A few years ago, there was a death in the capital that took the nation by storm. Everyone, regardless of their gender or social standing, was deeply engrossed in it and eagerly anticipated any new developments.

It was the unfortunate demise of a young bride who had perished before her husband ever laid eyes on her.

The newlywed maiden, glowing with happiness and hope for a new life, was cruelly cast off the lovers' cove, bringing a heartbreaking end to the romantic tale of a young couple before it had a chance to blossom.

The tragedy gripped the hearts of the citizens as they mourned the departed soul for a peaceful afterlife.

Over the years, the tragedy that once brought the entire nation together slowly faded from memory, slipping into the abyss of forgotten lore, and the haunting image of a young bride with her tattered wedding gown and hollow, lifeless eyes wandering the cliffs of Mount Zion became an eerie legend.

That was until one starry night, when the heavens descended from the skies, enveloping the lands with a mystical light.

Soon after, the long-forgotten cursed bride, emerged from the realm of the deceased, casting a veil of mysteriousness over her return. This resurgence captured the attention of the people once more, reigniting a fervent and insatiable interest in her.

This is the enigmatic and sorrowful tale surrounding Young Duchess Frost, The Cursed Bride.

~ By Lorin Alvernath, the Daily Volos











"The cursed bride spotted at the Imperial Palace!"

I inadvertently crumpled the newspaper I was holding in my hands.

"Are you kidding me? That's what they're calling me. I have a name."

The headline was printed in big, bold letters and even featured a picture of Edward and me coming out of the Ivory Palace in each other's arms.

It was not just this newspaper, but all of the major newlines, from the imperial-endorsed newspapers to the low-level tabloids, had identical content covering their front pages. Surely for the gossipy newspapers, it was the resurrection story of the century.

"Ugh!"

I scrunched my face at the ridiculousness of the article I just read and picked up a different newspaper from the pile, one that appeared less likely to have such articles.

So far, all those I have read seemed to have been written by reporters whose imaginations ran wild. Especially the article from the Daily Volos, which might as well be the screenplay for a movie instead of being an informative piece.

"Really? That's what you're concerned about?" Adelaide rolled her eyes at me disapprovingly.

After the fiasco of a day at the Imperial Palace, I came home to a warm bath, a delicious meal, and a soft bed, yet I couldn't sleep a wink.

'Wait a minute' I paused mid-thought.

Since when did I start addressing the Frost Estate as my home? I couldn't remember. My memory has been coming and going at times, and I sometimes lose track of myself.

'No!' I shook my head to stop my thoughts from deviating.

Since the encounter at the palace, I kept thinking about what went wrong, and before I knew it, it was already dawn and the Eir priests had arrived at my door.

The archmage Richard being a prick wasn't much of a surprise, but learning that Adelaide, my beloved childhood friend, was the villainous engaged to Alexander, another one of the male leads, was what left me utterly disoriented.

Fortunately, Adelaide came to see me a little after noon, and we were sitting on the balcony overlooking the garden, where I usually conduct my research, having a chat over tea. At least, Adelaide did while I watched.

Unlike how she acted worried and flustered at the palace, Adelaide was back to her usual strict self, drinking tea as elegantly as ever.

"Are you not having any tea?" Adelaide asked, holding the cup in her hand.

The pleasant fragrance of the rich tea permeated the air, enough to entice the senses of the tired mind. Still, I turned her down.

"I don't drink tea."

"Why?"

"The last time I had tea, I got married, so... I'll pass."

I shifted my eyes from a confused Adelaide back to the newspaper.

Knowing that my connections to the outside world were nonexistent, Adelaide had brought a few newspapers with her after a comment I had made about the same the previous day. And I'm grateful she thought so.

As immediately as I read the headlines, I clicked my tongue. This paper was on the gossip side of the business.

Rather than presenting news about current global events, it was essentially the window into other people's lives, mine included.

However, it had something valuable that the rest of the newspapers did not. It had a detailed event calendar for the upcoming social season along with speculative news on famous figures.

To my relief, there was no mention of war with Velven in any of the newspapers... yet.

'The foundation ball is coming up'

In every typical romantic novel, you can expect a scene where all the characters gather for a grand ball event in the palace, setting the stage for predictable conflicts over the heroine. Considering the timeline, this year's foundation ball was bound to be eventful, especially with every main character vying for the heroine's attention.

Even so, gathering all the influential figures of the empire in one place for socializing. It will be a battleground nonetheless.

I had never attended the foundation ball once in my life, even though a representative from our family had attended it every year. The most social gatherings I had been to were small parties within the local communities.

Despite Adelaide's persistent invitations, I had never been able to attend the foundation ball, as it always clashed with the hunting season in Ashford County, during which grandmother and I, along with Chirpy, would spend the entire season up the cabin in the Finnel Mountains.

Although this is not how I expected it to be, I guess this is the year I finally get to see the foundation ball, the most lavish of all celebrations in the empire.

I wonder what a grand ball would look like in real life.

"So... new hairstyle? I didn't know you were into drills." I commented, glancing at Adelaide over the newspaper.

"Does it look weird? My maids suggested I curl them into tight rolls."

Adelaide delicately brushed her fingers through her luscious, curly locks, which exuded a captivating beauty but also carried the distinctive essence of a villainess's signature hairstyle.

"For the love of God, Addie. Don't do that!" I exclaimed, putting down the newspaper.

'Please don't go around casually raising flags, Addie!'

