She died once.
But then she got another chance to live. But that chance was also a risky one. But this time she refused to die. She is not going to give up without a fight. This time, she will fight for herself. For her life. This time, she was stro...
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"My lady they call him shadow beast some call him the Winter Duke, not for the season of his birth, but for the frost that lived in his veins.
His heart held no warmth, only silence and steel. Words rarely left his lips, and when they did, they cut sharper than any blade."
Minji explained without even looking up, as if she were scared even to think about the man, her fingers trembling slightly as they twisted the edge of her sleeve. Her voice, barely above a whisper, wavered with every word.
"People say that he was made for war. In battle, he moved like a ghost through smoke and steel. His enemies fell not with screams, but in quiet dread, as if death itself had taken human form. They say he is bloodthirsty, like a tiger stalking its prey.
Even great warriors whisper his name as if it's a curse.
When he kills, the world fades. There is no mercy, no hesitation-only red. I've heard some say that even the emperor fears him my lady."
Minji spoke in a low voice, her words sending shivers down Y/N's spine.
"So... what's his name, Minji?" Y/N asked, tilting her head. She honestly couldn't remember the duke's full name.
Even though she had read the book, the details were fuzzy. Some parts of the story were different now that she was living in it. Not everything matched. After spending a bit of time in this world and learning more about the woman whose body she was now in, Y/N realized that a lot had been left out. The book didn't tell her everything, especially not how people truly acted or felt.
So she figured-why not just ask the people who lived here?
One thing was becoming clear. Minji, the quiet maid who always stood by her side, was going to be important. She was going to be her most trusted, loyal servant. Y/N could already tell. All it took was a little kindness, and Minji had started looking at her like she hung the moon.
But when Y/N asked the question, Minji gasped loudly, her eyes going wide.
"My lady, nobody says his name," she whispered, as if the walls might be listening. "They fear even speaking it." She bowed deeply, her hands shaking slightly. "Forgive me."
Y/N blinked, raising an eyebrow. "What is he, Lord Voldemort?" she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.
Minji flinched and bowed again. "My apologies, my lady. I have never heard of a lord with that name."
Y/N sighed and mentally facepalmed. "Don't worry about it, Minji. It's just the two of us. You can say his name."
Minji looked around nervously. For a second, it seemed like she might refuse. But then she took a small step forward, leaned in close, and lowered her voice to a whisper. Y/N leaned in too, curious.
"The Grand Duke's name is... Taehyung Kim, my lady," she said, her eyes wide as if she'd just said something forbidden.
Y/N stared at her for a moment, face blank. "Okay," she said flatly.
"O-Okay?" Minji stuttered, confused by her calm reaction.
"Yeah," Y/N shrugged. "I thought his name would be something scarier. Like... the Great Duke Varnok the Dreadfang or something." her voice filled with humor.
Minji just stood there, frozen, staring at her like she had grown another head.
"So, Minji... what does the Grand Duke have to do with me?" Y/N asked, crossing her arms. Something in her gut told her she wasn't going to like the answer.
Minji froze for a second, her lips parting like she wanted to say something but was too scared. Finally, she looked down at the floor and spoke.
"You... asked for his hand in marriage, my lady."
Y/N stared. "I did WHAT??" she nearly screamed, her voice echoing off the walls.
Minji flinched at the sound but hurried to explain. "Yes, my lady. You sent him a marriage proposal... and then you asked him yourself. That night at the ball. You walked right up to him in front of everyone and told him you wanted to marry him."
Y/N's jaw dropped.
"But he-he rejected you," Minji continued softly. "Right there. In front of all the nobles. And after that... you fainted. Right in the middle of the ballroom."
"My apologies, my lady," Minji said, her voice trembling now but laced with quiet anger. "He humiliated you in front of everyone."
"And now the high society looks down on you," she added under her breath, thinking Y/N wouldn't hear out of range. But when she realized what she'd just said, her hands flew to her mouth and she peeked up at Y/N, worried she'd gone too far.
But Y/N didn't look mad. She was calm. Too calm.
"Why is that, Minji?" she asked, her voice steady.
Minji fiddled with the edge of her apron. "It's because... you were the one who proposed, my lady. That's not how it's usually done. A lady's supposed to wait for a man to ask. And since he said no... people think you were desperate."
Y/N sighed deeply. So she was already wrapped up in this whole mess. This Grand Duke guy wasn't just a character in a book anymore-he was someone she'd chased. Hard.
She cleared her throat as another thought came to her and looked at Minji again. "Minji... who is Lady Harriet?"
Minji looked up, her face softening with pity. "She's the Grand Duke's lover, my lady. They've known each other since they were children. People say he's always been close to her. Some even say they're secretly promised to each other."
Y/N blinked slowly. So she, the former lady of this body, had proposed to a man who already had a childhood sweetheart?
"Didn't I know about this before?" she asked, frowning.
"You did, my lady."
Y/N stared at nothing, putting the pieces together in her head. The Grand Duke was cold, powerful, a ruthless, bloodthirsty beast of a man who already had a lover. And this body's past self had still gone after him? That man must have been something serious-or maybe this Lee Y/N had a thing for heartbreak.
She let out a loud, sharp laugh that startled Minji. It wasn't a happy laugh-it was the kind of laugh someone lets out when they finally lost it
