She had always hoped to leave the palace, but she never imagined it would be like this. Erna, who had only imagined being sold to a local nobleman as a wife, had never even imagined becoming an archduchess in a foreign land, where her death could be imminent. That's why, even today, after arriving in Hessengard, Erna couldn't fully accept this situation.
“You may get off now.”
As the knight opened the carriage door, Erna leaned out.
"Ah..."
Through the open door, she could see the castle of the Grand Duke of Hesse, the one she seen in paintings. It's the residence of the Grand Duke of Hesse, so it's more appropriate to call it the Grand Duke's Residence. However, as if to testify to the history of a neutral nation that had steadfastly resisted absorption by any of the surrounding kingdoms, the Grand Duke's Residence looked more like a castle than a mansion, more like a fortress built for battle.
Everything felt unfamiliar. The saints she never seen before, the Hessengard people surrounding her, the grass beneath her feet, the trees beside her, even the wind blowing through her hair.
Erna looked up at the castle that still held the history of the old Hessengard.
There was only one thought in her head.
Can I survive here?
The next day, Erna woke up, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Turning her head, she saw the maids busily milling around her. They glanced at the awake Erna with emotionless eyes, then gave orders to the maids standing beside her.
"Quickly, let's finish the Princess's preparations. There's not much time left until the wedding, so hurry."
At the cold, emotionless voice, Erna quietly followed the maids.
After departing Havand, they spent their first night in a lord's mansion. To guard against assassins, they partitioned off one of the large rooms, and the maids and knights stayed with Erna. As the night deepened and Erna went to bed, the maids, oblivious to her sleep, chatted about her.
“Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed. The other Princesses have such confident demeanors and beautiful appearances... but Princess Erna is going to represent Havand.”
"There's nothing we can do. Two of the royals we sent first were killed, so who would want to go? Only a Princess like her would go."
“But I think we could have chosen a little more.”
“I guess it’s a bit like that. She's gained so much weight that I’m worried the formal attire won’t fit... and even if it does, it’ll look ugly. What’s so embarrassing about that?”
Then, low laughter was heard. It seemed everyone agreed with the idea. Erna, who had been pretending to be asleep, turned slightly, pretending to stir. The maids, who had assumed Erna was waking, remained silent for a moment. However, when Erna remained silent, they assumed she was still asleep and continued their conversation.
That night, Erna learned how the maids felt about her: unattractive, shameful, a discarded piece of the King's rags, a woman worth dying for.
All those words were attached to her name and explained what kind of being she was.
When Erna returned from her shower, a wedding dress had been prepared for her in the room. It was a traditional wedding dress from the Duchy of Hesse. At first glance, it was a stunningly beautiful garment. The pure white dress was beautifully adorned with layers of delicate lace, and at the ends of the lace, pearls of the finest quality, each with a subtle sheen, swayed.
“Your Highness, please come this way.”
The maids held Erna up and, together with the other maids, dressed her in her wedding attire. After a moment, one of the maids sighed and muttered.
“It seems too small.”
Then another maid chuckled and shook her head. Even though she didn't say it out loud, Erna knew what she meant. It wasn't that the dress was too small; it was that Erna was too big. Feeling embarrassed and ashamed, Erna couldn't raise her head.
After a while, the maids said they were finished and told Erna to look in the mirror. Erna cautiously raised her head, but then had no choice but to bow again.
'It's terrible.'
The image in the mirror was just like a clown.
A lump of ham, wrapped in a beautiful robe and embellished with jewels. That was her appearance. Perhaps a little more complexion would have made her a little more adorable. However, Erna hadn't even been able to drink water properly during her first long carriage ride across the border. As a result, the skin beneath her eyes was sunken, rough, and her already acne-ridden complexion was now irritated.
Erna felt like crying at the sight of herself.
She remembered the beautiful sisters she seen at Havand's castle. If it were them, not her, these robes would have suited her perfectly. She wouldn't have overlooked the maids' subtle coldness.
Once the makeover was complete, Erna was once again abandoned in a corner. True, the room was filled with several maids and even knights guarding her, so she couldn't really be considered abandoned. But now, Erna felt like an object, branded with the label "Havand royalty."
Even as her mood grew increasingly gloomy, Erna held back her tears until the very end.
'I came here to become the Grand Duchess of Hesse.'
That was Erna's last remaining pride. It was also her only remaining usefulness.
'They said I would be recognized as the Grand Duchess of Hesse after the wedding.'
Even if she became the Grand Duchess, there was no way she would be able to rule right away.
In any case, she was a puppet sent by the Kingdom of Havand, and the Marquis of Canavan, who came with her, would actually represent the Kingdom of Havand and exert influence over Hessengard.
'The Kingdom of Aether won't stay still either.'
Erna is one of the two Hessengard, the royal family of Aether, who will become the next Grand Duke of Hessenguard alongside her.
'I didn't even hear the name of who was coming.'
He was her enemy, but at the same time, he was her future husband, at least in name. Erna was curious about him. She would be able to see him in a few hours, but before then, she wanted to know at least the basics.
