Marked as the Tyrant's Daughter-in-Law - Chapter 1

Prologue

“We have arrived in Galnem.”

A sharp, prickly wind blew between the tall mountains and valleys, making a harsh sound.

The most powerful figures in the empire, who gave a strong impression even though their identities were hidden, were sitting on horses with stern expressions, and behind them, iron-blooded soldiers with sword-like discipline stood motionless.

Their commander, Parmes Aslet, Fourth Prince of the noble Imperial Family, had silver hair reminiscent of frost and red eyes. His eyes were quite dry but had the appearance of a wild beast stalking its prey.

“This land will become the stepping stone to your conquest, Your Highness.”

A man with glasses, sitting beside Parmes, continued speaking.

A village where poison and medicine coexisted, appearing unremarkable at first glance but harboring secrets within.

Galnem was an excellent strategic location for Parmes, who harbored secrets and plotted conspiracies aimed at the throne.

As Parmes dismounted, a soldier clad in silver armor quickly knelt beside his horse.

The sound of Parmes’ foot stepping on the soldier’s back could be heard.

With cold steps that had trampled over cold stones, corpses, and blood, he walked forward on the dirt path that lay ahead.

After about three steps, the corner of Parmes’ eyebrow twitched slightly.

Beneath his foot, a pale yellow flower with large leaves had bloomed.

For a moment, Parmes gazed down at it, a very faint, cold smile appearing on his lips before vanishing.

His gaze returned to the front, and with indifferent and ruthless steps, he walked over the flower, crushing it.

Everyone followed behind Parmes.

1

“Come on, welcome, Uncle Parnel, and Aunty Piolet, it’s time to get started.”

I looked up and greeted the two neighbors who had come to my backyard.

In the small yard, a rugged-looking man with a Mohawk hairstyle and a plump lady with a Beethoven-style head sat neatly, looking at me.

In order, Uncle Parnel and Aunt Piolet.

With a serious look in my eyes, I held up the spoon in my small hand and spoke.

“This red beet sorbet is a two-in-one food that captures both taste and health.”

Does it look like door-to-door sales? No. What I am doing now can be considered the ultimate class to save the students in front of me.

It’s called the Red Beet Recipe Lecture!

For the record, the red beet here is a completely different species than the modern beet, more of a sweet, fruit-like vegetable.

Aunt Piolet, who had been watching me explain with interest, smiled and spoke.

“It must have taken a lot of effort to process the beet.”

“Oh, that’s okay, Uncle Zimmer helped me.”

Aunt Piolet raised her eyebrows slightly, showing a hint of surprise.

“Ah… oh, I see.”

“Um…”

Following that, the giant-sized Uncle Parnel sitting next to her wriggled his caterpillar-like eyebrows and let out a snort.

By the way, the Uncle Zimmer I just mentioned – not present at the moment- is my closest friend in the village. He is always getting into trouble, and as a result, he is scolded by the neighbors every time.

Well, I know Uncle Zimmer appears to be quite clumsy to the people in the village… It’s a bit sad every time he’s rejected like this.

Even to a ten-year-old like me, he seems a bit lacking in some things, so he appears even more so to the adults.

Aww. Poor Uncle Zimmer.

I can’t help it, I’m on his side.

“Uncle Zimmer is a kind person. Once you get to know him, you’ll see a different side of him, even if he looks a bit foolish!”

“…….”

“…….”

There was a moment of silence.

“Well, well then.”

Aunt Piolet nodded with a still awkward smile on her face.

The awkwardness that had flowed in the air for a while was interrupted as my lecture resumed.

Although calling it a lecture was an overstatement—it was more about teaching the method of drying the Red Beet fruit, the timing of mixing it with the grated beet, and how to form the clumps.

“Now, if you leave this in the ice valley for about an hour, it becomes a delicious sherbet!”

“Wow. Even if you eat it not chilled, it’s delicious like this… umm!”

“When infiltrating the enemy camp during a fiery battle, if you bite into this, you won’t feel the heat.”

Uncle Parnel, as often is the case, made another strange comment, but let’s move on.

“By the way, you haven’t forgotten the homework I gave you the other day, have you?”

As I spoke, Uncle Parnel and Aunt Piolet exchanged glances.

When both remained silent, I spoke with a stern expression.

“Making Beet Pastries.”

“Uh… um… well, that’s…”

“No way, you didn’t do the homework? I told you; it becomes incredibly delicious when matured!”

