The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 1

Episode 1. Her Death

Today as well, Emilia lay asleep like an angel, her golden hair cascading down to her waist. Louid gazed softly at the woman sleeping beside him.

He gently brushed away the strands of hair scattered across Emilia’s forehead. Then, he pressed a soft kiss to her now-exposed forehead.

He wanted to see her open her eyes. He wished she would look at him with her light blue eyes, as if they held sapphires beneath a clear sky.

Outside, it was still the pre-dawn hours. He should let her sleep a little longer, but unable to resist the impulse, he reached out and shook her body. Yet when she didn’t wake, he grew increasingly anxious.

“Emilia?”

No matter how many times he tried to wake her, she didn’t get up.

“Emilia?”

Louid began calling her name louder and louder.

“Emilia?”

Louid opened his eyes and looked around. It was his bedroom. He reached out to find Emilia, who had been lying next to him just moments before. But she was no longer there. The wide bed was empty, and the pure white sheets lay smooth without a single crease, as if no one had ever lain there.

‘It must have been another dream.’

With a quiet sigh, he turned his body and lay flat on the bed. Then, he buried his nose into the sheets. He took a deep breath, but the familiar scent of wildflowers was gone.

Emilia’s scent had vanished. His red eyes, hazy like a dream, gradually deepened like a blazing sun.

“Criminals Kyle Berthe and Emilia Richert are to be exiled to Perique Island.”

His own voice—cold and emotionless like ice—thundered through his mind.

“Urgh.”

Nausea rose and a splitting headache surged through his skull. He bolted upright, roughly raking his hands through his hair with a pained expression. His slightly long black hair became disheveled like scattered grains, falling across his sculpted, beautiful face.

Louid looked down at the bracelet on his right wrist. As he recalled, it had been a ring Emilia always wore, but amid the chaos of the late emperor’s funeral and the trials, he hadn’t even noticed that it had ended up on his own pinky finger. After Emilia was exiled, he had discovered it by chance. Reluctant to throw it away, he had it turned into a bracelet and wore it on his wrist.

‘I need to ask her about the ring, too…’

Unconsciously, he was adding another excuse to meet Emilia.

Louid had personally sentenced his former consort Emilia to exile. Her grandfather, Duke Berthe, had died suddenly on the journey to exile with her, and Emilia was imprisoned alone on Perique Island. It was a notorious place where not even the worst criminals had ever escaped, and most who stayed there for just three months died from illness.

“Your Majesty, are you awake?”

The chamberlain, whose hair had turned gray and back slightly stooped, entered holding a tray with a teacup.

“Adam, still up early as ever.”

A low, pleasant voice echoed softly through the dark bedroom. It was a task that a servant could have done, yet the chamberlain was taking care of it from early dawn. Moreover, he had an uncanny sense of whether the emperor was asleep or awake.

“It’s because I’m old. Tea and headache medicine.”

Responding slyly to the emperor’s inquiry, the chamberlain set the tray down on the nightstand beside the bed.

“Mm.”

Though he had no appetite, his throat was dry. Louid picked up the teacup and took a sip of the moderately cooled tea. One of his eyebrows lifted slightly.

‘This is Emilia’s favorite tea.’

That sly fox had brought Emilia’s favorite biscuits last night, and now today, he brought her favorite sweet tea.

“Shall I summon the physician, Your Majesty?”

The chamberlain asked as he observed Louid’s furrowed brow. He knew the emperor’s headaches were growing worse by the day.

“No need,” replied Louid firmly after swallowing the tea.

“It seems Lady Carrion’s condition is critical,” reported the chamberlain offhandedly, as if in passing.

“……”

Even at the news about a leading candidate for empress, the young emperor’s expression did not change.

Lina, the only daughter of Marquess Carrion, had been undergoing treatment after being bitten by a venomous snake two months ago. They said she was injured while trying to save him, but she herself remembered nothing of it.

“You must take Lady Lina as your empress.”

“Indeed. Did she not risk her life to save Your Majesty?”

