Chapter 2
However…
“Floria, as you know, the Sief army has been stirring up battles along our borders.”
Even the peaceful kingdom of Altomole had begun to feel the reach of the tyrant’s hands.
For years now, the Grand Duchy of Sief had been expanding its power.
After the sudden death of the former grand duke, Aidan had inherited the title in haste. Seeing an opportunity, many nations sought to exploit the weakness of the Sief territory.
But the Grand Duchy did not fall.
On the contrary, it retaliated.
The brutal, war-hardened soldiers of Sief tore into enemy lines, forcing neighboring nations to cede territory with little resistance.
The absence of the former grand duke was never felt.
Altomole, sharing its northern border with Sief, was no exception.
“At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before Sief invades our country.”
Her father’s worry ran deep. Letting out a heavy sigh, he muttered under his breath, just barely audible.
“But then, just recently, the grand duke reached out. He proposed a treaty through marriage. If we accept, he will guarantee Altomole’s sovereignty.”
“······.”
“That’s why you must go, Floria.”
A ringing filled her ears.
Grand Duke Aidan.
A political marriage…
Aidan was still young. He had never married, nor had any children.
That meant…
Floria swallowed dryly and asked, “Are you telling me to marry Grand Duke Aidan?”
“That’s right.”
Her father’s confirmation fell like a heavy stone, making her whole body tremble.
Marrying off a royal family member to secure peace with an enemy nation was nothing unusual.
But…
“Why me?”
It should never have been her turn.
Her eldest sister, Natalie, had married into a noble family years ago. But her second sister, Heliya, was still unmarried.
By all rights, Heliya should have been sent to Sief, not Floria.
Younger siblings did not marry before their elders.
Yet her father had called for her.
“Someone has to go, don’t they?”
“But Father, as you said, I’ve never even received bridal lessons. I don’t know anything. My sister is still here!”
Heliya had already completed her bridal education and was at the perfect age to marry. She was even renowned for her beauty—surely Aidan would prefer her over ‘virtuous Floria.’
Yet at her protest, her father’s gaze sharpened, as if she had said something absurd.
“What nonsense. Heliya is too delicate, both in body and spirit. She would never survive the harsh lands of Sief.”
His words froze her lips.
The Grand Duchy of Sief was a brutal, unforgiving place.
Sending Heliya there… he would never allow it.
Because she was precious.
And Floria was not.
She was nothing.
No, worse—she was someone who shouldn’t have existed at all.
A lump formed in her throat, so thick it choked her.
“Father…”
Her voice wavered.
But her father paid no heed to her pleading tone. With a smile, he continued.
“Our Heliya is frail, both in body and heart. But you are different, aren’t you?”
He spoke as if he knew her.
“You are strong, Floria. You’ll endure it just fine. I can see it.”
If anything, it was Heliya who looked stronger.
Unlike her sisters, Floria spent her days confined to her chamber, deprived of sunlight. Her skin was so pale it seemed translucent.
She was always scolded at mealtimes, unable to eat properly.
The once-plump cheeks of her childhood had hollowed out.
Compared to her sisters, her body was smaller in every way—except for the curves that had developed as she grew.
Fear and desperation seeped into her trembling voice.
“Father… the Grand Duchy of Sief is too far, too terrifying.”
Even a convent would be better.
The Altomole palace was far from warm, but compared to Sief, it was paradise.
The southern kingdoms, rich with culture and history, often looked down on the northern Grand Duchy.
And now she was to live there.
Forever.
As the wife of a monster.
She could already see bloodstained hands, could already picture the beast.
Panic gripped her.
As she clung to her last hope and pleaded, her father’s eyes narrowed.
“This is beyond my control.”
His voice carried a weight of finality.
“He wants you.”
“······The grand duke?”
Her father nodded.
The beast with bloodstained hands…
Had chosen her.
Discussion
1 CommentTize1227