9 - The Duke's Bride is a Warrior from Hell
The Grand Duke's Bride is a Warrior from Hell 9
It wasn't unheard of for nobles to refuse a proposal from the Imperial Family.
Considering the age difference between the Grand Duke Tessen and Alicia, and the fact that she was still a very young daughter, there were plenty of reasons to refuse.
When the Marquis Rein returned to his usual cold and flawless demeanor, sweet words poured from the high throne.
The formal marriage between Grand Duke Tessen and Lady Reine would be in two years.
The Imperial Family would temporarily provide Ludern Castle in Imperial Capital Baden to the future Grand Duchess, who would marry Grand Duke Tessen.
The Grand Duke would bestow Lilliese Detached Palace in Tessen to the future Grand Duchess.
The Grand Duke would permanently bestow Echeveria and the title of Count of Echeveria to the future Grand Duchess.
The unrealistic words were interrupted by an awkward cough.
"Marquis, I did not agree to the last gift. But my brother is quite the romantic, it seems. I didn't realize it. Marry, marry, how many times have I ordered him to marry, and he wouldn't even listen. To gift an entire territory permanently, he must be out of his mind. Don't you think so?"
The Emperor's voice was laced with laughter and annoyance.
"I am sorry, Your Majesty."
The Marquis lowered his gaze and showed humility.
"I advised him that the contents written in the marriage vows could not be undone in case of divorce, but he wouldn't listen. What did he say? He said he had more than ten territories and titles, so it didn't matter. Half of them were given by me, I might just take them all back. Well, Marquis, where should I send the congratulatory wedding gifts?"
"I am honored, Your Majesty. I will call my daughter to the Imperial Capital Baden."
"I will send my congratulatory gifts to the Marquis Rein's residence in the Imperial Capital Baden. I hope to see the new Count of Echeveria as soon as possible. And the Grand Duchess of Tessen, the sooner the better."
The doors of the Grand Audience Chamber reopened and closed.
That day, many members of the Reine family left the territory and headed to the Imperial Capital Baden.
Alicia, who was heading to the Imperial Capital Baden according to the Head of the family's orders, read a letter from the Imperial Family in the carriage.
The first line of the letter welcomed her to the Imperial Family.
She wasn't flustered, as she had expected it.
However, as she read further, Alicia's face turned pale.
Reaching the last line, which once again welcomed her to the Imperial Family and expressed anticipation for the day she would become the Count of Echeveria, she quietly put down the steamed potato she was eating, feeling as if it was stuck in her throat.
Echeveria was a strategic point between the Imperial Capital Baden and the south.
Tessen's Lilliese Detached Palace was known to have the Golden Chamber.
Ludern Castle in the Imperial Capital Baden was hailed as the last work of architect Bernardo Wells.
Ludern's scale wasn't large, but it was so splendid and magnificent that everyone wanted to be invited.
Having just one of those three would have been a shocking event.
Yet all three were suddenly given to Alicia.
It was the beginning of a new chaos.
#4. Baden
The Imperial Capital Baden had been bustling for the past few days.
The first rumor was the engagement between Gregory Barker of the Count Barker family and Josefina Lirin, the Emperor's first niece.
The Duchess Ririn family held the largest island in the southeast, 'Ririn-Selen,' as their territory.
The Imperial Family, in consideration of the meritorious family, turned a blind eye to the Duke family managing the entire Ispi Sea surrounding the island.
The current Duchess Ririn was the First Imperial Princess Louise.
Before her marriage, she was called Her Highness Princess Louise and was the only full-blooded sibling of the current Emperor.
Josefina Lirin was truly the protagonist of an incredible lineage, with a Duke father and a Princess mother, who was the Emperor's full-blooded sibling.
The Imperial Family had never actually passed the throne to a princess, but the law of succession followed the eldest child.
Therefore, the late Emperor's vassals watched closely to see who the Emperor would designate as his successor.
When his eldest daughter, Princess Louise, turned 18, the late Emperor married her off to the eldest son of the Duke Lirin.
As the number of grown-up members of the Imperial Family increased, and after Princess Louise married, the talk about succession to the throne subsided.
However, the Imperial Princess Josefina would often shout at her uncle, who sat on the throne, "That was my seat!" bringing laughter to everyone.
Josefina, who used to shout "My seat!" whenever she saw the Emperor, no longer said those words after the Emperor reached his mid-thirties and still had no heir.
The Emperor cherished Josefina like his own daughter, as she was the child of his only full-blooded sibling and his first niece.
Seeing this, some vassals of the Duchess Ririn family, jumping to conclusions, mentioned the possibility of Josefina entering the Emperor's Imperial Concubine when she grew up.
Some high-ranking nobles seriously argued, based on the fact that cousins sometimes married each other.
The innocent girl directly asked her beloved uncle, "Your Majesty, will you propose to me?" briefly turning the Emperor to stone.
Marriage between an uncle and a niece was something that could not be allowed, no matter how precious the descendants were, even for a great noble family on the verge of extinction.
The Emperor raged and forbade the vassals of the Duchess Ririn family from visiting the mainland for a while.
The engagement of Josefina, the protagonist of numerous famous anecdotes, swept through the Imperial Capital Baden.
The prevailing theory was that the Duchess Ririn family accepted the marriage with the Count Barker family because of their mainland stronghold within the Empire.
