“This father has finally found a worthy groom for you, darling.”

I was thinking of going back to bed, I felt like vomiting all the food that I had eaten.

Enjo, my second brother, was eating a very delicious quiche, which smelled disgusting for me.

He put down his fork fiercely, expressing an unasked objection.

“Not again. Father, how many times has it been?”

‘Enjo.’

“It hasn’t even been three months since I broke up! No matter how good the proposal is, shouldn’t you think about how I feel?”

“I can’t get used to your sudden deep-rooted brotherhood.”

“Then will you defeat those barbarians instead of Britannia’s supporters?”

“What can you do?” He’s the best knight in the South, those uncivilized savages will be easily defeated.`

“The South’s top rascal stopped the plague by munching a leftover kernel in his mouth.” (He basically means he easily stopped the plague it’s a Korean idiom btw its enjo who’s saying this)

I just thought that what was coming had come.

“Who is it, Father?” When I asked a cheerful question, my father, who stared at Enjo with a disapproving expression, smiled kindly at me again.

“He is Britannia’s knight. The king’s beloved nephew and famous knight of the South. He is very handsome. I’m sure you’ll like him.”

“What! Do you know how bad his reputation is?!”

“Will it just be you?”

Enjo became quiet again. You have no idea that this handsome Southern knight will exterminate his wife’s house in the future. Oh, sons of this world.

“Ruby?”

As I hesitated for a moment, My brother Cesiare came in, and began to slowly stroke my head, he started singing silently. It was really creepy. It felt like a cold snake wriggled down my spine. I slowly raised my head and made eye contact with him. After seeing Cesaire’s deep blue eyes, my gaze shifted onto Enjo who was frowning discontentedly, and then, as always, I fixed my gaze onto Lady Julia and my father next to her.

“Thank you, Cesaire”

“My pleasure, father. I’m so glad that even this could be helpful to you.” Cesaire smiled gently and kissed my forehead.

“Good job as always, our little angel.”

I very much badly wanted to leave and vomit.

Right. I’ll throw up as much as I want after I think about my future survival strategy. Right now I’m on the blacklist of the south’s top four.

I thought I’d had finally ended my boring life with that untimely helicopter crash and could finally rest, but if you reincarnate as a lady in the Renaissancerenaissance period, and as a character in a novel you’ve read a long time ago, then that boring life was much better.

How terrible would it have been if I had reincarnated in the same era? I mean, if you’re in a good family, where you will be born.

“Ahk!”

I was so good at throwing up without others knowing that I didn’t have to worry about being caught by the maids, but I felt the same pain every time I did it. Another similarity between my old life and this life is this big thing.

It was a symptom—commonly known as an eating disorder. Before I became Ludbecia de Borgia, I mean before I died, I was an adopted daughter of an upper-class family in Spain. No, a child of charity. I don’t know much about Korea because I was adopted when I was very young. I attended a prestigious private school wearing school uniforms, as did my wealthy parents in Madrid, and lived a life filled with ballet classes, tennis clubs, horseback riding, and charity parties. I felt like I was different from the other kids around me.

It was when I was in the 4th grade, a male student picked on me by attempting to mimic my eyes. At first, I didn’t know what that meant, so I just laughed it off like the other kids who laughed. I thought my eyes were round like others, so I didn’t even know that he was mocking me. The so-called racism problem had been somewhat bearable over time. The family who adopted me apparently

Looked rich and perfect on the outside, but in reality, they were despicable, and I was always just an outsider. Each of my foster parents had a separate lover, and my younger brother, who was a promising tennis player, was exposed on the media for being a drug addict and having a promiscuous private life. My eldest brother, who was known to be normal, was a monster like his father. It became a natural habit for me to play the role of a cheerful, smart, obedient, and grateful daughter.

If I had ever brought shame, or offended my family I had hell to pay. It was the same here. At first, I thought it was just a short dream before I completely died. Otherwise, I wouldn’t look like a beautiful western girl in the mirror. It took me a few days to realize that I had become Ludbecia de Borgia, a character in the fantasy novel “Sodom and the Holy Grail” A novel I had read on a novel site as a teenager.

