything, and wish for everything.

Now I only felt fear, desperation, and anxiety. These weren't the right feelings for a bride or any human being.

The carriage stopped in front of the church and my heart stopped. I don't want to get out of the carriage.

How could all those protagonists endure all this? How were they able to take it so lightly? I missed my family, and and my friends. It was my wedding, but I couldn't even have that.

Alice took my hand warmly. Through the veil, I could see that her eyes showed kindness towards the poor bride who didn't even know her groom. The air that had been stuck in my throat finally came out, and even with the stomach ache, I felt better than before.

The carriage door opened and a gigantic church stood before me. It had a Renaissance style, like those churches you see in pictures of Italy. My eyes sparkled at the sight of such architecture. I didn't know much about the subject, but I loved this style. Alice's hand on my back brought me back to reality.

I watch as one of the guards offers me his hand to get out of the carriage, I take it hesitantly and get down. Without letting go of my hand, the guard escorts me to the church door, there he lets go and the church door slowly opens.

I stood still, not knowing what to do. The veil covered my face, so I couldn't see much of what was happening inside the church. Alice gave me a gentle pat on the back and I unconsciously started walking down the aisle. I could hear the murmurs around me, a lot of them being about the many rumors there were about Sophia.

"Isn't she the ex-fiancée of the prince?"

"I heard she tried to poison the new crown princess..."

"No way! Is she going to be the new duchess? How low the nobility has fallen now."

The murmurs continued until I reached the end of the aisle. There they stopped abruptly. I kept my head down, not wanting to see the duke.

"...Hey... he is coming, right?" I heard someone say. What were they talking about?

"Maybe...?"

Confused by all the murmurs, I looked up and noticed that there wasn't anyone in front of me except for a poor priest. He was looking at me terrified, as if I were crazy.

I looked around and there was no sign of the duke anywhere. Haha... a groom who didn't even want to have left me standing at the altar. I had gotten nervous for nothing, I had felt the worst on my way here only to be greeted by an empty altar at the end of an aisle. I scoffed, annoyed, this was awful.

I lifted the veil and I could see Alice's anxious gaze staring at me from the church door. It seems she had no idea about this.

I was determined. I wasn't going to cry desperately over this situation. Maybe I can't go back to my original body, but I wasn't going to die at the hands of this irresponsible duke who couldn't even make it to his wedding on time.

The church door opens and everyone turns in that direction. A man in his twenties enters, agitated, with papers in his hand. I frown as he approaches with hurried steps and smiles at me nervously, bows, and takes a deep breath.

"For official reasons, Duke Aleph Kleas has appointed me as his representative for this wedding. I apologize to the guests and, of course, to the bride, for this minor inconvenience." He says with a smile looking at all the guests. Then he turns to look at me, nervous. "The Duke feels very ashamed of not being able to be here, but he has sent me for the wedding to go on. Would it be alright for us to continue?" he asks and I smile at him.

"Of course not," I reply with a cheerful smile. His smile disappears from his lips and he looks at me dumbfounded. Everyone falls silent upon hearing my bold answer. "I do not intend to get married if the Duke is not present. You must understand that for a woman, her wedding day is very important, and without the groom, it's not worth it. You understand, right?" I ask with a cold smile, to which the poor man steps back a little, terrified.

"Well, as it seems like there won't be a wedding today, we can..."

The church doors burst open again dramatically, and a tall and somewhat stout man stands in the doorway. Is this seriously happening? Can't they stop entering the church as if it were a dramatic movie?

I squint to see the face of this new character. I could only distinguish bright forest green eyes, staring at me intently, like a memory in the wind, a moment I had forgotten but constantly yearned for.

Well, that was until I noticed the bloodstains on his clothes and my face changed completely. Indeed, everyone here, every single one of them, is BLOODY CRAZY. 

She has a nice air around her, like that kind of scent that you can see and touch. Maybe it's her voice or the tips of her fingers. Heaven knows what causes it, but I love it. I get these chills around my fingers, my ears turn red just by being around her and my feelings go numb. I forget about everything except her eyes. 

Then I remember I'm still standing right in front of her, she in her lovely white dress, her hair let down and beautiful jewels adorning her neck. I watch her open and close her lips as I savor the sweet scent around me. I will give the head maid a raise just for this. Her lovely brows start twitching and she looks up at me. I feel those butterflies in my stomach until my brain understands her expression. She looks like she is watching a random dude just looking at her without moving, which is actually what is happening right now. 