Erna, who was sitting in a corner and hesitating, spoke to a maid who was passing by.
"Excuse me..."
“What’s going on?”
The face of the maid Erna, who had summoned, was visibly annoyed. Feeling her shoulders hunched again, Erna spoke in a small voice.
“Speaking of my marriage partner... who is coming from the Aether Kingdom?”
“Oh my god, you still don’t know?”
A pitiful voice tore at Erna's heart. Erna, about to say that no one had ever told her, simply shut her mouth.
"He's Prince Callion. He's the eldest son of King Aether's favored second wife. He's the same age as the Princess. And he's very.."
A sneer crossed the maid's face as she continued speaking. At that moment, another maid beside her nodded at the one who had been speaking. The maid, who had been speaking to Erna, paused for a moment before continuing her explanation.
“...I heard he’s tall and handsome?”
The moment the maid spoke, the maids standing nearby paused for a moment, but they didn't notice Erna. They simply wanted to hear more about who she was talking to. At the same time, they felt sorry for Callion, even though he was the Prince of an enemy nation.
A royal like that, even if it was a political marriage, would have been able to choose a spouse that reflected his own will to some degree. If so, at least he wouldn't have chosen someone as unattractive as Erna.
Seeing Erna bow her head in apology, the maid twitched her lips and left. Another maid who followed her glanced at her.
“Why are you saying that?”
"Why? I'm not wrong. You said the Prince was fine in the past?"
The maid who came out following the shameless answer sighed.
“That was a story from a few years ago. You saw it yesterday, so you know.”
The two maids went down to see the Prince of Aether last night, under the pretense of fulfilling a mission and satisfying their curiosity when he arrived at the Grand Duke's castle. Even if they were a peace envoy, an enemy nation was still an enemy. The maids watched the carriage entering the Grand Duke's castle from a distance, far from the Aether envoys.
“They arrived safely over there, too.”
“That’s right. We were anxious the whole way here too... but this time there was no ambush.”
In fact, the maids were nervous all the way to Hessengard.
Two royals had already been murdered on their way here. And the maids who accompanied them were punished for failing to protect them. While the previous royals had at least been provided with private soldiers by the Queen's household, Princess Erna had none, relying solely on royal troops for her protection.
So, they thought they were going to die again, but strangely, there was no ambush this time. Furthermore, judging by the arriving carriage, it seemed the royal family of the Aether Kingdom had also arrived safely.
The maids saw the man stepping out of the carriage, tiptoeing up. A moment later, the two maids hurriedly ran to tell the other maids about the Aetherian royalty they had seen. Thanks to this, the maids stayed up all night talking about Callion, who was to marry Erna.
“You may get off now.”
As the knight opened the carriage door, Erna leaned out.
"Ah..."
Through the open door, she could see the castle of the Grand Duke of Hesse, the one she seen in paintings. It's the residence of the Grand Duke of Hesse, so it's more appropriate to call it the Grand Duke's Residence. However, as if to testify to the history of a neutral nation that had steadfastly resisted absorption by any of the surrounding kingdoms, the Grand Duke's Residence looked more like a castle than a mansion, more like a fortress built for battle.
Everything felt unfamiliar. The saints she never seen before, the Hessengard people surrounding her, the grass beneath her feet, the trees beside her, even the wind blowing through her hair.
Erna looked up at the castle that still held the history of the old Hessengard.
There was only one thought in her head.
Can I survive here?
The next day, Erna woke up, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. Turning her head, she saw the maids busily milling around her. They glanced at the awake Erna with emotionless eyes, then gave orders to the maids standing beside her.
"Quickly, let's finish the Princess's preparations. There's not much time left until the wedding, so hurry."
At the cold, emotionless voice, Erna quietly followed the maids.
After departing Havand, they spent their first night in a lord's mansion. To guard against assassins, they partitioned off one of the large rooms, and the maids and knights stayed with Erna. As the night deepened and Erna went to bed, the maids, oblivious to her sleep, chatted about her.
“Honestly, I’m a little embarrassed. The other Princesses have such confident demeanors and beautiful appearances... but Princess Erna is going to represent Havand.”
"There's nothing we can do. Two of the royals we sent first were killed, so who would want to go? Only a Princess like her would go."
“But I think we could have chosen a little more.”
“I guess it’s a bit like that. She's gained so much weight that I’m worried the formal attire won’t fit... and even if it does, it’ll look ugly. What’s so embarrassing about that?”
Then, low laughter was heard. It seemed everyone agreed with the idea. Erna, who had been pretending to be asleep, turned slightly, pretending to stir. The maids, who had assumed Erna was waking, remained silent for a moment. However, when Erna remained silent, they assumed she was still asleep and continued their conversation.
That night, Erna learned how the maids felt about her: unattractive, shameful, a discarded piece of the King's rags, a woman worth dying for.
All those words were attached to her name and explained what kind of being she was.
