C1
A woman was standing by a window adorned with green curtains, her gaze falling on the landscape below. Her name was Bianca, once the eldest daughter of the prestigious Blanchefort family, and currently the Countess of Arno.
A subtle breeze fluttered through the crack of the window, and the stone walls gave off a cold air. Though Bianca wore a white fox fur cloak over her dark green satin dress, she wasn't enough to fend off the draft coming from the walls.
Even though her lips trembled from the cold, Bianca pressed herself closer to the wall, as if she was trying to hide from being seen by the people on the other side of the window.
Those people in question were a group of soldiers. One could see the remnants of war floating in the air around them as they strode forward on their whinnying, panting steeds, which were all pedigree warhorses.
Even from her room on the third floor, Bianca could make out the faces of the men below. Her green eyes were fixed on the one who was standing at the front of the group.
The man who received a warm welcome from Vincent, the Arno family butler, dismounted from his particularly large black horse, his short silver-gray locks blowing in the breeze.
It was the return of Zachary of Arno, the Lord of Arno Castle, the Earl of Iron Blood, and the husband of Bianca.
Everyone in the castle welcomed him with warm applause. He was someone who never fought a losing war, and whenever he left the county, he always returned with deeds that only made his domain more prosperous. As such, he was a lord much loved by his people.
Normally, it would be appropriate for Bianca, as the lady of the house, to stand by the butler and offer her husband an embroidered handkerchief while expressing her concern for his well-being. Instead of welcoming her, however, she Bianca hid behind the tall, solid castle walls.
There was no one looking for her anyway.
* * *
Zachary was an extraordinary gentleman.
Despite being thrown into the world as the second son of a viscount, and thus untitled, he worked hard on his own to earn the title of "Baron" and the name of Arno. But his exploits did not stop there. His participation in countless wars led to him being given the title of “Viscount” and eventually “Earl”, while he also earned the nickname “Iron-Blooded Earl” along the way.
He had only been a mere baronet when he and Bianca were engaged, not much less in the same status as the Blanchefort family. However, Bianca's father had offered her his daughter's hand in marriage. Had his father seen Zachary's potential? If so, then his father was a diviner like no other and Bianca could only be amazed.
Zachary was an outstanding son-in-law, having achieved significant results with so little financial support, but that didn't mean he was an outstanding husband. Numerous wars had broken out after his marriage, causing him to practically live on the battlefield while he always left Bianca alone in the castle. It was to the point where he almost resembled a reaper that he couldn't stay out of death.
But Bianca couldn't blame her husband alone for their disastrous marriage. She herself was not an exemplary wife.
Zachary was 20 years old when they married, while Bianca was only 7. She was too young to be the wife of a passionate 20-year-old who was on the fast track to raising his status and position, as well as starting a family.
Therefore, it was not a surprise that their marriage did not work out well. Bianca could not adjust to the Arno family and her relationship with Zachary was one of indifference.
And before they knew it, nine years had passed.
Bianca was now 16, and Zachary was now 29. The ambitious young man had hardened into a man who exhibited a quiet, irrefutable sense of grandeur. But his vibrant youth remained. Witnessing such an unfamiliar sight made Bianca feel a strange jolt in her chest.
The last memory she had of Zachary was blurry, like a faded oil painting, unable to remember even his features. It was a testament to how little they saw eye to eye, as well as how reluctant she felt against him.
The only thing she could remember was the way his gaze seemed exhausted every time he looked at her, as well as his nonchalance that seemed to mean he had absolutely no expectations of her. That was the last thing she remembered about Zachary, and it was representative of the only feelings she had for him.
Suddenly, Zachary turned his head in Bianca's direction. Had he noticed her look? Her eyes, the color of dark wild grapes, were fixed precisely on her position. Startled, Bianca quickly hid behind the curtain.
He had done it on pure instinct. Her heart pounded in her chest and her lashes fluttered over her pale green eyes. Bianca's face was already pale, like magnolia petals, but she paled even more like a blanket of snow.
—Ahh….
Bianca steadied her breathing, trying to calm herself, but it wasn't easy. Maybe it was because she was already feeling the chills from the cold, or maybe it was because of the fear of the unknown things to come. Either way, she was having a hard time stopping her trembling.
Once she had calmed down to a certain point, Bianca carefully leaned closer to the window once more. Zachary was no longer looking in her direction, as if he had realized it was her and had lost interest in her, and was giving orders to her vassals.
He didn't meet her gaze again after that.
Bianca watched the way his silver gray hair shimmered in the sunlight and only closed the curtain once she saw him disappear into the castle.
She placed her still trembling hands on her chest as if she were praying. She had no idea what kind of expression she should have when she faced him. She felt terribly uncomfortable seeing her husband again after so long apart.
Husband!
Bianca repeated the unknown word that floated on the tip of her tongue several more times. Although they weren't complete strangers, their relationship wasn't much different than that.
In the past, marriage was the culmination of love between a man and a woman, but that has changed over time. Nowadays, love marriages were hardly present. In fact, it was true even among the serfs. People get married to earn a living, feelings of affection towards each other go into the background.
Marriage between nobles was even more so. They all used marriage as a way to profit by forming political alliances between families.
Over the years, this behavior became more and more extreme, to the point that commitments were made with a partner still in the womb. People called such marriage customs a "marriage business", but despite all their jeers and jokes, all the nobles made an effort to engage in such a "business" if the opportunity arose.
Bianca's marriage was also the result of a marriage deal. An innocent 7-year-old girl and a stiff 20-year-old young man. How could love and romance develop between the two?
If the marriage was a business, then Bianca's marriage was a failure. The reason is that, although she had been sold as a commodity, she was unable to fulfill her role. Her marriage was like a cogwheel; unable to turn properly and screeching until she finally stopped.
Bianca de Blanchefort.
Zachary of Arno's wife, kicked out of the Arno family after his death due to his self-indulgent, frivolous, and immoral behavior. She had nowhere to go, the Blanchefort family had already gone bankrupt and had more or less been kicked out to a convent on the border. A woman who finally found the end of her on a cold stone floor.
A villain without honor.
This was Bianca's life before going back in time.
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