Chapter 3

"By the way, what's going on? Did you come to see me?"

"In a little while, His Majesty the King will be visiting you, my lord. You should prepare to meet him."

"Well, that's convenient. I'll get ready quickly."

"Yes, please go to the main house."

When she said it was convenient, she certainly didn't mean that she was happy to have a schedule while she was bored.

Nadia realized she had returned to the age of twenty, but she couldn't remember exactly what had happened at this time.

Even if it was the most trusted of his subjects, it was rare for a monarch to visit a subject's private residence.

She could recall the events of this period through the reason for the king's visit.

As Nadia walked to the main house with the maid, she fell into thought.

'The reason the king is visiting my father at this time... Ah, it must be about the victory parade of the Karai expeditionary force.'

The Karai expeditionary force had achieved the feat of driving out the barbarians and stabilizing the western border.

The problem was that among those who led the expeditionary force was the Lord of Winterfell, the northern region's overlord.

Her father, based in the southern region, had a notoriously poor relationship with the northern lords.

Just as her father disliked the northern lords, they also disliked the Balazit family, which was only natural.

How could any regional lord like a powerful minister who manipulated the king and controlled the country?

Moreover, the foolish king had been deceived by her father's lies and was genuinely wary of the north.

At the same time, the duty of a vassal required loyalty, so it was a miracle that a decisive conflict hadn't already erupted.

'She doesn't want to give the honor of the victory parade to someone she dislikes.'

While she felt sorry for Lord Winterfell, who had to engage in a power struggle with the king even after winning, now wasn't the time to worry about them.

It was around this time that her engagement to her former fiancé, Lee Jiho, who had betrayed her in her previous life, was decided.

If her memory was correct, the talk of engagement would come up today.

'Time is too tight. It would have been better if I could have returned to an earlier time...'

Her face twisted with anxiety as she walked.

* * *

By the time Nadia finished dressing and headed to the main house, a carriage with the royal emblem was already at the front gate. It must have been the one the king arrived in.

Her father appeared opposite her, quickening her steps.

"Why are you so late?"

"I apologize. I tried to prepare quickly..."

"His Majesty is still touring the garden, so it's fine. But there's something I need to tell you."

It seems her memory of the engagement talk coming up today wasn't wrong. As expected, the Duke of Balazit brought up the topic.

"You already know that you and Karain will be serving tea, right?"

"Yes, the housekeeper mentioned it."

"Today, the talk of the victory parade will come up. When they suggest that you present the laurel wreath to Sir Jiho, you should just agree that it's a good idea. Understand?"

"...Yes."

A woman of marriageable age presenting a laurel wreath to a hero at a victory parade.

What does this mean?

'A declaration of love.'

A victory parade for the expeditionary force that defeated the western barbarians couldn't be skipped.

However, the most prominent war hero at the victory parade shouldn't be Lord Winterfell.

A beautiful duchess presenting a laurel wreath to a promising knight, and the young knight accepting her advances and promising marriage.

It was a romantic story that the public would cheer for.

People's attention, which had been momentarily captivated by Lord Winterfell's heroics, would be entirely drawn to this.

'And to solidify the marriage alliance.'

While she wanted to make Lee Jiho completely her own, giving him to the red-haired Karain was beneath her.

The duke must have decided to marry off his second daughter, herself, to achieve this.

The fact that the topic of the laurel wreath came up from his mouth meant that the duke's mind was made up.

Even if she expressed her unwillingness to marry, he wouldn't listen.

'I should have regressed to an earlier time. There's too little time left before the engagement... Should I accept the engagement and then find a way to break it later?'

Even if she managed to break the engagement, what would happen afterward?

The fact that her fate was in her father's hands wouldn't change.

For a woman with no maternal family, no property, and not even a noble lineage, living independently was no easy task.

While Nadia anxiously bit her lip, the two of them had already reached the garden.

A few steps away, the king, who was touring the garden, was visible. Next to him stood Karain, seemingly serving as his companion.

Long blonde hair, and a face slightly younger than in her last memory.

Nadia's expression twisted slightly upon seeing her half-sister, but she quickly composed herself.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

The Duke of Balazit greeted first, and Nadia followed her father, bowing to the king.

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

"Oh, you must be the Duke of Balazit's eldest daughter. You are quite beautiful."

The king was a middle-aged man in his late forties, with a very ordinary appearance that made it hard to imagine him as the leader of a nation.

'Father's foolish puppet...'

It's no wonder the northern lords are dissatisfied, being manipulated by someone like her father.

The Duke of Balazit said,

"Your Majesty, my daughters heard you were visiting and requested to serve you refreshments. Please allow them to join us."

"Of course, there's no reason they shouldn't join. They are the most trustworthy women, after all. Hahaha. It's a bit chilly, so let's go inside."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The king gestured for them to go inside.

They walked on the carpet prepared by the servants.

Their destination was the reception room attached to the duke's study, a place used for secret discussions.

The king, her father, and Karain and Nadia entered the reception room together.

Once the king took his seat on the sofa, Karain began to bring out the tea service. As a result, the task of making the tea naturally fell to Nadia.

Pretending to take out the tea leaves, she strained to listen to the conversation between the two men.

"You already know that the Karai expeditionary force is demanding a victory parade."

"A victory parade is well-deserved for their achievements."

"I know that! But the one with the greatest merit among the expeditionary force leaders is Lord Winterfell! If the parade is held, he will receive the most attention. He's a recent recipient of his title and will use this as an opportunity to solidify his position."

"However, we can't ignore their request. The expeditionary force included not only Lord Winterfell but also other lords who contributed troops. If we don't hold a victory parade, there will be criticism from all over the country that the royal family is neglecting the participating soldiers."

"Ugh... But we can't do something that benefits the northern lords, can we? Do you have any clever ideas?"

"I have a plan. A way to make someone else the star of the victory parade while putting a chain around the necks of the northerners."

"Of course, the Duke of Balazit. What is your plan?"

The plan to make someone else the star of the victory parade must refer to Nadia's engagement to Lee Jiho.

Then, what is the plan to put a chain around the necks of the northerners? Nadia listened more intently to their conversation.

"It's marriage."

"Marriage?"

"Yes, two marriages. First, let's talk about Lord Winterfell's marriage. Use the king's authority to arrange his marriage. Of course, the bride should be the daughter of a loyal noble."

Hearing this, one thing came to mind.

The wife of Lord Winterfell was the daughter of a family under her father's influence.

'To prevent the northern lords from uniting through marriage and to plant a spy in their midst.'

In fact, her father's plan worked to some extent.

Until the wife of Lord Winterfell was caught leaking information about the internal affairs of the fief, the relationship between the northern lords and her father deteriorated, and she was sent back to her family.

Lord Winterfell's marriage probably happened... the year after her engagement to Lee Jiho.

It seems this was the beginning of her father's planned scenario.

Poor the young woman who had to enter an unwelcome marriage at a young age...

'Wait a moment.'

Then, a sudden thought flashed through Nadia's mind.

'Could I take on that role?'

The daughter of a duke and the lord protecting the north. In terms of status, they were quite a suitable match, and their ages were similar.

Moreover, at this point, Nadia was just a well-behaved daughter to her father.

He wouldn't oppose sending her to the north, as he wouldn't imagine that his always obedient daughter would betray him.

Avoiding her engagement to Lee Jiho and taking revenge on her past life, there was no better match than the House of Winterfell. It felt like a lifeline had been thrown to her in a hopeless situation.