Chapter 1
Episode 01
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<The Three Duke Families>.
As the title suggests, it is a 19+ rated dark fiction novel where the three Duke families are at odds with each other.
The novel is narrated from the perspective of the female lead, who is possessed as a maid in the story, and it is like watching a drama. But from the maid's point of view, it was also a survival story where she had to survive amidst all sorts of power struggles.
Moreover, she doesn't have any romance of her own.
The observer's point of view was interesting, but the most distinctive feature of this novel was this:
The unique way the three Duke families with special abilities inherit their powers.
Even if it is not necessarily the current Duke's child, if they have the Duke family's blood, the mark of the next head of the family appears on the one with the most powerful ability.
However, special conditions were required to fully inherit the ability.
They had to marry their destined partner ‘Pero,’ whose name was engraved on their body by the power of magic, and spend three nights communicating their hearts.
Only then would one Lily Mark that blocked the ability be erased.
“Oh, new and good!”
That was what I, who was a reader of the novel until yesterday, said.
And now that I am possessed in this new, good, and terribly interesting novel, I have only one thought.
“Did you really have to include this kind of setting?”
Huh? Author? Can't we talk about this?
I was possessed as a daughter born out of wedlock in the ‘Alloze’ family, one of the three families, who commits all sorts of evil deeds as the villain family.
My father, Duke Alloze, is the head of the family who awakened his Pero early and inherited his abilities.
He is a villain who does anything to strengthen his family, and he was famous in the original story for his incredibly hot affairs and a personality that couldn't be recycled.
He definitely awakened his Pero, so he must have communicated with Pero, but he immediately had an affair.
In other words, he only loved his wife because she was Pero, and after the awakening, he no longer had any feelings for her?
A Pero should have appeared for a guy like that when he was around 50!
Well, if Pero didn't do what he wanted, he would have buried them alive to find the next Pero.
Anyway, Krua Alroze, whom I possessed, is the daughter born between that man, who is free with his lower body, and a commoner woman.
Duke Alloze killed Krua Alroze's commoner mother as soon as she gave birth to the child.
He can take in Krua, who has his blood, but he cannot take in a commoner who doesn't have a drop of his blood and accept them as family?
So Krua Alroze had to grow up without a mother.
Moreover, although she inherited the blood of Alloze, who controls ‘water,’ her ability was so weak that she could barely move spilled water.
‘Useless thing!’
Krua Alroze, who was ‘judged’ that way by Duke Alloze, was no longer a useful card for Duke Alloze.
Even Krua herself thought that would be the case forever.
But she became useful.
Just before I was possessed.
That was when the head of Argenta, one of the families that checks Alloze, began to actively search for a ‘Pero.’
“Duke Dielo Argenta is looking for his match?”
Duke Alloze, hearing that news, thought it was an opportunity and ordered Krua.
“You become that match.”
“Yes?”
Matches are created by the power of magic.
In other words, if the name ‘Dielo Argenta’ suddenly appears on your body one day, it means you are the destined partner of Duke Dielo Argenta.
It means that no one can do it as they please.
But Duke Alloze used his power to engrave the name ‘Dielo Argenta’ on Krua Alroze's back, creating a fake Pero.
He couldn't help but be a uselessly smart guy.
Moreover, the method of engraving the name was meticulous and cruel.
He controlled Krua's blood with Alloze's water ability to engrave elaborate bruises under her skin.
After that, Duke Alloze notified Dielo Argenta.
[I have found the Pero of the Argenta family.
However, who would have thought that Argenta's destiny could be found in our Alloze family.
The name of Duke Dielo Argenta has appeared on my daughter Krua Alroze's body, so I would like to discuss this.]
In short, it was a story about being nice to Alloze if you want Pero.
“Don’t forget to keep your mouth shut when you go.”
The key to a powerful head of the family's ability is the awakening of abilities through Pero.
If a woman who is not the destined partner takes Duke Argenta's night, he will never be able to properly inherit the ability of the head of the family.
Even if he later has an affair with the real Pero, it will be too late.
Then the Argenta family will become weak and fall out of the ranks of the three Duke families: Alloze, Argenta, and Kartiel.
That was the order of Duke Alloze, who was aiming for that.
“If you fail, you will lose not only your life but also the legs to return. So you must take the position of Argenta's Pero.”
* * *
—Rattle!
And I am possessed in that Krua Alroze, riding in a shaking carriage.
It took me exactly an hour to figure out the situation.
“No, even though there are so many possessions and reincarnations in the world.”
Why am I the daughter of the Alloze family who loses her wrist after lying to Dielo?
Even if I complain about my situation, Krua Alroze's face reflected in the hand mirror did not disappear.
The appearance of a flamboyant villainess with dark purplish hair and purple eyes.
Still, I liked the appearance.
But I am an extra who is destined to die soon.
In the original story, when the real Pero of the protagonist Dielo Argenta appears, Krua Alroze, who is revealed to be fake, is ‘discarded.’
Not by Argenta, but by her father, Duke Alloze.
In short, it means that the Alloze family killed her before she could open her mouth.
“That can’t happen.”
Now that it has come to this, I will change the original story and somehow survive in Argenta!
The unfortunate thing is that the maid, the female lead of the original story, who was supposed to assist Krua and leave for Argenta, is not in this carriage.
No, she doesn't exist at all. Is it because I was possessed?
