Episode 1

Prologue

The great Asgard Empire.

As if to prove that proposition, the imperial palace where the birthday party was held was dazzlingly brilliant.

Although it had been long since darkness had fallen outside, the banquet hall under the sparkling crystal chandelier was as bright as day.

The ceilings and walls adorned with gold and jewels, the sculptures touched by the delicate hands of craftsmen, the countless dishes presented by top-class chefs, and the smell of luxury perfume wafting from the nobles dressed in splendor.

And all of this was prepared for just one person, me, who was celebrating my birthday. All the attendees of the banquet were trying hard to look good to me.

“Then, it was a pleasure, Princess.”

The final chord of the piano, signaling the end of the lively waltz dance, rang out loudly. Then the handsome man who had first danced with me disappeared with proper manners. I stared at the departing man’s black hair, which was like ebony, with a puzzled look on my face.

It was regrettable that there was nowhere else to look. I had no choice but to slowly shift my gaze to another man standing tall in front of me, silently looking down at me. I could no longer ignore his persistent gaze.

“Well… I was dancing with Grand Duke Killian because the protagonist of the party should start dancing first…”

“……”

Feeling as if I had to make an excuse, I opened my mouth hesitantly towards the man in front of me. However, his gaze became darker and there was no response.

Now, the piano trio began to play a serene rhythm. With the calmer melody, those who were dancing around the banquet hall started to move more passionately.

I glanced around. It was somewhat embarrassing that two people who were not dancing were standing in the middle of the hall.

With embarrassment, I tried hard to speak to him.

“Um, Duke Adler. We’re too conspicuous in the middle of the hall, shall we move to a seat-.”

“Dance a song with me.”

His first words interrupted mine. Surprised, I alternately looked at the pale palm he extended to me and the Duke’s face.

Under his deep gaze that seemed to not tolerate refusal, I hesitantly placed my hand on his palm.

“Oh.”

As soon as my hand touched his, my body was pulled sharply towards him. I was taken aback as I suddenly found myself in the Duke’s arms. The musky scent that hit my nose made me instinctively shrink and shudder.

Despite my feeble resistance, his delicate fingers intertwined tightly between mine without hesitation. The atmosphere was somehow different from usual.

“Du, Duke?”

At my call, the man’s face slowly lowered. The chandelier’s light shattered on his rich blond hair, emitting a mesmerizing glow.

The Duke’s face came closer as I was dazzled by the light, and soon a captivating voice flowed from his lips.

“Call me Renier.”

“Ye… Yes?”

My mind became blurry as the face of the incredibly handsome man approached my nose.

“I would like you, Princess, to call me ‘Renier’.”

“But… You said no nicknames back then….”

However, he, as if not caring about my words, only pulled me closer by the waist. Due to the subtle tempo of the music, his touch felt even more thrilling. I rolled my tongue to moisten my dry mouth.

Then a cold voice flowed into my ear.

“After telling me you fell for me at first sight, what were you doing with another man?”

“What, what was I doing? Just dancing to keep the party going….”

My neck heated up at the hot breath touching my earlobe. The sensation contrasting with his cool voice made me dizzy.

“You affectionately call the Grand Duke Killian by name, while snugly in his arms.”

The man, still fixing his gaze on me, whispered softly. His warm, deep voice made my hair stand on end.

“Tha, that’s not how it was.”

I trembled and avoided his eyes, but it was useless. Instead, his arm around my waist pulled me closer, tightening even more.

“I tend to be closed off to my woman’s past.”

“My… my… what?”

I forgot to avoid his gaze at the unfamiliar word that popped out of his mouth and looked straight at him. Our gazes intertwined chaotically from close range.

“So.”

He buried his head in my neck, slowly inhaling as if savoring my scent.

“Hmph.”

I held my breath, unable to regain my composure due to the strong musk scent enveloping my body. An odd sensation spreading throughout my body from my neck made me feel numb.

He tilted his head as it was and opened his mouth.

“If I smell another pup on you… I want to kill it.”

“……!”

Goosebumps sprang up on my back in an instant. I pushed away the Duke Adler who was holding me with all my might. It took less than a minute for the odd feeling to turn creepy.

The duke, who was pushed away obediently, still did not take his eyes off me. His blue eyes staring at me flickered with obsession, no, murderous intent.

Yes, no matter how busy you are, there is something you should never forget.

For example, I am the possessor of this novel.

And the fact that the man in front of me is a serial killer who will kill me.

So, to explain this outrageous fact, I have to go back to the day I first possessed this world a few months ago.

* * *

Everything in the world has its timing. And successful possession needs timing too.

I had never tried possession in my life, so I had no way of knowing when was a good time for it. But after trying it out after suffering from overwork, one thing was clear.

The day you’re first introduced to the fiancé you’re going to have a strategic marriage with is the worst timing for possession. Especially if that fiancé is a serial killer who’s going to kill me.

As soon as I opened my eyes after the possession, I was led by the hand of a terrified maid to the emperor’s office.

“Princess Charlotte, you’re late again.”

