The man who spoke with displeasure was the Emperor of the Diovaha Empire, Jade Diovaha.

“I know.”

His distinctly furrowed brow clearly revealed his distress. A small sigh escaped through his tightly closed lips. He’d only pretended to forget. Calculating the schedule, today was the day the carriage carrying Rosana would arrive.

“She’s just for show anyway.”

“Even so, you should go meet her. It’s a peace treaty. We can’t afford to have the Astrot Empire attack us either. And it’s that Rosana Arcadi. You need to keep up appearances.”

“Didn’t I send the Commander? Isn’t that enough of a reception?”

Jade spoke sarcastically. His golden eyes sharply observed the man who had offered advice—Baron, the Vice Commander. But he soon lowered his eyes.

“Sorry.”

Jade knew his words were just venting frustration. He roughly swept back his bangs. Though top secret, there was a reason he’d absorbed the surrounding kingdoms through war.

The number of monsters appearing had surged dramatically. Monsters were a headache for every continent. But somehow, only the Diovaha Kingdom had an exceptional number of them.

As the land became desolate due to monsters, people gradually lost places to live. For the Diovahans, who lived primarily by hunting due to already barren land, this was a matter of survival.

So they worked to obtain fertile land. Fortunately, the wars ended in consecutive victories, but if Astrot attacked in the current situation, Jade would be just as helpless. That’s why he’d accepted the marriage. A deep sigh escaped between his lips.

He was going to go anyway. He’d come to subjugate the monsters after hearing the telegram about their appearance, and it was done. He turned his body roughly. The direction he turned was toward the castle.

“Fine. Let’s go.”

At Jade’s words, the knights, relieved they’d survived, immediately prepared to head to the castle. Jade clicked his tongue at the sight.

“The knights’ condition is absolutely terrible. Are they even training properly?”

“Your Majesty. Don’t put them on the same level as yourself.”

Baron wrapped up the knights while clicking his tongue at Jade’s words. Jade had a clear skill difference not only from regular knights but even from the Commander. 

Without him, far from winning consecutive wars, the Diovaha Kingdom would have been destroyed by monsters.

Jade clicked his tongue briefly and leaped onto his horse. Then he turned the horse’s head toward his castle visible below the mountain range.

“Right. Let’s go see the person who’ll become my wife.”

Jade grinned mischievously like a child, lifting the corners of his mouth.

* * *

Inside the rattling carriage, Rosana quietly gazed out the window. Beside her, Emma held her hand and offered words of encouragement, saying not to worry, that everything would be fine. It was quite a talent how the sniffling sounds and chattering combined to form a melody.

If she’s going to cry, she should just cry…

Emma dabbed at her eyes with a white handkerchief from who knows where, making crying sounds. Tears were definitely flowing. But to Rosana’s eyes, it didn’t feel sincere.

On the way to get married.

Though it was a marriage forced upon her like being pushed from behind, it wasn’t bad. That’s what she thought. Rather, it felt refreshing.

She was escaping the gloomy ducal family and leaving the Astrot Empire where she’d been completely surrounded by enemies. Just escaping from the suffocating place seemed to unravel the knot that had been piled up in one corner of her heart.

But Emma’s crying was gradually souring her mood. A situation where no one pitied her or blessed her, saying she deserved it. Nausea surged at the fact that the only one pitying her was Emma right in front of her. 

From Rosana’s perspective, Emma spouting words of encouragement in a crying voice was detestable. Unable to endure it any longer, Rosana’s mouth finally opened.

“Emma.”

“Sniff, sob… Yes, my lady.”

“Be quiet.”

She cut off Emma’s crying with a terribly cold tone. The crying stopped abruptly. Emma raised her head with a surprised expression. A cold chill circulated in the carriage like frost had settled. 

But that was only for a brief moment.

“My lady… it must be very hard for you, right?”

Rosana lost the will to resist. It was always the same pattern. Her shoulders drooped. No matter what she said, Emma wouldn’t listen. Strength naturally entered her grip.

How pointless…

Amy, who came to see her off, was the same. Rosana had definitely conveyed the feelings and thoughts she’d hidden tightly and could no longer share. 

But what came back were shallow words of support, saying she understood everything with that expression, that she’d always cheer for her.

She didn’t even think it would get through, but she couldn’t hide her complicated feelings. In that sense, the people of the ducal family were consistent toward Rosana.

Rosana sometimes wondered what was inside Emma’s head. And also what all the people of the ducal family were thinking.

What could be so sad? Was it really about her getting married?

Rosana’s eyes, her vision, had no problems at all. But whenever she looked at Emma, her vision always became hazy and blurred, distorting her face and expression. Her crying face looked like a mocking face.

Rosana, who let out a deep sigh, stared at the various knights visible outside the window. She recalled what happened at departure. 

Since when had she cared so much—Mother had brought along not only Emma, her personal maid, but also maids and knights who worked at the ducal family.

She smiled benevolently and told her:

I’ve attached people familiar to you for your sake.

Was there really anyone among them who voluntarily said they’d go with her? Familiar… it was so absurd she couldn’t even laugh.

There were many Rosana was seeing for the first time. The only one they were familiar with was Mother. The servants hated approaching Rosana’s side, and the knights had no intention of protecting Rosana. It was utterly ridiculous.

They didn’t need to come.

She wanted to cut all ties and leave. But the moment the Duchess spoke, it was already a decided matter. Rosana just had to move her body.

