Chapter 0. Prologue
The country has lost its owner.
The suicide of the 17th Grand Duke of Hesse was often described that way in most history books. Sometimes it was described as the master abandoning his country, but that didn't make much of a difference.
Scholars have differing opinions about his death.
He was cursed to kill his brothers to ascend to the throne. No, those with a grudge successfully poisoned him. Many theories circulated about his death, but none were definitive. What is certain is that he had no children to inherit the throne.
With the continent's richest lands now ownerless, the neighboring kingdoms of Havand and Aether turned their attention to Hessengard.
Both kingdoms claimed that they should be the new rulers of the duchy, citing the close intermingling of their royal bloodlines with the blood of the Grand Dukes of Hesse.
Ultimately, the voices of the kingdoms gave way to a dialogue of iron. The soldiers of both kingdoms shed their blood relentlessly in Hessengarde. The war over the Grand throne raged on for over three years. During that time, the land of Hessengarde rotted with blood, and countless young lives were lost without a trace.
Ultimately, the two kingdoms, realizing they could no longer sustain any further damage, attempted a compromise. After months of negotiations, the two nations concluded the following treaty:
The Duchy of Hesse will retain its duchy form.
One member of the royal family from each country will be sent to be the joint Grand Duke.
And the child born between the two will inherit the throne of the Grand Duke of Hesse.
So the Hessian Guard ended up serving two masters.
Chapter 1. Two Grand Dukes
Inside the rocking carriage, Erna covered her mouth. It took a full week by carriage to travel from the Kingdom of Havand to the capital of the Duchy of Hesse. Despite being a road leading to the capital, the road was in terrible condition. The recent rains had likely made it even worse.
Every time the wooden wheels of the carriage hit a rock and bounced, Erna's face grew paler.
“Ugh...”
Her body, which had been shaking all day, bounced back violently, and the water inside her rose again. Fortunately, perhaps. She had already vomited everything she had eaten that morning and hadn't even had a sip of water, so only sounds escaped her lips, not even any gastric juice.
At that moment, the cries of the knights running ahead were heard.
“It’s the Grand Duke’s castle!”
“I can see the Grand Duke’s castle!”
Erna's face brightened at the sound of their loud voices, alerting the rear. Finally, her destination was in sight. Just as she was about to open the window curtains with a brightened face, the maid sitting opposite her swiftly slapped her hand away. "Slap!" The sound of a powerful slam echoed through the carriage.
“Your Highness!”
And then a sharp voice followed. Erna habitually flinched.
“What are you doing? I told you all along that it was dangerous!”
Although she was respectful, the maid's voice was clearly filled with a hint of pity. Furthermore, she displayed a confident demeanor, as if the fact that she had struck the Princess's hand was completely out of the question.
“I’m just so frustrated...”
"This is a land where assassination attempts have occurred countless times! Your Highness, you were just lucky to escape. Remember that!"
"...Yes."
She hasn't forgotten. It's not something she can easily forget, after all, that two royals who were sent here before her were assassinated.
Even so, the maid's attitude wasn't understandable. Anyone else might have shouted, "How rude!" but Erna didn't. No, she couldn't.
Erna knew very well what position she held.
The fourth child born to King Havand from his second wife. King Havand, hoping to have a magician in his bloodline, took Erna's mother as his bride. A beautiful sorceress from the Magic Tower, she unfortunately passed away shortly after giving birth to Erna.
The King hoped that Erna might have some talent, like her mother, but even now, at the age of sixteen, Erna has not been able to use any of her powers.
The King was understandably disappointed. Since Havand was capable of having multiple wives, he took a beautiful daughter from a newly powerful family as his Queen. She bore him healthy children.
Motherless and unsupported by any royal power, Erna was an outsider within the royal court. It would have been nice if even Magic Tower had cared for her, but Magic Tower declared they no longer cared about worldly affairs and severed ties. Consequently, Erna was forced to live with the bare minimum of treatment as a Princess.
