chapter 10
Standing a step behind the duke, I was so lost in recalling the original story that I didn’t even notice the people staring at me.
“!”
When Ricado turned to look at me with cold eyes, I finally realized everyone’s gaze had been fixed on me. Even the Emperor was watching with mild curiosity.
The Empress smiled faintly.
“Stella, you seem nervous. It makes sense—this is your first time meeting His Majesty.”
She then turned to the Emperor as if supporting me.
“Your Majesty. This is the child I mentioned before. The one who will become your second son’s wife.”
As soon as she finished, I quickly stepped forward and offered a proper greeting.
“Greetings, Your Majesty. I am Stella Enrio.”
By coincidence, I ended up standing right beside Ricado, making us look like an already married couple.
The Emperor slowly stroked his beard and spoke.
“I’ve heard you are a distant relative of the Empress. Since you will soon become family, feel free to visit the palace often as if it were your own home. Ricado is so busy these days that he hardly ever shows his face to his father.”
For a moment, the atmosphere turned awkward. Ricado’s expression stiffened slightly, and even the Empress’s smile seemed to distort.
“I am honored, Your Majesty. I will visit whenever I have time.”
As I lifted my head after replying, my eyes met those of a young woman standing ahead.
That woman…
She looked about my age, but her gaze was arrogant, as if she were someone of far higher status, looking down at me.
Black hair, pale skin, and a refined yet sharp beauty—she seemed no less imposing than the Empress herself.
Pania?
A name flashed through my mind. How could I not know her? In the original story, she was the infamous woman who treated Kaela like a servant and looked down on her.
Pania Zenkyshi was the wife of the Third Prince, Illein, and her maternal family, the Tragi Count House, held immense influence in the Empire.
If anything, her cruelty felt even more refined than the Empress’s—she had a talent for smiling kindly while crushing people underneath.
Like the Empress, Pania also saw Ricado as a major obstacle. That was why she was already looking at me, his bride, with such hostile eyes.
But I already knew what she was like from the original story, so I wasn’t particularly intimidated. I met her sharp glare with a faint smile, which made her frown in irritation.
“Ricado,” the Emperor said, “you must understand there are those who approach the imperial family with impure intentions. To prevent unrest, your mother has selected an appropriate bride for you. You should appreciate her deep consideration.”
His words sounded considerate on the surface, but in reality, they mocked both Ricado and me at once.
When I glanced sideways, I thought I saw the corners of Ricado’s tightly set lips twist slightly upward.
Well, I suppose that’s understandable.
While other sons were paired with daughters of prestigious noble houses, he had been given a bride from an obscure, low-ranking family—practically a servant-born illegitimate child.
“Thank you, Mother.”
He bowed to the Empress in gratitude, but I could almost hear the sound of his teeth grinding. It felt like he was silently declaring war on her.
After the brief encounter with the imperial family ended, we left the palace. At the top of the grand central staircase, nobles gathered in a noisy crowd.
Those who hadn’t been allowed inside the hall made way for Ricado and me.
“The Duke doesn’t look pleased.”
“So that’s the lady the Empress brought?”
“Hush. He might hear you.”
They whispered loudly enough to be heard, but quickly shrank back whenever Ricado passed by. It was almost ridiculous.
Then, among the crowd we passed, I heard a faint sobbing sound.
“…?”
I turned around.
It wasn’t my imagination. A young noblewoman at the back was quickly wiping her red eyes with a handkerchief. Her maid beside her glared at me with resentment.
Huh? Why…?
The woman’s sorrowful gaze was directed at Ricado.
As if noticing it too, Ricado briefly glanced at her before continuing down the stairs.
Her longing, tearful eyes followed him… then shifted to me.
Soft golden hair flowed over her shoulders like a lily soaked in dew. Her delicate, pure beauty stood out vividly.
I instinctively knew who she was.
Yelena Guineiro
She was even more beautiful than I had imagined from the dreamlike version in my memory.
She was clearly devastated that Ricado’s bride was not her. Of course she would be—another woman had suddenly appeared before her engagement.
Because I had possessed Stella’s body, I had ended up forcibly becoming Ricado’s wife. Strangely, I felt a pang of guilt toward her.
Ah… I really hate situations like this.
I spoke inwardly to her.
Don’t be too sad. Ricado Zenkyshi is still your destined partner in the ending anyway. I’m just a fake wife, and I’ll leave when the time comes.
At last, the duke’s wedding was held at a chapel in the capital.
Having possessed Stella since even before the parts of the original story where Kaela appeared, I felt like I had already gone through too much. And yet, the real story was only just beginning.
While the maids hurried around me, I thought about what would happen after the wedding.
I should organize the original plot before my memories get even blurrier.
Knowing future events in advance was my greatest advantage.
What happened right after the wedding?
As I tried to recall Ricado and Kaela’s wedding night, I naturally thought of the first night.
After the simple ceremony, the two returned to the ducal estate—but that was all. The mansion was unusually quiet, almost cold, unlike what one would expect on a wedding day. Kaela became depressed in that atmosphere.
Ricado disappeared immediately after the ceremony and never came to the bridal chamber. Kaela, left alone, cried through the night and even tried to return home, until Stella comforted her.
A wedding night…
Of course, he wouldn’t come to me either.
Yet somehow, the word “wedding night” made my heart beat a little faster.
“Done.”
At that moment, the maids who had been surrounding me stepped back in unison.
I lifted my head, sensing the sudden emptiness around me.
In the mirror, I saw my reflection.
The maids looked at me with satisfaction, nodding to each other proudly, as if they had done their best work.
“Is this to your liking?”
It wasn’t just “to my liking”—the person in the mirror looked like someone entirely different.
Who was that woman sitting there in a puffed wedding dress, hair adorned beautifully?
“Is… that me?”
As if the dress itself had some kind of magic.
I couldn’t speak for a while. Or rather, Stella’s hidden beauty had finally been fully revealed.
Her neatly braided red hair flowed elegantly down to her waist beneath a golden hairpiece, and ruby jewelry sparkled against her pale skin.
The figure that had always been hidden under dull maid uniforms now looked graceful and charming.
I had already suspected Stella’s natural beauty was unusual after possessing her body—but I hadn’t expected it to be this dramatic.
One maid giggled behind her hand while watching me stare into the mirror. Soon, the others followed, trying not to laugh.
It seemed they found it funny that the bride was admiring herself.
Soon they all began to giggle openly, and I couldn’t help but laugh too. Then the laughter spread like contagion.
It was a bridal waiting room that should have been solemn—but it looked like a room full of people who had lost their minds.
I had been disappointed about possessing a maid in my past life—but I had been wrong.
There was a reason I had become Stella.
For a moment, I even thought: maybe I am the real heroine of this world, not Yelena Guineiro.
Only one person seemed displeased—Molly.
“If the mistress were here, she would’ve said the bride was being improper.”
Her cold remark instantly silenced the room.
Just then, a servant rushed in from outside.
“You must proceed to the ceremony hall now.”