Chapter 1: When I Realized It Was the Morning After the Wedding Night!?

Pale morning light shone against my eyelids.
As my consciousness slowly surfaced, the first thing I felt was a heavy languor.
As if after unfamiliar—and intense—exercise, my entire body felt sluggish.

‘Hmm…? Did I do something yesterday…?’

As usual, I had worked overtime until just before the last train, dragged myself back to my studio apartment alone, eaten a convenience store bento and a carton of vegetable juice for dinner, then flopped onto my bed with my phone in hand and read my favorite web novel…
Had I just fallen asleep like that?
I couldn’t remember anything after that.

‘Well, whatever…’

I gave up thinking about it far too easily.
I felt too sluggish to care.
And besides, while my body felt heavy, there was also an overwhelming sense of comfort.
I wanted to stay immersed in this pleasant haze a little longer and drift back to sleep.
It felt as though something warm was wrapped around my entire body.
Warm, and filling my heart to the very edges.
Wanting to feel that warmth more, I gently rubbed my cheek against it.

‘…Huh?’

What was I rubbing against just now…?

I snapped my eyes open and froze.
Filling my vision was a broad, well-built chest.
A man’s.
And naked, at that.

‘Wait, no, hold on, hold on, hold on!?’

As I fully woke up, I realized the unbelievable situation I was in.
I was completely naked in bed, being held by an equally naked man.
I slowly moved my gaze upward.
From his chest, to his Adam’s apple, and then his face—
At point-blank range, my eyes met those of a handsome man staring straight at me, and I sucked in a breath.

“Awake at last?”

A pleasant low voice made my eardrums tremble.
Smooth black hair.
Eyes as deep blue as gemstones, fixed intently on me.
His terrifyingly perfect features were, honestly speaking, exactly my type.

‘He’s insanely handsome though!?
Is this what you call dashing?
And the sex appeal is off the charts!
That beauty mark under his left eye is totally unfair.
I could stan him for life—!
…Wait?
Haven’t I seen this handsome guy somewhere before?
Where was it…?
No, now is not the time for that!’

“Um… who are you…?
What is going on here…?”

When I asked in a hoarse voice, the corner of his mouth twisted bitterly.

“…I see.
To greet the husband you’ve just shared your wedding night with like that.
It seems the rumors of you being a wicked woman were true after all.”

“H-Hu-husband!?
Wedding night!?”

I stared at him in shock.
Which meant this handsome man was my husband, and the cause of this full-body exhaustion was—

“No way, that’s—mmph!”

My dazed murmur was swallowed by a biting kiss.
The forceful yet sweet kiss made the core of my head go dizzy and numb.
After indulging himself to his heart’s content, he finally released my lips.
But only my breathing was freed.
His strong arms were still wrapped around my body, as if restraining me.
Fixing his gaze on me as I panted weakly with tears in my eyes, he spoke in a challenging tone.

“This is reality, whether you like it or not.
Abandon any naïve notions of returning to the royal palace now.
You are no longer a princess.
You have become the wife of Adolphus Duer—
Rosalind Duer.”

“R-Rosalind… Adolphus…!?”

The instant I heard those names, a shock like electricity raced through my body.
A wicked wife.
A packed morning train.
The Black Wolf General.
A late-night office.
A wedding ceremony—
A massive jumble of memories crashed over me all at once.
My head felt like it was splitting apart.

‘I reincarnated… as the wicked wife Rosalind…?’

With that thought, my consciousness went dark.

After that, I dreamed a long, long dream.
A dream of being born and raised in a country called Japan.
And a dream of being born and raised as Princess Rosalind.
When I finally woke up, it was dusk that same day.
Three days later, I was alone in a carriage headed for a border town, carrying nothing but a single travel bag.
Leaving behind a signed divorce agreement.