Chapter 1. Would You Prefer a Familiar Name?

It was a bleak day with winter winds threatening to devour the world.

Johannes returned from a long reconnaissance mission and entered the castle covered in snow and dirt. With each step, the friction of his armor created noise, and the floor, polished to shine by the maids, became dirty.

After removing his helmet and shaking his silver hair like a lion’s mane, he had walked only a few steps when someone hurriedly approached him.

“Your Majesty, you’ve returned.”

The blue-haired man with glasses who appeared as if by magic spoke in an extremely calm voice, as if making casual afternoon greetings.

“Did you discover their identity?”

“No. The reconnaissance was fruitless.”

Dissatisfied with his own words, Johannes’s blue eyes grew cold. He had traveled far only to return empty-handed. Perhaps no news was good news.

Isn’t it said that no news is good news?

“Glenton, I need to wash up first.”

Johannes wanted to address the discomfort of not having bathed for days. But Glenton, the intelligent and capable chancellor of Nordish, seemed unwilling to let the king go so easily after months away.

“This first.”

When a piece of paper was suddenly thrust forward, Johannes raised an eyebrow as if asking if this was a joke. Hadn’t he just said he needed to wash?

“Water.”

Issuing a one-syllable command to a passing chamberlain, Johannes glared at Glenton with cold eyes.

The perceptive chamberlain bowed deeply to the king, who had already shifted his gaze, and disappeared upstairs to prepare bath water.

As Johannes tried to follow, he was forced to stop once again by a hand firmly blocking his path.

“This first.”

Holding two letters diagonally crossed like lottery tickets, Glenton shook them once up and down as if urging him to take them.

Johannes let out a short, irritated sigh and snatched them roughly, curious about what was so urgent.

“Letters from the southern countries.”

The seal was already broken, as if Glenton had already read them. Before Glenton could explain, Johannes recognized the seal and slightly furrowed his brow.

“The South?”

His voice clearly revealed the question, “Why them?”

After all, the South was separated from them by the vast “Land of Death,” and they had been living as if in different worlds, not concerning themselves with each other.

At this unexpected correspondence, Johannes set aside thoughts of his bath and made room for curiosity.

His eyes trembled slightly as he read the letter. After finishing one that seemed to contain nonsense, he moved on to the next envelope.

Had something happened in the South? Letters with the same request had arrived from two countries at the same time.

“Delegations from the Kingdom of Tranche and the Kingdom of Kandel have come and gone. The atmosphere would have been bloody had they met, but fortunately, Tranche’s delegation arrived after Kandel’s had departed, sparing the palace from bloodshed.”

Letting the trivial words go in one ear and out the other, Johannes tightly gripped the letter with its ornate border. The part he held became hopelessly crumpled.

“Both sides wish to marry Your Majesty. What will you do?”

After braving such terrible weather, what is this…?

Even as he found it absurd, Johannes’s blue eyes quietly stared at one spot on the letter.

[Eunice von Pavlone.]

As if piercing through the king’s inner thoughts, Glenton’s voice echoed in his ear.

“Would you prefer a familiar name?”

* * *

Kingdom of Tranche. Capital city of Melbourne.

Having rushed to the capital upon receiving the royal command, Eunice had to breathe carefully under the heavy atmosphere that weighed on her entire body.

Could there be a more uncomfortable place in the world?

The reception room, which she thought would only have Wilhelm II, was filled with all the prominent figures of the kingdom.

Experienced eyes scrutinized Eunice up and down. Feeling like a fish on a cutting board, she nervously wiped the sweat from her hands on the hem of her dress.

“You must be tired from your long journey, Lady Pavlone.”

Wilhelm II’s deep voice resonated through the air.

Eunice instinctively glanced at her father, Rockford von Pavlone, hoping to find some clue about why the king had summoned her.

But seeing Rockford’s expressionless face, as if this were someone else’s business, her heart stung.

‘What was I expecting? Do I still harbor attachment to my father?’

She was disgusted with her own pitifulness and clinginess. Suppressing her aching heart, Eunice turned to Wilhelm II with a bright smile.

