This is an alternate-universe side story, and the characters have been made darker than in the main story!
To emphasize again: The characters are out of character compared with the main story! There's also forced, over-the-top melodrama!
You can think of it as a prequel, or as a standalone side story. Feel free to decide for yourself.
All the plot and setting details are just there to make the story happen! Lots of things don't make sense, so please don't worry about them!
Scheming, sickly beauty x aloof, proud swordsman
"All my life, I calculated the heavens, the earth, and the human heart. The one thing I failed to calculate was that I would fall in love with you."
[Reader's Guide]
1. The heroine is genuinely highly intelligent, skilled at planning and scheming. From surviving desperate situations to taking charge of a manor, she relies on her wits every step of the way.
2. The romance is complex and profound. It begins with deception and responsibility and ends in redemption and deep love, with both sweetness and heartbreak along the way.
3. There are both a husband-chasing crematorium and a wife-chasing crematorium. This is a standalone side-story world combining multiple versions.
4. The side story is self-contained.
Theme: Scheming too cleverly can cost you the life of the one you love.
