Married To My Fiance’s Brother - Chapter 1

My fiancé was dead.

To be more precise, the man who was to become my husband had died.

“…They say it was an explosion. Not even a shred of his body or clothing was found.”

It was the middle of the night when my father told me the news. I had just finished preparing for bed when I was called to his study.

The news was shocking and horrible. But what was even more shocking was what my father said next.

“The imperial family has proposed an engagement with the second prince.”

“…Excuse me? Father, what are you talking about?”

I was already reeling from the news of my fiancé’s death. And now this? My mind went blank, and I could only raise my hand to cover my mouth in shock.

“It’s quite simple. You will be married to Prince Khalid, not Prince Izar… Accept it as a new arrangement.”

“But Father, how is that possible? They are two entirely different people!”

“Only in personality. They look almost identical, don’t they? After all, they were born on the same day—twins.”

Father stood by the window, his hands clasped behind his back, bathed in the pale moonlight. After a moment, he turned to me with a sigh.

“Surely you’re not going to say you object now? You’re old enough to understand how much the family’s future depends on this.”

“I… understand, but…”

“That’s settled, then. Prepare yourself. Soon, we will need to visit the palace for the funeral.”

With that, my father gestured for me to leave. Reluctantly, I stepped out into the hallway, my face twisted in discomfort. The long corridor was dimly lit by candles set at regular intervals along the walls.

Still, my vision felt dark. Or perhaps it was just my mood that made everything seem so bleak.

It was understandable—I had just received the news that my fiancé had died in battle.

Izar…

I muttered his name silently as I walked down the empty corridor.

Unlike our family, who had purchased our noble title in my grandfather’s time and were mocked as “fake nobles,” Prince Izar had been born into royalty, noble by blood.

But the imperial family’s finances had been in dire straits for generations, largely due to the long wars that had plagued the empire.

Mounting debts and frequent skirmishes in various parts of the empire had only worsened the situation.

About ten years ago, the current emperor, unable to handle the empire’s debts any longer, made a difficult decision.

Though our family lacked the prestige of royal blood, we had wealth beyond measure. So, the emperor proposed an alliance through marriage.

There’s a saying: “Strike while the iron is hot.” The emperor wasted no time in suggesting a marriage between our families.

I was only ten at the time, and I knew nothing of the world. I accompanied my father to the palace, holding his hand, unaware of what was to come.

Likewise, the ten-year-old Prince Izar knew nothing either, but we were betrothed that day.

Ten years… I thought to myself.

Luckily, Prince Izar turned out to be the perfect husband in every sense. He had the beauty and manners of royalty and had never once caused me any distress over other women.

Even when people whispered behind our backs that our family was unworthy, he never flinched. In fact, he once got angry on my behalf, demanding apologies from those who had insulted me.

We both graduated from Barkalia, the noble education institution, alongside his twin brother, Prince Khalid.

I got along well with Izar. He was kind, and we shared many peaceful moments studying together.

But with Khalid… it was different.

Our personalities clashed. We disagreed on almost everything. And worse, he had a firm belief that his brother was being sold to me for money.

Of course, he wasn’t entirely wrong. But still…

Honestly speaking, wasn’t I in the same situation? I was being sold to Izar for power, just as much as he was being sold to me.

But Khalid, whether he knew this or not, always treated me with a cold and abrasive attitude.

And now, with Izar gone, the circumstances had certainly changed…

But to marry someone like Khalid, someone I couldn’t stand, someone I wanted nothing to do with? To become his wife?

A wave of sorrow hit me with a sudden intensity, stinging my eyes.

A deep, lonely feeling washed over me, like I had been abandoned by the world.

This—this was too much, wasn’t it? I paused in the hallway, covering my face with both hands.

As I stood there in the darkness, the last image I had of Izar flashed before my eyes.

“When I return, I’ll propose to you properly.”

Just before his departure, Izar had taken me to the garden filled with lilacs, my favorite flowers.

He was never a man who cared much for flowers.

