Chapter 9

Chapter 9

​The maid looked at her strangely, but Nadia just smiled meaningfully.

The maids working in the mansion were busy talking about their first young miss offering a laurel wreath at the event.

Even though people who worked in the mansion were under strict restriction not to talk, those who had eyes and ears could know how obvious the excitement among the people in the capital was.

This situation was supposed to be something that she didn’t wish for.

‘The bigger it gets, the more Marquis Winterfell couldn’t resist the proposal.’

The whole country’s attention was focused on this marriage.

In this situation, if he refused the King’s command to marry her, Marquis Winterfell would be considered disagreeing with the King’s order.

There was no room for him to justify himself properly to request for assessment of the possibility of a political opponent’s scheme who wanted to bring him down.

He had no choice but to accept the marriage with Nadia in order not to be taken as a political threat.

By now, the House of Marquis Winterfell would be in a state of chaos.

They couldn’t believe that they had to take the daughter of none other than the Duke of Balazit as the hostess of the house!

Nadia’s eyes turned out of the window to the direction of the Winterfell family’s residence.

She felt a little bad for surprising Marquis Winterfell, however…

‘I will never make you regret marrying me.

After everything was over, she would gladly stamp the divorce agreement.

Nadia turned her head again and looked at the jewel box spread out on the table.

As she expected, her father promised to provide a lot of dowries. It wasn’t really a heartfelt gift for her daughter, but rather luxuries to save his face.

​”By the way… Is this all?”

“What? J-Jewelries are all here, but these are all worth several times when gold coins, silk, livestock, and grains are combined. If you want to look at the list–”

“No, that’s not it.”

Nadia’s gaze slowly skipped over the table. Among them, the object she was looking for wasn’t here.

The necklace that she wore at the triumphal celebration.

‘I can’t give my mother’s legacy away to Callaine, right?”

Nadie couldn’t care less about anything else, but she had to find the necklace.

Meanwhile, at the residence of the Winterfell family, inside the study of the head of the family.

Glenn Winterfell was listening to his aide’s report while sitting in a chair.

His facial expression was covered as he was burying his forehead on the back of his hand. He wasn’t feeling okay; though people around him got a little picture of what might have caused him to feel that way.

Looking at his master’s mood, the aide carefully opened his mouth.

If it weren’t because of the reports, it was easy to guess what made him sink into such a cranky mood.

“Even in the most secluded part of downtown, people are still talking about the triumphal celebration. I heard even His Majesty was pressing this marriage to you in the celebration ground because it was a fait accompli that the Balazit daughter already handed you the wreath.”

“….”

“But again, it wouldn’t be unusual for people in the capital… No, people from all over the country know.”

“My Lord, you have to do something. Otherwise, you will be forced to walk the wedding aisle–”

“It’s too late.”

The Marquis of Winterfell, Glenn, replied in a stressed voice.

Then, he took a box of correspondence from the drawer and threw it onto the table.

It could be considered rude toward the letters stamped with the royal family’s pattern.

“These are….”

“Read it. It’s probably something you can guess.”

The rustling sound of a piece of paper rang quietly in the study room.

Glenn’s aide’s face darkened after he looked at the contents of the letters.

“He is beating around the bush, but anyone could tell that he is telling you to get married.”

“If I keep refusing his suggestion, my action would be taken as opposing the royal’s order.”

When Glenn said that, he shouted as if he was angry at his aide.

“They are being too much. What did My Lord do wrong? Why are they doing this? Didn’t you participate in the expedition this time? Huge numbers of military force, the armaments; All covered by our territory’s taxes. Yet, they are still suspicious of us?”

“Duke Balazit must have raised suspicions against us. He is just an old man who had the need to step on the bothersome young one to be satisfied.”

Winterfell territory that was located in the North wasn’t even originally a part of the kingdom territory.

This land was subjugated to the royal family 100 years ago, but some of the Northern people didn’t even consider themselves a citizen of the Kingdom.

Their culture was also quite different from the South, and for that reason, the capital nobles often ignored the Northern people and considered them barbaric.

They were seen as savages, so they kept trying to interfere in the Northerns affairs.

Wasn’t the fact that the South could be prosperous and safe thanks to the Northerners guarding the North border? In a way, it was natural that the loyalty of the Northern lords toward the King died down.