"It's alright. I wasn't much fond of it either." Adelaide said and flipped her hair back, putting an end to the crisis at hand.

'Yes! That was a crisis successfully averted!'

I struck a victory pose inside my mind.

Knowing Adelaide, I'm confident that she would never go back on a decision once she decides against it. This way, I can rest assured that I have prevented her from transforming into the classic villainous.

At the same time, when I reflect on the villainous's character, all I can picture is a haughty noblewoman, steeped in stereotypes, who perceived the heroine as a threat and treated her coldly and harshly.

Honestly, it was not much different from how most male leads treat their love interests in romance novels. In fact, they pretty much follow the exact blueprint as the villainous when it comes to abusing, torturing, and kidnapping the heroine for their own desires.

The only difference was that when the male leads did it, they were labeled as being a 'yandere' and received admiration. But when the male lead's fiancée did the same, she was vilified and hated.

Even though both characters were equally bad in their actions, why is there such blatant discrimination?

Since one of the issues was settled, I brought up the topic that had become the source of my recent troubles.

"There are thousands of great guys out there, Addie. Why him?"

"Are you talking about Lord Hermann?"

'Of course I'm talking about that arrow-diving prick!'

I kept my thoughts to myself and offered a hardened smile instead.

"Lord Hermann is from a prestigious family." Adelaide spoke in her practiced noble manner with her head held high.

"There are many prestigious families out there with far better dudes." I responded, maintaining my smile.

"He has an honorable position at the Imperial Court."

"Again. There are countless other guys who've achieved far greater than him and way better choices."

"Lord Herrmann has impeccable manners and commands immense respect as a nobleman."

"Manner's not going to cut it if he-"

"Lord Herrmann is the heir to the Herrmann Marquiste. His virtue is commended by the people and his..." Adelaide cut me off before I could finish my sentence and began praising Alexander with more words than I could comprehend.

"Mhmmm?"

I arched my brow at Adelaide as I listened, suspicious of her fervently defending Alexander. It looked as though she was determined not to entertain any criticism about him, no matter what I said.

It made me think of how she blushed at Alexander's sweet words and then took his hand without hesitation. Hence, when she eventually quieted down, I asked,

"He took you wyvern riding, didn't he?"

"Pfft!"

Adelaide nearly dropped the teacup in her hand and turned toward me, her face a dark shared of red.

"How did you know that?"

'Looks like I hit the nail on the head.'

I made an educated guess about what a guy in his position would possibly consider to be extravagantly romantic and immediately thought of the Wyverns since the Imperial Knights are famous for them.

When I told Adelaide it was my intuition, she sighed heavily and looked at me with an earnest expression.

"He was the only person who believed me, Angelica."

She emphasized again,

"He believed me."

At the time when I was considered to be deceased, the only person aside from her who believed in my survival was none other than Alexander Herrmann, the Commander of the Imperial Knights and the lead investigator of the case. And as fate would have it, they had met during my funeral at the capital, where an empty casket was buried under my name.

As they worked together to investigate the attack on Mount Zion, they found themselves spending more and more time with each other. Then one thing led to another, and their professional partnership blossomed into a deep and meaningful connection. Before long, their families took notice of their deepening bond, leading to their engagement.

'It was me? I drove her to him!?' I facepalmed inwardly. It was yet another ripple effect of my meddling that had brought about this disaster.

Of course, the Adelaide I know is not a comical villain from a storybook. She is anything but a one-dimensional character who does things without any reason or motive.

Adelaide Norton was a prideful noblelady with a heart of gold. Despite what her intimidating appearance might suggest, she would not hurt a fly.

But for her to turn to the other side... I could only imagine what she must have gone through.

From the novel Adelaide's perspective, not only did Helen take the place of her deceased friend but also became the source of devotion for her fiancée, Alexander, who in turn died protecting her life.

Despite my strong desire to oppose her choice to marry Alexander, I found myself unable to do so after witnessing Adelaide speak so affectionately of him.

I slumped my shoulders in defeat.

"Do you like him, Addie?"

"Yes, and I want you to get along with him." Adelaide squeezed my hand on the table as if to ask for reassurance.

It was ironic how, were it not for the condemnation and tragic death plot at the end, their story would have actually been a classic romantic tale.

And I, for one, was not going to let the future follow the same tragic plot for as long as I lived.

"Fine" I accepted halfheartedly to relief on Adelaide's face. Then added in a definite tone at the end.

"Just so you know, if he makes any funny moves, I'll nail him alive to a crucifix."

"!"

For a moment, Adelaide looked so startled that she froze in place with lips slightly parted. It was only after she recovered that she smacked me on the shoulder and exclaimed,

"Dear lord! You haven't changed one bit!"

The next moment we broke into laughter so much that we found ourselves transported back in time to the Ashford County.

Adelaide wiped the tears off the corner of her eyes, trying and failing to compose herself.

While Adelaide may have thought that I was only kidding, deep down I knew that I was serious. If Alexander so much as looks in the wrong direction, I will, as a matter of fact, skin him alive.

Up until yesterday, the villainous was a faceless stranger in the grand scheme of things, someone in a position that was the same but at the same time different from mine.

Which brought up the undeniable question. Had it not been someone dear to me...

'Would I have cared as much?'

My thoughts were cut short by the arrival of Eve with a tray full of snacks.

I glanced at Adelaide to find her already back to her usual self refilling her emptied cup with a fresh batch and smiled.

After Eve left and we were back alone on the balcony, it was my turn to talk.