I was going to build friendship and get information between people who were possessed in the same way, but it didn't work out.
“Dielo Argenta……”
A man so pure and kind that it is questionable that he appears in this novel, where most of the characters are villains.
Even when Krua Alroze came, despite being a woman from a family that had been constantly hostile,
‘This isn’t the destiny you wanted, is it, Krua.’
A kind and mannerly man who embraces her with such warm words.
The only one in this novel with a living personality.
I couldn't ruin such a man's future with my own hands.
Besides, Duke Alloze is thinking of killing me if things go wrong, and even if I listen to that bastard's orders, the ending won't be good.
Then should I seduce Dielo?
“No.”
If the plan fails, I will be killed by Alloze, and if it succeeds, I will be killed by the angry Argenta.
It is natural since I made it impossible for their head of the family to use his abilities properly.
If the fate is to die whether I succeed or fail?
There is only one action I must take.
* * *
“I am Dielo Argenta, Miss Krua Alloze.”
Dielo was alone in Argenta's reception room.
Jet-black hair, light blue eyes that seemed to speak of a pure and clear spirit.
Calm eyes that reminded me of the sparkling seawater under the sun.
Was it because Krua Alroze inherited the blood of Alloze, the family that controls ‘water,’ even if weakly?
I couldn't take my eyes off those eyes.
He, dressed neatly, greeted me politely even though I was the young lady of a family that had been hostile and checking each other for hundreds of years.
“—Duke Argenta.”
Looking at Dielo greeting me, I opened my mouth.
This is a gamble.
No matter how Dielo Argenta was described as a kind and pure person in the original story, he would be furious if he knew that Alloze was trying to steal his future and destroy his family by putting forward a fake Pero.
He would burn fiercely like Argenta, who controls fire.
And if I'm not careful, I would have to take that anger directly.
“Yes, Miss Alloze.”
A soft voice answered my words.
I closed my mouth tightly in a straight line.
Now that I have taken the carriage, I cannot turn back. If I can't go back, I have to face it head-on.
I can't just die nicely according to the original story, can I?
My voice, filled with determination, rang out.
“I didn’t come here to be Your Grace’s bride.”
As I bowed to Dielo Argenta, the necklace he sent to Krua as a ‘token of the bride’ swayed and hung down.
“……”
Dielo Argenta's expression changed subtly as he looked at the necklace at my words.
His hand, holding the teapot, stopped for a moment, as if he was trying to greet me as a guest himself.
“Are you saying you will refuse the marriage?”
His blue eyes, filled with doubt, turned to me.
I shook my head at his words.
“No. I came as a dealer.”
A deal that risks your ability and my life.
“Until your ‘real’ Pero comes, as a shield and contract wife to protect you.”
I have no intention of taking your first time.
“Until the ‘real’ one comes?”
Dielo Argenta's eyes widened at my words.
“Yes. Until the real one comes.”
In the original story, Dielo was deceived by the fake Pero, Krua Alloze.
Whether he didn't give his heart completely to the original Krua, the three Lily Marks were not completely erased, but two had already disappeared, preventing him from properly awakening his abilities.
Therefore, he will naturally struggle in battles with other families.
But what if I twist the original story here, and he welcomes the real Pero instead of me and properly awakens his abilities?
Dielo Argenta will be reborn as the strongest head of the family ever, in addition to his innate powerful abilities and welcoming the real Pero.
Enough to cleanly deal with Duke Alloze, who threw me here as a disposable card.
“I will help you become the strongest head of the family.”
In return, if you avenge the Alloze family.
His eyes met mine without wavering.
“Are you claiming to be a fake Pero?”
Dielo Argenta's voice was gentle.
A voice that basically exudes kindness.
But the moment I brought up the story of ‘fake,’ his atmosphere seemed to change strangely.
More coldly.
Even though Argenta's ability that Dielo inherits is to control ‘fire.’
“Yes.”
I answered in the calmest voice possible.
Then Dielo smiled brightly.
It was such a bright smile that I could think that the change I felt from him for a moment was a mistake.
“I don’t know why you are claiming to be fake now, even though Argenta has confirmed that you are Pero, but if what you say is true.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“That means Alloze deceived me. Then we can’t just be talking peacefully like this.”
Unlike his gentle voice, the atmosphere was freezing coldly.
This is the middle of Argenta's land.
As he said, if I am revealed to be a fake Pero.
Not only will the marriage between Argenta and Alloze be broken off immediately, but Argenta can declare war on Alloze without saying a word.
Of course, my life could be taken hostage in the meantime.
Knowing all this, I started a dangerous gamble.
I tried to calm my nerves and opened my mouth.
“That would have been the case if I had intended to continue deceiving Your Grace.”
Dielo's movements stopped at my words.
“I have no intention of deceiving Your Grace any further.”
My heart started beating violently.
I tried to keep my head as cold as possible.
This deal started now.
Because if I don't persuade Dielo Argenta here, the destruction that was supposed to happen two months later in the original story will come now.
“First, the name Dielo Argenta engraved on my back. If I prove that this is false, will you believe my words?”
Dielo narrowed his brows at my words.
His blue eyes, calmly sunken, resembled a sea that could be swept away by a storm at any moment.
I met his eyes and slowly turned around, showing my back.
“If you wish, would you like to undo the buttons on the back of this dress?”
