Prologue

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 as ‘The 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 continent’s richest land lost its master, its neighbors, 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 other’s blood in Hessenguard.

The war over the Great Duchy lasted for more than three years.

During that time, Hessenguard’s 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 realized that they couldn’t 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.

The two kingdoms, that were vying with one another for the dukedom, agreed to send their respective candidates from the royal family to marry and make their successor the heir of the duchy.

That’s how Hessenguard came to serve two masters.

And so, Erna and Kalion arrived at Hessenguard to wed.

But, their initial impression of each other was extremely terrible.

“What, this pumpkin?”

“Oh my, he looks like a dried earthworm.”

Thus a marriage started just like that from the beginning with a horrible impression of one another.

They showed their teeth to each other for more than a decade, but lived together steadfastly for the sake of the Grand duchy.

Later, one day, a letter was sent for them.

‘You will have a successor within one year.’

After 10 years of marriage without any children, both kingdoms raised the issue.

They said that if they don’t have children within a year, they’ll bring them back home.

Is it possible?

* * *

“There’s nothing great about it anyway. Just make it stand and put it in. If you can’t do that……”

At that moment, Kalion flicked her forehead with his fingers. Before long, Erna’s body, which was standing up, fell weakly onto the bed. She couldn’t believe that she fell with just one flick of Kalion’s fingers. When she blinked, a huge body hovered over her.

“Yeah, there’s nothing great.”

Kalion gritted his teeth.

“So, please be patient.”

* * *

“Umm….”

She looked satisfied as she slept in his arms. A rare smile appeared on Erna’s face, something which Kalion had never seen.

Kalion unknowingly reached out to touch her lips, but when he realized what he was doing, he hastily put his hand down. Nevertheless, he did not let go of Erna, who was peacefully lying in his arms.

‘How did this happen?’

She was a woman who always scratched his insides*. (*To behave in an annoying manner or say something impudent to get on someone’s nerves.)

From the first time he met her until now, they had never spoken to each other pleasantly. Whenever he picked faults on her, she would hit back without missing a single word.

His wife whom he did not want.

‘But why…….’

Kalion hugged Erna, who was sleeping quietly in his arms.

There was a smile on his face just like the one on Erna’s face.

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