After my recipe lecture, I always assigned the homework of making preserved food.

In fact, there was also a purpose.

I didn’t want to see the dear people in the village starving to death during a famine.

“I told you. Later, a terrifying tyrant could rule the empire, and a famine might come!”

Yes. In three years, a terrible famine will strike the empire, and even the military horses will be used as food due to the country’s financial difficulties.

So, I was teaching these innocent neighbors a way to endure famine with my own hands!

“That’s right. I admire the ease with which you prepared the slices, but I am soon leaving this place…”

“Sir Parnel, be quiet. It’s still a secret to Arinel. Shh!”

When Aunt Piolet gave a stern look and nudged Uncle Parnel, he flinched.

What’s with these delinquent students who haven’t done their homework!

As I was about to reprimand the two, Aunt Piolet’s voice, urgently trying to change the topic, reached my ears.

“But Arinel, don’t you want to go to school after all?”

I paused for a moment at her words.

Children in the imperial capital went to school, just like in modern times.

“Well, I just like reading books alone. I believe I can do better studying on my own than the children who go to school.”

But of course, I had no intention of going to school.

When the famine comes, many people in the city will starve to death.

It’s better to have my own house with Red Beet, something I can harvest even if it’s just the roots.

Mmm! That’s right. I put my hands on my hips and nodded.

“Arinel, in my eyes, you’re special. I graduated thousands of young ladies in the capital, but…”

“Huh?”

I interjected, appearing puzzled at Aunt Piolet’s words.

“Oh, in my arms. When I was young… I operated an orphanage in the capital. A daycare for beautiful young ladies.”

“Really?”

An ordinary-looking village woman turned out to be the director of an orphanage, impressive!

But do they use the concept of ‘graduation’ in an orphanage?

The sound of Uncle Parnel coughing again was heard.

“Ahem!”

“With my unparalleled foresight, I can see that Arinel is special. A lady overflowing with intelligence, creativity, and survival skills is rare. Undoubtedly, she will become the flower among flowers.”

Suddenly, holding my hand and shining in her eyes, Aunt Piolet looked at me, and I was taken aback.

A blush had risen on her cheeks.

“Someday, when you need to learn something outside of school, undoubtedly, that time will come. Make sure to call me then.”

“Arinel.”

As soon as Aunt Piolet finished speaking, Uncle Parnel abruptly intervened.

“Ladylike manners are useless in a real battle where blood is splattered. According to my view, your true talent lies elsewhere…”

“Sir… no, Mr. Parnel! Arinel is under my wing first!”

A fresh protest from Aunt Piolet was heard.

“Arinel will find her place under my authority; it’s the Madam who should not harbor false hopes!”

Uncle Parnel said solemnly, holding out his thick arm.

“Well, Mr Parnell, I’m disappointed you didn’t see it that way, but there you go, interrupting someone else’s business…….”

“You were the one who broke the rules!”

’Oh, they’re fighting again.’

At every opportunity, the two of them passionately tried to convince me that I should follow in their footsteps.

I don’t understand why things like social graces or tactics in a war zone are necessary in this countryside.

“Enough, everyone.”

At that moment, a voice rescued me from the heated atmosphere.

When did he appear?

Amrus, the latecomer to today’s class. With his chestnut-colored wavy hair, he rushed in, pushing up his glasses, and intervened in the fight between Mr. Parnel and Mrs. Piolet.

He lived next door to the aforementioned Uncle Zimmer and had a strange way of speaking that was neither aristocratic nor like a commoner.

If I were to express it, perhaps a commoner mimicking the nobility… or the other way around?

“What are you doing in front of a child? Don’t you know Arinel might be scared thinking you’re fighting? And you two.”

Amrus’s gruff voice made UncleParnel and Aunt Piolet pause in surprise.

“It’s not desirable to break the rules we set in the beginning. If you two continue like this, I cannot abstain from participating in this ‘war’ either.”

At those threatening words, Uncle Parnel and Aunt Piolet exchanged glances.

Perhaps both felt that they were not a match for Amrus.

Aunt Piolet sighed softly and then spoke.

“Sorry, Arinel.”

“Cough. My ambitions were excessive.”

Uncle Parnel also apologized to me.

A moment later, they left, carrying the recipe for red beet sorbet they had scribbled down from me.

Make sure to bring your homework next time!”

