1. “You must marry Grand Duke Harzent of the Alcan Empire.”
It was a night swallowed in pitch-black darkness.
“Damn it, what’s wrong with this damned horse!”
A man, rushing forward by moonlight, cursed and lashed his whip in frustration as the horse refused to budge, no matter how hard he pulled on the reins.
The horse whinnied in pain, but still would not move forward.
Just as the man raised the whip to strike again—
“Count, perhaps it would be best to rest for a while? We’ve been riding all day, and the night is so dark we can’t see a step ahead…”
The servant cautiously suggested, but Count Randell twisted his mustache in irritation.
“This place borders the Swamp of Beasts—we must get out of here as quickly as possible! If you don’t understand, just stay quiet!”
Even after shouting, the count’s temper didn’t settle. He grumbled as he glared at the black carriage trailing behind them.
“If we were escorting Princess Brigitte, we wouldn’t have needed to take this route!”
A historic alliance through marriage between the Alcan Empire and the Kingdom of Heyworth—Count Randell had been thrilled at the idea of playing a part in such an important diplomatic affair. But his excitement turned to indignation the moment he found out the bride-to-be was none other than Princess Annette, the so-called “Seed of the Beast.”
Instead of a grand diplomatic procession, he was stuck traveling like a fugitive past the dangerous Swamp of Beasts with only a servant and four knights.
The count spat in the direction of the person he blamed for this mess.
“A cursed piece of scrap!”
Startled, the servant exclaimed, “Count!”
But the count retorted confidently, “Did I say anything untrue?”
The servant replied with an awkward smile.
Annette, who had been listening to their conversation from the carriage, slowly lifted her head from where it rested against the window.
“Scrap,” he’d said…
Not exactly an inaccurate description.
A princess who could no longer wield a sword was practically useless.
Annette looked down at her left hand absentmindedly.
Just a month ago, that hand had gripped a sword. She had spent almost her entire life with it.
But now…
She glanced at the scar that ran across her wrist and slowly opened and closed her hand, which felt unfamiliar now that it was empty.
Despite the deep scar left by a devastating injury that severed nerves, there was no more pain, nor was it particularly inconvenient in daily life.
Perhaps it was due to her incredible natural healing abilities—some even said she was truly the “Seed of the Beast.”
‘Maybe… maybe one day I’ll be able to wield a sword and summon sword energy again.’
Even if not sword energy, Annette had plenty of ways to fight beasts.
‘Or maybe I should just start over from the beginning.’
She glanced at her perfectly fine right hand, then looked down again and sighed.
There was no need to think any deeper about it.
Because now…
“You’re going to be the Grand Duchess of the Alcan Empire. Everyone knows the Emperor cherishes Grand Duke Harzent. If you make a mistake in front of him, the alliance might be broken—so be careful.”
“Do you think I would say something like that in the Empire? Don’t worry, I won’t.”
The count reassured his servant—but couldn’t help slipping in another jab.
“But really, is the Empire so short on noblewomen? They spoke of noble blood in the proposal, but accepting a princess known as the Seed of the Beast?”
“But in terms of lineage, doesn’t she technically qualify? Her late mother was from the prestigious Ricello family…”
“Are you out of your mind?”
The count leapt up at the servant’s careless remark.
“So you’re saying Princess Brigitte is less noble than this beast seed? That the Empire had their eye on her from the start, not Brigitte?”
He was drawing a line, just in case any of the knights overheard and reported back to the kingdom.
Having never left Heyworth in his life, the count insulted Annette without hesitation—and even dared mock the Grand Duke of the Empire. He feared the queen’s disfavor more than the wrath of a foreign empire.
“So what if he’s a war hero and royalty? Word is Grand Duke Harzent’s face has become hideously monstrous from beast blood! They say he always hides it with a black mask!”
Annette raised her gaze at those words, a frown forming between her brows.
Even if Queen Esther frightened him, how dare a mere count from a small kingdom mock a grand duke of the empire?
