The country has lost its master.

The suicide of the 17th Grand Duke of Hessenguard was often described like this in most history books. Sometimes it was also described asThe Master abandoned the country, but there was no big difference in the details.

Scholars were divided over his death.

Some said he was cursed for ruthlessly killing his brothers to get the position of the Grand Duke. While others refuted this by saying people who bore grudges against him succeeded in poisoning him and so on. There was a lot of speculation about his death, but none of it was clear. But what was certain was that he had no children to succeed the Great Duchy.

When the continents richest land lost its master, its neighbours, the Kingdom of Haband and the Kingdom of Aether reached out to take Hessenguard.

The two kingdoms argued that they deserved to be the new masters of the Grand Duchy, citing how closely their royal blood and the blood of the ancestors of Grand Duke of Hessenguard were mixed.

Eventually, these arguments led to an all out war. The armies of the two kingdoms spilled each others blood in Hessenguard. The war over the Great Duchy lasted for more than three years. During that time, Hessenguards land was soaked in blood and reeked of death. Countless young lives died without being able to even close their eyes.

In the end, the two kingdoms realised that they couldnt bear anymore damage and tried to compromise. After several months of negotiations, the two kingdoms signed the following treaty:

The Duchy of Hessenguard will remain in the form of the Duchy.

A member of the royal family from both kingdoms will be sent to serve as a common Grand Duke.

And the child born between the two Grand Dukes will take over the Grand Duchy of Hessenguard.

Thats how Hessenguard came to serve two masters.

In the swaying carriage, Erna pursed her lips. It took them a full week to reach the capital of the Duchy of Hessenguard by the carriage. Although it was the road leading to the capital, the condition of the road was quite terrible. It might have been because of the rain that poured a while ago.

Every time the carriage’s wooden wheel tumbled over the uneven stony road, Erna’s face turned pale, biting the flesh of her lips. For several days, her body had been battered by ceaseless thumps; a faint sway would make her nauseous. She wondered whether it was her fortune or woe. She had already vomited her entire breakfast and now her stomach heaved again. She could not even drink a drop of water. As she retched, only a groan escaped out of her lips.

Just then, she heard the cries of the knights who were marching ahead.

“It’s the Grand Duke’s Castle!”

“I can see the Grand Duke’s Castle!”

Erna’s face lit up as their loud voices reported what was ahead of them. Finally, their destination was in sight. With a bright face, she reached out to draw the window’s curtains. As soon as she was about to do so, the maid seated across from her quickly struck her hand. A powerful smack reverberated throughout the carriage.

“Princess!” The maid bellowed in a sharp voice, causing Erna to cower. It was a habit; she was scared. “What are you doing? I had told you that it was dangerous outside!” Although the maid sounded respectful, it was clear from her voice that she looked down at her. She couldn’t even hide the satisfaction she felt after hitting the princess’s hand.

“I just felt so suffocated,” muttered Erna as she massaged her throbbing hand.

“Did you forget that there Have been several assassination attempts on people who’ve tried to reach this place! The princess was just lucky enough to avoid it. You better keep that in mind!”

“I understand…”

It was not that she had forgotten about this. It was not easy to forget how the two previous candidates from the royal families, who had been sent before her, were cruelly assassinated. However, it wasn’t enough justification for the maid’s smug attitude. Other princesses would have yelled at their maids and bashed them for their rude behavior, but Erna had never inflicted harm against anyone. She couldn’t.

Erna was well-aware of her position. She was the fourth child born to the second wife of the King of Haband’s. The king had married Erna’s mother, expecting that the children born between them would have the talent of wizardry in their blood, just like their mother. As a wizard from the Mage Tower, she even had a beautiful appearance, but unfortunately, she died early after giving birth to Erna. 

As Erna resembled her mother, the king expected that Erna too would have a talent for magic like her mother. But Erna, who had turned sixteen, had not shown any aptitude for magic until now.

It was natural that the King was greatly disappointed in her. Since Haband allowed men to have multiple wives, the King took a beautiful woman from a powerful family as the Queen. The Queen then gave birth to healthy children for the King.

