I was angrier than I had been in recent memory. I stomped my feet and seethed. Conversely, Hadel, the actual party involved, was flustered and tried to stop me.

“Marian? Calm down.”

But Hadel’s calmness only made my heart rot even more. I burst out in a heated tone.

“It’s not enough to drive his son to this northern region, he even sends an arranged fiancée of his own choosing! Does that make any sense? Shouldn’t they at least ask for your opinion!”

“The North has already sent a message of refusal. We’ll send Lady Orsini back as well.”

Hadel calmly explained his response.

“I’m an adult to begin with. It might be different for a minor, but it doesn’t make sense for an adult’s marriage to proceed solely based on the parents’ will.”

“Still…”

The fact that this nonsensical situation continued was the point that angered me.

Not understanding my feelings, Hadel patted me reassuringly.

“Don’t worry, Marian. You’re the only one I love.”

“I’m not worried. I just find it disgusting how they try to control you as they please.”

“Marian.”

Hadel smiled gently and embraced me.

“Am I crazy to be happy that you’re angry on my behalf, even in this unpleasant situation?”

It’s because you’re too good of a person.

I wanted to retort like that, but I held back and just pouted my lips.

I ended up sitting face to face with Nella at lunchtime the next day.

To be honest, everything was annoying. Suddenly, as if a rival had appeared, the people of the castle were frantic about not being able to dress me up properly.

‘Why go through all this trouble when we could just drive her out in the first place?’

I had that thought for a moment, but listening to what the maids reported, it seemed Nella had pushed her way in quite forcefully.

‘Right! It wouldn’t be bad to speak harshly and drive her out.’

So I put on an uncomfortable dress, applied delicate makeup, and headed to the lunch meeting.

At least Hadel told me I looked pretty, so I could manage a smile.

Hadel must have been quite irritated too, as he spoke in a cold voice as soon as he sat down.

“I already have a fiancée, Lady Orsini. So return to the capital.”

She must have come quite prepared, as she didn’t flinch at the cold treatment that would have made most people shrink. She smiled with her eyes and spoke in a friendly tone.

“Please call me Nella, Your Highness.”

“Lady Orsini.”

She slightly gestured towards me with her eyes and sneered.

“Even noble families have one or two mistresses without it being a flaw, so how could I complain about that for Your Highness, a member of the royal family? Don’t worry about it.”

Well, well. I folded my arms, intending to hear how far she would go, and the next words were even more outrageous.

“Besides, that young lady doesn’t even have parents or siblings, let alone knowing where she came from… If she had a conscience, she wouldn’t have thought she could become the Grand Duchess.”

Did I ever think I would hear such words in my life?

‘I’m not inferior in bloodline either! …Well, 100 years ago.’

Who would have known the world would change just because I lost consciousness for a moment and woke up?

Thanks to that, I was experiencing something I never would have in my lifetime. It felt more bewildering than unpleasant.

Hadel threatened in a fierce tone.

“If you insult my dear one any further, I will throw you out of the castle now.”

Nella smiled as if to say, ‘Go ahead and try.’ Hadel continued in a cold voice.

“I let you into the castle not to agree to a marriage I don’t consent to at all, but because I was afraid of hearing that the young lady died because I didn’t open the castle gates.”

I thought she must have been quite persistent to get in, but did she actually stage a sit-in threatening to freeze to death? It was incredible determination.

Hadel added with a smirk. Since his eyes weren’t smiling at all, it felt even more chilling.

“But seeing you continue to spout such rude words, I think it might have been better to let you freeze to death.”

Freezing to death is the cruelest death I can think of!

I gaped at those terrible words.

‘No, no matter how much you hate someone, that’s going too far. You can really freeze to death in the North!’

How much did I cry desperately crawling into tree hollows to sleep during my weasel days?

The cold must have been fierce for Nella too, as her face paled for a moment as she faced Hadel.

‘She was also surprised by the northern cold.’

I frowned. I couldn’t understand it at all. Since I didn’t have a hobby of guessing other people’s thoughts, I asked directly.

“Why are you going this far?”

“What do you mean?”

I reflexively shrugged my shoulders and said.