The royals of the Alcan Empire, said to be blessed by the gods and born with divine powers. Grand Duke Harzent, the emperor’s cherished younger brother and right hand, ruled the northern border of the empire.
Just by rank and responsibility alone, he was someone neither Annette nor Brigitte could dream of matching.
“I won’t! I’d rather die than marry such a monster!”
Annette closed her eyes, recalling Brigitte’s scream, which had been both a wail and a tantrum.
One week ago.
Annette had been summoned by the King of Heyworth and made her way to the audience chamber.
There, she paused at the sight of the king holding a sealed envelope bearing the imperial crest—and Brigitte sobbing at his feet.
Queen Esther was beside her, gently patting Brigitte’s back, trying to console her.
“Brigitte, think carefully. This may not be such a bad thing. The great Alcan Empire—”
“But they say his face is horrible! How can I live my whole life with such a monster? Waaaah!”
Brigitte, even at eighteen, still cried like a child, and Queen Esther coddled her.
Annette stood quietly watching them when the king caught sight of her and frowned.
“Your Majesty—”
“The Alcan Empire has proposed an alliance.”
He cut her off coldly before she could finish her bow.
“They wish to cement it through a marriage between their royal house and a Heyworth princess.”
Annette’s face lit up at those words.
With her injury forcing her into retirement, the kingdom had lost a significant military asset. The southern Bayendor Empire could strike at any moment.
An alliance with Alcan would be a powerful shield.
A natural-born commander, Annette quickly considered the strategic benefits and pondered which member of the imperial family she might marry.
The Alcan royals were few in number—it wasn’t hard to guess.
‘The emperor is married. The crown prince is too young. And they wouldn’t give the empress’s throne to a foreign princess.’
That left one option.
Second in line to the throne: Grand Duke Kardien Harzent.
‘He’s 22—two years younger than me. Four years older than Brigitte… Oh.’
At that moment, her expression hardened.
Brigitte’s screaming refusal to marry a “monster” now made sense.
Grand Duke Harzent was a famed war hero who had never lost a battle, be it against foreign armies or beasts—but rumors abounded that his beast blood had disfigured his once-beautiful face.
Annette finally understood why the king—who normally couldn’t stand the sight of her—had summoned her.
Then came the pronouncement, like a sentence being passed:
“Annette, you will marry Grand Duke Harzent of the Alcan Empire.”
Annette almost laughed.
After a lifetime of being treated as anything but a princess—now this?
If it weren’t for the rumors, this marriage offer would never have come to her.
Even Queen Esther seemed quietly bitter.
‘If Brigitte became the Grand Duchess of Alcan, it would be easier to install Raon as crown prince.’
But she seemed unwilling to send her daughter to marry a monster—and Brigitte’s firm refusal sealed it.
Perhaps they assumed the Alcan Empire would reject Annette, which would make it easier to convince them they had no choice.
The important part: no one asked Annette what she wanted.
The king wasn’t giving her a choice—he was issuing a command.
Fortunately, Annette had no intention of refusing.
As soon as she agreed, the king immediately sent a message to the Alcan Empire.
The reply came swiftly.
To everyone’s surprise, the emperor not only accepted the proposal but also sent the engagement documents along with his letter.
Even Annette, who expected to be rejected like Queen Esther did, was a little surprised.
“A request to marry a noble princess of Heyworth,” the proposal had said.
She’d thought it was just a polite way to avoid saying they didn’t want her.
But the Empire’s eagerness suggested that Grand Duke Harzent had his own reasons for urgency.
Not that Annette particularly cared.
She calmly signed her name next to the Grand Duke’s, his signature sharp and elegant like a drawn sword.
With the engagement proceeding so smoothly, the person who ended up most offended was Queen Esther.
But she, like Count Randell, eventually came to the same conclusion.
That the Grand Duke must be so desperate for a bride, he’d even accept the so-called Seed of the Beast.