It was after the procession was prepared under the Duchess’s command. The things she’d take, the gifts, the people. The ducal family’s knights completely surrounded the carriage. Rosana looked around and asked the Duchess.

“Is this everything?”

“Yes. Is there something more you want?”

“…”

She smiled benevolently. Saying she’d grant anything she asked for, thoroughly playing the role of “mother” until the end. She heard whispers around her asking what more she could want.

Rosana slowly shook her head and swallowed a deep sigh inside. You expected this. With a dismal look, she glanced around before slowly walking into the carriage she’d ride.

Those around murmured that it was sufficiently splendid, even excessive, but that wasn’t true. It was the kind of thinking only people ignorant of the situation would have. Rather, the prepared procession clearly showed that she was indeed someone unwelcome anywhere.

Because this wasn’t an ordinary marriage. Despite being a marriage between nations, at her departure there were no people from Diovaha, no people from the imperial palace.

She’d felt something was off from the correspondence. A matter decided too quickly, the notice to leave for Diovaha. It wasn’t a normal procedure.

Though nominally a marriage between nations, the imperial family only designated the person, then stepped back to watch. They should have given something to Diovaha as a sign of peace, but there was nothing.

Though it was a political marriage between nations, the dowry and gifts were all prepared solely within the ducal family. 

What could it mean that they gave nothing to Rosana, who was going to a foreign country? Was it mockery toward Diovaha, or that Rosana wasn’t worth that much? It was impossible to know.

Did they want to get rid of her that quickly?

There were many unknown factors, but she had to move according to the imperial family’s orders. It was just a matter of her leaving anyway. Then everything would be perfect. The ducal family’s disgrace was hers alone.

A bitter smile came naturally. Just like Rosana was nothing to them, they had no value to Rosana either.

Rosana raised her head and looked out the window. Now even the walls of Astrot’s capital were no longer visible. They were getting farther away.

It’s fortunate, isn’t it?

Escaping a place filled with inconsistencies.

Rosana suddenly fell into thought while watching a bird visible outside the window. Like those birds, someday… couldn’t she fly freely? Couldn’t she run? Wouldn’t she escape from the restraints called words? 

Even in Rosana’s heart, already soaked in resignation, a small hope warmed one corner.

“We’re approaching the border soon.”

If there was one target Rosana felt sorry for, it was the Emperor of Diovaha, both a victim like herself and her future husband. Rosana knew her own rumors better than anyone.

‘Even I would shudder thinking someone like me was my wife.’

A bitter smile formed naturally. That’s how terrible the rumors surrounding her were—the worst of the worst. Sooner or later, they’d arrive at Diovaha’s imperial palace. It wouldn’t be too late to see then. She harbored a small expectation too.

Then the smoothly moving carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop.

The horse neighed and Rosana’s body swayed. She barely maintained her balance by grabbing the seat with her hand.

“Who are you!”

The knights escorting Rosana’s carriage shouted at those blocking the way ahead. At the threatening shout, Emma flinched and jumped up. Then she conveyed words of caution to Rosana.

“Something must have happened. My lady, please take cover. I’ll check what’s going on.”

Emma stuck her head out the window to look outside. Then she saw unknown knights blocking the ducal family’s knights. When she heard the shouting, Rosana was flustered, but soon thought what did it matter.

Whether the knights outside shouted not to come out, or Emma firmly held her hand saying the knights would protect her, Rosana didn’t even move. She only wanted to quickly resolve the situation and leave this place. She didn’t want to breathe even the air if it was Astrot’s.

What blocked Rosana’s carriage was Fel, the Diovaha Imperial Knight Commander, and other knight members who came to meet her under Jade’s orders.

Fel slowly surveyed the carriage. No fool would cross the border with such a long procession, and the only remaining possibility was naturally Rosana Arcadi coming to hold the wedding ceremony.

He carefully explored the surroundings and reached a conclusion. He quietly observed the Arcadi ducal family’s knights, ready to draw their swords at any moment, and asked for confirmation.

“Is this the carriage carrying Lady Rosana Arcadi?”

“That’s right. For someone who knows to block the way—do you want to die?”

Having received confirmation, Fel muttered quietly.

“My introduction is late.”

A knight, indignant at Fel’s calm attitude, was about to raise his voice. But Fel moved in one step faster. He bowed politely with knightly courtesy. When the knight blocking the way bowed, the ducal family’s knights hesitated in confusion.

But while greeting politely, the man didn’t hide his sharply gleaming eyes. He firmly and politely demanded the knights step aside.

“I am Fel, the Imperial Knight Commander who came to meet Lady Rosana Arcadi under His Majesty’s orders. I apologize to you all, but I ask that all the knights please return.”

The knights who had flinched at Fel’s polite attitude glared at him with hardened faces. They engaged in a battle of wills with menacing eyes before the border. Neither side yielded an inch.

While sharp glances were exchanged, one knight with the highest rank among the ducal family’s knights pushed through the group.

“How do we verify that? It could be a crime to worsen relations between empires.”

The knight demanded the truth with a serious gaze.

His opinion was valid. Fel nodded and extended his hand to a knight beside him. The knight who received the order took out a scroll from inside his clothes and unrolled it fully so all the knights could see.

The knights looked straight at the imperial decree and swallowed dry saliva at the Emperor’s seal stamped clearly on it. It was proven that Fel was definitely from the Imperial Knights. 

But they also had orders to watch over Rosana until she arrived. Not to protect her, but to monitor her in case she tried to escape.

Observing the hesitating knight’s attitude, Fel spoke in a chilly voice.