I glanced at my aide who was just mouthing something. "Your…clock"? I ignore him and go back to staring at my precious future wife. Wife. That sounds nice. My wife… hehehehe.

My aide kicks my heel and I look at him, annoyed, though I notice how my sweet bride flinches at the sudden movement. My aide points at my chest and I look down at my clothes, which were covered by the monster's blood. Darn it. 

The first time I met my wife —I like how that sounds— and I looked like I had just committed murder. I glance back at her and she steps back a little. I felt a sting in my heart when I noticed the fear in her eyes. I look at the priest who flinches and then starts the wedding ceremony. 

"We are here reunited to join this couple in sacred matrimony…" my bride glares at him before her veil covers her beautiful face again. Alice steps back after having fixed her dress, after another sign from the love of my life the priest makes things faster. "Lady Sophia Allen, do you take Duke Aleph Kleas to be your lawfully wedded husband? Do you promise to love and cherish him, in good times and in bad, in sickness and health, for richer, for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto him, for so long as you both shall live?"

She stood there in silence for about a minute, her hands holding her flower bouquet with enough strength for her knuckles to turn white. I held on to my desire to hold her hands so she didn't hurt her hands with the stem. Her shoulders raised and lowered a few times, and then she answered coldly: "I do".

The priest sighed in relief and then turned to me, swallowing hard. "Your grace, Duke Aleph Kleas, do you take Lady Sophia Allen to be your lawfully wedded wife? Do you promise to love and cherish her, in good times and in bad, in sickness and health, for richer, for poorer, for better for worse, and forsaking all others, keep yourself only unto her, for so long as you both shall live?"

A smile wandered through my lips and I answered "Yes…yes, I do."

The priest sighed relieved again and then smiled brightly. I kept looking at my bride, now my wife. She kept her head down, her hands holding the bouquet with strength. I was happy to be married to her, darn, it was the most beautiful day of my life. But she didn't look happy. She looked down, her eyes filled with unhappiness. It made sense. She wouldn't want to be here, to be married to me. She had another love, another man in her heart. She loved someone, and that someone wasn't me. She must be feeling brokenhearted.

Sophia's POV

This dress and heels are freaking uncomfortable. And this priest is taking forever to finish this ceremony. Isn't there a faster way to end this? I looked down at my poor feet. I heard the "Yes, I do" from the duke and sighed. Finally, this is coming to an end. Now just the kiss and… wait… the kiss… ugh.

I glanced at him and noticed his glare on me. I flinched and looked away. He hates me. Hates me. Well, on the bright side, this means he won't try to kiss me. I glanced now at the spectators. Their eyes on me felt like those of a hunter looking at their prey and that made me feel small. I had forgotten what kind of place this was. A battlefield where any sign of weakness meant death. 

I shivered when I heard the priest's voice. "You may now kiss the bride".

What kind of dumpster marriage was this? 

A pair of hands appeared in my sight and lifted my veil. My heart beat like it was going to come out of my chest and I struggled to keep on standing. He was going to kiss me. And I wouldn't be able to stop it. 

He leaned closer, and, to be honest, he had to lean a lot. Then he stopped next to my face. 

"Don't worry." He said. His voice sent a shiver down my spine and I held back the need to look at him in his eyes. "I won't kiss you for real… just act like I did, okay?" I could feel his tiny smile next to my cheek. He leaned over my face and I closed my eyes, expectant. 

A small touch on my left cheek as he kissed it, but hiding it from the gossip-starving public, it looked like he had kissed me on the lips.

As he raised I kept my eyes closed. He took my hand and walked towards the exit. I opened my eyes and could only see his back.  I was sure I would be killed the second he appeared in front of me. And even more sure he would do it painfully.

But he didn't. 

And that was a major problem.

We walked down the aisle, he kept his hand on mine but never put strength on it. If I wanted I could even break from his grasp. I was confused, this was nothing like in the book, and that was not good. Yeah, I'm happy I'm still alive and breathing, but hey, this wasn't supposed to happen.

Didn't Sophia die before she got married?

I stopped breathing for a second.