But he had remembered something I had casually mentioned during our time at Barkalia, and had arranged for a vast amount of lilacs to be planted in the Crown Prince’s garden.

He told me with a smile that once I became the crown princess, I would be able to enjoy the beautiful garden every day.

I remember the breeze catching his silver hair, causing it to shimmer slightly.

His violet eyes, like jewels, were fixed firmly on me.

In that moment, my heart raced. Even after spending so many years by his side, it was only then that I realized it.

I was in love with Izar.

“Damn this cursed war… war, war, and more war…”

Why did Izar have to be the one to die in battle? Khalid had gone to war multiple times and always returned unscathed.

Everything was moving forward without me, without giving me a moment to mourn Izar or even properly grieve.

I hadn’t dared say it in front of my father, but the truth was—I didn’t want anyone other than Izar.

I knew full well that my wishes didn’t matter in this marriage arrangement. I had no say in the matter.

But I hated it. I hated it with every fiber of my being. I didn’t want anyone but Izar.

Before I knew it, my eyes had reddened with tears.

How was it that in my own life, my wishes didn’t seem to count for anything? Why was my future being decided without even the smallest regard for my feelings?

I wiped at my eyes, but I couldn’t stop the tears I had been holding back since my father’s study from falling.

Each step I took felt unbearably heavy. At some point, I broke down completely, sobbing as I walked.

Just for one more day—just one last time—I wanted to see Izar again.

But the brutal reality was that I would now be forced, by my father’s will, to marry a man who wasn’t him.

“A puppet life.”

I murmured to myself in self-pity, brushing my wet cheeks. Tomorrow would be Izar’s funeral.

The funeral was held at the Grand Cathedral in the capital. As the crown prince of the empire had died, the number of mourners was beyond counting.

From street beggars to members of the imperial family, the cathedral and its surroundings were flooded with people.

Yet, the coffin at the center of the cathedral was empty, as there were no remains left of the one who had died.

“I still can’t believe it. That Izar… has left us like this.”

“…I feel the same, Your Majesty. Every morning when I wake up, I wonder if this is all just a dream.”

“…Renata.”

Standing by the emperor’s side, I listened to the archbishop’s prayers.

The current emperor, Icalis II, seemed more haggard than the last time I had seen him.

He was tall, towering over most, with golden hair streaked with silver, and his sorrowful violet eyes were framed by soft wrinkles. His appearance resembled what I imagined Izar would have looked like in 20 years.

Without realizing it, I found myself searching the emperor’s face for traces of Izar.

Sensing my gaze, Icalis II, who had been silent and focused on the archbishop’s prayers, gently patted my back.

Oh no. Wait a second. I felt like I was about to cry.

I forced a smile and shook my head to signal that I was fine, even though I wasn’t.

The emperor had known me since childhood, and over time, he had come to treat me like a daughter.

Though our relationship had originally been based on a transaction of wealth and power between my family and the imperial family, time had softened the edges. The emperor had developed an attachment to me during the long ten years we’d known each other.

After all, I had been meant to marry Izar and become part of the imperial family.

That fact hadn’t changed—but now, it was no longer Izar whom I would marry.

As the hymns filled the vast, high-ceilinged cathedral, my father, standing beside me, discreetly tapped my shoulder.

I knew what he wanted. He was already eager to push me closer to Khalid.

“Your Majesty,” I said softly, turning to the emperor, “there’s something that has been bothering me.”

“What is it, child? Speak your mind.”

“I can’t seem to find Prince Khalid. May I ask where he is?”

I knew why my father had urged me to ask, so I spoke. At once, Icalis II’s face darkened.

“He’s likely shirking his duties, as usual. He came with us to the cathedral, so he must be somewhere around here.”

“If it pleases Your Majesty, may I go and look for him?”

“Of course. Most of the formal proceedings have concluded.”

“Then, if you’ll excuse me, Your Majesty.”

I placed a hand over my chest and bowed politely before turning to leave. But as I was about to rise, a concerned voice echoed over me, stopping me in my tracks.