Erna, without a mother and support from the royal factions, had a superficial existence within the royal family. It would have been nice if the tower could take care of her, but tower said that they no longer paid attention to the worldly affairs and ended their relationship. Therefore, Erna had to live with minimal treatment as a princess.

In fact, she had no complaints regarding her situation. At least in the royal palace, she would not have to worry about being hungry or having to sleep in the cold. She thought she could live quietly, then someday get married and leave the royal palace. She thought she could live with such naive thoughts.

But in this world, everything doesn’t go as one desire. In her early age, the harassment began, starting with the subtle bullying from her half brothers and sisters. At first, she fought back. But when she overpowered her bullies, the other queens would visit Erna at night and beat her endlessly in the guide of discipline.

“We’re all members of the royal family and should have a good relationship. But I can’t believe you would scratch others with your nails and kick them like a kid brought up in the streets. Even if you don’t have a mother, I can’t believe that you would be this unruly…”

Hateful words left a deep wound on Erna — deeper than the whip that struck her calf.

No one here cares about me.

Little Erna quickly realized this bitter reality. Still, she tried to fight again and again, but the abuse worsened over time. Eventually, Erna gave up resisting. It was just too much pain for a child to bear.

“What? Won’t you fight us today?”

“Yeah, it’s too boring.”

Even though her brothers and sisters trampled on her with their heavy feet, Erna remained still, thinking it would discourage their harassment. But it only made her an easy prey. Since then, Erna became someone, no, something people could treat however they pleased. 

Having lost the spirit to fight back, Erna just held onto herself. Just because children are young doesn’t mean that they wouldn’t feel emotions such as anger and humiliation. But since she couldn’t release her anger on others, she vented it out on herself.

There was a void in her heart that could not be filled. So, little Erna tried to fill it through the only way she knew. Therefore, from some point on, Erna’s hands always had something she could eat.

She wasn’t picky about food. From fruits to sweets, Erna kept eating everything all day long. The maids who attended her tried to stop her, but after knowing that Erna would become quiet when given something to eat, they brought her even more food. As she always had food in her mouth and didn’t go outside, her body quickly became plump. As her growth period approached, her body began to grow rapidly. Her features became distorted and her skin became coarse and greasy. Her siblings, who used to just tease her, now frowned upon seeing her and started treating her as a complete stranger.

“Even though she is a princess, would there be a nobleman who would want someone like her?”

“It might be better to send her to a convent when she gets older.”

Hearing the malicious whispers about her, Erna only hoped that she could someday leave the royal palace by whatever means possible.

In the meantime, news came in that the Grand Duke of Hessenguard was dead, and soon a war would begin. For a few years, the atmosphere of the royal family was very gloomy. Then finally, the news that a treaty had been signed reached them.

She thought the royal family would be peaceful for a while, but it only lasted for a short while.

“This is the Grand Duchy of Hessenguard. It is a position that cannot be compared to a worthless royalty like you that cannot even take over the throne.”

With the exception of the first prince, who was destined to take over the throne, all the members of the royal family indulged in a fierce battle for the position. Soon after, it was decided that the second prince would go to the Grand Duchy of Hessenguard, and Erna watched his farewell ceremony from a distance.

But a week later, the second prince was killed in a sudden attack even before he could even cross the border. The same thing happened to the princess, who was sent from the Aether Kingdom.

The two kingdoms thought that it was an ambush done by the surrounding kingdoms who were against the co-rule of Hessenguard. They again chose a member of the royal family to return to Hessenguard, saying that they would not back down from their decision.

This time, the first princess of the Haband Kingdom and the second prince of the Aether Kingdom were chosen. But they too lost their lives just before they could reach Hessenguard. After the second assassination, the pride of the two kingdoms was crushed. Despite heavy security, the members of the royal family were again murdered. 

“Do you think we’re going to give up Hessenguard because of that?”

However, unlike the first time, there was no royal family member that would go voluntarily this time. Two people have already been killed. No matter how much they prioritized their protection, the chances of them also being killed was very high.

The position that everyone desired quickly became a position that everyone wanted to avoid. They had no other choice but to send someone; if they didn’t, the other kingdoms would swallow the entire Duchy alone.