Anyhow, he was undoubtedly a strange man.

Despite the way Cesare obsessed over me and clung to me, he didn’t show the slightest hesitation using me as a pawn in his political schemes. For all I know, maybe he just thought of me as another one of his objects.

Three years ago, when I’d just gotten accustomed to the fact that I’d become fifteen year-old Rudbeckia, I made the mistake of refusing my arranged marriage to the Duke of Rembrandt.

With the foreknowledge that the duke would later become a key figure in the demise of my family, I invalidated our marriage right before the wedding was scheduled to happen using the humiliating pretense of ‘bodily incompatibility’.

I wanted to do whatever I could to protect my new family that had treated me so well and stop whatever enemies would later plot against them.

But as soon as I expressed my unwillingness to marry him, Father’s usual warm expression morphed into an ice-cold frown that made my body tremble with fear in a way I was all too familiar with. That night I was locked in my room and beaten by Cesare until I nearly passed out from pain.

It was after those events repeated themselves a couple times that I realized there was no difference between my old and new life. Maybe, in part, that was also because I knew that Rudbeckia wasn’t actually the pope’s biological daughter.

Rudbeckia’s biological mother—my mother—was killed as soon as she gave birth, before the pope met his second official lover, Carmen. Most people around me were already suspicious that I wasn’t the pope’s legitimate child, and, well, since I’d already read the story myself, I knew their suspicions were correct.

Putting on a facade and pretending to be family with people that didn’t share a drop of blood with me, it was identical to my previous life. And after I became Rudbeckia, my anorexia manifested itself again as well.

“It hurts me to see you go too. This’ll be the last time something like this happens, I promise,” said Cesare.

“But I heard it’s dangerous there…”

“Dangerous? You’ll be guarded around-the-clock by a legion of elite knights, you have nothing to worry about. I’ll try to come visit you as often as I can too. It won’t be that bad, every place has something to like about it. Just think of it as a six-month-long vacation.”

“Six months? It’s really going to be six months?”

I already knew exactly how long it was going to be but I pretended to be surprised anyway.

He chuckled and wrapped a lock of my hair around his finger, pulling it up to his nose.

“Yeah, you just have to make it six months. He won’t do anything to you regardless, so you don’t need to worry.”

That wasn’t what I was worried about.

“You’ll really come visit me often?”

“Yeah.”

I prayed that he wouldn’t.

Trying to convince the knight who’d become my husband to not kill me was going to be difficult enough as it was. Even if I refused to poison his little sister, someone else would be hired to do it and I would end up being blamed.

If I was going to stop my husband’s little sister from being poisoned in six months, I had to start by convincing my husband and the other people around me, all of whom passionately hated me, that I was harmless—that I was their ally.

At least it wasn’t any different than how I’d been forced to act with my previous families.

***

Izek van Omerta.

The successor of his father’s legendary martial arts technique, he was given the title of knight at fifteen years old and at age seventeen was crowned the kingdom’s youngest champion of the famed triannual dueling tournament.

Through his heroic feats as a paladin, he became even more renown and celebrated amongst the people, but, because of his stubborn, headstrong personality, he refused every one of the marriage proposals he received, much to the displeasure of his father.

The only females he was close with were his younger sister, Elaina van Omerta, and his childhood friend, Flaya van Brianna. If I remember correctly, his standoffish personality was, in large part, due to his mother’s death.

His mother, once a young princess, was passionately in love with the duke, but after she became the duchess of Omerta and gave birth, she ended up killing herself while her children were still young. It seems like her death had a profound impact on both Izek and Elaina.

People believed that a soul who committed suicide was destined for eternal damnation, so their mother’s death consequently became a taboo subject.

To be honest, it was so long since I had read the novel that my memory of a lot of the story was vague at best. I wish I could’ve remembered more…

The reason why Izek had obediently accepted his marriage with Rudbeckia wasn’t due to any sort of coercion from his father, it was because Elaina had been arranged to marry the pope’s second son—Enzo.

