In the Kingdom of Sitria, it is not uncommon for children to marry each other. Of course, not out of love, but for political reasons.
However, even considering political motives, it is rare for children to be married at such a young age.
But, unsurprisingly, I, myself, was one of those rare individuals who was involved in such a marriage.
I, Leonie, was born as the daughter of the Meldin Marquis family. Then, one day, ten years later, my father announced a declaration that would change my destiny.
“Your marriage has been arranged between Cassius of the Rustin Marquis family and Leonie.”
I couldn’t believe my ears.
I had imagined a future where, around 17 or 18, I would debut and get engaged and married to someone.
Yet, at just 10 years old, I was told that the marriage was already decided, and I was extremely confused.
The circumstances leading to this marriage were entirely due to adult affairs.
The Rustin Marquis couple had died in a carriage accident, leaving their only son, Cassius, as the heir.
But he was only 13 years old. He lacked the knowledge and temperament to be a lord.
Therefore, it was decided that Cassius needed a guardian, and the person chosen was the Marquis Meldin, who was also my father and the king’s secretary.
Apparently, the Rustin family did not have any reliable collateral relatives.
Thus, considering the balance of power within the family, my father was chosen as the guardian. He accepted because it was a significant promotion for him.
However, a problem arose here.
If the balance of the family was the basis for choosing a guardian, there were other candidates besides the king’s secretary, my father. Therefore, it was necessary to have a clear reason why only my father could be the guardian.
To solve these issues altogether, it was decided that my marriage to Cassius would be arranged so that my father would serve as the guardian of his son-in-law.
But I was only 10 years old—still a child.
I resented being forced to marry a 13-year-old boy I didn’t even know, for adult reasons.
And yet, I had no power to resist, and before I knew it, I was married to Cassius.
We did not have a wedding ceremony.
We simply signed the documents, and it was decided that I would live alone at the Rustin main residence, marking the start of our married life.
“Even though you are still so young… such a pitiful child,”
“You probably haven’t even experienced your first love, huh? How unfortunate,”
“Marrying a boy whose face and personality you don’t even know… how sad,”
The adults around me lamented my situation with words of pity.
――Ah, I was going to be unhappy from now on…
The pitying looks and words directed at me.
Believing them, I cried alone, thinking this marriage would be my life’s grave, and traveled in a carriage to my new home.
But as soon as I arrived at the main Rustin residence, I realized my worries were unfounded.
“Welcome, I’ve been expecting you. I truly welcome you from the bottom of my heart,”
The person who greeted me was Cassius Rustin, a handsome boy with black hair and green eyes—my future husband.
Despite being married due to adult arrangements like me, Cassius didn’t complain about the situation and treated me kindly, even more so because I was a child bride.
I found this strange and once asked him why he was so kind to me.
He widened his eyes, then softly smiled with a gentle expression and explained:
“You came to me all alone, even though you’re still so young. Your strong kindness deserves a sincere response from me.”
That phrase gradually became his standard way of speaking to me.
Moreover, Cassius embodied those words by never neglecting me, and because of that, our married life started off very well.
We studied our lands side by side, ate together, and talked about the future of our territory.
The adults—teachers and servants—watched us with warmth, saying the Rustin domain was secure. Our bond had deepened that much.
Years passed, and I noticed a change in my heart.
I had fallen in love with Cassius.
The moment I realized this, my heart trembled with happiness, thinking how lucky I was.
The first person I ever loved was already my husband. Such good fortune was rare, perhaps almost unheard of.
But, along with my happiness, I also became aware of something else.
“While he treats me as a family, Lord Cassius doesn’t see me as a woman…”
Alone in my room, I muttered these words, and before I knew it, I was 17 years old.
Seven years had passed since our marriage.
I sighed, feeling disappointed that I hadn’t been able to move Cassius’s heart despite all this time together.
But today, unexpectedly, a smile crept onto my face.
Because tomorrow was the chance to change how Cassius saw me.
Yes, the day our marriage would enter its first night.
In our country, there is a law stating that when children or one of the spouses in a marriage are minors, “the first night shall be held when the younger spouse reaches 18 years of age.”
Tomorrow was my 18th birthday.
And that day was almost upon us.
“It’s what the noblewomen in society have said. Surely, this will make Lord Cassius see me as a woman just a little more!”
Many of the noblewomen I heard about were experienced in love.
Even those who had never been in love outside of marriage—who had no romantic experience at all—said that their relationships with their husbands improved after the first night.
I couldn’t help but look forward to it.
No, I had to.
――Tomorrow, surely…
As I was lost in such thoughts, there was a knock on the door.
Hearing it, I lowered my face from my desk and looked up. At the same time, Cassius peeked inside through the gap in the door.
“Lord Cassius, what’s the matter?”
I forced myself to appear calm, dismissing my fantasies, and asked.
He answered with a rare serious expression.
“I have something important to discuss. Is now a good time?”
“Important? Yes, I’m fine with the timing. What is it about?”
It was probably about managing the territory.
Cassius seemed to trust me, as he often consulted me about governance issues.
――It’s probably better to move somewhere else.
I lightly organized the documents on my desk and stood up to go to the sitting area in a corner of the room.
Then, I heard Cassius’s voice, unusually serious, from behind.
“Leonie, I want you to come to my study today. We can’t talk about this here…”
“Eh, really?”
This was the first time something like this had happened.
If he said we couldn’t talk here, it must involve documents that are strictly forbidden to take out of the lord’s study.
――Could something serious have happened?
I quickly thought through the major issues related to the territory and, while guessing what might have occurred, hurried to Cassius’s study.
But when I arrived, the situation awaiting me was more unexpected than I had imagined.
“Miss Primrose…? Why are you here?”
Why was she in Cassius’s study?
Miss Primrose, a girl of the same age as me, was the only daughter of the Duke of Tor, renowned as a socialite.
I was baffled, wondering why she was here, my mind filled with questions.
“Lord Cassius, what is this…?”
I looked at the person who had brought me here, trying to understand what was going on.
Then, I met Cassius’s gaze, which was filled with an unreadable expression, and our eyes crossed.
He continued to look at me strangely for a while, then suddenly made a guilty, childlike face, and lowered his gaze to the floor.
But then, he looked up at me again and spoke briefly.
“Leonie, I’m sorry…”
His sudden apology left me confused—I had no idea what it was about.
“Why are you apologizing all of a sudden? Do you have any idea what this is about…?”
I said, but then I realized something.
Though his face was directed at me, his eyes were fixed on Miss Primrose.
A bad feeling suddenly swept over me.
But the reality was much crueller than I had imagined.
“She’s pregnant with my child.”
~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~
Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉
This is my new translation project, I hope you like it 😉
Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~~Next Chapter~~~
Next chapter will be released on February, 7.
See you then!!