In fact, she wasn't dissatisfied with the situation. At least inside the palace, she wouldn't have to go hungry or sleep in the cold. She lived quietly, hoping that one day she would get married and leave the palace. She lived with that vague notion.
But, as is the way things are in life, not everything went as planned. As soon as she started to grow up, the bullying began, starting with subtle ostracism from her step-siblings.
At first, she would yell and even throw punches at those who had provoked her. But if she struck someone who had provoked her, the other Queens would come to see her that night and beat her mercilessly in the name of discipline.
"Since we're all part of the royal family, we should be friendly and affectionate. But how can you be kicking and squealing like a street child? Even without a mother, things can get this messy..."
Those words left a deeper wound in Erna's heart than the whip hitting her calf.
No one cares about her here.
Young Erna had to quickly realize this. Still, she resisted the remaining blows several times, but the beatings only grew more severe. Finally, Erna gave up. The pain was too great for a child to endure.
“What? You’re not going to rush in today?”
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s not fun.”
Even when her siblings kicked her, Erna remained silent. She'd thought the bullying would subside, but it seemed as if she'd truly become a pushover. From that day on, Erna became someone everyone could treat as they pleased. But having lost all will to fight, Erna simply endured it alone.
Being a child doesn't mean she doesn't feel anger. But since she can't vent it on others, Erna vented it on herself.
Her heart was always empty, so she tried to fill that empty space from outside, and for some time, Erna always had food in her hands.
She didn't discriminate. From fruit to sweets, Erna ate and ate all day long. Her maids might have tried to stop her, but when they noticed how quietly Erna would gorge herself on food, they instead brought her more.
Because she never went outside and always had food in her mouth, she quickly became chubby. Then, as she entered puberty, her body began to grow rapidly, causing her facial features to become disorganized and her skin to become a mess.
The siblings, who had previously only teased Erna, now frowned and treated her as if she didn't even exist when they saw her.
“Even if she is a Princess, would there be any nobleman who would want her?”
“Perhaps it would be better to send her to a convent when she gets older.”
Listening to the whispers about me, Erna hoped that one day she would leave the palace, no matter what form it took.
Then came news of the Grand Duke of Hesse's death, and soon after, war broke out. After several years of attrition, when the mood in the royal court had grown increasingly gloomy, news finally arrived that a truce had been reached.
It seemed as if things would finally be peaceful, but for a moment, the royal palace became noisy again.
"The Grand Duke of Hesse. A position that cannot be compared to that of a mere royal family that cannot inherit the throne."
Except for the eldest Prince, who was to inherit the throne, all the royal family members began to fight fiercely for the throne.
Soon after, it was decided that the Second Prince would become the Grand Duke of Hesse, and Erna watched the farewell ceremony from afar.
But a week later, the Second Prince was killed in a sudden attack before he could even cross the border. The princess sent from the Aether Kingdom also lost her life.
The two kingdoms, which judged that this was the work of the surrounding kingdoms that opposed the joint rule of Hessengard, refused to back down and chose for the royal family to return to Hessengard.
This time, the First Princess of the Kingdom of Havand and the Second Prince of the Kingdom of Aether were chosen. However, they too lost their lives just before reaching Hessengard.
Despite the tight security following the first assassination, the pride of both kingdoms was shattered when another member of the royal family was murdered.
“Do you think I’ll give up on the Hessengard just because of that?”
But unlike the first time, this time, no royal family member volunteered to go. Two people had already lost their lives. Even with tighter security, the likelihood of another death was high.
The position everyone desired quickly became one everyone avoided. But they couldn't just send no one. Otherwise, the opposing kingdom would swallow the entire Duchy of Hessengard whole.
“Anyone is fine! I just need someone to send it to!”
The ministers again chose a candidate. Someone of royal blood and worthy of the title. Someone who wouldn't make much of a fuss even if killed.
The Kingdom of Havand had a royal family that fit the bill perfectly. A week later, Erna was dragged into a carriage heading to Hessengard, completely unprepared.
