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Charlotte Bourbon, a 19-year-old widow, was happy in her life after she got married to the man of her dreams. However, because of a sudden illness, her husband died within a month, and Charlotte's life came to a sudden halt. 

‘She became the curse for her husband that he died young.’

‘She is the one, who killed her husband.’

‘She should have died with her husband.’

Numerous such things Charlotte would hear from the people around her in the palace when she decided to take her life. However, was it that easy to die?

Édouard Bourdillon was the eldest son of King Christian Bourdillon of the Kingdom of Escana. He decided to marry the widow of his late younger brother so that he could take over the Beromont territory which his brother possessed. 

But was this the only reason he wanted to marry Charlotte?
 
~~~~~~~~

"What are you doing?" Terrified Charlotte asked as she saw Édouard unbuttoning his shirt. 

"I am hot, so I am taking off the shirt," Édouard said and reached for the last button. 

"But it's cold weather," Charlotte said and knitted her brows. 

"Not here, Charlotte. Your mere presence around me makes me hot," Édouard said and took off the shirt. 

"Ahhh!" Charlotte quickly brought her hands in front of her eyes and covered them. From the gaps between her fingers, she peeked out of curiosity. 

A lump formed in her throat as she saw his perfectly carved body with a few scars on the chest and near the abdomen. 

Charlotte saw him approaching her and she tightly shut her eyes. A few seconds later, when she realized everything was so quiet, she opened her eyes again and found him before her. 

She promptly moved back and hit the wall behind her. She thought to leave the room when Édouard caged her petite body between his arms. 

"Are you going to—" 

"Yes. I want to be wild with you tonight, Little Cherry," Édouard said with a smirk, and the next second, he lifted her in his arms.

~~~~~
*Cover art is mine. Made by "HS AONARAN" available on FB*
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The Second Husband

Damien lingered as Édouard carefully unfurled the document. Rather than diving into the text, Édouard inquired about its origin. "I need to know before I proceed with reading," he insisted.


"Silas safeguarded it. His wife entrusted me with this," Damien responded. "He specifically asked her to pass it on to me a day before he died," he elaborated.


Édouard's confusion grew. "But why?" he asked.


"Maybe Silas had a premonition of his impending demise," Damien mused. "It's possible he intended to offer me one last helping hand."


Sensing Édouard's hesitation, Damien picked up on his reluctance to delve into the message. "Is there a reason you're hesitating? Don't you have the curiosity to find its contents?" he inquired.


Édouard's gaze met his brother's, firm and resolute. "It's Mathieu, whom I don't have faith in," he stated. "Whatever is written on this parchment won't bridge that trust gap," he concluded, gently returning it to Damien.


I couldn't witness their presence [Bonus chapter]