IFHWPUML Chapter 001

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Prologue

 

“Do you vow to love and cherish each other till death do you part?”

“I do.”

“…”

The words flowed from him without any hesitation.

On what was supposed to be the happiest day in the world, he displayed a cold face that did not look like that of a groom on his wedding day.

But visible on the corner of his mouth, was a small smile, known only to himself.

Wilhazelle on the other hand, was just staring blankly ahead. She needed to answer the officiants question, but couldn’t.

The moment she says ‘I do’ everything would change.

‘Do I really want to go through with this?’

This just proves nobody can really predict the future.

She never dreamed she would be marrying him.

Of course, it was all his idea.

“Wilhazelle.”

Wilhazelle trembled in surprise when the voice broke the silence.

She slowly lifted her head and caught sight of the man in front of her.

He was wearing a neat black suit and seemed to shine brightly.

His face was beautiful, as if a sculptor had spent their lifetime using great care on their masterpiece.

Eyes that resembled real rubies shone fiercely. Tightly closed lips under the sharp bridge of his nose, like a well-crafted arrowhead.

Absolute perfection.

He was taller than most adult men and had broad shoulders. He never missed a day of training.

Thanks to this, the outline of his muscles couldn’t be hidden even with clothes. It was a picture that was both strong and sexy enough to ignite the hearts of many women. Moreover, the formal attire he was wearing was made using the highest quality fabric, the only one of its kind in the entire empire, crafted by a famous designer.

The suit was so clean that even the slightest speck of dust would not be tolerated, not a wrinkle could be found.

The Duke’s tendency toward perfection was clearly visible.

In addition to his suit, which reeked of money, the dress she was wearing was the same.

The pure white wedding dress was custom made by a famous designer and could be said to be the most expensive dress in the world.

The dress was made of luxurious silk that emitted a subtle sheen, and the bust line that revealed slender shoulders was gorgeously adorned with silver lace, pearls and rubies.

The mermaid dress hugged her body and was decorated with hundreds of pink diamonds giving off a natural sparkle.

It was worthy attire for the bride and groom of one of the empires wealthiest families.

The couple’s ceremony was held at a temple, with only close relatives as guests.

“…”

Lizelle looked at Chase, who had called to her, in silence. A faint smile could be seen on his face.

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

He spoke in a friendly tone. It was filled with kindness and affection that would make any woman’s heart flutter.

“Does the bride, Wilhazelle Frosier, take the groom, Chase Halos, to be your husband?”

The officiant asked once again when she didn’t respond.

With that question, a quiet voice could be heard coming from the small audience.

“Lizelle.”

Her head turned to the front row.

There sat a small child dressed in a tailcoat, looking right at her.

Now, she couldn’t back out.

Just one year. In one year, she could live her life to the fullest, without having to ever worry about money again.

“Haa… I do.”

“You may now exchange rings as a symbol of your love.”

At the words of the officiant, the two took out the rings they were carrying.

A 19-carat pink diamond ring was placed on her left ring finger. It fit just like a custom-made shackle.

Next, she put a simply designed ring with a small diamond on Chase’s finger.

Then, Chase showed a satisfied expression, something that was known only to him this time as well.

“With this, I declare before the goddess that the two of you have come together and become husband and wife.”

The officiant bowed his head in front of the statue of the goddess.

Wilhazelle and Chase followed suit, folding their hands and bowing before the goddess, the guardian deity of the empire.

But, instead of joy, Wilhazelle’s face showed worry.

It finally hit her. She had just married Duke Chase Halos.

 

***

 

“Haaa…”

Wilhazelle flopped down onto the wide bed, alone in the large room.

It had been a long day. She had woken up at the crack of dawn, gotten dressed and made it through the hectic wedding ceremony. She’d thought it all finally had come to an end.

But it wasn’t really the end, was it? It had then taken another hour to remove all the accessories she was wearing.

There were dozens of hair pins. Only after enduring the pain of having her hair ripped out was she then finally able to be free.

The quiet that came after all the servants departed brought her piece of mind.

Her ears even felt strained from all the loud noises throughout the day.

Knock, knock

At that moment, a knock was heard at the door.

“Come in.”

She answered absentmindedly, without much thought.

She thought it would be Tia, who said she would be there later to prepare some warm tea.

“Are you ready?”

However, the voice was too deep.

Tia’s voice was nothing like that… Wilhazelle was startled and jumped up from the bed.

“Why are you here?”

Her eyes widened; she hadn’t been expecting the person standing in front of her.

Her face then instantly heated up when she saw what he was wearing.

“What’s with that outfit!”

She hurriedly looked away, but the strong muscles visible through the thin robe were burned into her mind, her cheeks felt hot.

“It is suitable attire for a wedding night.”

Chase’s sly voice startled Wilhazelle.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Well, tonight is our first night together.”

Did he just say first night? That wasn’t in their contract.

And why was he speaking informally now?

She shook her head thinking maybe she heard wrong.

“We’re married now so of course we must spend our first night together. I’ve finished getting ready, but do you need more time?”

His voice was clear. She hadn’t heard him wrong.

Wilhazelle’s mouth dropped open in shock, it was a blow to the head.

“Oh, no… What is this…”

Chase slowly approached her as she stood there, frozen in shock.

One step, two steps.

The moonlight shining through the window was illuminating the room, making his visible muscles sparkle.

Their outline through the open robe was sexy enough to make someone drool.

The hard, well-shaped lines that seemed to be carefully crafted by the creator could whet the appetite…

Wait, that wasn’t right. Wilhazelle came to her senses a bit too late.

“Ah, don’t come over here!”

When she saw Chase approaching the bed, she staggered backward, but there was no escape, her legs hit the edge of the bed.

“Well, there’s no need to make any preparations on the wedding night.”

Chase reached the front of the bed and leaned over Wilhazelle as she cowered.

“Gasp!”

She stopped breathing in surprise as his face got closer.

“Don’t even think about sleeping tonight.”

His deep voice, filled with desire, resonated through the room.

Hot breath and burning eyes were directed at her lips.