So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It was a strange sensation.

Like being yanked out of deep water all at once—
a sharp, crawling chill rushed from the crown of my head straight down to my toes.

“Miss! Are you all right?”

“Oh my—! The bride—!”

“Should someone fetch a physician?”

Voices swirled around me, overlapping, echoing, too loud and too close.

Then came the feeling of touch.

Strong arms wrapped around me, firm and unyielding.

And beneath that—

a violent, pounding heartbeat.

“—Gasp!”

I sucked in a breath and my eyes flew open.

“Uh…?”

The first thing I saw was a pair of blue-violet eyes, far too close to my own.

They shimmered faintly, almost unnaturally vivid—and there was no mistaking the irritation burning in them.

The face hovering over me pulled back, and only then did I really see the man holding me.

This was absolutely not the moment for it, considering I had no idea what was happening, but—

…He’s absurdly handsome.

Even with his cold, distant expression, he was the kind of man your gaze clung to without permission.

Jet-black hair, dark as ink yet catching the light like a night sky.
A straight, sharp nose. A clean jawline, sculpted as if by design rather than chance.

And most striking of all—

those eyes.

“What kind of stunt do you think you’re pulling?”

His voice was deep and commanding, resonating through his chest before reaching me. It carried weight—heavy, controlled.

The sound itself was pleasant.

The edge in it was not.

As he spoke, he released me and stepped back without hesitation.

I nearly stumbled, and it was only then that I noticed the pristine white skirt spilling around my feet—and the silk gloves covering my hands.

…A wedding dress?

Why was I wearing this?

Still dazed, I pushed myself upright just as the man stood, towering over me.

As my vision cleared, the rest of the scene came into focus—and it was so surreal I half-expected to wake up again.

We were inside a small chapel.

An elderly priest stood before us, frozen in place, eyes wide with disbelief.

“Are you well?” he asked cautiously. “Shall we… continue the ceremony?”

“I said, continue it!”

Before I could even open my mouth, a shrill, hysterical voice sliced through the air from behind us.

I turned.

A noblewoman stood there, draped in finery so excessive it bordered on gaudy, her expression twisted with agitation.

The woman in the bright red dress—practically dripping with jewels—crossed her arms and tilted her head, irritation written all over her face.

Despite her flamboyant appearance and shrill voice, the elderly priest didn’t dare argue back. That alone told me she wasn’t someone to be questioned lightly.

Beside her sat a middle-aged man with an eternally icy expression. He lifted one hand and waved it dismissively, clearly urging everyone to hurry up.

“Haah…”

At that, the young man standing next to me let out a long sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Now that he was upright, his size was impossible to ignore.

Broad shoulders. Solid build. And tall—
so tall I had to tilt my head back just to look him in the eye.

As I stole another glance at his face, a realization finally settled in.

Yeah… this is absolutely one of those romance fantasy possession scenarios.

No doubt about it.

“Ahem! Then we shall resume the wedding ceremony.”

I was still dazed, but strangely enough, the situation didn’t feel entirely awful.

Adaptability had always been my strongest trait.

All right. Quick systems check.

I could stand without trouble.
Both legs felt steady. Arms intact. No pain anywhere. Good.

My head had been spinning earlier, but that was probably just the shock of waking up in a new body.

Five fingers on each hand.
Ten toes too—I discreetly wiggled them just to be sure.

…Although I might’ve gotten a little shorter?

While I was quietly inspecting myself, the priest continued as if nothing unusual had happened.

“We shall now proceed with the declaration of holy matrimony.
Under the grace of the Divine, Grand Duke Xavier Celeste, do you swear to take Lady Renée Blanche, daughter of the Marquess, as your Grand Duchess—
to uphold love and fidelity?”

“……”

Maybe it was the priest’s slow, solemn delivery, but most of the words slid right past me.

A few details stuck, though.

So he’s the Grand Duke.

Well, with a face like that, Xavier Celeste was obviously the male lead of some romance fantasy.

But no matter how hard I searched my memory, the names Xavier Celeste and Renée Blanche meant absolutely nothing to me.

Then again, I’d always been terrible with names—fictional ones especially.

Which brought me to the biggest problem of all.

I’d possessed a novel…
but I had no idea which one.

So this is how being an obsessive reader finally comes back to haunt you.

From web novels to academic papers,
I’d read just about anything as long as it had words.