While admonishing them as they left, I heard Amrus’s voice from the side.

“…Apart from those two, have any other villagers offered to teach you something?”

“Oh, Aunt Annie offered to teach me about laws once, and Uncle Vernel asked if I was curious about alchemy. But, you know, with the busy life of just making a living… I didn’t develop much interest, so I declined.”

As I spoke, flames seemed to flicker in Amrus’s eyes. Then, clenching his fist, he muttered something.

“…Everyone pretending to be unaware but secretly working behind the scenes.”

Whether it was a misconception, or he felt betrayed, his appearance seemed to be breaking apart.

After a while, when Amrus raised his gaze, he pursed his lips and spoke in a low voice.

“What they talk about isn’t crucial in life. It’s just superficial.”

“Ah…”

“The most important thing in life, and what you must learn for sure.”

The serious man’s voice pierced into my ears.

Behind the cold material of his glasses, an intense gaze was fixed on me.

“…Money.”

☁⊹₊┈ㆍ┈ ▫ ┈ㆍ🌱ㆍ┈ ▫ ┈ㆍ┈₊⊹☁

My name is Arinel Mailirilia, a victim of a common isekai truck and reincarnated into a fantasy novel.

The novel I’ve been reincarnated into is called <I will no longer be the tyrant’s lover> a trashy fantasy novel that revolves around the story of Amelia´s obsessive pursuit of the tyrant.

The terrifying tyrant’s name is Parmes Aslet, commonly known as the ‘Silver-Haired Demon.’ Together with the four prime ministers who helped him, he colored the empire with fear of the future.

These ministers, who represented the domestic, military, economic, and foreign ministries, were, along with Parmes, the terrifying villains responsible for the devastation in the novel.

I say future because “the thing” – the worst event in history – hasn’t happened yet.

’But it will undoubtedly happen, and I cannot prevent it.’

Because I have no connection to the royal palace; I am just a daughter of a commoner in a remote village.

’So, I’m like an extra, not even a proper citizen of the empire.’

Mom was said to be a knight of some noble, but after getting pregnant with me, she moved to the remote village of Galnem, far from the city.

Growing up in a village with only seven households, I harvested herbs, developed food recipes, and raised red beets with my skilled hands. After my mom passed away when I was seven, I continued to live by cultivating crops and gathering herbs.

Although the villagers were peculiar in their own ways, they were all good-natured people.

And now, the person standing in front of me, looking distressed, is…

“Oh, again? Hah…….”

This is the aforementioned Uncle Zimmer, the troublemaker in our village.

Uncle Zimmer shows me the cut on his ankle, which he says was caused by a protruding nail when he fell down the stairs.

I put my little fists on my hips and sighed in exasperation.

How could adults get hurt more than kids?

“If Arinel treats me again, it’ll be fine.”

“I don’t know, I’ll pretend not to notice next time.”

Even though I said that I took out an ointment I made from herbs and applied it to his ankle.

It looked like a pretty deep cut, but at least it wouldn’t leave a scar.

“Will you not treat me next time?”

Uncle Zimmer asked me in a pitiful tone, his eyebrows drawn together.

Isn’t it brazen for a grown man to ask to be treated by a ten-year-old?

“……Really?”

Ugh, I was going to get really angry this time.

But when someone asks with that face and those eyes, whether it’s before or after reincarnation, weak to handsome men like me can only answer like this.

“No, how could I turn away from you? But it hurts me to see you hurt. You say you cherish me, so do you want to see me in pain?”

In response to my earnest words, Uncle Zimmer’s ordinary brown eyes flickered lightly.

It might have been a misconception, but for a moment, it seemed like a deep red glow passed through them.

He shook his head slowly.

“So don’t hurt yourself, for my sake.”

After finishing the treatment, I once again urged him.

My neighbor, Uncle Zimmer. His face was so handsome that it was hard to get used to, and a gradually innocent smile appeared on it.

“As expected, I like Arinel the most.”

A bright smile that illuminated the surroundings.

Looking at that smile, I thought that my everyday life with Uncle Zimmer and the other villagers would last forever.

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Leaving behind a letter that felt like a lie, Uncle Zimmer and the villagers disappeared from the village like evaporating water.

That same year, news arrived that the tyrant Parmes Aslet, the protagonist of < I will no longer be the tyrant’s lover >, had successfully rebelled and ascended to the throne.