When Erna returned from her shower, a wedding dress had been prepared for her in the room. It was a traditional wedding dress from the Duchy of Hesse. At first glance, it was a stunningly beautiful garment. The pure white dress was beautifully adorned with layers of delicate lace, and at the ends of the lace, pearls of the finest quality, each with a subtle sheen, swayed.
“Your Highness, please come this way.”
The maids held Erna up and, together with the other maids, dressed her in her wedding attire. After a moment, one of the maids sighed and muttered.
“It seems too small.”
Then another maid chuckled and shook her head. Even though she didn't say it out loud, Erna knew what she meant. It wasn't that the dress was too small; it was that Erna was too big. Feeling embarrassed and ashamed, Erna couldn't raise her head.
After a while, the maids said they were finished and told Erna to look in the mirror. Erna cautiously raised her head, but then had no choice but to bow again.
'It's terrible.'
The image in the mirror was just like a clown.
A lump of ham, wrapped in a beautiful robe and embellished with jewels. That was her appearance. Perhaps a little more complexion would have made her a little more adorable. However, Erna hadn't even been able to drink water properly during her first long carriage ride across the border. As a result, the skin beneath her eyes was sunken, rough, and her already acne-ridden complexion was now irritated.
Erna felt like crying at the sight of herself.
She remembered the beautiful sisters she seen at Havand's castle. If it were them, not her, these robes would have suited her perfectly. She wouldn't have overlooked the maids' subtle coldness.
Once the makeover was complete, Erna was once again abandoned in a corner. True, the room was filled with several maids and even knights guarding her, so she couldn't really be considered abandoned. But now, Erna felt like an object, branded with the label "Havand royalty."
Even as her mood grew increasingly gloomy, Erna held back her tears until the very end.
'I came here to become the Grand Duchess of Hesse.'
That was Erna's last remaining pride. It was also her only remaining usefulness.
'They said I would be recognized as the Grand Duchess of Hesse after the wedding.'
Even if she became the Grand Duchess, there was no way she would be able to rule right away.
In any case, she was a puppet sent by the Kingdom of Havand, and the Marquis of Canavan, who came with her, would actually represent the Kingdom of Havand and exert influence over Hessengard.
'The Kingdom of Aether won't stay still either.'
Erna is one of the two Hessengard, the royal family of Aether, who will become the next Grand Duke of Hessenguard alongside her.
'I didn't even hear the name of who was coming.'
He was her enemy, but at the same time, he was her future husband, at least in name. Erna was curious about him. She would be able to see him in a few hours, but before then, she wanted to know at least the basics.
Erna, who was sitting in a corner and hesitating, spoke to a maid who was passing by.
"Excuse me..."
“What’s going on?”
The face of the maid Erna, who had summoned, was visibly annoyed. Feeling her shoulders hunched again, Erna spoke in a small voice.
“Speaking of my marriage partner... who is coming from the Aether Kingdom?”
“Oh my god, you still don’t know?”
A pitiful voice tore at Erna's heart. Erna, about to say that no one had ever told her, simply shut her mouth.
"He's Prince Callion. He's the eldest son of King Aether's favored second wife. He's the same age as the Princess. And he's very.."
A sneer crossed the maid's face as she continued speaking. At that moment, another maid beside her nodded at the one who had been speaking. The maid, who had been speaking to Erna, paused for a moment before continuing her explanation.
“...I heard he’s tall and handsome?”
The moment the maid spoke, the maids standing nearby paused for a moment, but they didn't notice Erna. They simply wanted to hear more about who she was talking to. At the same time, they felt sorry for Callion, even though he was the Prince of an enemy nation.
A royal like that, even if it was a political marriage, would have been able to choose a spouse that reflected his own will to some degree. If so, at least he wouldn't have chosen someone as unattractive as Erna.
Seeing Erna bow her head in apology, the maid twitched her lips and left. Another maid who followed her glanced at her.
“Why are you saying that?”
"Why? I'm not wrong. You said the Prince was fine in the past?"
The maid who came out following the shameless answer sighed.
“That was a story from a few years ago. You saw it yesterday, so you know.”
The two maids went down to see the Prince of Aether last night, under the pretense of fulfilling a mission and satisfying their curiosity when he arrived at the Grand Duke's castle. Even if they were a peace envoy, an enemy nation was still an enemy. The maids watched the carriage entering the Grand Duke's castle from a distance, far from the Aether envoys.
“They arrived safely over there, too.”
“That’s right. We were anxious the whole way here too... but this time there was no ambush.”
In fact, the maids were nervous all the way to Hessengard.
Two royals had already been murdered on their way here. And the maids who accompanied them were punished for failing to protect them. While the previous royals had at least been provided with private soldiers by the Queen's household, Princess Erna had none, relying solely on royal troops for her protection.
So, they thought they were going to die again, but strangely, there was no ambush this time. Furthermore, judging by the arriving carriage, it seemed the royal family of the Aether Kingdom had also arrived safely.
The maids saw the man stepping out of the carriage, tiptoeing up. A moment later, the two maids hurriedly ran to tell the other maids about the Aetherian royalty they had seen. Thanks to this, the maids stayed up all night talking about Callion, who was to marry Erna.
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