Now all that information was nothing but a tangled mess in my head.

Whatever. I’d figure it out later.

At the very least… I couldn’t complain about my husband’s looks.

Worst case scenario, he’d turn out to be the second male lead—
which still meant he was important.

Considering my ideal type ranked face first, face second, and height and build third,
his score was dangerously high.

I was in the middle of sincerely appreciating that fact when the Grand Duke—who’d been hesitating beside me—finally spoke.

“……I swear.”

Wow.

That didn’t sound heartfelt at all.

To be fair, once I’d come to my senses, suddenly gaining a husband wasn’t exactly thrilling for me either.

“Lady Renée Blanche, daughter of the Marquess,” the priest continued.
“Do you swear to take His Grace, Grand Duke Xavier Celeste, as your husband—
to fulfill the duties of a Grand Duchess and share a lifetime of sincerity and respect?”

Uh… well…

We literally just met.

But really, in a situation like this, there was only one possible answer.

“I swear….”

…Well.
What else was there to say?

“I now declare before the Divine and all witnesses that these two are lawfully wed.
May this sacred and glorious union shine for all eternity.”

As if desperate to be done with it, the priest rushed through the final blessing and practically fled from the altar.

At the same time, the Grand Duke—who had remained stubbornly silent until now—finally opened his mouth.

“This will likely be the first and last time you and I ever meet.”

“……”

Wow.
Really?

I get married and immediately get dismissed?

Before I could even process that—

“You came prepared to accept that much, didn’t you?”

“Well, that—”

“Don’t expect any duties or obligations from me as your husband.
I won’t demand anything from you either.”

Hey.
I’d like a turn to speak too.

Not that I had anything important to say—but being told to shut up and vanish right after the ceremony wasn’t exactly pleasant.

What is his problem? He doesn’t look it, but he really enjoys listening to himself talk.

I wasn’t fond of talkative men to begin with.

And one with a rotten personality on top of that?

“….”

Any remaining interest evaporated on the spot.

“Since this arrangement is equally inconvenient for both of us, live quietly—as though you don’t exist.
Do your best not to attract attention.”

Hmm.
Looks like I truly hit the jackpot with this husband.

Not that it bothered me much. I’d never relied on anyone else in my life anyway.

Without even pretending at courtesy, the Grand Duke turned on his heel and strode out of the chapel, his heavy boots echoing sharply against the stone floor.

The few remaining attendants followed him like a retreating tide, and soon the chapel felt cold and hollow.

After all, the only official guests at this wedding were that middle-aged noble couple.

And before long, even the man rose and hurried after the Grand Duke.

Were they here on his behalf—or mine?

That question was answered almost immediately.

“…Disgusting little thing.”

The malice in her voice was far thicker than anything the Grand Duke had shown.

The noblewoman with venom in her eyes glanced around to make sure the chapel was empty before spitting the words at me.

“It seems the Grand Duke and our family are of the same mind. How delightful.
So continue living as you always have—know your place, and exist as though you’re already dead.”

Just then, a petite maid approached silently and bowed with practiced precision.

“Greetings. My name is Betty, a maid of the Grand Ducal residence.
From this day forward, I will serve as Your Grace’s personal attendant.”

“Please take good care of my daughter,” the woman added coolly.
“She’s hopelessly ignorant of how the world works—practically a fool.
As her mother, I can’t help but worry.”

So… let me get this straight.

This extravagantly dressed noblewoman was the bride’s mother?

My mother?

The Marchioness Blanche instantly shifted her expression the moment someone else was present, unfolding her fan and assuming an air of elegant composure.

Naturally, she didn’t forget to glare at me from behind it—as if she wished I’d drop dead on the spot.

The icy stare piercing through the gaps of her fan sent a shiver down my spine, and I shrank back without meaning to.

Honestly, I was just relieved the maid had arrived.

“Thank you. I’ll do my best. Um, though—”

For the first time, the maid’s calm, professional tone wavered.

“What is it?”

“Th-the Grand Duke has already departed… in his own carriage.”

“Oh my. Then what about the bride?”

“He said she should take a carriage from the Blanche household…”

“Oh dear. We don’t have any carriages left ourselves.
Is there another carriage from the Grand Ducal estate?”

“Only those assigned to the servants… and the cargo wagons. My apologies.”

“……”

Oh.

Day one of possessing an unknown novel—

…This is going to be rough, isn’t it?