Chapter 1

Falcon, the son of the Marshal of the Illuminati Kingdom, had a fiancée. Leucasia, nicknamed the "White-haired Lady" due to her silver hair that made her look like an old woman, was known for her modest and humble nature. She avoided social gatherings and wore plain clothes, living a life much like a real old woman.

Leucasia's ascetic attitude was somewhat unsatisfying and boring for Falcon. "That must have been the reason," people who later learned of the "incident" said with a knowing look.

The incident began when Falcon met Leucasia's younger sister. From the moment they met, they felt a fateful connection and were drawn to each other.

When Falcon expressed his desire to stay at the villa of Leucasia's family, the Duke of Serafalle, for the summer vacation, the one who was most delighted was not Leucasia, but her younger sister, Rosa.

"This summer, I'll be spending time with Lord Falcon... Oh no, what should I do?"

Leucasia watched her sister, who was lost in the delightful anticipation of a beautiful romance, with a distant, unreadable gaze.

Rosa was an extremely adorable girl. With her strawberry blonde hair and bright emerald eyes that reminded one of young buds, her youthful beauty was often compared to a rosebud. Her precarious beauty, which promised to bloom into a stunning flower, strongly attracted men.

Falcon was Leucasia's fiancé. He was allowed to come for the summer vacation to spend time with her.

However, Leucasia had already reached a state of resignation and was watching Falcon and her sister's secret love affair.

—How could she, of all people, want to have an affair with her sister's fiancé? It's outrageous.

Leucasia, who had been devoted to serving convents and orphanages since childhood and was a devout follower of the Divina faith, always viewed their relationship with a critical eye.

However, no matter how much the holy scriptures forbade it, humans commit sins.

Leucasia also knew that their forbidden love would not be a significant issue in the court.

Moreover, Falcon and Rosa were clever enough to understand this, which is why they could boldly whisper their love to each other, ignoring Leucasia.

Such behavior was not a problem for Leucasia. She thought they could do as they pleased. After all, she would be the one chosen in the end.

What confused her was that her father, Duke Antonio Serafalle, was supportive of their affair.

"Falcon, welcome to my villa. I hear you like hunting. Rosa has also taken an interest. Could you teach her, please?"

"Hunting? I would like to accompany—"

"Leucasia, you should study at home. What will a future Marshal's wife do if she plays around all the time?"

—What is Father thinking?

Leucasia, feeling uneasy, tightly gripped the pendant she wore under her clothes. It was the only gift her father had ever given her.

Her father did not indulge Leucasia and often subjected her to inexplicable harsh treatment. At first, she was hurt and cried, but after encountering the teachings of the holy scriptures, her view of her father changed.

According to the scriptures, God gives trials to his beloved children. He gives only the amount of trials that a promising individual can bear, and if they pass, they are given great blessings.

Leucasia began to think that her father's strictness was because he recognized her potential and was giving her trials for her own good. Since then, she no longer cried.

—Though it's incomprehensible to me... Father must have his reasons.

Leucasia thought optimistically and decided to follow her father's instructions.

Taking advantage of Leucasia's silence, their love quickly escalated. Kissing in casual conversations where Leucasia was present became a daily occurrence. At times, they would whisper their love in voices that even Leucasia could hear, and playfully tussle. They tried to do these things secretly when Leucasia was not looking, but she knew and would deliberately look away, pretending to focus on her book or embroidery.

The summer vacation was a continuous series of such immoral "pretending not to notice." Leucasia endured the trials without showing any displeasure, but the time passed as slowly as hell, and she longed for the vacation to end.

"Let's play hide-and-seek."

Falcon suddenly suggested.

Of course, he did not really want to play such a childish game. This was a pretext for Falcon and his sister to separate from Leucasia.

After distracting Leucasia, they planned to be alone together.

Leucasia, with her listless, weak-willed eyes, took on the role of the seeker and quickly returned to her room without looking for them.

They seemed to have enjoyed their secret rendezvous all afternoon and were very satisfied, so they kept suggesting hide-and-seek from the next day on.

The physical distance between Falcon and Rosa gradually decreased over the summer. Initially, they sat on the sofa at a respectful distance, but gradually, they moved closer, and it became common for one to pull the other closer or put an arm around their shoulder when no one was looking.

Rosa's behavior of openly looking down on Leucasia also increased.

"Sister is really hopeless. Dad, can you give me some advice? How can I get along with her?"

"There's nothing I can say. She's hopeless."

While the Duke of Serafalle was always strict with Leucasia, Rosa began to mock her more often.

"Falcon is so kind. When it rained the other day, he hugged me and warmed me up. Has he ever done that to you? He said he never has. I wonder why?"

"That's because I always have a servant with an umbrella ready on days when the weather might change."

When Leucasia occasionally countered, Rosa would angrily retort with even more words.

"Sister is so out of touch with reality. Can she really be a Marshal's wife?"

Perhaps there was a hidden disdain for her sister, who had been betrayed by Falcon. While feeling sad that her once adorable sister had become someone who looked down on others, Leucasia maintained her silence with her "creepy," emotionless gaze.

—Is Father satisfied with this?

Eventually, all feelings of affection for Falcon disappeared from Leucasia's heart. Since she could watch their passionate love without any emotional response, her studies progressed even more smoothly.

One time, Leucasia was so engrossed in a difficult mathematical formula that she managed to solve it over several days. Wanting someone to see her work, she looked around and saw Falcon fondling Rosa's clothes.

Discovering that she was completely unaffected, Leucasia gasped.

—This was it. Father's trial.

Perhaps her father wanted Leucasia to learn to control her emotions. A person in power must not make decisions based on personal feelings. An unshakable heart is essential.

—Because I am to become a Marshal's wife.

Although she no longer felt any dreams or hopes about marrying Falcon, Leucasia began to look forward to serving the people as a Marshal's wife.

Therefore, when Falcon announced the end of their engagement, even Leucasia, who was usually composed, was left speechless.

"I fell in love with Rosa. Therefore, I cannot marry you."

Leucasia tried to argue that love was not necessary in noble marriages, but her words were shattered by what followed.

"Duke Serafalle has already agreed. I'm sorry, but I will re-engage with Rosa."

—Father... why...?

Did her father love her? Was this the trial he gave her? Did he expect her to be the only one who could become a Marshal's wife, and was this his cruel treatment?

Leucasia, in a state of confusion, nodded. Her father had said it, and she could not disobey.

"Thank you. I will re-engage, but I don't hate you. I would be happy if we could remain friends."

Leucasia, in shock, could not think clearly and let Falcon's words wash over her.

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