Under the Realm of the Beast - Chapter 1: The Switched Groom (5)

Her uncle sighed heavily, looking at his daughter with pity. Meanwhile, Irmina burst into tears and shouted,

“The Marquis of Ligius sent a marriage proposal for Valetta! This is absurd! She’s nothing but a penniless orphan who’s lived off our family her entire life. How could she marry Erik? Yesterday, he was kind to me—only to make a good impression on her!”

Irmina’s jealousy burned so fiercely that tears streamed down her face.

Why am I being treated like this…?

Valetta was dumbfounded by her situation. Ever since her parents had passed away, she had lived in the Dampierre household, but it wasn’t as if she had done nothing.

As a child, she endured all kinds of abuse and did menial chores like a servant. When she grew older, her brother Friedrich, a royal knight, sent generous sums of money to cover her living expenses. Yet despite that, the family treated her with scorn and hostility, making her feel like an unwelcome burden.

After Friedrich’s death, the consolation money and rewards granted by the Imperial Family were swallowed up by the Count of Dampierre. Valetta longed to escape this wretched household. She also wanted to make them suffer.

Thus, on an impulse, she made a bold declaration.

“Uncle, I’ll marry him.”

“…What? Are you out of your mind?”

“I’ll use the consolation money and rewards from the Imperial Family as my dowry and marry him. If my marriage doesn’t go through, I’ll ask Her Majesty the Empress to arrange it herself. You know, don’t you? Her Majesty has always looked out for me because of Friedrich.”

Valetta bit back her tears with all her might. She felt not just sorrow but crushing humiliation, yet she refused to cry in front of them. When the Empress was mentioned, fear flashed across the faces of her aunt, uncle, and Irmina. Though they said nothing in response, their silence was enough for Valetta.

Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel and left the room.

As soon as she entered her own chambers, the tears she had held back came flooding out.

“Friedrich… Friedrich…”

Her brother’s death felt particularly unbearable that day.

‘How could you leave me behind in a place like this and go on without me?’

The only way to escape the clutches of the detestable Dampierre family was through marriage. Erik Ligius had the right conditions, and he seemed to like her—he wasn’t a bad match.

She had once dreamed of marrying for love and building a happy family, a dream that had been her lifelong wish. But now, it felt meaningless.

‘Love doesn’t mean anything anymore.’

So, she resolved to marry someone suitable and leave this place behind. It might not be a grand life, but even a dull one would be better than enduring unjust treatment.

With that thought, Valetta made up her mind: she would marry.

* * *

Valetta and Erik’s marriage plans were swiftly executed under the leadership of the Ligius family. Within a mere week, the wedding date was set, and a month later, her wedding dress was delivered to the Dampierre estate.

Irmina stared at Valetta’s dress with envy so deep it nearly consumed her. The exquisite gown, made of the finest silk and adorned with lace rare even in the Imperial Family, was breathtaking. More than that, it clearly signaled how warmly the Marquisate of Ligius welcomed Valetta.

News of Valetta’s engagement to Erik, the Empire’s most beautiful woman, spread quickly across the capital, making her the talk of the city.

Amid the flurry of wedding preparations, the Count of Dampierre received a critical letter from none other than Duke Leonard Carnies. After reading the letter, the Count quietly summoned Irmina and his wife to his study.

“Read this.”

Irmina and the Countess sat side by side, taking the letter the Count handed them. It was a marriage proposal from Duke Carnies, requesting permission to wed Valetta.

Irmina’s face fell into despair.

“Valetta again? Why is it always Valetta…?” she muttered, unable to finish her sentence as her voice trembled with resentment.

“Irmina,” the Count began, his tone heavy. “Think carefully. This is a proposal from the monster duke.”

“But she’s already about to marry the Marquis of Ligius! The wedding is next Saturday!” Irmina protested.