“Anyone is fine! We need someone to send there first!”

The ministers chose a candidate again. Someone who was from the royal family, but wouldn’t be a loss if their lives were taken. Someone who’s death no one will mourn. 

In the whole Kingdom of Haband, there was only one royal family member who met these conditions. Thus, a week later, Erna was dragged into a carriage heading to Hessenguard without any preparation.

'I’ve always wanted to leave the palace, but I didn’t expect to leave this way, ' Erna thought bitterly. She had always thought that she would be sold to be a local aristocrat’s wife at best. But she had never imagined that she would take the position of the Grand Duke. A position for which she could be killed anytime in a foreign land. She couldn’t accept the situation she was forced in until the day she finally arrived in Hessenguard.

“You can get off now,” said the coachman as he opened the door of the carriage.

Through the open door, Erna could see the Great Hessenguard Castle, which she had only seen in pictures. It was a place befitting the status of the residence of the Grand Duke of Hessenguard. It stood tall as if telling its spectators the glorious history of a neutral nation that stood firm without getting swallowed by its neighboring kingdoms. The Hessenguard Castle did not look much like a place of residence, but more like a fortress ready for combat.

Everything was strange. The peculiar style of the castle, the people of Hessenguard surrounding her, the grass under her feet, the trees next to her, and the wind passing through her hair. Everything was quite novel to her.

Erna looked up at the castle, which still retained the history of the old Hessenguard. There was only one thought in her head: can I survive here?

The next day, Erna rose from her seat, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. When she turned her head, she saw a group of women who were busily wandering around her. When they saw Erna getting up, they ordered the maids standing next to her.

“Quickly get the Princess ready. We don’t have much time left until the wedding, so hurry up.”

Listening to their cold emotionless voices, Erna quietly followed the maids.

After leaving Haband, they stayed at a Lord’s mansion on the first night. To avoid another assassination attempt, a large room was partitioned and all the maids and knights stayed with Erna. As the night deepened and time went by, the maids started talking about her without knowing that Erna had not fallen asleep.

A maid murmured, “To be honest, I’m a little embarrassed. Unlike other princesses, she neither has a confident demeanor nor a beautiful appearance… Princess Erna is not suitable to represent Haband.”

“It can’t be helped. Two of the royal family members, who were sent here first, were killed, so who would want to go? They had no other choice but to go with this princess.”

“But I think they could have chosen someone better.”

“It’s kind of like that. We can’t do anything about it. What I’m worried about now is whether the wedding dress would fit her or not. She’s so fat… Even if it does, it wouldn’t look good. Oh, what a shame!”

A ripple of low laughter filled the room; everyone agreed with the maid’s opinion. Erna, who was pretending to be asleep, turned her body around. The maids instantly hushed and stole glances from one another, fearing that the princess would wake up. However, Erna remained still, so they carried on with their malicious whispers.

That night, Erna learned what the maids of the palace thought of her: dowdy, disgraceful, the king’s abandonment urchin and a wretch who even death didn’t want. All those words were put before her name to explain what she was.

When Erna returned after bathing, her dress was prepared in her room. It was the traditional wedding gown of the Duchess of Hessenguard. It was a very beautiful dress. The pure white dress had beautiful layers of delicate lace, and at the end of the lace, there were fine glossy pearls attached to it, swaying mesmerizingly.

“Princess, come this way.” The ladies-in-waiting held Erna up and together with the maids dressed her in her wedding clothes. A few moments later, a woman sighed and murmured, “It looks too small.”

Another woman chuckled and shook her head. Erna could see what she wanted to say, even though she didn’t say it out loud. It wasn’t that the clothes were small, it was Erna who was too big. Ashamed and embarrassed, Erna couldn’t raise her head.

After a while, the maids announced that the preparations were over and told Erna to look in the mirror. Erna, who carefully lifted her head, had no choice but to bow down again. It’s terrible, she condemned herself. Her reflection in the mirror could be likened to a clown.

She looked like a chunk of ham wrapped in beautiful clothes and jewelries. If she at least had a good complexion, she might have looked a little cute. However, since it was her first long carriage trip across the border, Erna could not even drink a drop of water properly. As a result, dark circles appeared under her eyes and her skin became textured. To make matters worse, her skin was marred with swollen red spots. Erna wanted to burst into tears.