It didn't. Nothing about her demise or anything else. Just that she was sent to the Duke of the North. I facepalmed myself in my mind. How could I ignore this important fact? I smiled as I entered the carriage. I can change it. I knew there was a possibility, but now it was sure. I won't die. 

The carriage door closed but his grace didn't enter. I looked through the window confused. He was riding a horse some meters ahead of the carriage. "Please don't stick your head out, madam…" I heard someone say and I noticed the same knight that had helped me out of the carriage was riding a horse next to my carriage.

I nodded in response and went back inside. I glanced at the knight as he rode along. 

"Evan, right?" I asked and he glanced at me, puzzled. He nodded and looked ahead. 

"Evan Hills, madam." He said, checking his surroundings. I nodded leaning on the window.

"Sir Hills, then?" I asked and he nodded. "Nice to meet ya." I smiled and he looked at me dumbfounded. "Uh… nice to meet you, madam."

I leaned back on my seat again, tired. "Do you know how much till we get to the mansion?" I asked and he glanced at me, still puzzled. "Thirty minutes, madam"

I looked at him bewildered. "But we got to the church in less than 10!" He nodded.

"There's supposed to be a parade in celebration of your grace's wedding." He answered without looking at me. I looked at him open-mouthed. Who in their right mind would want to see how their poor duke married a supposed evil woman? I sighed and leaned back again.

I looked around the carriage, now calmer. I couldn't check it out when I was on my way to the church expecting to die the very moment I set foot in the chapel, but now I could notice the beautiful design it had. The seats were covered with beautiful fabric, with a flower patron. The walls had these golden lines that I could swear were actual gold. I felt with my fingers the silver necklace I was wearing. It had more than ten jewels and I could bet all my hair they were all diamonds. 

"Darn it…" I mumbled under my breath. One of these and I could live without worries for the rest of my life. That's when I got it. I can run away… Just somewhere far away from this darned novel. 

I smiled. I just need money… nothing much.

^^^^^^^

The night fell on the mansion. The room I was staying in — now I know is the Duchess's chamber— felt a little gloomy, but maybe that's because of my vibes. I was tired, annoyed, and done with everything. The wedding ended successfully but my emotional state was a mess. I walked around the room, stressed out. It was the wedding night, and even though the novel didn't say anything about me being killed today I still felt a bit nervous. I wished this would end right now, with the Duke never coming to my room and no problem at all. 

I sighed and put my glasses on one of the tables. I realized that the original Sophia had a terrible sight, just like me, and that made me feel comfortable. When I arrived I felt the space they'd left, and when that rude maid told me I wore glasses I couldn't hide my joy.

I sat down on the bed and decided to sleep when I heard a knock on the door. I stood up, startled. "Who is it?" I asked and a long silence followed it. 

"I've come to meet the duchess," they said finally, with a husky voice that gave me goosebumps. I sighed. Probably a knight or a servant. Maybe they'll tell me his grace won't be able to come.

"Come in," I answered and the door opened. I searched for my glasses but couldn't find them. I'm sure I left them on this very table. Darn it. 

I looked up and a tall figure stood in the frame of the door. "Come in," I repeated. "Did his grace send you?"

I couldn't make out his face so I gave up searching for my glasses. I sat on the bed again, definitely tired. The stranger stayed still. I tilted my head, "So? What is it?" I asked.

He gave a step ahead, hesitating. "Um… my lady"

I raised my head. Was he trying to be rude, or was it just a small slip of the tongue? "Pardon?" I asked and he gave a small step back, the light of the candles outside shining on his back. I finally could make out his silhouette and noticed dark honey strands of hair. He was at least 6 feet tall, the doorframe almost touching the top of his head. I kept looking at him, waiting for an answer.

He hesitated for some seconds and then spoke, in a husky voice, "Oh… I'm sorry, my lady. Um… yes, his grace… the duke…. The duke?" He kept staggering and slurring his words. I held on a chuckle and looked at him still confused. "Yes, the duke. Did he send you?" I asked once more.  He nodded slightly, "Yes," he said simply.

Okay, I may not be from here, but he's being rude in this or that century.

I crossed my legs, waiting for a more formulated answer. "So?". He stayed in silence for a few seconds and nodded. "He will… will not come tonight." He said, still hesitating.