“Oh, my dear daughter,” the Count said with a sigh. “Carnies is a ducal house. Even the Emperor himself cannot easily refuse their requests. How could we possibly deny this? The marriage hasn’t happened yet, and the engagement was skipped entirely. Nothing is finalized.”

Understanding her husband’s intent, the Countess grinned from ear to ear as she added,

“And most importantly, he’s a monster.”

Only Irmina sat there, blinking stupidly, trying to grasp the situation.

“And the Duke is offering us one million berks as a bridal price!”

“One million berks?!” the Countess exclaimed. “That much money? He must be desperate to marry her!”

One million berks was an enormous fortune—enough to buy a small estate outright.

The Countess, now thoroughly excited, continued,

“But why Valetta? Of all people, why her?”

They all knew that Friedrich’s death had caused a deep rift between Leonard and Valetta. If he truly desired marriage, the Duke could have found a bride with far better prospects. Yet, he had chosen Valetta, who openly despised him.

“The answer is simple,” the Count explained. “With his monstrous, hideous appearance, no woman with a family to protect her would agree to marry him. The only kind of noblewoman who might consider it is one without parents to rely on. But how many such women are there? And while the Irfman family has fallen, their lineage is still one of the most prestigious, rivaling even the Imperial Family.”

“That’s true, my dear,” the Countess agreed.

“W-Wait, Mother, Father,” Irmina interjected, her voice quaking. “What exactly is happening right now?”

The Count, feigning innocence, simply smirked.

“If we were to cancel the wedding now and inform the invited guests, the Marquisate’s reputation would be utterly destroyed,” the Count said calmly. “So, we’ll simply present a more agreeable bride in place of the missing one.”

“As for the dowry… Valetta may be going without one, but that won’t do, will it? As an apology, we’ll send the vast reparations she received in Friedrich’s name from His Majesty as her dowry.”

“Yes, that would be ideal. As expected, you’re quite clever,” the Count replied with a pleased grin.

“S-Surely not…!” Irmina’s eyes widened in shock.

The Countess, smiling sweetly, pinched her beloved daughter’s cheek.
“Ah, what a lucky girl you are. Yes, that’s right. You will marry Erik Ligius in Valetta’s place. And Valetta will be sent off to marry the far more advantageous Duke Carnies!”

“But… would Valetta agree to marry Duke Carnies?” Irmina asked hesitantly.

“That’s why we all need to be careful with our words. I’ll begin coordinating with the Marquisate from today, but keep this a secret from Valetta. She’ll only find out that her groom has changed when she’s at the altar.”

“Oh… that’s quite… entertaining,” Irmina said, her lips curling into a satisfied smile.

“This is an amusing turn of events, Father.”

* * *

Completely unaware of what her aunt and uncle were scheming, Valetta was busy packing her belongings to take with her to her new home. In truth, her “belongings” were only a few sets of clothes and pairs of shoes. After discarding the ones too worn out to take, the rest fit comfortably into a single bag.

Watching her from behind, Irmina let out a small laugh.

“Hey, Valetta.”

Irmina herself had been busy with her own wedding preparations, overwhelmed with the endless tasks to complete on such short notice. She especially spent a great deal of time at the dressmaker’s, frequently visiting to rush the seamstresses.

“When did you come in?” Valetta asked, turning toward her.

“Tomorrow, huh? Your wedding day.”

“Yes, it’s already tomorrow.”

“It’s goodbye for us, then,” Irmina said, lowering her eyebrows in a show of mock sadness. Valetta frowned slightly, unaccustomed to Irmina acting so sisterly toward her.

“I’ll miss you. I hope your married life is blessed by the gods.”

“Ah, um… thanks.”

Irmina couldn’t help but find Valetta pitiful, still believing Erik Ligius was to be her groom. In reality, Valetta’s husband would be none other than the infamous “monster duke,” Leonard Carnies, whose cursed and hideous appearance had become the talk of the capital.