Erna remembered the beautiful sisters she had seen in the Castle of Haband. These robes would have looked great if it was them wearing it instead of her. They also wouldn’t have overlooked the subtle impolite treatment of the maids.

When the preparations were finished, Erna was again left alone in the corner. In fact, there were many maids as well as knights in the room, so it could not be said that she was completely left unattended. However, Erna felt like she had become an object with the name ‘Haband’s Royalty’.

Erna blinked, holding back her tears even though she felt depressed. I came here to be the Grand Duke of Hessenguard, she thought. It was the last pride left for Erna. It was also the only use she had left of herself.

“I told you that the wedding ceremony must be over for you to be recognized as the Grand Duke of Hessengard.”

Even if she became the Grand Duke, she won’t be able to rule immediately. After all, she was a mere scarecrow sent from the Kingdom of Haband and Marquess Canavan, who came with her, would be the one who would actually represent the Kingdom of Haband and exert influence on Hessenguard on its behalf. Erna would be one of the two Grand Dukes of Hessenguard. Together with her, a candidate from one of the royal families in the Aether Kingdom would rule over Hessenguard. He was the enemy but at the same time would also be her husband. 

Erna was curious about her partner. Even though she knew she would see him in a few hours, she wanted to know something about him before their meeting.

Erna, seated in the corner, hesitated before asking a passing maid.

“What’s wrong?” asked the maid. The girl, whom Erna had called, had a slight look of annoyance on her face. Erna said in a small voice, feeling her shoulders drop again, “My marriage partner… Who is coming from the Aether Kingdom?”

The maid gasped, “Oh my goodness, you still don’t know?” Her reprehensible voice pierced through Erna’s heart. Erna was about to say that no one had ever told her but she decided to just keep quiet. “It’s a prince named Kalion. He’s the first son born to the second wife of the King of Aether. He is the same age as the princess. And I…” The girl paused; a sneer evident on her face. At the same moment, another maid next to her winked at her, as if commending her for a job well done. 

“I heard he’s quite tall and attractive looking?” she continued.

The maids next to her paused, not paying attention to Erna. They only wanted to hear more about the groom. They felt sorry for the man named Kalion, who was to be wed to this pathetic girl before them — even though he was the prince of the enemy country. Such a powerful royal family could have chosen someone to marry, reflecting their will to some extent, no matter how politically forced they were to marry. Then at least he wouldn’t have ended up with someone as bad as Erna.

Seeing Erna bow her head in shame, the maid sneered and went out. Another maid, who followed the maid Erna had asked, glanced at her.

“Why would you say that?” she asked. 

“Why? It’s not wrong. Didn’t they say that the prince was fine in the past?” 

Hearing the girl’s blatant answer, the maid sighed. “That was a few years ago. You saw him yesterday, so you know it.”

Last night, the two maids went down to see the prince in the pretext of doing their duties when he arrived at the Grand Duke’s Castle. Even if this was all a part of the peace treaty, the enemy would remain an enemy. The women looked at the carriage and the envoy of Aether Kingdom entering the gates of the Castle from afar. 

“They’ve arrived safely,” muttered one maid. The other whispered in reply, “Yes, we were all nervous on the way here… but fortunately we didn’t face any dire events this time.”

The maids too had been tense the whole time they traveled to Hessenguard. Two royal family members had already been killed on their way here. The maids and envoy, who accompanied them, were punished for failing to protect the royal family. The royal family members who had come before Erna were even granted by the Queen more soldiers for their protection. But Princess Erna, who did not have the favour of the Queen, was sent with only the royal army.

They all thought they were going to die along with the princess, but strangely, no assassination attempt occured this time. Furthermore, the carriage carrying the royal family members from both the kingdoms had arrived safely in Hessenguard.

The maids raised their heels to catch a glimpse at the man getting off the carriage. Shortly afterwards, the two maids rushed to tell the other maids about the prince of Aether they had seen. For the entire night, the women only talked about Kalion, who would soon marry the princess of Haband.