“Freezing to death is quite painful. Even if you don’t die, if frostbite is severe, you might have to amputate limbs. I mean, why are you insisting on the fiancée position even with such a risky move?”

Nella straightened her back and answered in a composed tone. She seemed to have anticipated such a question.

“It’s the position of the Grand Duchess of the North. His Highness Hadel is the third highest person in this country. Isn’t it strange not to be ambitious?”

That would be true for an ordinary Grand Duchess position. But Hadel is mistreated even by the royal family, and even though it’s a Grand Duchy, the budget is terrible, and dangerous magical beasts appear.

Rather, considering that one has to be trapped here for life, the high status is not an advantage at all. So I countered:

“You must know it’s just a position in name only, an empty shell?”

“How dare you call the Grand Duchess position an empty shell?”

“Lady Orsini.”

Are you trying to waste time with wordplay?

“If you don’t speak honestly, we can’t help you either. So please be honest. Are you being threatened that you must enter the Grand Duchy?”

“Your imagination is running wild, young lady.”

Nella’s eyebrows trembled. Whether it was because her pride was hurt or because she recalled someone threatening her, I couldn’t tell.

She forced a smile and answered.

“I’m not being threatened by anyone. My desire to become the Grand Duchess is entirely my own will. So step back, young lady. I said I’d get along with you, didn’t I?”

Goodness, I couldn’t help but sigh.

Seeing that I was unlikely to do as she said, she also took a firm stance. She decided to ignore me right away. She gestured to the butler standing tall behind Hadel.

“Butler, what are you doing? Hurry and serve the meal. His Highness must be hungry.”

“The one who should step back is…”

Just as Hadel clenched his fist in anger, the person who intercepted Hadel’s words was none other than the butler. He adjusted his glasses and said:

“It’s the young lady who came from the capital.”

“Butler?”

I was so surprised that my eyes widened. In the few months I’ve stayed in the North, this was the first time I saw the butler step forward and express his opinion like this.

I thought he would just interject with that one line, but he went even further and said:

“The North will not give you anything. Please leave quickly.”

“What is the meaning of this, butler?”

Perhaps she didn’t expect to hear such words from the butler, not Hadel, as Nella’s pale cheeks flushed red. Nella glared at the butler with an angry face.

Then, the one who stepped forward at this moment was Hadel’s aide who had been standing in the corner. He cut in with an annoying smile.

“By the way, your companions and luggage are already outside.”

“What did you say?”

When Nella glared sharply, the aide once again whistled nonchalantly, pretending not to notice.

Seeing that everyone in the Grand Duchy was hostile to her, Nella hardened her face and deliberately spoke in an authoritative voice.

“I am Prince Hadel’s fiancée, personally chosen by His Majesty the King. Do you think you’ll be forgiven for such an outrageous act, you mere castle-managing butler?”

The butler replied without shrinking at all.

“The one who has protected the North from ice beasts until now is not the distant King, but His Highness Hadel here. I only listen to His Highness Hadel’s orders.”

The aide chimed in next.

“And Lady Marian here always strives for the development of the North. It’s quite unpleasant for us, as people of the North, to hear a young lady who knows nothing about the North speak carelessly about Lady Marian.”

“No, you two…”

I thought even if everyone in the Grand Duchy liked me, at least the butler disliked me. And I thought the aide didn’t care either way.

But seeing these two people so fervently taking my side was touching.

Hadel, who smiled at me as if finding my surprise cute, rested his chin on his hand and spoke in a more relaxed tone.

“It seems the young lady just needs to leave. No need to waste more time.”

As Hadel snapped his fingers, the knights who had been waiting rushed in. It was to drag Nella out of the castle.

Not expecting to be dragged away so suddenly, Nella screamed with a pale face.

“You, you’ll regret abandoning me! I’ve been preparing to become Prince Hadel’s wife for a long time!”

“What do you know about me to have prepared?”

“That’s…!”

Hadel said in a cold voice.

“Do you know that I have the fire attribute? That you might burn up in bed?”

“Th-that…”

She hadn’t thought that far, it seemed, as Nella’s face darkened. Hadel waved his hand as if there was nothing more to hear.

“Throw the young lady out.”

About to be dragged out like this, Nella shouted loudly.

“…I have no attribute!”