Chapter 1

I knew this was bound to happen, she thought.

So when her father called Sereia into his study and saw a letter stamped with the seal of Count Randall, she was not that surprised.

But there was another letter.

She suddenly felt a mixture of surprise, confusion, and dismay when realizing that the letter was stamped with the royal seal.

Strangely enough, she was not angry.

Did these letters bring a goodbye or good news? Sereia didn’t know.

The first letter came from the Randalls. To announce that Harold, the second son of the family, and Sereia decided to end their engagement. The second letter was from the royal family, ordering the marriage of Dirk Hertl, a frontiersman, to Sereia.

The two letters must have been snooped.

“You must not be selfish,” Sereia’s stepmother who was standing beside her father, spoke up. Her tone calmly rebuked.

Sereia was ten years old when her biological mother died. Since she was the only daughter in the family, Sereia’s father quickly took a second wife.

Her stepmother never really cared for Sereia, but neither did she ever abuse her.

The reason why she now looked at Sereia with a stern gaze instead of pitying her, was not solely because she was the child of the first wife, but because of Sereia’s “love story” that stirred up gossip in social circles.

Sereia couldn’t even be a “love rival” in that “love story”. She was just an obstacle to the joy of love of the two main characters in the story.

“Frontier Count Hertl has just taken over the title after the death of his predecessor a year ago. He is twenty-seven years old, not so far apart from you. I think he’s a good match.”

Although his mouth said that Hertl was a suitable candidate, Sereia’s father’s face looked reluctant. Obviously he was also concerned about his daughter’s feelings. Because what was rumored in the “love story” is far different from reality.

From the looks on their faces, her father and stepmother did not expect Sereia would take this sudden engagement for granted. Both of them seemed surprised.

Harold, the second son of Count Randall, and Sereia, the eldest daughter of the Count Palma, were betrothed as soon as each other’s gender was discovered.

Their mothers were close friends. From the time Sereia and Harold were still in their womb, they had promised to marry the two off if the children were of the opposite sex.

And because the two were of balanced family backgrounds, no one was to oppose.

Since their mothers were so close, Sereia and Harold frequently went back and forth between each other’s houses when they were young.

As she recalled, the two sides had never held any special encounters or the like. Sereia and Harold were engaged just like that.

Harold was Sereia’s “future husband” even before she liked or disliked him.

Although the two of them met less and less after the death of Sereia’s mother and Harold entered the knight academy, their relationship was still the same.

Things were still the same even after Harold turned seventeen, graduated from the knight academy with the highest grades in his class, and joined the knight order directly under the Dauphin, who was his schoolmate.

Sereia didn’t know the details. Both parties should have held the marriage when Sereia and Harold turned eighteen. But was postponed because the Royal Palace was in a lot of turmoil at the time.

Thinking about it now, perhaps Sereia and Harold’s relationship began to change since then.

Then at the age of twenty-one, the news reached Sereia’s ears, who was not fond of glamorous places and seldom went out for social gatherings.

Sereia’s aunt was the wife of the current king of Lorant. They were blessed with a daughter as beautiful as an elf whom King Lorant loved so dearly. Platinum blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, white skin without a single stain, also a slender form with a voice as beautiful as a little bird.

This was the story of a sixteen year old princess and a young man who led a knighthood at the tender age of 21.

The Knight, with his long black hair tied at the back of his head, cold but very handsome face, had become a figure many girls admired.

The princess fell in love with the knight at first sight. The knight was melted and fell in love with the princess too. But worried about the difference in status between the two, he tried to keep his distance.

However, these two were a perfect match.

Feeling sorry for the daughter he loved so much, King Lorant allowed the two of them to marry.

Unfortunately, the knight turned out to have a fiancée from his childhood.

According to people, this fiancée was a dull and plain young lady. She had long been the object of ridicule because she was judged to be unsuitable for the talented, tough, and handsome knight. So, this “obstacle” must be kicked out from their love story.

Sereia immediately knew who the obstacle character in the “love story” they were referring to.

She didn’t feel sad, angry, betrayed, or resentful. Sereia didn’t really feel those emotions.

She had already expected that Harold would sooner or later end their engagement. However, she should have asked for a break up before the arrival of this letter.

They said Sereia didn’t know her place. Too shameless.

It was hard to bear being talked about behind your back like that, being blatantly ignored, and being stared at.

There were indeed people who sympathized with her. But Sereia could never get used to that cruel ridicule or slander.

For the past six months or so, Sereia had been a recluse. Refusing to attend any social gatherings. She had been silenced, waiting for the storm to pass.

…I wonder if the storm has passed.

Her ex-fiancé, Harold, might soon be marrying Princess Cornelia, the daughter of King Lorant’s dearest.

Harold was the second son, and it was his older brother who would inherit the family’s noble house. It would be uncouth not to have a title, so it was possible that the king would give him a dukedom later.

A big promotion.

Then, Sereia would no longer be an obstacle to Harold and Cornelia’s love story. Peaceful life will soon return.

Or so she hoped. But it looked like she’s going to be sent to…some remote place.

Princess Cornelia probably didn’t want to accept the fact that the obstacle, Sereia, was still in the royal capital… close to her Harold.

What kind of person is the Frontier Count, Dirk Hertl?

Sereia was not concerned with his appearance. Ah, it’s better if he’s not good-looking. He must be someone gentle and kind. And in the next ten days, Sereia would set out for that nobleman’s frontier territory.

Sereia thought about so many things while tidying her room.

There was a big crate. Ah, the corner of her eye also caught a small crate covered by a silk cloth, tucked away on a shelf.

The small crate should be returned.

There were nine small crates in all. As Sereia opened one of them, a maid came to inform her of a visitor.

“Lady…um, Lord Harold is here to see you.”

“…What a disciplined man.” Sereia heaved a long sigh.

She loved that part of him, but not at this time.