If you don’t love me, I will die.

When I opened my eyes, I was somewhere else.

No, it wasn’t the rooftop of Yerchevich’s mansion but of the Radner family’s.

It’s still a serene and orderly space.

In the distance, I faintly hear the sound of knights training.
Is it spring already?

I can hear the chirping of birds and see butterflies fluttering.

But anyway… What was I doing just now?

Oh, right.

I was definitely swinging a sword on the training ground.
It hasn’t been even a week since I was reincarnated.

I was at a loss on how to live, so I was endlessly swinging the sword.

I couldn’t grasp the etiquette or anything of the nobles.
In my frustration, I could do nothing other than swing the sword like this.

But why does this feel so familiar?
Even though it’s only been about a week, it feels as cozy as a home.

It seems that the saying ‘humans are creatures of adaptation’ is indeed true.

Then, someone opened the door to the training ground.

“Young master.”
“What is it?”

Lorendel. A servant of the Radner family.
She walked slowly towards me.

“I have brought some news.”
“Speak.”
“Miss Ania Bronte has come to visit.”

Ania Bronte?
Who was that again?

I can’t remember.

“Who is she?”
“She is the young lady from the Bronte family you are engaged with.”
“Ah…”

Come to think of it, there was such a person.
Edward’s fiancée, Ania Bronte.

‘Why her of all people…’

Ania Bronte was a woman who was famous in the Empire.
Not for good reasons though…

The ugliest woman in the Empire.

How ugly could she be?
And why do I have to marry such a woman?

It’s a mystery.
Did such an event occur in the original work?

I can’t remember.
There’s a vague memory, but… it’s as if the memories have been blurred out or erased.

“Let’s go.”

I followed Lorendel to the garden.

The garden on this spring day, with butterflies fluttering around.
It’s the work of the Viscount Radner, who once delved into arboriculture.

Truly, it’s a beautiful and tranquil garden.
But there was something that ruined it.

“……”

As rumored, she was indeed incredibly ugly.

She had a face so hideous that it’s indescribable.

If someone hadn’t mentioned her as a lady, I wouldn’t have known she was a woman.

At least Ania Bronte was wearing a semi-transparent mask over her face.

“Sir.”

She spoke to me.

“Why are you here?”
“What’s wrong with a woman visiting her husband-to-be?”

She had a point.

In this world, it wasn’t much of an issue for a woman to visit her future husband.
It was even considered virtuous.

“If you had written to me beforehand, I would have come to you.”
“I didn’t want to put you through that trouble.”

She said with a wry smile.

Her face was shockingly ugly…
But why couldn’t I take my eyes off that face I saw for the first time in my life?

It was truly strange.

“So, what brings you to the mansion?”
“Just… wanted to meet you, sir.”

Ania Bronte slowly approached me.

She had a really ugly face…
Why was it like that?

My heart was pounding.
Have I gone crazy at last?

Why am I so nervous around such a woman?

“Shall we take a walk?”

Ania Bronte took my hand and led me to the garden.

Butterflies fluttered around.
The scent of spring filled the garden.

To walk in the garden with such a woman on such a beautiful day…

But it was strangely fascinating…
I didn’t really dislike it that much.

***

Eventually, the day of the wedding arrived.

“Do you both swear to love each other eternally?”
“I swear.”

Somehow, we ended up getting married.

Living a lifetime with a woman like her felt unfair and infuriating at times…

But the Radner family couldn’t survive without the support of the Bronte family.

It was because my father failed in business several times.

Well, let’s just think of it as being sold off.

After all, marriage is just a formality.

Once I find a decent woman, I can just marry her.

Having one or two lovers among the nobility wouldn’t be a problem.

But despite thinking so, my eyes kept going to that woman.

Ania Bronte.

Why did I keep stealing glances at such an ugly woman?

“It’s time to go.”

Why couldn’t I refuse the woman leading me by the hand as she pleased?

