“The Emperor’s ideal outcome is that Dante comes to hate me so much that he cannot produce an heir from me.”

There was a way to register an illegitimate child under the legitimate wife, but the fact that the next Grand Duke would be born of an illegitimate background would severely tarnish the reputation of the Leodinas family.

Esteller’s predictions were cold yet unimpeded. After hearing the entire situation, Jacone was greatly shocked.

The Emperor’s command was filled with a chilling malice. She wanted to deny the cruel reality, but it was impossible since there was no illogical aspect to it.

“Then we should oppose this marriage…”

Esteller waved her hand dismissively.

“Separately, the Grand Duke is an excellent choice for a husband.”

A gentle smile graced her lips.

“He is a man who knows honor.”

“……”

Dante Leodinas knows honor. He understands that honor is a value that only those who never neglect their duties can enjoy.

A person who never abandons their obligations, regardless of whether they feel good or bad.

Because of such a nature, Esteller could trust Dante.

Though it was sudden, an opportunity had presented itself right before her; there was no reason not to seize it. Esteller had already resolved to accept this marriage.

“Once I am accepted as his wife, he will strive to fulfill his duties as a husband. Given his character, I believe he will protect not just me but our family as well.”

Currently, the Sodel family lacked power.

If someone determined to trample them down held power, they would be utterly defenseless.

“Moreover, he possesses a divine eye….”

Dante Leodinas awakened his left eye as a divine eye at the age of eleven.

That eye, said to be imbued with divine power, shone a brilliant gold when its abilities were activated. His abilities allowed him to see not only the cores of demonic beasts but also those of knights and mages.

Being able to read their cores meant exposing their weaknesses. The Emperor was extremely displeased by the thought of Dante reading the cores of his royal guards and palace mages, which is why Dante usually wore a thick eye patch over his left eye.

“With the divine eye, it won’t be easy for the Emperor to secretly send someone to plot against me.”

Esteller shrugged lightly.

As an ordinary person, she was naturally vulnerable to kidnapping and violence. It would be a blessing to be under the protection of someone like Dante, who possessed such strength.

Jacone, who had been silently listening while biting his lower lip, finally spoke up.

“But the Grand Duke is someone we have never considered before.”

“Well, until now, there has been no intersection between him and me.”

Esteller pointed to the decree that lay on the table.

“Oh? But we just found one. An intersection.”

“Can we really call that an intersection?”

“Why not? His Majesty personally took the trouble to create this opportunity for us. It would be unwise to disregard his great sincerity.”

How considerate of him. It was quite moving.

She couldn’t lose, so she had to respond sincerely to the Emperor’s goodwill.

“Haah….”

Jacone ruffled his hair in frustration and let out a long sigh, as if the floor had caved in. His mind seemed tangled.

“Don’t think too hard about it.”

As Jacone said, it was true that they had not included Dante in their considerations until now. But that wasn’t because there was anything unsuitable about him; rather, they lacked information, making it strategically impossible to find common ground between them.

However, the Emperor had resolved that issue in a rather blunt manner. Although it was a bit bewildering, upon deeper reflection, she realized it was as if she had solved the problem without lifting a finger.

“Good things are good.”

“I’ve never heard of the Grand Duke liking anyone. They say he’s very cold and keeps his distance, and if he treats you that way after marriage…”

Esteller shook her head.

“Brother, I think it’s no longer important to me whether I like or love someone.”

Her smile showed no hint of sadness. In fact, she felt as if she had shed a heavy burden, feeling refreshed and clear-headed.

“I don’t want to be tied down by vague and uncertain emotions like love. My only wish is for our family to live peacefully and without harm for a long time.”

That was her sole goal and happiness.

Jacone’s fist, resting on his lap, tightened and then fell helplessly. The veins on the back of his hand had turned pale at some point.

“I’m sorry…. It’s my incompetence.”

“What are you incompetent at? If you keep saying that, I’m going to get angry.”

“Can you really get angry at me?”

Jacone let out a weak chuckle. The long, gentle eyes that peeked through his wavy hair looked slightly pained.

“I’m sorry, Eshe.”

Knowing that Esteller hated to hear it, he forced down the words of apology.

“I’m really… sorry for placing so many burdens on you.”

His sister was like an angel.

And the misfortune stemmed from the fact that he and his family lacked the strength to protect an angel.

‘If only I had strength like the Grand Duke.’

The ruler of the East, Leodinas. Not to mention, Dante himself was the Empire’s strongest warrior. Surely, such a remarkable person could protect Esteller.

He knew intellectually that it was the best option, but his heart did not agree.

At the age of five, Esteller had suffered from a severe fever, and after her fever broke, her personality had matured significantly. It felt as if she had changed overnight. Her parents had been deeply worried, and Jacone had been anxious throughout.

Months later, Esteller had clutched Jacone’s hand and confessed hesitantly that she had a long and terrifying dream while bedridden.

In that dream, the Sodel family was destroyed by the Emperor, and her entire family suffered. However, it was too vivid and detailed to be dismissed as a mere nightmare; it felt as if such a miserable life truly existed….

