Chapter 2

“What? Is it really a letter from Sir Emeric?”

Flora, her long blonde hair flowing down, rushed toward her nanny.

“Oh my, Miss! I keep telling you to walk with grace!”

“This is no time to be graceful.”

Flora took the envelope from the nanny’s hand, calming her trembling heart as she opened it.

She tore open the ivory-colored envelope, and inside was a reply, written in a concise hand, exactly four lines long.

– Respected Lady Flora.

I received your letter a few days ago.

However, as it was such an absurd request, I am only replying now out of courtesy.

There will never be a change of groom.

From Emeric Blois.

When she read his name at the end, it felt so unfamiliar that she pronounced it slowly.

How could it make sense to spend the rest of her life with someone whose name still felt this strange?

Moreover, even in this short letter, his cold-blooded personality came through without any filter.

She wondered if he even knew how to smile.

‘Could I really live with someone so cold?’

Flora became terribly frightened and anxious. He seemed like a man who would never yield an inch.

“Miss, why did you even ask to change your groom? Even I think that was too much. He seems quite offended.”

“Right? Even you can tell how upset he is right now, can’t you?”

“Of course.”

“Ha, I’m ruined.”

Even before the wedding, no, even before meeting him for the first time, Flora felt as if her future was completely tangled up.

* * *

Duke Pascal Charllon sat deep in thought in the carriage on his way to meet Duke Christophe Blois.

It was about a week ago, when he had been summoned to the palace by the King.

‘Lately, I’ve heard that the western regions have suffered poor harvests—is that true?’

‘It is true, Your Majesty. The temperature has been much warmer than before, so the crops are struggling to grow properly.’

‘Each year it gets worse, so it’s no wonder the people’s lives are getting harder.’

‘My worries are beyond measure.’

‘That’s why, before this year ends, I’d like the two families to reconcile. Preferably in a way that everyone in this kingdom can quickly recognize.’

‘Your Majesty. The two families… What do you mean by that…?’

‘Show the people of Devilleon the strength of both houses through marriage. Stop fighting already.’

‘Pardon…?’

‘If both families deliver a message of peace and harmony to the people through marriage, imagine how happy everyone will be! The child to be born in the future will be blessed by Devilleon.’

‘Reconciliation through marriage… But we’ve never fought so badly…’

‘Every time there’s a royal event, you don’t even speak to each other. Why does the grudge from your parents’ generation still continue? I thought if I left you alone, you’d eventually reconcile, but every time you see each other, you’re at each other’s throats. People even joke that folks from both families won’t even pee facing west or east! Is this really right?’

Duke Charllon had nothing left to say, so he simply bowed his head.

The grudge between the Charllon and Blois families began in the previous generation, during Duke Pascal Charllon’s father’s time.

A son of Charllon and a daughter of Blois met for the first time at a debutante ball and fell in love, but the fierce opposition of both families’ parents made marriage nearly impossible.

That son of Charllon was none other than Duke Pascal Charllon’s older brother. He threatened not to inherit the title if his marriage was opposed, and so the Charllon family finally gave their approval.

But the real problem started after that.

The daughter of Blois, who had lived her whole life in the eastern region, could not adapt to the western Charllon family after her marriage. Unlike the indifferent and cold people of the east, the people of the west were nosy and loved to gossip. The blatant stares wore her down day by day.

In the end, after three years of marriage, she grew sick from an unknown illness and died coughing up blood.

No one knew whether it was the sudden change in environment or a pre-existing illness.

The story passed down to later generations was: ‘The healthy daughter of Blois went to Charllon as a bride, but after three years, she fell ill and died coughing up blood.’

Afterward, the son of Charllon, devastated by his wife’s death, also wasted away and soon followed her.

In the end, their marriage brought nothing but death to both families. Thus, Charllon and Blois cut all ties and became worse than strangers.

Each side believed the other’s family had caused the loss of their precious loved one, and their hatred only grew.

Not long after the death of the Blois daughter, the Blois family sent dozens of soldiers to Charllon’s Etoile Castle, demanding to uncover the truth behind the death.

It was a demand in name only—more like a threat: if you have nothing to hide, open the castle gates.

The tension was so high and noisy that the whole village came out to watch the spectacle.

If Charllon refused to open the gates, it would look as if they had something to hide about the daughter-in-law’s death. With no other choice, Charllon opened the gates.

That incident became the decisive factor in the rift between the two families.

The people of Charllon could do nothing but watch as the Blois soldiers searched every corner of the castle.