For this reason, Irmina’s words about the gods’ blessings were genuine. No matter how lofty Leonard’s status might be, his appearance was nauseating to the point of being unbearable to even look at, let alone to live with as his wife.

On top of that, a couple’s duties included producing heirs to continue the family lineage. How could anyone share a bed, let alone a life, with such a beastly man? Just imagining it made Irmina feel sick—but also amused.

Still, Valetta knew none of this. Hesitating slightly, she offered her cousin a blessing in return.

“Well, I hope that… whoever you end up marrying, you’ll always be happy.”

Valetta didn’t want to part with Irmina on bad terms, even if their relationship had never been warm.

Then, she noticed the book she had been about to pack wasn’t hers—it was Irmina’s.

“Oh, this is your book,” Valetta said, holding it out to her cousin.

Irmina glanced at the title: Reading Scholarly Journals in Advanced Ancient Languages. She shook her head dismissively. It was just a book she had bought to fill up the study shelves and had no use for.

“I don’t need it. You keep it.”

“But—”

“Think of it as a wedding gift from me.”

Irmina smiled brightly as she played with the long strands of her brown hair, curling them around her fingers. Her eyes betrayed a flicker of pity, but Valetta, too nervous about the upcoming wedding, failed to notice it.

“Well, thank you. I’ll make good use of it.”

Valetta quietly continued her preparations, unaware of the treachery brewing behind her back. She focused on the few belongings she had to pack. Her possessions were so meager that even after sorting out the items too old or shabby to take, her bag still had plenty of room.

Watching her from behind, Irmina let out a sly laugh.

“Hey, Valetta.”

Irmina had been running herself ragged over the past few days, hastily preparing for her own wedding. Between the fittings for her custom gown and overseeing other arrangements, she had barely found a moment to rest.

“When did you get here?” Valetta asked without turning around.

“Tomorrow’s your big day, huh? Your wedding.”

“Yes, it’s finally tomorrow.”

“It’ll be our goodbye, then,” Irmina said with exaggerated melancholy, lowering her eyebrows dramatically. Valetta frowned slightly at Irmina’s unusually sentimental tone.

“I’ll miss you. May the blessings of the gods accompany your married life.”

“Uh… thank you,” Valetta replied, feeling puzzled but polite.

Irmina, fully aware that Valetta was oblivious to the true identity of her future husband, felt a mixture of pity and triumph. As far as Irmina knew, Valetta still believed she would be marrying Erik Ligius, but in reality, her groom would be Leonard Carnies—the so-called “monster duke.”

Irmina’s words about divine blessings were sincere, if only because she couldn’t fathom how Valetta would endure such a horrifying union. The idea of sharing a life—or a bed—with someone as grotesque as Leonard was unthinkable to her, enough to make her stomach churn.

“May the gods truly bless you,” Irmina thought to herself with a smirk, though she swallowed her cruel amusement before it could escape her lips.

Meanwhile, Valetta, unaware of the deception, hesitated before extending her own goodwill. “I hope… whoever you end up marrying, you’ll always be happy.”

Valetta, despite her strained relationship with Irmina, didn’t want to part on bitter terms.

As she turned back to her packing, she noticed something among her belongings—a book that wasn’t hers.

“Oh, this is your book,” she said, holding it out to Irmina.

Irmina glanced at the title, Reading Scholarly Journals in Advanced Ancient Languages, and waved it off. “I don’t need it. You keep it.”

“But—”

“Consider it a wedding gift from me.”

Irmina smiled, twirling a strand of her long brown hair between her fingers. Valetta, too distracted by her nerves for the upcoming wedding, didn’t notice the glint of pity in Irmina’s eyes.

“Well, thank you. I’ll make good use of it,” Valetta said quietly, still feeling the weight of the approaching day.

The next day, the household was bustling with activity. Valetta emerged from her small, converted storage-room bedroom to find the servants rushing around. She stopped one of them, a maid named Laura, to ask a question.

“Laura, when will my bouquet arrive?”