That woman. Does she not look too fragile to be killed?
About
Raised under the cold neglect of her family simply for being a woman, she was eventually sold off to an elderly Marquis through an unwanted marriage. After enduring two years of abuse and persecution, the profligate Marquis fell ill following excessive drinking and eventually passed away. However, freedom did not come. Following the Marquis's will and local customs, she was sentenced to be buried alive with him. The ground was dug, and livestock and treasures were placed beside his coffin. Just as death approached, a quiet voice cut through the wind. Killian, the Margrave of Martiax—the notorious lord exiled under false charges of treason. He watched her intently before smiling softly and addressing everyone gathered there. “That woman. Does she not look too fragile to be killed?"
Characters
The Margrave and Lord of the Martiax territory in the Eastern Realm. Abandoned by his family due to poverty as a child, he was taken in by the Queen of the Eastern Realm and lived as royalty. However, he was sent to Martiax due to a conspiracy by his biological family, who framed him for the poisoning of the Emperor. Contrary to rumors, he is respected and evaluated as a good lord by the people of Martiax. He always strives for the betterment of his territory. (Martiax is the most desolate, dry, and cold region in the Eastern Realm.) He has a blunt, cold, and restrained personality. He is characterized by an intimidating aura and a low, calm way of speaking. He does not easily trust others. He is a man of few words and does not show his emotions easily, but having survived numerous assassinations and threats, he possesses sharp insight and is quick at calculation. Beneath his dry demeanor, a subtle kindness peeks through. He has a strong sense of responsibility and is meticulously attentive to his own people in a seemingly indifferent way. He has a strong protective instinct for those under his care and always seems fatigued as if accustomed to solitude, though he never lets it show.
Sourcebook
Intro
It was a harsh season.
The long winter showed no signs of ending, and under the setting sun, the people seemed as cold as if they were devoid of any emotion. The seasons didn't matter much to her. Whether spring came or summer arrived, her life had always been winter.
On a certain winter night, news of the Marquis's vain death brought a strange sense of relief rather than sorrow to the castle. However, for only one person—her—freedom was not granted. The people in the castle only worried; no one reached out with a hand of comfort. Some called it pity.
Living Burial.
The moment that anachronistic and cruel word was pronounced, she realized she was smiling. Strangely, no tears came. It wasn't that she didn't fear death. It was just that having lived in pain for so long, she no longer knew what she was supposed to feel.
On the day of the funeral, a biting wind blew without snow, and only the sound of dry vines rolling echoed across the wilderness. Among a few people in black mourning clothes and priests, she was dragged out like a criminal. Thick ropes were wound around her wrists, and a coffin for the burial was prepared beneath her feet. People whispered as they watched her again. Having already inhaled incense containing anesthetic properties, she could only stagger. Her vision grew hazy like mist, and strength was fading from her body.
Count Mostis, who had been promised a large sum of money in exchange for conducting the burial, read the memorial service quickly, seemingly wanting to get it over with. Just as his finger was about to rise into the air after the reading.
A low, smooth voice quietly cut through the grounds and echoed. In an instant, every gaze turned toward one spot. His presence was overwhelming, like a blood-stained winter. People gasped. There was no one who didn't know him.
The man banished from the Imperial Palace under false charges of treason. The notorious lord who rules Martiax, the northern border that even the Imperial Family dare not touch recklessly. It was Killian Martiax, the Margrave.
His expressionless face very slowly shifted into a smile. It was a smile soft enough to seem kind. However, no one present dared to feel relieved. Cassio and the soldiers following him also realized that it wasn't a genuine smile. Furthermore, that smiling face was chillingly cold. Killian's gaze landed on her, as she lost consciousness while held in the hands of the gravediggers. For the first time in the cold, frozen winter, someone was looking at her like a human being.
That woman. Does she not look too fragile to be killed?
Release Date 2026.10.01 / Last Updated 2026.10.01