Nobles, including Lina’s father, Marquess Carrion, were requesting that she be made empress, but Louid had no such intention. Rather, he planned to investigate the truth of that day once Lina regained consciousness.

“Send the physician.”

He gave the order, turning his head toward the window as if annoyed. There were questions he wanted to ask Lina, and it would be troublesome if she died now.

“Yes, understood,” answered the chamberlain politely, bowing his head.

“I must go to Perique Island.”

“You mean to where the former Crown Princess resides? When do you plan to depart?”

The chamberlain, startled, lifted his head, his drooping eyes widening. His face revealed openly that he had been hoping the emperor would seek out the former Crown Princess. If not for the disgraceful incident two months ago, she would have become the empress of the Richert Empire.

“Today. Right now,” said Louid firmly, with emphasis. Though investigating the incident of that day was important, right now he simply wanted to see Emilia. She had been his consort until two months ago, and still appeared in his dreams every night. The questions surrounding the incident that night remained unanswered, and his headaches were worsening by the day.

She was the granddaughter of his long-standing enemy, and as far as he could recall, he had never once gotten along with Emilia. Even so, his thirst for her grew stronger with each passing day.

She was even the woman who had assassinated his older brother, the former emperor, and tried to harm him. Yet letting her die like this felt suspicious. The only way to resolve the unease was to meet her in person.

‘Why am I like this?’

Louid momentarily held his breath. Just the thought of meeting Emilia made his heart pound wildly. Like seeing a lover again after a long separation.

“Yes, understood. I’ll make the arrangements.”

“While I’m gone, I entrust state affairs to Duke Asher Dalton.”

Louid gave the instruction calmly. Asher had been his closest friend since childhood and always handled urgent state matters whenever the emperor was away from the palace. He had recently elevated Asher, who had been a count, to the rank of duke. Even at full gallop, it would take at least ten days to reach Perique Island. A sea voyage was required along the way.

“Yes, I shall inform him as such.”

After the chamberlain left, Louid trudged to the window and looked outside. The sky, just beginning to brighten, was heavy with dark clouds as if rain would soon fall.

He tried hard to recall the lost memories. Especially the memory of that day. But no matter how much he struggled, nothing came back. Shaking his head in resignation, he went to the dressing room to change.

Dressed in his usual black uniform, he halted mid-motion and fixed his gaze on one spot. Hanging on one side of the wardrobe was a ceremonial outfit Emilia had made for him.

“You only have black clothes. I tried making something myself.”

He recalled her white face smiling shyly as she said she had designed and made it herself.

No. Stop thinking about her.

Louid clenched his fist and tightly shut his eyes. Then, suddenly, he opened them and stared intently at the outfit Emilia had made.

‘Even if I was badly injured, losing my memory too… that’s not something common.’

His memories from a month before the incident, and the accidents Emilia supposedly had after their marriage, were completely erased—as if they had been deleted. Nothing came to mind. It was truly strange.

‘Was it black magic?’

Black magic…

Why hadn’t he thought of that?

Bang, bang.

Just as he reached that thought, the bedroom door shook violently.

“Your Majesty!”

Before he could grant permission, the bedroom door burst open and the Imperial Guard Captain, Alex, ran in. It was a move allowed only during war or dire emergencies.

“Alex.”

Since his days as the Second Prince, Alex had served as his escort. Whenever they had to go out, Alex would always report in after preparations were complete. But today, his pale complexion and tear-filled eyes told a different story. A bad feeling crept over him.

“Are preparations complete?” Louid asked as he gripped the sword he was to wear at his waist.

“Your Majesty, the former Crown Princess has passed away.”

“……?”

Before Alex could even finish his report, the sound of a sword falling to the floor echoed dully. Louid’s sturdy body stood frozen in place.

“Say it again. What happened to Emilia?” Louid, unmoving as if he couldn’t breathe, spoke quietly. His heart was pounding violently. His eyes, fixed on Alex, deepened into a blood-red hue. As if multiple suns had merged into one.

With a grief-stricken face, Alex lowered his head and repeated the report, “Her Highness, the former Crown Princess Emilia Richert, threw herself from the tower of the Perique Island prison, Your Majesty.”