Lady Emerun looked at me as if it were no big deal, then resumed her embroidery.
“It’s disappointing you don’t know what you’ve done wrong. I thought you’d have enough time to reflect on the way here. Did I overestimate you? It’s a pity. If you had been near a competent governess since childhood, you could have become better than you are now.”
In the past, such words would have made me feel small.
“That’s truly regrettable.”
I muttered softly. Lady Emerun glanced at me. I looked down, murmuring as if talking to myself.
“Even if I were just a gentry, many things would have been different.”
“Hmph, you seem to have realized your limits.”
Her words implied a limit set by birth and status. No matter how much a Count’s adopted daughter I was, being a criminal and a maid’s daughter, I could never be like other nobles.
‘I meant if I were a gentry, I wouldn’t have been entangled with this family.’
“Behave yourself. You are not an animal; if you are a human, you should at least realize why you exist. Even if you’re not chosen by the gods like a priest.”
“…….”
“There was a saying from teacher Byran. A life without knowing its purpose is the most futile one. Seems like it’s exactly what you need.”
I hid my bored expression. My legs were already hurting, and now my ears too.
Why should I worry about the meaning of existence when it’s hard enough just to survive? Nobles might glitter like jewels, but they can be so outdated.
And Lady Emerun, always talking too much. She never liked or excelled in studies, but whenever she heard a good phrase, she remembered it to lecture the maids or me.
“Igraine.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know why you can stand here?”
I nodded. The word ‘family’ came to my mind immediately. Almost like a learned response.
“If you knew that, you wouldn’t have acted that way.”
Then I realized why she called me. My recent lunch with Hubert and Aris had reached her ears.
“Aris was deeply hurt. The Count was displeased too. We can’t have such indiscipline in the house.”
“…….”
“Remember this if it happens again.”
I quietly bowed my head.
Lady Emerun murmured to herself.
“It’s so hard to manage people without resorting to violence like the lower classes do.”
I used to not think much of it, but lately, I’ve been questioning. Why was I so obedient to the family in my past life?
‘Because of this.’
They oppressed me with societal norms and status beyond my control. Repeatedly, incessantly, so I couldn’t raise my head.
I clenched my fist slightly.
‘To avoid being trampled, do I need a higher status?’
That day, a letter arrived at the Royal Palace of Liorza.
Upon reading the letter, the King hastily convened the nobles.
Bang!
The King, slapping the armrest of his chair with his fist, grumbled. His faded blond hair fluttered slightly.
“The Crown Prince of the Empire must be mad! Matrimony with our kingdom! He clearly covets the Princess. How dare they!”
The enraged King spat as he spoke, and the nobles exchanged uneasy glances.
The letter, bearing the Imperial Crown Prince’s seal, proposed the matrimony of the Empire’s Fifth Prince and the Royal Princess.
A union with the powerful Dobelacan Empire!
It seemed not bad at face value. Rather, it was good.
The Kingdom of Liorza boasted fertile lands and abundant clean water, but it was small in size and weak in defense.
In contrast, the sole Empire of Dobelacan on the continent possessed a formidable military force.
A union between these two nations through marriage would be an excellent diplomatic strategy.
However, despite these advantages, the atmosphere in the council room was gloomy.
“Moreover, they say that man doesn’t even like women!”
The King frowned in disgust. The others also looked uneasy.
A rational minister cleared his throat.
“That’s just a rumor, Your Majesty.”
“There must be a reason for the rumor! Why would such a rumor exist if it wasn’t true?”
The minister had no reply.
Another minister shifted the conversation.
“The intentions of the Empire are suspicious, especially since it’s Crown Prince Rodlacki who proposed it.”
“Indeed. And it’s not even with the Crown Prince, but with the Fifth Prince.”
“The Crown Prince wouldn’t do either!”
The King, who adored his daughter, trembled with anger.
Ignoring his reaction, the nobles bravely shared their opinions.
“The Crown Prince is trying to weaken the Fifth Prince’s power. He wants to prevent him from allying with powerful families in his own country.”
“That seems likely.”
“Are we being used in the Empire’s succession dispute?”
“We must first clarify the kingdom’s stance.”
“What stance? We must refuse!”
“But can we refuse just like that?”
“We must refuse regardless!”
The ministers were divided over the Crown Prince’s unexpected marriage proposal.
“Who will Rodlacki attack first if he becomes Emperor?”
“Fifth Prince Giovanni, obviously.”
“Right. If we marry the Fifth Prince and he loses in the power struggle, we’ll also suffer.”
Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me
One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.
Synopsis:
Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.
But this is still far from enough.
He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.
_____
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