“Your Grace, are you sure you are alright with this?”
Bill, the butler, examined my complexion. His gaze lingered on my forearm, which had been scratched earlier.
“Did I not say I was fine?”
“But Your Grace, you nearly fell off your horse. There are quite a few knights who became crippled from falling off their horses, are there not?”
“There is no need to worry.”
When I swung my arm around as if to prove it, Bill finally took a step back.
“If you say so... Please let me know immediately if there is any pain.”
“Understood. What about what I asked for earlier?”
“Here it is.”
An anxious air could be seen from Bill as he handed me a few documents.
“It is the report on Lady Rose Vikander.”
“Hmm.”
For an investigation into a single person's life, there was quite a lot of paper.
Pallak, pallak.
I flipped through the pages in silence, chewing on a curse.
‘Damn it, it's real.’
The information I knew—more precisely, the fact I had realized the moment I nearly fell off my horse earlier.
Namely, that this world was inside a novel—
This had become all the clearer upon seeing these documents.
Rose Vikander.
The eldest daughter of the Vikander family and a student on a leave of absence from the Academy's Magical Studies Department. She, who was currently coming to the castle as my eighth wife,
‘A regressor... I see.’
[The Regressed Villainess No Longer Desires Love]
It was a story about the protagonist, Rose Vikander, regressing after an unjust death and living a life different from before.
It was a quintessential regression story where the protagonist no longer begs her husband for love and confidently displays her abilities, leading her husband to become the one begging for love instead.
‘Right, I definitely read this novel.’
At the same time, I realized it.
That I was Rose's husband and the villain known as the novel's worst scum.
Dane Schmaichel. The sole direct descendant survivor and heir of the Duke Schmaichel family.
I, the owner of the vast Schmaichel estate and the Kalmar Mines that produced the highest-grade magic stones, was a character in a novel.
Over my 22 years of experience, other memories narrated from a third-person perspective were overlaid.
It was a deeply unfamiliar experience. But instinctively, I realized this was reality, not a dream.
And more importantly than that,
‘I die?’
It was the ending of this novel.
I died without ever reaching my twenty-second birthday.
The cause of death was poisoning.
It wasn't anything new. I had always thought I might die like this someday.
The collateral relatives' obsession to take over this family was beyond imagination.
Not only did they poison my food, but hiring assassins or initiating attacks had become so frequent it was hard to count them on my fingers now.
‘I just didn't know it would be this year.’
The moment I turned twenty-two, I would become the complete master of the Schmaichel family, recognized by the kingdom's law.
The relatives who had refused to acknowledge me using my age as an excuse would also have to shut their mouths. And they would want to finish me off before that happened.
If so, there was only one way for me to survive. To cooperate with Rose Vikander, the protagonist and regressor of this novel.
A brilliant Magical Scholar, she had prevented my death by poisoning after her regression. That Rose Vikander was coming to the castle to become my eighth wife.
However...
In her past life, Rose had died after being framed as my poisoner. To her, Dane Schmaichel was no different from the very person who ruined her life.
Therefore, the moment Rose realized she had regressed, she made up her mind like this:
'I will never love him.'
It would take quite a lot of effort to melt Rose's heart.
As the first step, I decided to start by personally welcoming Rose.
“Then I suppose I should get up now.”
“Your Grace, the documents I just gave you...”
“I've read them all.”
I already knew the contents anyway. I only pretended to skim through them because of Bill.
Tak.
As I set the documents down and stood up, Bill could not hide his anxious look.
“Are you alright?”
“What would not be alright? Lead the way.”
“As expected, Your Grace is bold.”
I walked down the corridor alongside Bill, who was spouting incomprehensible nonsense.
The hallway was quieter than usual. It was because there were no servants cleaning the corridors going back and forth.
“It seemed everyone had gone out to welcome my wife.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Bill swallowed dry saliva and finally lowered his head.
“I apologize. The lower staff ran their mouths carelessly and offended your ears, Your Grace.”
“What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“You heard the rumors about the new Milady, didn't you? That is why you ordered me to prepare a separate report.”
No, that's not it. I just wanted to confirm if this world was really inside a novel.
“Everyone is just worried for Your Grace, so please do not take it too offensively.”
“Worried?”
“Do not worry. I have made thorough preparations so that nothing unseemly happens today.”
“?”
I felt a sense of incongruity in my conversation with Bill. It felt like we were talking about the same topic, but crossing paths.
“Are you sure the preparations to welcome my wife have been completed well?”
“Of course, Your Grace. As you ordered, I have prepared a welcoming ceremony befitting the name of the Schmaichel family.”
Bill answered with a resolute attitude.
“You told me to prepare thoroughly so that your wife would clearly know what kind of family she had married into.”
His overly resolute demeanor was also one of the factors creating that sense of incongruity.
Was there really a need to prepare my wife's welcoming ceremony with such grave determination? Something was strange.