The Vatican was struggling to fight off barbarians on their northern border, and, with the added difficulty of internal conflict, they were severely in need of reinforcements.

Receiving the aid of Britannia’s elite knights—that was the point of these political marriages.

After his announcement of the marriage at dinner, Father worked at lightning speed to prepare the wedding. A huge dowry and an assortment of elaborate gifts were sent to Britannia, and after my marriage was made official with a representative from Britannia, Father began arrangements for me to leave for Britannia immediately.

***

I thought that after three years I would eventually get used to it, but every time I looked in the mirror I was still startled by the unfamiliar woman I saw.

Her hair was a cascade of spiraling gold threads. Her eyes were shining blue lakes. Her supple cheeks and tender lips didn’t resemble my original body in the slightest. The only thing even remotely similar between my two bodies was my long hair and small figure.

When I was a child, I was always sensitive about how I looked different than the other kids around me, but, funnily enough, there are times now when I miss my old body.

“My beautiful daughter,” said Father with a warm smile, pulling me towards him and hugging me.

I was eighteen years old and, by the standards of this world, a fully-grown adult, but I was still considered and treated like a child in many ways. Like how Cesare would always sit me in his lap and pat my head like I was some kind of pet.

“You’re going to make a wonderful bride, my darling. The North will love you.”

“Father…”

“Aw, there’s no need to be upset. Don’t cry, my dear. We won’t be apart forever.”

If anything, I wished that this would be the last time we ever saw each other. Of course I cried though, that was part of my job after all.

My father chuckled seeing my delicate face covered in tears.

“I’m going to miss you all.”

“We’re going to miss you too, so much, my dear. I would send your brother to accompany you on the trip if I could, but it’s impossible right now, sadly.”

How grateful I was that it was impossible. It was scary enough seeing the visitors from the North watch our family like vultures. Did Father really not care about the rumors they would spread about me and Cesare?

“Wuaah! I can’t accept this bullsh*t! Am I the only one who’s upset by this? Waaah!”

“Enzo.”

“Wuaaah… Come here you idiot!”

Enzo, who’d been kicking the dirt and sulking by himself, hugged me tightly. Despite Enzo’s fiery temper and all the mischief he caused, I never felt uncomfortable around him. In a way, he really was the only normal one in this family.

“I’ll miss you.”

“And I’ll miss you too, stupid.”

Still grumbling, he hugged me so tight I could barely breathe.

As he hugged me, Cesare, who’d been watching us, approached and wriggled his way between us.

“That’s enough Enzo, we don’t want to suffocate her.”

Six months.

It was unclear what would happen after that, but the one thing I was certain about was that I wouldn’t shed any tears if Cesare were to end up dying.

Even if the entire Borgia family were massacred, I’m not sure how upset I’d be.

“Ruby.”

Stroking my tear-stained cheeks, the back of Cesare’s hand sent a cold shiver down my spine. I could feel his eyes staring inside me, like two vipers trying to strangle me.

It was those vipers I feared. They were the ones that scared me into obeying Cesare. In a lot of ways, he reminded me of my oldest brother from my previous life.

“Cesare, you have to come visit me, alright?”

“Of course, of course. I promise. Make sure to behave yourself until then, okay?”

How funny the human instinct for survival is sometimes… that’s what I thought about myself at that moment.

Despite having been reincarnated into an even more miserable life than my previous one, I was still doing everything in my power to survive as best as I could. Funny, right?

***

Although the people of the South believed otherwise, the North did in fact have weather besides constant rain and snow.

During the summer, the sun shone brilliantly, and the weather wasn’t excessively hot or humid like the South was. The problem was that summer was the only season you could ever see the sun.

Every three years, the country’s borders were opened and soldiers from neighboring lands were invited to participate in a grand dueling tournament.

On a clear, sunny summer weekend, crowds of children gathered to watch the groaning, dust-covered men battle it out.

Lord Ivan glared at his peers, both with pity and contempt, and then approached the man leading them.

“Can I talk with you for a second?”

The man dropped his sword on the ground and took off his helmet, lowering his head.