The country has lost its owner.
The suicide of the 17th Grand Duke of Hesse was often described that way in most history books. Sometimes it was described as the master abandoning his country, but that didn't make much of a difference.
Scholars have differing opinions about his death.
He was cursed to kill his brothers to ascend to the throne. No, those with a grudge successfully poisoned him. Many theories circulated about his death, but none were definitive. What is certain is that he had no children to inherit the throne.
With the continent's richest lands now ownerless, the neighboring kingdoms of Havand and Aether turned their attention to Hessengard.
Both kingdoms claimed that they should be the new rulers of the duchy, citing the close intermingling of their royal bloodlines with the blood of the Grand Dukes of Hesse.
Ultimately, the voices of the kingdoms gave way to a dialogue of iron. The soldiers of both kingdoms shed their blood relentlessly in Hessengarde. The war over the Grand throne raged on for over three years. During that time, the land of Hessengarde rotted with blood, and countless young lives were lost without a trace.
Ultimately, the two kingdoms, realizing they could no longer sustain any further damage, attempted a compromise. After months of negotiations, the two nations concluded the following treaty:
The Duchy of Hesse will retain its duchy form.
One member of the royal family from each country will be sent to be the joint Grand Duke.
And the child born between the two will inherit the throne of the Grand Duke of Hesse.
So the Hessian Guard ended up serving two masters.
***
Chapter 1. Two Grand Dukes
Inside the rocking carriage, Erna covered her mouth. It took a full week by carriage to travel from the Kingdom of Havand to the capital of the Duchy of Hesse. Despite being a road leading to the capital, the road was in terrible condition. The recent rains had likely made it even worse.
Every time the wooden wheels of the carriage hit a rock and bounced, Erna's face grew paler.
“Ugh...”
Her body, which had been shaking all day, bounced back violently, and the water inside her rose again. Fortunately, perhaps. She had already vomited everything she had eaten that morning and hadn't even had a sip of water, so only sounds escaped her lips, not even any gastric juice.
At that moment, the cries of the knights running ahead were heard.
“It’s the Grand Duke’s castle!”
“I can see the Grand Duke’s castle!”
Erna's face brightened at the sound of their loud voices, alerting the rear. Finally, her destination was in sight. Just as she was about to open the window curtains with a brightened face, the maid sitting opposite her swiftly slapped her hand away. "Slap!" The sound of a powerful slam echoed through the carriage.
“Your Highness!”
And then a sharp voice followed. Erna habitually flinched.
“What are you doing? I told you all along that it was dangerous!”
Although she was respectful, the maid's voice was clearly filled with a hint of pity. Furthermore, she displayed a confident demeanor, as if the fact that she had struck the Princess's hand was completely out of the question.
“I’m just so frustrated...”
"This is a land where assassination attempts have occurred countless times! Your Highness, you were just lucky to escape. Remember that!"
"...Yes."
She hasn't forgotten. It's not something she can easily forget, after all, that two royals who were sent here before her were assassinated.
Even so, the maid's attitude wasn't understandable. Anyone else might have shouted, "How rude!" but Erna didn't. No, she couldn't.
Erna knew very well what position she held.
The fourth child born to King Havand from his second wife. King Havand, hoping to have a magician in his bloodline, took Erna's mother as his bride. A beautiful sorceress from the Magic Tower, she unfortunately passed away shortly after giving birth to Erna.
The King hoped that Erna might have some talent, like her mother, but even now, at the age of sixteen, Erna has not been able to use any of her powers.
The King was understandably disappointed. Since Havand was capable of having multiple wives, he took a beautiful daughter from a newly powerful family as his Queen. She bore him healthy children.
Motherless and unsupported by any royal power, Erna was an outsider within the royal court. It would have been nice if even Magic Tower had cared for her, but Magic Tower declared they no longer cared about worldly affairs and severed ties. Consequently, Erna was forced to live with the bare minimum of treatment as a Princess.