But it was too early to doubt Bill.
He was a loyal butler who had served the Schmaichel family since my father's time. He had reached a level where he could read my mind just by looking into my eyes.
“...Let's head out for now.”
I would know once I got there.
With that thought, I arrived at the castle gates and,
“...”
lost my words.
Cheolkeong!
Guards were lined up in a row in front of the castle gates. It was a perfect formation where their rows and files were not off by even an inch.
Their armor gleamed so brightly it was almost blinding. It was certain they had polished it with utmost care.
‘Did they have leftover oil to use?’
What stood next to them was even more astonishing.
Pureureung!
Hot breath puffed out from the horses' noses. The freezing winter air could not suppress the vividly pulsating energy of the horses.
“Whoa, whoa.”
“Easy.”
The knights mounted atop them, the knights who protected the Kalmar Mountain Range from monsters, shone brilliantly.
The swords always meticulously managed by their squires, and the clanking sound of their armor added to the vibrancy.
At the forefront stood the Knight Commander, Matthias, imposingly. He offered a slight bow upon seeing me.
‘Just leave it to me, hyung.’
Matthias's resolute face was saying it. And I couldn't interpret that expression.
What's with that face? He didn't have such a ferocious expression even when we went out for our first monster subjugation together.
What on earth did he hear from Bill? Moreover, it was a distance that took at least an hour to travel, how did he arrive so soon?
It was merely astonishing.
“Heum, heum.”
“Pyuu.”
The servants stood facing each other on both sides of the main road in front of the inner castle. Judging by the number of people, it seemed everyone in the castle had come out.
“Straighten your postures.”
“Understood.”
“Willie, the flag.”
“Yes.”
The head maid, Selma, walked slowly among them and pointed out flaws. The servants tried their hardest not to get caught making even the slightest mistake.
‘What's with this atmosphere again?’
A stern atmosphere where not a single noise or mistake was tolerated. There would be no guest who wouldn't be overwhelmed by this atmosphere.
Yes, so that's why.
‘Why are they overwhelming the guest?’
That was my question.
A military force that was among the top in the kingdom, strictly disciplined servants, and armor and war horses showing off the family's wealth.
Was this not a welcoming ceremony, but a defensive posture to greet an enemy?
“That is all.”
Bill, who had escorted me here, bowed his head.
‘Should I punch him?’
A hot urge I had never once felt towards the butler surged up within me.
Was this all? Did you really prepare it like this?
All sorts of harsh words swirled in my head, but,
“Is it all finished?”
The words that came out of my mouth were simply calm. It was because I was beyond angry—just dumbfounded.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
A faint sense of satisfaction flowed across Bill's face at having perfectly completed the task his master had given him.
“I have made full preparations to show the prestige of the Schmaichel family.”
“...”
“How is it? At this level, even a dragon would cower if it came.”
“...No, that is not true.”
Even if it wasn't a dragon, it was preparation that would elicit admiration even from a king of a nation.
No, that wasn't the important part right now.
Was the purpose of this welcoming ceremony to threaten the guest? It would be a relief if my wife didn't get terrified and run away.
How on earth did he interpret “a welcoming ceremony befitting the Schmaichel family”? Did he get confused because it's been so long since he prepared a welcoming ceremony?
I had too much to say. So much that no words came out of my mouth instead.
“...”
While I was only parting my lips without speaking,
“I apologize, Your Grace.”
Bill bowed to me.
“...?”
An ominous premonition flashed through me.
Things were going wrong somewhere. It seemed my loyal butler had made a grave mistake about something.
“I sincerely apologize for failing to understand Your Grace's intentions and starting the preparations late.”
“...”
“How dare they view the Schmaichel family so lightly as to send such a bride. It is truly deplorable.”
Bill's voice lowered as if suppressing his anger.
“Leaving whatever bride they sent alone all this time was thanks to Your Grace's mercy. But since their insolence has reached the heavens, I presume you intend to no longer stand by and watch.”
“...”
“As an example of that, the bride arriving today will personally experience the wrath of the Schmaichel family. Seeing the personnel filling the front of the mansion, she will surely realize her place.”
Before I knew it, the surroundings had grown quiet.
It was because everyone within earshot of Bill's voice was paying attention to him.
The guards, the servants, and the knights all said nothing. But their resolute gazes held a firm resolve.
‘Leave it to us, Your Grace.’
‘We must show her exactly what kind of place the Schmaichel family is.’
‘We will make sure that woman doesn't even dare make a peep.’
They were completely united at this very moment. It was a fervor I hadn't felt even when I went out on my first subjugation.
“...”
These bastards?
I was so dumbfounded I couldn't even get angry.
I finally understood why such a welcoming ceremony had been prepared. Everyone thought I had prepared this event to pressure my new wife.
‘It's because of those rumors.’
I recalled how Bill had been so anxious when he handed me the report earlier.