Basil sat in his room, the name "Celeste Verdant" echoing in his mind. He couldn't shake the feeling that this woman was far more than she seemed. As fragments of memories from the game surfaced, the pieces of her story began to fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.
"Celeste..." he muttered to himself. "The Ilzaria Witch..."
Celeste Verdant's story began in a remote village bordering the infamous Beast Forest of Ilzaria, a land tied to the royal family by a fragile alliance. Her childhood was idyllic until the day the beasts came. She was just seven years old when her world was torn apart.
Her mother, a gentle woman with a radiant smile, had been her everything. But on that fateful day, Celeste watched in horror as her mother stood between her and a rampaging beast, sacrificing herself to save her daughter. The image of her mother's lifeless body and the blood-soaked ground haunted her every waking moment.
That day, something inside Celeste broke—and something else awakened.
Filled with rage, grief, and a burning desire for strength, she vowed never to feel powerless again. While others sought comfort in safety, Celeste ventured into the Beast Forest alone, her small frame carrying a resolve far beyond her years.
She trained relentlessly, hunting beasts with whatever tools she could find. At first, it was sheer survival, learning to set traps and using her wits to outsmart the creatures. But as years passed, she became one with the forest, moving like a shadow, striking with the precision and ferocity of a predator.
Her unorthodox training molded her into a warrior unlike any other. Her combat style was raw, primal, and lethal, combining the agility of an assassin with the instincts of a beast. While nobles trained in polished techniques and refined elegance, Celeste embraced the chaotic, untamed strength of the wild.
By the time she was fifteen, the once-powerless girl had become a legend whispered in fear: the Ilzaria Witch. Cloaked in shadows and hiding her face, she was a ghost that stalked the dangerous beasts of the forest and emerged victorious every time.
No one knew the Ilzaria Witch's true identity—not even her father. To her family and the outside world, she was simply Celeste Verdant, the baron's delicate and demure daughter, renowned for her beauty. Her graceful demeanor and enchanting smile earned her the title of "The Most Beautiful Woman of the Nation."
Her dual identity remained a secret. By day, she wore the mask of a perfect noblewoman. By night, she hunted in the shadows, her true self hidden from everyone. The baron had no idea that his seemingly fragile daughter harbored such a dangerous secret.
When Basil—drunken and reckless—demanded to marry her, Celeste accepted without protest. But her reasons for doing so were known only to her.
In the present, Basil's mind raced as he pieced together her story. Celeste wasn't just a baron's daughter; she was a force of nature. A woman who had survived unimaginable loss and transformed herself into something extraordinary.
A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts.
"Master Basil," Lira said from the other side. "The dress designers are waiting."
Basil didn't respond immediately. Instead, he stood and stared out the window, his expression unreadable.
"Celeste Verdant," he whispered. "What secrets are you hiding, and what have I gotten myself into?"