As she spoke, Esteller cried sorrowfully with a haggard face. Anger and fear that had never been seen before flickered in the child’s eyes.

At that time, Jacone, being just a child himself, could not fully understand what she had said.

However, the moment he saw the deep and vivid fear in his sister’s eyes, he made a firm resolution. He would believe whatever Esteller had experienced, whether it was a dream or not. He would definitely protect his beloved sister from everything that frightened her.

Esteller did not mention the “nightmare” to her parents. They were inherently kind-hearted people, and the tragic and horrific ending they had faced in their previous lives made it impossible for her to muster the courage to reveal that fact.

Thus, Jacone became the only person with whom Esteller shared her secret and acted as a bridge to solve matters on her behalf, living a life disconnected from the world.

Esteller was more than satisfied with the unwavering trust and affection Jacone showed her. He was the best brother, and she thought he could not do any more for her than he already had.

On the other hand, Jacone felt self-reproach.

If only he had been stronger. If only he had been more capable. Then he could have protected his sister properly….

If he could have provided safety with his own strength, Esteller would not have been in a position where she had to think only of her family’s safety, even at the moment of choosing a partner to spend her life with, without considering her own future.

He knew all of it was meaningless regret.

Yet at the same time, it was an emotion he could not shake off. Just as Esteller filled in all his shortcomings with love and saw him as perfect, he felt that he had given everything he had for her but still found it insufficient.

The unfulfilled wish continued to swirl chaotically in Jacone’s mind.

‘It’s not your fault, brother.’

Seeing Jacone’s dark expression, it wasn’t difficult to guess how he felt.

Esteller tried to lighten the stagnant atmosphere by bringing up another topic.

“Still, we can’t accept this too readily. If it seems like we’re treating this as a windfall for our family, the Emperor will quickly take offense.”

Jacone was dumbfounded. He had issued commands before, but now he was going to get angry because things didn’t go well?

“How petty can he be?”

“Well, I don’t know, but I’ve never seen anyone as small-minded as him in my life.”

The Emperor had a petty temperament. He didn’t care at all about trampling on others’ feelings, but if someone hurt his feelings even a little, he would dwell on that grudge and seek revenge.

When dealing with such a petty person, one should not think of him as they would a normal person.

“You can’t treat a petty person like a magnanimous one. You have to deal with a petty person in a petty way.”

Esteller stood up, shaking off her seat, and fetched some paper and a quill.

Though the quality wasn’t poor, it wasn’t high-end either. Knowing she had much better items, Jacone was puzzled, but all his questions were gradually answered with her following words.

“Write down what I say here. First, it should look like the writing of a very nervous person, with ink smudged in various places. The spacing between letters should be erratic, so the recipient can tell that the writer is trembling in fear.”

Esteller closed her eyes for a moment before opening them.

The words flowed without obstruction. Her clear voice rang melodiously within the separate building.

“To the esteemed Emperor, I am deeply moved by the imperial decree you have issued. However, our Sodel family is in such dire straits, and Esteller Sodel herself is of a wild and unruly nature….”

⁕⁕⁕

The East, Halpenrit.

To put it simply, it was a bustling territory. The roads were neatly paved everywhere one looked, and upon entering the castle, one could see the lively shopping district lined with shops on both sides.

In a positive light, it could be described as idyllic, but frankly speaking, it was very different from the rural Delmira. Halpenrit exuded an air of wealth that could not be hidden from the very entrance of the city.

There was also a significant difference in the distance to the gate and the main castle. It was natural that the Sodel family had no gate in their territory, and to use a gate, one had to travel quite a distance north to the neighboring Doit region.

In contrast, the Leodinas family possessed a gate in their territory, and the Grand Ducal residence was not far from the gate in Halpenrit.

As a result, due to this geographical advantage, Dante received the decree a few days earlier than Esteller.

The Emperor’s envoy unfolded the decree and began to read unnecessary embellishments. Dante, with a face that seemed to be listening intently, was absorbing everything the envoy was relaying with one ear and letting it slip out the other.

Then it happened.

“…Therefore, I command the marriage of the two.”

At first, he wondered if he had misheard something. However, after carefully verifying the decree, he realized his hearing was perfectly normal.

The Emperor had issued a command. A command to marry a young lady from a family he had never even heard of.

“Huh? Has my uncle gone mad? Of course, it’s not the first time he’s given orders that sound like they’ve come from a rotting brain….”

‘So this is how he commands a marriage.’

It was so absurd that it didn’t even make him angry.

Dante sat dazed in his office chair.

After a while, he barely collected himself and pulled the cord to summon someone.

He could not marry without knowing anything about the other family. There were wolves lurking everywhere, hoping the Leodinas family would stumble and fall.

Dante immediately dispatched Gideon to the South.

Gideon was the one who led the military intelligence unit. He was a capable individual with professional training, so investigating the history of an ordinary family would be a piece of cake.

