"Arina, don't forget, you're a member of the Frankel family. Being born into this family, not even your father could choose his destiny. Everything must serve the interests of the family," said the woman with a sharp, mocking tone, though her eyes betrayed a hint of envy as she stared at her radiant cousin.
"You think you can control your fate? Look at your brother, the so-called most brilliant member of the family in a century, the Empire's rising star. Even after earning his own fiefdom through his achievements on the battlefield, he still couldn't decide his own marriage."
"Lucia will marry my brother," Arina replied firmly, her brows furrowed at the mention of her brother. He was the one she admired most in the world, and the only family member who truly cared for her. "No one can stop that, not even you."
"Still clinging to that fantasy, Arina?" The woman scoffed. "No one in the Frankel family—no, in the entire Empire's aristocracy—supports this marriage. A noble marrying a commoner? That's unprecedented in a thousand years of history."
The woman, dressed to flaunt her figure in a low-cut gown, sneered.
"Then my brother and Lucia will be the first! No amount of opposition will stop them," Arina shot back, her voice unyielding.
"You're so naïve," the woman hissed, her face twisting with jealousy and bitterness. "If your brother insists on defying everyone and marries that commoner, not a single noble will attend the wedding—not even your father. For the Frankel family, it would be a disgrace!"
The woman stepped closer, her voice dripping with malice. "Do you know how humiliating it will be for your brother? Do you realize how many noble houses will become his enemies if he goes through with this marriage?"
Arina remained silent, her clenched fists trembling. She knew all too well the immense pressure her brother was under, and yet she admired him even more for his unwavering resolve to stand against the entire aristocracy.
"Honestly, I can't understand what your brother is thinking," the woman continued venomously. "He ignores all those noblewomen—perfectly bred, beautiful, and of impeccable lineage—and chooses some backwater village girl instead. Is he blind?"
Slap!
A gauntleted hand slammed into the woman's face, smashing her head into the marble wall beside her. Shards of stone scattered across the floor, grazing her pale, now twisted features.
"Arina!" the woman shrieked in fury, pulling her face out of the wall. "I'm your cousin! How dare you strike me!"
She raised her hand, aiming to slap Arina in retaliation, but before her hand could connect, Arina seized it mid-air. Crack! The sound of bones breaking echoed through the corridor.
The noblewoman let out a piercing scream, but Arina didn't stop. She lifted her armored leg and delivered a forceful kick to her cousin's abdomen.
Thud!
The noblewoman flew backward, her elegant gown fluttering pitifully as her body bent like a V. She crashed through a statue and embedded herself in the far wall, coughing and gasping for air.
The commotion immediately drew the attention of nearby nobles attending the banquet. They rushed to the scene, only to witness the humiliated noblewoman struggling to pull herself out of the rubble.
"Arina, you—!"
The woman's face twisted with rage and embarrassment as she stared at her cousin. Her hands trembled with the urge to retaliate, but the growing crowd reminded her to maintain her composure.
"What? Not satisfied?" Arina smirked, her tone dripping with contempt. "Want to keep going? I'll beat you until you submit."
"Miss Arina," a composed, middle-aged nobleman stepped forward, his posture exuding grace. He spoke with a polite yet firm tone. "While this appears to be a private family matter, as the host of this gathering, I must remind you that this is not a dueling ground. Please exercise restraint."
"She provoked me first and deserved what she got," Arina said flatly, her expression unrepentant. "If someone insults my brother or Lucia again, they'll get the same treatment."
"Perhaps we can end this here, out of respect for the host?" the nobleman suggested with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
"Fine. This banquet is dull anyway," Arina said, her voice laced with disdain. She glanced at the gathered nobles, her gaze full of derision. "Nothing here but self-important braggarts. Not a single one worth my time."
With that, she turned on her heel and strode out, leaving the crowd of nobles simmering with anger at her audacity.
"Thirty-two times, Arina," her father's deep voice echoed through the study. "Since you turned fourteen, I've given you the freedom to choose for yourself, and this is the result. You've insulted fifty-seven nobles, severing their ties with our family. The damage to the Frankel family's reputation has been immense."
The head of the Frankel family, seated at his desk, looked up from his papers at the girl standing in front of him. Arina fidgeted idly, her gaze wandering around the room.
"My patience has limits," he warned, his tone stern. "You have until your fifteenth birthday to find a suitable noble match. If you fail, I will make the arrangements myself. And you will have no say in the matter."
"Is that why you called me here? To lecture me about the family's so-called losses?" Arina scoffed, rolling her eyes.
"Watch your tone. I am your father," he snapped.
"Oh," she replied nonchalantly.
"Answer me, Arina. What kind of partner are you looking for? Or do you want to follow in your brother's footsteps and marry a commoner?"
"If that commoner is as exceptional as Lucia, then yes," Arina answered thoughtfully, her calm response making her father's hands tremble with frustration.
"Why can't you just make things easier for me?"
"I'm trying," Arina shrugged. "But all those nobles you send me to meet are useless. Not a single one of them is worth my time."
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