After all, it was true that Duke Blois’s daughter had married into Charllon and died under mysterious circumstances.

Thus, the rift between the two families didn’t just deepen—it festered.

And that hatred lingered on, even after Flora and Emeric were born and became adults.

As a result, even the youngest daughter of Charllon, Flora, grew up in a household that hated Blois, learning from an early age that one should never associate with those Blois people—without even knowing why, she absorbed that hatred.

To think that their precious youngest daughter, whom they loved so dearly, would have to marry into the inhuman Blois family.

Pascal Charllon felt a headache as if his head would burst. It was true that he wanted to marry his youngest daughter into a powerful family to gain strength, but he never expected it would be Blois.

The journey to meet Christophe Blois felt particularly harsh and cold.

Duke Blois and Duke Charllon were to meet at a castle in the very center between the western and eastern regions, in Bjorn.

It was said to be a castle used as a retreat by the Blois family.

Considering the public’s interest in the two families, Christophe Blois had suggested it would be best to meet in a private place.

“Welcome.”

Duke Blois came out to greet him, dressed in dark silk garments. Pascal Charllon, feeling overwhelmed by the tall and imposing Duke Blois, straightened his shoulders as much as possible, determined not to show any weakness at their first meeting.

The sight of Duke Blois’s cold, platinum hair was almost blinding.

If just looking at him was this chilling, how cold-blooded must the Blois people be?

Pascal forced a slight smile, hiding his contempt, and extended his hand.

“Pleased to meet you, Duke Christophe.”

“Let’s get straight to the point.”

As soon as the handshake ended, Christophe Blois led Pascal to his seat and got right to business.

“It’s not as if either of us wants this marriage.”

And yet, what he said next wounded Charllon’s pride, and Pascal couldn’t help but frown.

“Everyone in the country already knows that your youngest daughter cried so loudly upon hearing of the marriage arranged by the King that it could be heard all the way to Charmant Castle.”

Bad news travels fast.

To think Flora’s wailing had already reached Blois—Pascal’s face flushed with embarrassment.

“She’s probably more afraid because she’s never even left the Charllon region, let alone the western lands, until she came of age.”

“I heard she even sent Emeric a letter, asking to have her groom changed to Mikael.”

“What?”

Pascal, startled, blurted out a foolish response.

Christophe’s mocking expression, as if he had expected this, stung Pascal’s pride.

Christophe’s look seemed to say, ‘What can someone who can’t even manage his own household possibly do?’

“I had no idea my daughter sent such a letter. I apologize for her rudeness.”

“My son was quite taken aback by the letter as well. He said it was so urgent that Emeric opened it in front of everyone, not even thinking.”

“Oh, dear.”

“I’m not mentioning this to ask for an apology. Whatever happens between them, they’ll have to resolve themselves.”

“Then about their marriage…”

“Decades ago, a daughter of Blois married into Charllon, so now a daughter of Charllon marrying into Blois will restore the balance.”

Pascal found Christophe’s words somehow chilling.

It sounded as if Flora, too, would not survive married life in the cold eastern region.

“There’s just one thing I’d like to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“If Flora, my daughter, seems to be struggling with married life there…”

“If she struggles?”

“Please send her away without hesitation.”

“You mean, don’t let her die a slow death in Blois?”

“Please think of it as a father’s request.”

“I suppose I wouldn’t know what that feels like, not having a daughter myself.”

Pascal slowly gazed at Christophe’s face, which didn’t change color at all as he replied.

He worried whether innocent, pampered Flora could really endure life in Blois, with someone who didn’t even know what it was like to raise a daughter.

Raising her only with love had been a problem, too.

She knew nothing of the world, which is why she ended up sending a letter asking to change her groom.

* * *

“Flora!”

Flora, sitting on the windowsill and absentmindedly gazing at the garden, was startled by her father’s angry voice calling her name and quickly shut the window.

Even without being told, she could sense that her father was in a very bad mood.

Flora lowered her head to check her attire, then walked out with graceful steps, soon facing her father, who stomped upstairs, fuming.

“How dare you! You’ve found a brilliant way to insult your father!”

“I… I don’t know what you mean.”

In truth, Flora knew exactly what her father was referring to, but she pretended not to.

It was something she had learned after living as the youngest daughter of Charllon for so long. Sometimes, acting innocent and clueless was the only way to survive a scolding.

But today was different.

‘Smack—’

Her left cheek burned, and for a moment, her vision flashed and lost focus.

Her father had slapped her.