Before long, Gideon returned with neatly organized information about the Sodel family.

“…The family itself is nothing special. Their main source of income is fruit, but they do have one business they keep under wraps.”

“What is it?”

“It’s a fruit canning business.”

Gideon carefully placed two sealed jars on Dante’s wide mahogany desk.

It seemed their habit of collecting evidence from the military was surfacing here as well. Dante tapped the jars with the tip of his finger. Well-ripened peaches and cherries were packed inside the transparent syrup.

Gideon added, looking a bit embarrassed.

“The reviews of the products are good. They’re delicious.”

The fruits looked plump and indeed seemed delicious….

“Are they laundering money with this?”

“No. They were using all their earnings to buy herbs and mana-enhancing stones that stimulate mana sensitivity.”

“Mana-stimulating stones?”

“Yes. The items purchased were used on Jacone Sodel, Esteller Sodel’s brother. Currently, Jacone Sodel is enrolled in the Royal University’s Faculty of Magic, where he has consistently ranked first in theory subjects for three years since his academy days, but he was born with a small core and low mana sensitivity, making practical training difficult. It seems he is trying to overcome his inherent limitations through herbs and stones.”

“…That’s quite ambitious.”

Dante felt a bit deflated by such overly honest actions.

He still could not comprehend why the Emperor had paired Esteller Sodel with him.

“Gideon—”

“…….”

When he spoke in a deliberately stern voice, Gideon’s shoulders flinched.

The man’s face was clearly showing embarrassment, a rare sight for him. It was as if he were a loyal dog trying desperately to hide an accident in front of his master.

Dante nodded lightly.

“I feel like you haven’t told me the most important thing yet.”

“Well, that is….”

“Don’t avoid it. If I have to take a hit, it’s better to get it over with quickly.”

The wedding was looming like a sharp blade before him. There was no place to escape.

When Dante urged him once more, Gideon revealed the information with a half-crying expression.

“The young lady from the Sodel family has been rumored throughout the South as the century’s ugly woman…. Her personality is also wild, and her parents raised her in a separate building for her entire life. Upon investigation, there were actually no records of her leaving the mansion since she was five. It was said that she had a severe case of smallpox at five, leaving her face entirely scarred, which aligns with her being confined to the separate building. Furthermore, according to testimonies from the mansion’s servants, at times, in the deep of night, they hear sounds coming from the direction of the separate building—sounds of someone sobbing as if torn apart, followed by eerie laughter.”

The crux had been revealed. Dante sighed deeply and brushed his bangs aside.

“So that’s what it was.”

He had heard that the Second Prince had visited the South not long ago. He had inquired about the young lady from the Sodel family, who had been confined all this time, and the Emperor must have taken a malicious interest.

‘All the pieces of the puzzle are falling into place.’

The Emperor could not endure a single day without a beautiful woman by his side. He was notorious for being obsessed with appearances even when choosing an Empress. Given that he was such a person, it was only natural that he would think pairing Dante with an unattractive woman would effectively ruin his marriage.

‘A rural viscount family with no significant power….’

A woman he knew nothing about, with no knowledge of her age or appearance, only a line of name and scattered rumors.

However, considering the princess who was pathologically obsessed with him, perhaps this was a better outcome.

Yet….

Dante pressed his temples. He felt a slight bitterness in his mouth.

Images of his father, staring vacantly into space, and his mother, emaciated like a winter tree, flashed through his mind.

More than a decade ago, during the battle against the Sea Serpent, his father lost his right arm. On top of that, his core was damaged, twisting his entire mana conduit, rendering him unable to walk on his own legs. A once-magnificent knight had fallen into a semi-invalid state overnight.

Instead of charging at the enemy with a sword, he could barely leave a room without help, sitting in a wheelchair.

His father could never accept the pathetic state he had become.

Young Dante had witnessed how a strong despair could be contagious.

From the day his father was injured, his once-cheerful and kind mother had vanished. She had lost all her bright smiles. She had tried to rescue her beloved husband from despair, but it was futile.

…If she could not save him, at least she would stay by his side, and with that thought, his mother embraced his father.

Despair was like a bottomless dark swamp. The couple, holding each other tightly as if they were one body, was slowly sinking beneath that swamp.

So Dante had occasionally hoped. If he welcomed a bright and lively wife, perhaps the long-standing sorrow of the grand ducal residence could be alleviated a little. Perhaps, taking steps forward with a new person, they could slowly recover.

‘It’s a useless wish…. I shouldn’t expect what I can’t resolve from others.’

He had neatly folded away the vague hope he had harbored.

He was genuinely fine. He did not feel particularly hurt. In fact, deep down, he had always felt that the wish was nothing more than a daydream.

Was there anyone in the world who understood better than him that one should not seek salvation from others? When he traversed the brink of life and death on the battlefield, he was always alone.

When true moments of crisis arrived, ultimately, the only one who could save him was himself. There was no one in this world who would suddenly appear out of nowhere like a lifeline from the heavens to extend a helping hand to him.