In fact, she wasn't dissatisfied with the situation. At least inside the palace, she wouldn't have to go hungry or sleep in the cold. She lived quietly, hoping that one day she would get married and leave the palace. She lived with that vague notion.
But, as is the way things are in life, not everything went as planned. As soon as she started to grow up, the bullying began, starting with subtle ostracism from her step-siblings.
At first, she would yell and even throw punches at those who had provoked her. But if she struck someone who had provoked her, the other Queens would come to see her that night and beat her mercilessly in the name of discipline.
"Since we're all part of the royal family, we should be friendly and affectionate. But how can you be kicking and squealing like a street child? Even without a mother, things can get this messy..."
Those words left a deeper wound in Erna's heart than the whip hitting her calf.
No one cares about her here.
Young Erna had to quickly realize this. Still, she resisted the remaining blows several times, but the beatings only grew more severe. Finally, Erna gave up. The pain was too great for a child to endure.
“What? You’re not going to rush in today?”
“Yeah, that’s right. It’s not fun.”
Even when her siblings kicked her, Erna remained silent. She'd thought the bullying would subside, but it seemed as if she'd truly become a pushover. From that day on, Erna became someone everyone could treat as they pleased. But having lost all will to fight, Erna simply endured it alone.
Being a child doesn't mean she doesn't feel anger. But since she can't vent it on others, Erna vented it on herself.
Her heart was always empty, so she tried to fill that empty space from outside, and for some time, Erna always had food in her hands.
She didn't discriminate. From fruit to sweets, Erna ate and ate all day long. Her maids might have tried to stop her, but when they noticed how quietly Erna would gorge herself on food, they instead brought her more.
Because she never went outside and always had food in her mouth, she quickly became chubby. Then, as she entered puberty, her body began to grow rapidly, causing her facial features to become disorganized and her skin to become a mess.
The siblings, who had previously only teased Erna, now frowned and treated her as if she didn't even exist when they saw her.
“Even if she is a Princess, would there be any nobleman who would want her?”
“Perhaps it would be better to send her to a convent when she gets older.”
Listening to the whispers about me, Erna hoped that one day she would leave the palace, no matter what form it took.
Then came news of the Grand Duke of Hesse's death, and soon after, war broke out. After several years of attrition, when the mood in the royal court had grown increasingly gloomy, news finally arrived that a truce had been reached.
It seemed as if things would finally be peaceful, but for a moment, the royal palace became noisy again.
"The Grand Duke of Hesse. A position that cannot be compared to that of a mere royal family that cannot inherit the throne."
Except for the eldest Prince, who was to inherit the throne, all the royal family members began to fight fiercely for the throne.
Soon after, it was decided that the Second Prince would become the Grand Duke of Hesse, and Erna watched the farewell ceremony from afar.
But a week later, the Second Prince was killed in a sudden attack before he could even cross the border. The princess sent from the Aether Kingdom also lost her life.
The two kingdoms, which judged that this was the work of the surrounding kingdoms that opposed the joint rule of Hessengard, refused to back down and chose for the royal family to return to Hessengard.
This time, the First Princess of the Kingdom of Havand and the Second Prince of the Kingdom of Aether were chosen. However, they too lost their lives just before reaching Hessengard.
Despite the tight security following the first assassination, the pride of both kingdoms was shattered when another member of the royal family was murdered.
“Do you think I’ll give up on the Hessengard just because of that?”
But unlike the first time, this time, no royal family member volunteered to go. Two people had already lost their lives. Even with tighter security, the likelihood of another death was high.
The position everyone desired quickly became one everyone avoided. But they couldn't just send no one. Otherwise, the opposing kingdom would swallow the entire Duchy of Hessengard whole.
“Anyone is fine! I just need someone to send it to!”
The ministers again chose a candidate. Someone of royal blood and worthy of the title. Someone who wouldn't make much of a fuss even if killed.
The Kingdom of Havand had a royal family that fit the bill perfectly. A week later, Erna was dragged into a carriage heading to Hessengard, completely unprepared.
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