His sharp jawline and long eyelashes were delicate, almost angelic, a stark contrast from the hot-blooded stare of his scarlet red eyes.

His gleaming, sweat covered face. His jet-black, dust-covered armor. Standing at two meters tall, he looked like a demon that had just crawled out of the pits of hell.

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because Elly said so.”

“Ugh, seriously, why do you try to get on my nerves every time we talk?”

“It’s not my fault that you have a thing for my little sister, you weirdo.”

Ivan knew that it was pointless to try and argue with him so he chose his next words carefully.

“What I’m trying to say is that, while you’ve been screwing around over here, your wife arrived from the South. I’m not telling you to go run and greet her, but at least have dinner with her on her first night here…”

“Judging by the looks of you, it seems like there are plenty of people willing to meet with her while I’m screwing around.”

Ivan let out a long sigh of defeat.

Izek smirked at him while untying his gauntlet straps.

“Am I wrong?”

“As a paladin of the North, I felt it was my duty to go and monitor Borgia’s spy—”

“Enough of your bullsh*t.”

“F*ck, fine, I admit it. I went and saw her because I was curious. Curious what the pope’s famous daughter looked like in person. Is that so wrong? If you’re so irritated by me going then why didn’t you go yourself, huh? Izek van Omerta you rude little sh*thead!”

“……”

“Sorry… I guess I got a little carried away.”

“Yeah.”

Despite his delicate appearance which earned him the nickname ‘The Flower Knight’, Ivan was, to put it bluntly, incredibly short-tempered.

“You’re not gonna ask?”

“Ask what?”

“You know, if she really looks like her portrait, how her personality is, that kind of stuff. You’re not curious at all?”

“Not really.”

“Whatever. Either way you should still meet her. After all, it’s your obligation as her husband. And I’m only telling you this because I can’t stand to see you turn out like that duke—Rembrandt whatever-his-name-is—and become an international mockery. Lord knows what would happen if you were to get on the pope’s bad side.”

In reality, no one believed that this marriage was going to last. Izek’s obsession with his work and Rudbeckia’s stubborn personality were an obvious recipe for disaster. Some people were already betting on the number of weeks left before the marriage fell apart.

Ivan restrained himself from suggesting that Izek just marry Flaya instead. He knew that it was next to impossible and Izek was too naive to understand anyway.

But after seeing Rudbeckia, who had travelled all the way from the Port of Elmus to Omerta Castle, Ivan had mixed feelings.

According to Lord Evanste, who had acted as a representative at the Vatican’s marriage ceremony, she suffered from seasickness the entire journey. Yet, in spite of that, all he could think about was her radiant smile as she stepped off the boat. She really was as beautiful as the rumors made her out to be.

Her flowing, spiral golden hair and round, shimmering blue eyes—her face was as beautiful as a porcelain doll.

She looked so fragile, so delicate. Like she would shatter from a single touch.

For reasons even he could not comprehend, Ivan felt responsible for her.

“She’s small.”

“Huh?”

“She’s small, really small.”

“Are you saying she’s a dwarf?”

“I’m saying she looks so fragile that one dirty glare from you would be enough to kill her. It’s not like I don’t understand where you’re coming from, but try to think about it from her perspective too. She’s been forced to come all the way here basically as a hostage. It must be incredibly frightening and lonely for her.”

Izek, who was about to pick up his sword, paused and stared at Ivan.

“Seriously, who are you?”

“I’m a knight of the North. A paladin too. And the pope’s daughter, the angel of Sistina, is now my comrade’s wife. So you better get your *ss over there and meet he—”

“You know, there was once a time when you swore you would slay the pope.”

“You know, my little sister cried when she heard the news that you were getting married. Evil b*stard.”

Ivan’s little sister was six years old.

“Tell her to forget about a bad guy like me.”

“That’s what I told her but she won’t give up. And now I’m jealous that she cares more about you than me.”

“I see she’s already capable of manipulating you, hahaha.”

“Anyway, what I was trying to say is that your wi-”

“I knew that the Borgias were famous for their shiny exterior, but did you seriously fall for her after looking at her once and now you’re planning on betraying me?!”