The emperor shook his head as if he was displeased. At first glance, it seemed that he had no affection for me, his daughter. The emperor nodded for me to come closer and immediately got to the point.

“You’ve seen him a few times at royal events. This is Duke Aiden Adler. Tomorrow, your engagement to the Duke will be announced to the whole empire. The wedding is in six months.”

As I turned my gaze, a handsome man with a cold expression, neatly pulled up golden hair that shone dazzlingly like the spring sun, came into view. As I took a breath at his beautiful appearance, a sharp musk scent tickled my nose.

Suddenly, the introduction of this novel came to mind.

…The crazy princess Charlotte of the Empire becomes the eighth victim of a serial killer on her wedding night. The suspect is her fiancé, and the two men and women who were investigating the case fall in love…

Since I’m Princess Charlotte, that handsome man in front of me is exactly like a sculpture… a serial killer, in other words, the villain of the novel.

The man who will kill me smiled beautifully.

“It’s nice to meet you, Princess. This is the first time we’ve formally greeted each other in front of His Majesty the Emperor.”

I was too anxious to respond to his greeting. I had to tell the Emperor that the man in front of me was a serial killer, even now.

“Father, I have something important to tell you.”

The Emperor frowned. No matter if she was a princess, ignoring the Duke’s greeting was clearly a breach of etiquette. But since it wasn’t surprising for the ‘crazy princess’ to behave rudely, the Emperor only pointed out a part that wasn’t about etiquette.

“If it’s about marrying you off to Grand Duke Killian again, I have nothing more to say. Besides, have you ever ended anything nicely with words? Last time, you were lying down in my office crying and screaming! How did something like this happen… ahem.”

The Emperor stifled his anger and mumbled through an awkward cough. It seemed he remembered that Duke Adler, who was to be my fiancé, was next to him.

But I couldn’t give up here. This was a serious issue related to life and death. I looked at the Emperor with desperate eyes.

“It’s not like that this time. So please….”

“This time, if you defy me, know that I can even take away your princess status! Chamberlain! Quickly, lead them to the guest room so they can exchange greetings separately!”

The Emperor didn’t seem to have any intention of listening to me. The chamberlain, who received the order, hurriedly came and almost dragged me out, looking upset.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Then I will take my leave.”

On the other hand, Duke Adler still had a beautiful smile on his face, he showed respectful manners to the Emperor and moved with elegant steps.

A moment later, when I came to my senses, I was sitting in front of the tea table in the guest room.

The sunlight pouring in from beyond the crystal window shattered over the delicately colored macarons.

The man in front of me, with an expressionless face, lifted a teacup with an elegant pattern. A dignified man with a sharp nose and slightly raised blue eyes, exuding an arrogant atmosphere, was a person who suited the word ‘overwhelming’ well.

However, his demeanor was entirely different from the respectful one he had shown in front of the Emperor. Unlike before, he didn’t even glance at me. His attitude didn’t hide that the only reason he was dealing with me was because of the Emperor’s command.

I casually flipped through the headlines of the gossip magazine placed on the guest room table.

Duke Adler, chosen by Monthly Asgard as the ‘Man you want to date’ for three consecutive years! Wealth, honor, and even looks, he’s the Empire’s top bridegroom. Everyone is paying attention to who the lucky woman will be to marry him.

That person is me, unfortunately. I muttered as if sighing inwardly.

The Empire’s best man with dazzling specs and a crazy princess. So, no matter how much I rant that Duke Adler is a murderer, it means that there’s no one who would believe me.

Then, a cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

“I am well aware that the Princess has someone else she wants to marry. Of course, there is probably no one in this Empire who does not know that fact.”

Without a response, I stared blankly at him. The Duke Adler spoke coldly, ignoring my gaze.

“After all, it’s a political marriage and we don’t want to see each other’s faces, so let’s meet on the day of the wedding. There’s no reason for us to meet separately.”

“……”

The day I will be killed is the first night of marriage. In other words, saying let’s meet at the wedding means he will kill me at our next meeting.

“Of course, I won’t object to whatever the Princess does in the meantime. I mean, it doesn’t matter if you meet other men. You would agree with that, right?”

He took his teacup to his stiff lips without making eye contact with me.

However, I had no intention of dying obediently. After the first life ended in vain, I wanted to live the second life I gained in any way possible.

So, I looked him straight in the eye and said, “I fell in love at first sight. So, date me!”

“Pffft!” Tea spurted out from the Duke’s mouth. He looked at me as if he was looking at a madman.

It seems it’s time to reveal about my first life. An underprivileged prosecutor buried in a homicide investigation of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the pride of ‘Doil Orphanage’. That was me.

In my first life, I was closer to ‘murder’ than ‘love’, and even in this life, I couldn’t avoid a fate intertwined with a murderer.

If no one here believes me, I have no choice but to find evidence myself. I must use my major, ‘investigating murderers’, by the side of the villain and expose his crimes.

So, I intended to have an undercover romance with the man who would kill me.

I waited for his answer with a bright smile.