The Barker family was one of the powerful figures in the Imperial Capital Baden, making them a decent strategic match.
Amidst the many stories about the first rumor, a second rumor broke out.
A new guild had discovered a Salt Mountain during a mine excavation and was gathering investors.
The Emperor had sent a tax collector to the guild to check the size of the Salt Mountain.
Rumors spread that the initial investors had made a fortune, and the nobles of the Imperial Capital Baden were busy timing when to step in as additional investors.
However, the second rumor, which had opened people's eyes and quickly suppressed the first rumor, was soon forgotten.
The third rumor blew away the first and second rumors at once.
As soon as the third rumor spread, people talked about nothing else whenever they gathered.
Tessen, said to be in the northwest of the Empire, but actually located in the 'north-north-west-west-west-west.'
Grand Duke Tessen was engaged to Alicia Lane, the young lady of a great northern family, and their formal marriage was imminent.
Grand Duke Tessen, said to have the most ferocious temperament among the Imperial Family's bloodline, was 31 years old.
Alicia Lane, said to be the first daughter born in the Reine family in almost 200 years, was only 19 years old.
Everyone who heard about their age difference had something to say.
Some criticized that Marquis Rein had sold his precious daughter to the Imperial Family.
Others argued that it wasn't that bad, as Imperial Family men, including the Grand Duke, tended to marry late.
Rumors circulated that the Imperial Family would not receive a dowry from the future Grand Duchess.
Soon after, there was talk about what the Imperial Family would give to the future Grand Duchess after the marriage.
Ludern Castle, said to be Bernardo Wells' last masterpiece.
Lilliese Detached Palace, which was said to have the Golden Chamber.
And Echeveria.
Each one was astonishing.
Curiosity about Alicia Lane swept through the Imperial Capital Baden.
Her eyes were said to be a very special shade of purple.
She was a beauty with transparent skin and silky hair.
Her voice was said to be like an angel.
Amidst all sorts of rumors, attention was focused on those from the north.
They awkwardly answered the sudden flood of questions about Alicia.
When they knew Alicia would appear in society, everyone tried to build a relationship with her, but it wasn't easy.
Because she was the lady born in the Marquis family after a long time, Alicia was always surrounded by guardians wherever she went.
Moreover, her personality itself wasn't one to be at the center of attention.
Even those who firmly surrounded Alicia said that they didn't have a personal and deep relationship with her.
Everyone said that they had hardly ever made eye contact and talked with Alicia.
Those who participated in the Marchioness Reine's Tea Party had a little more contact with Alicia, but it was only fleeting.
Most impressions of Alicia were that she was very passive.
She had a unique atmosphere at a young age, but it was said that it might be a mistake because they couldn't get close to her.
After hearing the answers squeezed out of the memories of those from the north, people concluded that 'Lady Alicia had an elegant character.'
When others asked if Alicia really had purple eyes, those from the north reluctantly answered that they had never seen them directly, but those who served her said so.
Hearing that, people concluded that 'Lady Alicia had beautiful purple eyes.'
If those from the north, like most northerners, had white skin and told them, squeezing out Alicia's image from their memories, that her dark brown hair, which looked like black hair, contrasted with the whiteness of her skin, those who heard it simply concluded that she had 'snow-white skin and silky hair.'
In that way, Alicia became the incarnation of an angel.
Everyone pitied the angelic young lady who had unfortunately been caught and captured by the cruel and old Grand Duke Tessen.
Everyone felt sorry for Alicia, who would be dragged to faraway Tessen.
In the Imperial Capital Baden, the sound of fierce hooves echoed in the Marquis's garden.
Alicia, who was riding a horse, rose from the running horse.
The horse, with Alicia holding the reins, ran quickly past the garden trees.
The sharp sound of the wind threatened her ears.
Alicia, estimating the distance to the tree and the speed of the horse, leaped upward the moment the horse passed under a long branch.
The jump was concise and light.
Using the momentum of kicking off the saddle, she climbed up the branch she grabbed with her hand.
Alicia tried to maintain the strength she had on the branch and quickly ran along it.
The branches of the old tree were sturdy, but not as wide as a field.
Reaching the end of the branch, which was gradually narrowing, she threw herself towards the wall.
Alicia's body, kicking off into the air, approached the wall.
Alicia stretched out her arms with all her strength, putting speed and power into them.
Seeing the wall coming right in front of her, she tried her best to grip with her outstretched hands, but the hard top of the wall mercilessly brushed past her fingertips.
Her fingertips failed to grab the wall and slipped down the surface.
"No, no!"
Alicia, letting out a sigh of regret, struggled to climb up while sliding down the wall, but it was no use.
It only slowed down the falling speed a little.
Thud.
The pain of hitting her body and a loud noise echoed together.
"...Haa, haa..."
The face leaning against the rough, mossy wall fell backward.
Her limp body sprawled on the grassy ground.
Alicia lay on the ground, panting for a while.
"It doesn't work."
Winter sunlight poured onto the face sprawled next to the tree.
The leaves, which would have all fallen in the north, were still maintaining their green color.
Bright sunlight shone through the green leaves.
Perhaps because she had been staring at the light filtering through the leaves for too long, her vision blurred.
It seemed to be the aftereffect of moving with more strength than she possessed.
"It's strange..."
Alicia sighed.
