Chapter 1

The beautiful castle of the Charllon family, Etoile, located on the western seaside of the Kingdom of Devilleon.

From the side room on the second floor of the castle, with its beautiful curtains fluttering, a woman’s scream echoed out.

“What do you mean? By royal decree? Marrying into the Blois family?!”

The one who received this unimaginable news was Flora, the youngest daughter of the Charllon family. She had already heard the story from her mother several times, but, as if she still couldn’t believe it, she asked the same question again.

“I heard your father pleaded several times for reconsideration, but in the end, it turned out this way. My dear, when did you grow up so much that you’re at the age to marry?”

Flora’s father, Duke Pascal Charllon, was said to be the real power in the western region of the Kingdom of Devilleon.

Flora had never left the western region since birth. So it was only natural that she grew up thinking her father held the greatest power. She found it hard to accept that her father, the influential figure of the west, had so easily sold her off at the king’s command.

Even her father was nothing before the king’s orders. Flora felt anew the absurdity and sorrow of the class system.

“What’s the purpose of this marriage? What’s the justification? The king must really hate our family!”

“Flora, that’s not it. It’s not because the king dislikes our family.”

“Then why? Why must such a ridiculous marriage take place?”

“This year’s harvest was poor, public sentiment is uneasy, there’s nothing joyful in the country, so, to show the people that we can overcome these national hardships together…”

“Is that really the reason?”

Flora, sweating nervously, listened to her mother’s explanation, feeling faint.

So, because the country’s atmosphere was unsettled, the two families—Charllon and Blois—who had been mortal enemies since ancient times, were to show unity through marriage.

It was so absurd, Flora was stunned! She stopped her wailing, ran to the bed, buried herself, and cried out loud.

“Flora, I was just as shocked and asked your father again and again. But the king’s will was too firm…”

“Who is it?”

With her face buried in the sheets, Flora replied. She was asking which of Blois’s sons would be her marriage partner.

As far as Flora knew, the Blois family had three sons.

She’d also heard that daughters were rare in that house.

“The eldest is currently abroad and won’t return this year.”

“So it’s the second son?”

“It seems you’ll have to marry the second son, Emeric.”

“This can’t be!”

Flora’s last hope crumbled.

It was revolting enough to marry into the Blois family, but it wouldn’t even be the eldest son, Mikael, known to be kind to everyone, but Emeric, infamous for his horrible personality.

She had never properly met the king, but Flora was sure the king must have some hostility toward the Charllon family or herself. Otherwise, such a crazy marriage could never have happened.

Flora spent the whole day crying.

Her mother’s footsteps, pacing in and out of her room, could be heard, and her nanny constantly wiped her tear-stained face with a wet cloth.

Then, holding Flora’s small, trembling hand, the nanny spoke kindly.

“Miss, I asked around, and they say Sir Emeric Blois isn’t as much of a problem as people think.”

Flora struggled to open her swollen eyes and looked at her nanny, who was gently stroking her hand.

“Nanny, you’re not just trying to comfort me, are you?”

“Oh, no, Miss! I was just so curious about Sir Emeric, since you’ll be marrying him, so I asked around. As you know, the Blois family is in the east of Devilleon, so it’s a bit far from us. And you have never been to the east.”

“So what are you trying to say, nanny?”

“Sir Emeric, well, at least he doesn’t have dirty habits or complicated relationships with women…”

“Nanny!”

“All right, Miss.”

“Can you leave me alone for a while?”

Overwhelmed by sadness again, Flora turned her head and spoke to her nanny.

She wondered why she had to be sold off to Blois’s son as a symbol of the country’s peace and stability.

More than anything, Flora was disappointed in her father’s inability to prevent this marriage.

She had grown up believing her father was as great as the king.

It wasn’t unreasonable for her to think so. Since she was little, her father would sit her on his knee and tell her that, after the king, he was the most powerful person in the country, and though there was the Duke Blois in the east, he was nothing compared to her father. He’d brainwashed and taught her this.

So Flora truly believed her father’s power rivaled the king’s. Only now did she realize the truth—her father was quite boastful.

That’s why she felt a dull ache in the back of her head and cried even more. If her father really had such power, he could have stopped this marriage.

Wasn’t it normal, if you liked someone, to exchange love letters and grow closer? Flora hadn’t even attended a proper social event because her father insisted she was too young for society, while others her age were experiencing their debutante.

Now, forced into marriage by royal decree, Flora regretted missing her debutante.

If she’d known this would happen, she would have attended last year’s debutante, found a man from the western families, and married quickly.