Behind them, a shrill, high-pitched voice cried out.

Short-tempered Ivan spun around and pulled out his sword, pointing it straight at the approaching boy. The blade’s sharp edge glimmered.

“Aaaaah! S-Sorry, I’m really sorry, s-sir, aaaah!”

“Maybe I should cut off this ear for yah, eh?”

“Aaaaah! P-Please don’t, sir!”

To those that didn’t know what was going on, it must have just looked like a knight harassing a pitiful boy.

Only after making him let out another scream did Ivan finally let go of the fifteen year-old rookie’s ear.

“What is it? Why’re you bothering us again, Lorenzo?”

Eyes teary, Lorenzo frantically checked to make sure both his ears were still attached.

Izek, arms crossed, glanced at Lorenzo absentmindedly. To Lorenzo, he looked no different than a frost wolf that had just escaped the underworld.

“M-My older sister…”

“What?”

“W-With my sister… after your current marriage ends, I think it’d be great if you married her, b-but for the time being, I beg you to pretend like you don’t know my sister at all!”

Izek didn’t react at all. It seemed like he didn’t even understand what Lorenzo was talking about. So Ivan snapped at him instead.

“What the hell are you rambling on about now?! Kids these days…”

“S-Sorry, what I meant is that, until your current marriage is over, please stay away from my sister! If you don’t, t-that Borgia witch will kill her.”

“You really have no shame, huh? You haven’t even met her once and your big, fat head is already full of prejudice.”

“I-It’s not prejudice! If it was prejudice, then why did my sister lock herself in her room crying right after visiting Omerta Castle? She’s never done anything like that before…”

“Where’d you say she went?”

“Omerta Castle, sir. That witch… Lady Rudbeckia, it’s all because my sister visited her when she arrived.”

Aha. Ivan knew that Flaya had plenty of reasons to be upset about this sudden marriage—reasons her airhead little brother would never understand.

How Lorenzo even managed to come up with such an absurd conclusion was beyond Ivan’s grasp.

Still not comprehending the slew of words coming out of Lorenzo’s busy mouth, Izek tilted his head in confusion and then proceeded to turn around and walk away.

Too busy squabbling with each other, it took the two a few moments before they realized that Izek had snuck away.

“Lord Izek?”

“Hey, Izek! Where the hell are you going? Hey!”

“L-Lord Izek, I still haven’t finished my—aaaaah”

“For God’s sake, it’s the Sabbath. Stop bothering me, you two.”

Why someone who didn’t know a single line of the Lord’s Prayer was talking about the Sabbath perplexed both of them.

Ivan glared at the knights sprawled out on the ground that had been secretly listening to their entire conversation.

They looked back at him with devious grins.

***

“I heard you suffered terrible seasickness on your way here, I hope you’re feeling alright.”

At least one nice thing about the long journey was that my excuse of seasickness let me avoid meals and throw up whenever I needed to.

Getting away from my family was nice too.

After arriving at Britannia’s capital city of Elendale and partaking in the welcoming procession, I was escorted to Omerta Castle to meet with Ellenia van Omerta.

“I think it was because it was my first time on a long trip like this. It’s a little embarrassing to say, but this is actually my first time leaving the South…”

“You have nothing to be embarrassed about. As a matter of fact, I myself have never had the chance to leave Elendale,” replied Ellenia softly.

Ellenia was, in all honesty, gorgeous beyond belief. I didn’t understand how someone could actually look like her.

The beautiful people I was surrounded by in both my lifetimes were no match for her.

She was like a marble statue. I gazed dumbfoundedly at her long, model-like physique, her cascading silver hair, and, most stunningly, her brilliant red eyes which glistened like gemstones.

Despite what I had assumed, her red eyes were, if anything, more fascinating than scary. I was captivated by her cold, controlled exterior. For someone to try and murder this creation was a crime against humanity.

“Is the food not to your liking?” said Ellenia, turning her head towards me.

She was the same age as me, Rudbeckia, but she seemed more mature in every way.

I’d always been good at reading people’s emotions, but Ellenia’s poker face was impossible to read.