I am a princess of the Kingdom of Mounth.
Admired by my people, believed to be the one who will lead the nation toward a shining future. To shoulder that hope, I chose to abandon a normal childhood—locking myself away for hours to study while other children laughed and ran freely beyond my window. Even at school, I buried myself in books, never speaking to anyone, until I graduated at twenty without a single friend.
Then, one day, my father announced a plan that shattered the quiet routine I had built:
a political marriage with a prince from the neighboring kingdom.
I was told to choose between two princes, as if the future of my kingdom was nothing more than selecting box A or box B.
The first, Prince William—noble, intelligent, undeniably handsome.
We once attended the same academy, and every girl looked at him with sparkling eyes.
Imagining myself standing beside him made my stomach twist—especially thinking of all the envious gazes that would pierce through me.
The second, Prince Julius—silent and unreadable.
Rumor has it he avoided society altogether, refusing to attend school. He shut himself away in his room, leaving no one to guess what thoughts he kept locked inside.
I wanted to reject them both.
But I couldn't…
My kingdom was starving.
Local officials were corrupt, taxes squeezed from the poor until they broke. Lands seized overnight, harvests failed, and countless died without dignity—forgotten.
If I married, our kingdoms might unite.
Mounth's economy might be saved.
My people pinned their hopes on me—yet all I felt was fear.
Would all my sacrifices end as nothing more than surrendering my life to politics?
While I was drowning in thought, Father barged into my room wearing a bright smile.
He declared that tomorrow we would travel to the Kingdom of Lon.
I froze, and he added cheerfully that we would attend an engagement banquet—
and there, I would announce my choice.
The next day, we arrived in Lon.
As the carriage wheels rattled over stone roads, I lifted the small curtain beside me. The sight that greeted me stunned me silent.
Strong stone buildings, bustling markets, the rich scent of fresh bread in the air.
Children laughing freely, merchants smiling brightly.
So this is Lon…
No one looks hungry. Everyone walks without fear.
If I marry… could Mounth become like this too?
Father sat beside me, his voice swelling with pride.
"Look, my dear! Isn't this kingdom magnificent?"
I forced a thin smile.
"Yes, Father. This is the dream I want for Mounth… I hope one day we can be like this."
He burst into loud laughter, enough to make the guards glance back.
"Hahaha! Which is exactly why you should choose wisely!
With your beauty, either prince will be yours!
Ah—look! That massive building there is the palace!"
I fell silent.
My fists tightened atop my silk skirt, nails digging into my palm.
In my heart, a bitter whisper surfaced:
He is only using me.
Father never cared about the starving villagers, or the lands unjustly seized, or the cries of the farmers.
All his life, he clung to power, ignoring me entirely and praising only my older brother—the child he deemed "worthy."
Now, my brother sinks deeper into greed, colluding with corrupt nobles, stealing the people's livelihood and leaving them to die—without remorse.
To them, I am no daughter.
I am a tool.
Father's smile is nothing more than a mask hiding political desperation—one he intends to cover with my future.
I look back out the window.
The citizens of Lon laugh and live without fear.
While the people of Mounth…
barely dare to dream.
The carriage slowed to a stop in front of the towering palace gates—
ending my journey in body,
but marking the beginning of a journey in fate.