The consequences of clashing with the Northern lords and trained military forces embracing a different mind were obvious.

And from the perspective of the Duke of Balazit, such a situation would be an uneasy one.

“I think there are two reasons why he is trying to promote this marriage. First, to prevent Northern lords from forming a marriage alliance. And to plant a spy in the middle of the enemy camp.”

“If the spy sees any signs of rebellion, it will reach the Duke’s ear immediately.”

“I thought so. I never imagined the Duke would use his child like this.”

As long as he could endure a tiny bit of shame, that plan would be very effective.

If it was a marriage that had been schemed behind their back, there should be some way to put it off. However, Glenn couldn’t do that as the rumors regarding this marriage had already spread across the country.

How could they use a triumphal celebration to attract people’s attention like that?

“I don’t know who is behind this. It gives me a headache.”

“But it sure is effective.”

“Except for the fact that the Duke put his daughter’s future at stake.”

What was he going to do if the plan went wrong and the marriage with Glenn didn’t take place? As long as Glenn accepted her heart, he didn’t have to take further responsibility, did he?

All Glenn could say was that the Balazits were out of their mind.

When he remembered the face of the young woman hanging on to him just because she loved him, his head began to ache again.

It made Glenn bury his forehead in his hand.

Then, his aide opened his mouth again with a careful voice.

“By the way, it’s about Sir Lee Jiho.””

“Hmm?”

“According to our man who was on the altar at the celebration, he looked very flustered when Lady Nadia offered her laurel wreath to you.”

“That guy?”

“Yes, it seemed like he thought Lady Nadia would offer him the wreath.”

At that time, Glenn didn’t notice any of that because he didn’t have time to look at Lee Jiho’s reaction.

In fact, Glenn also thought it was Lee Jiho’s until she gave him a wreath.

Lee Jiho was the hand-foot-and-mouth of Duke Balazit. Hence, it was strange in many ways that he didn’t know the Duke’s plan in advance.

​”Before the celebration, there is a rumor saying that Lee Jiho and Lady Nadia have exchanged marriage vows in secret.”

“Then it’s understandable that he was flustered. If such a rumor were circulating, of course he would have thought that she would give him the wreath.”

“The original plan to give it to Sir Jiho seemed to have changed urgently during the process. It is highly likely that they went on the plan without telling Sir Jiho.”

“…..Is that what happened?”

If Lee Jiho didn’t receive the changed plan in advance, it would be given if he was confused.

Glenn’s gaze turned to the laurel wreath, which he dumped into the corner of the drawer.

It seemed that the owner of that object was initially someone else.

Glenn clicked his tongue.

“Tsk, I feel sorry for him. He joined the battlefield as he was told, but that’s how the Duke treated him.”

“Maybe the plan changed so suddenly that the Duke didn’t have time to give him a heads up in advance. But why did he change his mind?”

“I don’t know. He may have thought that it was more important to plant someone to monitor us than to steal the attention of the triumphal celebration. But it’s a little suspicious. He could have used one of the vassal’s daughters for this kind of work.”

Then the reason why the Duke sent Nadia to the North was…. Glenn’s troubled face gradually grew.

Then his aide brought up another topic.

“What are you going to do now?”

“Are you talking about marriage?”

“Yes.”

“First of all, I have to comply with what your Majesty wants. Otherwise, they are going to find a good justification to attack us.”

“B-but if you accept this marriage, the Duke will act as he wants.”

“I can’t help it. We can’t cry over spilled milk. If I back out now, the whole country will point their finger at my loyalty.”

“However, bringing that person’s daughter in to our territory–”

It was no different from having a knife being pointed behind their back.

Glenn, who understood his aide’s concern, said.

“Don’t worry. How could a beautifully raised Duke’s daughter who had no allies snooping around? If our people monitor her closely, there will be no big accident.”

“Then it’s a relief.”

Since Nadia grew up beautifully in the capital, Glenn was sure that she couldn’t stand the cold environment in the North.

Furthermore, where would the pride of the Lady from the House of Duke Balazit go? Glenn didn’t think she could endure the harsh treatment she might receive from the servants for more than one week.

‘No one could blame me if she goes back home on her own.’

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He wouldn’t let things work as the Duke wished.

Looking in the direction of the Balazit family’s mansion, Glenn firmly strengthened his will.