Then, suddenly, I remembered.

Ania Bronte.

Before her accident, she was said to be the Empire’s greatest beauty despite now wearing a mask to cover her disfigured face and scars.

Of course, I couldn’t know her face back then.

She always covered her disfigured face with a mask, even in the original’s illustrations.

It was a bit disappointing.

If I had married such a beauty, it would have been better.

“We have arrived.”

Lost in thought, I found myself at the mansion, the small estate between the Radner and Bronte families.
It was the small mansion the Bronte family had bought and left neglected.

From today on, this would be where this woman and I would live.

***

A month had passed since then.

Contrary to my concerns, married life was smoother than I had expected.

For reasons unknown to me, Ania Bronte seemed to quite like me.

Perhaps she liked Edward Radner, not me, but…

“Is it delicious?”
“Your cooking skills are getting better every day.”

Sometimes, while I was eating, she would look at me with a smiling face and say,

“There’s a festival nearby. Would you like to go together?”
“A festival… Sounds good.”

Whatever it was, she wanted to do it with me.

Surprisingly, I found myself falling for her more and more.

The time spent with Ania Bronte was incredibly enjoyable.

Why was I so happy spending time with such an ugly woman?

It was truly inexplicable.

However, regardless of the happy married life, rumors were circulating in society.

Marrying that ugly woman… It seemed like the Radner family was quite desperate.

The Radner family’s eldest son has a unique taste, they said.

Of course, I wasn’t one to be swayed by baseless rumors.

But Ania seemed different.

Often, she attended social events and remained silent as if feeling depressed.

While reading the newspaper issued by the Imperial Central News Bureau, she would let out a small sigh.

‘It seemed that there were rotten journalists in every world.’

Each time, I couldn’t figure out what I should say.

Should I offer words of comfort?
No… What could I possibly say to comfort her?

Although we are married, Ania is from the Bronte family, a noble family.
I am the son of a humble, knightly family.

I wasn’t in a position to offer comfort.

—

Time passed by quickly.

A year has passed since I married Ania Bronte.

As the dirty rumors in society gradually decreased… surprisingly, my father’s business succeeded.

With the knights accomplishing great deeds each time, the name of the Radner Knights became quite famous.

Thanks to that, the Radner family started to become increasingly wealthy.
It’s all thanks to Johann Radner.

He’s Edward’s younger brother, quite business-savvy and with a straightforward personality.

Everyone criticized it as a pointless effort.
They mocked, saying, “What can a bastard do?”

But he succeeded impressively.

The Radner family has grown into a wealthy family that rivals the former Bronte family.
However, the current Bronte family was collapsing miserably.

It had been long since they fell out of favor with the Emperor due to repeated business failures.
Thanks to that, society became noisy.
The man who foolishly married the ugliest woman in the Empire has become a sought-after man in any family.

“Wouldn’t you rather discard such a woman and marry me?”
“I have held feelings for you for a long time.”

Many women tried to ensnare me.
They were all beauties of the Empire, famous throughout the land.

“I’m sorry, but I am already married.”

I turned down all of them.

Ania had a status akin to a commoner, and Edward was now a son of a well-to-do family, so he could have chosen any beauty as his lover.

Nevertheless, it was impossible.

An ethical issue?
Was it conscience?

It wasn’t that.

I simply couldn’t bear leaving Ania Bronte and marrying another woman.

She had become a part of my life without me even realizing it.

“Edward.”

But circumstances often change relationships.

“Where are you going?”
“To the Radner family for a moment….”
“Lies.”
“What?”
“You’re going to meet that woman who visited last time, aren’t you?”

Ania was getting increasingly anxious.

Perhaps she thought I might leave her and go somewhere far away.

“No, that’s not it. Why would I meet another woman when I have you?”
“I… am not attractive.”
“I’m nothing special either.”
“No, you’re….”

Ania hesitated for a moment, then swallowed her words and turned away.

“No, please go. I was foolish.”