Instead of being sold off to a ducal family in the east she’d never even visited.

She didn’t even know what Emeric Blois looked like, and his name sounded unfamiliar.

According to her sister Jacqueline, everyone from Blois was cold-blooded, lacking both blood and tears.

Unlike the warm, smiling people of the west, the east, with its colder weather, was said to have fewer smiles and colder people.

Jacqueline had mocked the women marrying into Blois, saying they were pitiful.

Flora was now that pitiful woman. Maybe Jacqueline had foreseen this and married last year.

Thinking there was no point in crying on her bed, Flora wiped her tears, got up, and went to the table.

With trembling hands, she gripped a pen tightly and began to write a letter.

“To the esteemed Sir Emeric,”

After writing one line, Flora, overcome with emotion, crumpled the letter.

How could she, Flora Charllon, use ‘esteemed’ for that Blois man? She shuddered all over.

But if she wanted to request the cancellation of the marriage, she had to swallow her pride.

So Flora composed herself and picked up the pen again.

“To the esteemed Sir Emeric… Hello. I am Flora Charllon, the third daughter of the Charllon family.”

She then sat at her desk for a long time, focused on writing the letter.

* * *

“Did you get a reply?”

A week had passed since she sent the letter to Blois, but there was no word.

“A reply? The letter probably just arrived at Blois now.”

At the nanny’s words, Flora grabbed her arm with an incredulous look.

“But what do I do! Father said he’s discussing the marriage with the Duke of Blois today.”

“My poor Miss. You may not believe it, but this marriage…”

“I know! I know I can’t avoid marriage with Blois! But can’t we at least change it so I marry the eldest, not Emeric, who’s said to have the worst personality? If Mikael can’t return to Devilleon this year, that could delay my marriage too.”

“Well, Mikael is said to be kind, unlike the cold-blooded Emeric. But the king commanded the marriage be this year, and among the sons, after Mikael, it’s Sir Emeric, so this marriage is unavoidable, Miss.”

“What about the third son? Didn’t you say they have a lot of sons?”

“The third is still too young for marriage.”

Flora, stunned, collapsed onto the sofa in her room. The sofa, which always brought her happiness and comfort, looked today as if the colorful embroidered flowers were wilting. It must be because her heart was so troubled.

“Wait a minute. Miss… Did you request in your letter to the Blois family to change your groom?”

“Is that bad?”

“Oh my, I can’t live! Have you thought about how Sir Emeric will feel when he reads that?”

“He probably hates this marriage too. Wouldn’t they prefer the eldest to marry first anyway?”

“Oh dear. I don’t know anything. You must never let Duke Charllon find out about this. Understand, Miss?”

The nanny spoke sternly to Flora. Whatever it was, she seemed to have made a serious mistake.

Flora lay on the sofa, staring at her long hair spread out.

In her memory, the Blois family had chillingly cold platinum hair.

Unlike the Charllon family’s warm golden blond.

She remembered attending a royal event and hearing her parents harshly criticize that family.

‘Every time I see the Blois family, I get a bad feeling, don’t you?’

‘Just look at that cold platinum hair. You can tell they’re from the cold region. Look at their hair, all of them.’

At that moment, a young man with platinum hair in a navy suit turned toward them.

Listening to her parents, Flora had been spacing out, but was startled by his blue eyes looking at her and quickly turned away.

She didn’t know why. She’d just felt overwhelmed by that cold color.

‘Right. People from cold regions have such cold impressions.’

She’d joined in with her parents’ words out of embarrassment.

“Haa.”

Flora changed position and looked up at the ceiling.

The ornate paintings and beautiful wallpaper didn’t catch her eye.

The scenery of this room, the warm western weather, she could feel she would soon no longer enjoy them.

After marriage, she’d have to leave here to live elsewhere.

She’d have to spend her life considering the cold, ‘cold-blooded’ Blois people as her family.

And her future husband was said to be the coldest and worst-tempered of them all.

She even imagined being abandoned by her husband on the first day of marriage, left to wither away in the attic.

The Blois’ seemed like the kind of people who would do that.

Since childhood, she’d heard of their reputation as heartless, unlike the generous west.

She’d even heard they’d abandon family if things went wrong.

‘Should I just disappear somewhere?’

“Miss! Miss!”

At that moment, she heard the nanny’s voice running toward her from afar. She’d always scolded Flora not to run around without dignity, but now the nanny was running faster than anyone.

“A letter has arrived! From Sir Emeric of Blois!”

At those words, Flora jumped up from the sofa and ran toward the nanny.

Dignity was the last thing on her mind.