“Thanks to Your Majesty’s invitation, I’m enjoying Melbourne’s invigorating air after so long.”

“I heard you prefer the peaceful tranquility of Saint Laurent.”

That wasn’t exactly true. She had avoided coming to Melbourne as much as possible because of Crown Prince Callian, which had created that impression.

A thorny voice cut in at that moment.

“Whether she stays there because she likes it or to raise her value remains to be seen.”

‘Crown Princess Richena…’

Eunice flinched and looked cautiously at her. Beside Richena stood her father, Duke Dale von Schwalt.

Receiving the piercing glares of both father and daughter, she felt suffocated. The desire to retort—that it was Crown Prince Callian who was misbehaving and that Richena should keep her husband in check rather than blaming her—rose to her throat.

But she couldn’t possibly utter such outrageous words in front of the king, especially with all the ministers present.

Here, Eunice was the weakest. Neither her father nor her family would protect her.

“Ahem.”

Fortunately, Wilhelm II cleared his throat uncomfortably. He was well aware of his only son Callian’s behavior.

The strategic marriage arranged to strengthen ties with Duke Dale, the kingdom’s chancellor, had been cracking for a long time.

Richena had been upset numerous times because of Callian, who rushed to Saint Laurent to see Eunice whenever possible, and each time, Dale had been outraged by his daughter’s suffering.

The repercussions had adversely affected the relationship between the king and his chancellor.

“Your Majesty, Lady Pavlone must be tired from her journey. It would be best to get to the point.”

Richena subtly urged, as if she were the one who had most anticipated this meeting.

Anxiety settled in Eunice’s green eyes. She had a premonition that a huge wave was about to crash into her future. Her mind went blank with fear, as if the ground beneath her feet was giving way.

Rather than speaking directly, Wilhelm II nodded to Rockford. Rockford, who had barely looked at his daughter until now, immediately turned to Eunice at the king’s signal.

“Eunice.”

“Yes, Father.”

Responding briefly to his heavy call, she quietly held her breath.

“You’re of marriageable age now.”

Why bring up marriage so suddenly?

Eunice had been of marriageable age for over a year. Last year, they had ignored her while she was buried in work at Saint Laurent, and they never mentioned the Melbourne social scene…

Why bring this up now, especially with all the kingdom’s ministers present?

Her heart beat violently. It was pounding so hard she worried everyone might hear it.

“I think it’s about time you were married.”

“…”

“Especially if your marriage can bring peace to the Kingdom of Tranche.”

“…”

What does that mean?

How does a marriage between families bring peace?

“I believe you will rightfully accept this with honor, befitting the Pavlone name.”

“…Pardon?”

A syllable of sound finally escaped her lips. Yet her mind still struggled to process what she had heard.

Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.

Her heartbeat sounded like thunder in her ears, as if her heart had moved to them. Though they had spoken in elegant, roundabout terms…

“Your marriage to the King of Nordish has been decided.”

A marriage alliance.

Just as she reached this conclusion, Wilhelm II helpfully drove in the final nail.

“The Pavlone ducal family is related to the royal family by blood, so there’s no inadequacy. We highly value your upright conduct and have made this decision accordingly. We trust you will conduct yourself well to strengthen the alliance between our two countries.”

“…”

Her head felt foggy, as if in a mist. Someone seemed to have said something, but all Eunice could hear was buzzing noise.

Not marrying by marriageable age was a great dishonor for a noble lady. And Eunice had long accepted and resigned herself to this dishonor as her fate.

Not a single man had dared court her, fearing Crown Prince Callian’s displeasure.
Eunice von Pavlone was a burden to her family and a figure of gossip in society, receiving Callian’s passionate advances solely for her beauty.

Her future was either as Callian’s mistress or as an old maid.

But now she was escaping that gloomy shadow and getting married. Should she consider this fortunate? Is this really fortunate?

The Kingdom of Nordish.

A country built on harsh and severe land, reachable only by crossing the “Land of Death.”

Since people lived there, survival wouldn’t be an issue.

But the King of Nordish…

「 A cruel monster without blood or tears. Ironically, only he could unify the North because he was so fierce and merciless. He subjugated people through power and fear.」