I nodded, quite relieved. "I see…thanks," I said with a smile, but he didn't move, not even an inch.

One minute passed, but he didn't do anything. I looked at him, expecting a small bow indicating he would get out. But he didn't do anything. Just kept looking at me. I shuffled and he snapped out of it.  He seemed nervous and then stayed still. "So… I… I will go now, my lady." He announced and turned around. "Wait," I said and he stood still once again, turned around, and looked at me. "Yes, my lady?"

"What's your name?" I asked. He seemed disturbed for a moment there and then spoke. "Aleph." He said.

Uh. Aleph, he says.

"I see, you may go now". He nodded and walked out of the room. 

.

.

.

.

Does he think I don't know his name?

Aleph's POV

I'm so glad she doesn't seem to know my name.

Everyone knows my last name, of course. Kleas is not so common, so it's kinda easy to remember. But not everyone knows the first name of the Duke. I used to be a little lonely that people wouldn't call me by my name, but by my title. Not even my nana would. "Young master" became "Young lord", then "Your Grace" "My lord". 

Life became numb, and when war started I gained nicknames, but none of them were affectionate. "Monster", "Devil", "Grim Reaper". As they reached my ears, I grew colder. And not even in the capital I could rest from those memories. Only the emperor and the Crown prince treated me with respect. But nobles despised me and thought of me as a beast. It didn't matter where I went, every noble would frown, calling me worse names than those soldiers at the border. Frowning when I passed next to them, murmuring that I smelled like filthy blood. 

But then, there she was. A beautiful woman. Long, black hair; eyes like a sunrise; and a beautiful, dignified smile. She never seemed disrupted by my presence, she didn't seem to mind the rumors, nor the frowns of others. A noble, generous lady, who seemed to hide her kindness behind a cold smile. As if a single show of weakness could mean her demise. 

I always wondered what her laugh would sound like. If it would be a childish one, the kind you hear when children are playing. Or a quiet but warm one, like a breeze in spring. I wondered if her smile would touch the commissures of her eyes, or if her eyes would look at me with fondness. 

I wondered. And wondered. And wondered once again. Awake and asleep, went and came back, imagining what would be like to touch her hair, to know her deeper than any other.

But she was engaged. Maybe not officially, but it seemed to be her dream to marry his highness. So I stayed quiet. Any arising feeling was shut inside of me. I would keep a poker face when we danced, but feeling as if we were the only ones in the ballroom. But when I looked at you, you were glancing at him. Her eyes brightened at his mention. And the smiles I would wonder how they looked like we're always directed at him. Even that day. When she smiled at him, while he yelled the worst imaginable things at her. But, she didn't mind, as he hugged that girl. She just stood up and didn't even cry. And I felt like dying. She didn't deserve any of this. I knew it. I knew she was innocent, but I wasn't able to help her. 

Yet.

"Sir," my butler's voice called me out of my thoughts. I glanced up and he looked at me worried. "Is there anything wrong, your Grace?" He asked. I shook my head and glanced at the pile of documents waiting for me to sign them up.

"No," I answered and he nodded. 

"I heard your Grace visited the duchess last night," he said, smiling. I flinched and averted my gaze. 

"Wha-whatever do you mean? I did not," I stuttered and punched myself mentally. 

He smiled with joy. His face wrinkled even more. "Many servants saw you walking towards Her Grace's room," he answered, smiling proudly. "I never thought I would live to see the day my master finally marries. But here we are," he said, wiping fake tears with a handkerchief.

I sighed. "Neil…" I warned him and he smiled innocently. "I must say, your Grace, the ma'am arriving will bring good and new things to the dukedom, I'm sure." He said confidently. 

Butlers were used to hearing rumors and making sure the information was real enough before telling their master, and Neil was no different. He had heard all the rumors about Lady Sophia, but he had made his investigation and realized she was nothing like what she was painted to be. That's why his reassuring smile gave me confidence. That is till there was a knock on the door.

"Um… the duchess wishes to talk to the duke" Evan's voice resonated behind the door. A tap of a heel on the floor sent a shiver down my spine. She was out there. And I was here. Neil chuckled. Seems like her grace couldn't wait to see you." He said clueless as he walked towards the door.

As he opened, I decided to do the bravest thing a warrior could do in this situation.