PREDOTARY MARRIAGE

14

The kingdom of Estia, located in the Southwest of the continent, was renowned for its culture and art. As a matter of fact, most of the well-known artists in history belong to this vast kingdom.

These great artists loved their homeland so much that they wouldn’t hesitate to dedicate their work to their beloved royal family.

Reflecting the essence of the aesthetically beautiful kingdom was its palace, located at its very heart. A pinnacle of art, the castle of Estia didn’t disappoint either. According to historians, it was breath-taking—a sight to behold.

It was built with red bricks and gray stone and painted with a special varnish which glittered gracefully under the sun. The beautiful exterior alone was spectacular, but the interior was even more magnificent.

Elegant vertical columns and long corridors lead to dozens of rooms, each of which was embellished with white marble and other colored stones, gold, and gems.

Moreover, the halls were adorned with beautiful masterpieces—sculptures and paintings, made by remarkable artists. Such a shame though, the royal family cared naught for them. They were mere ornaments and didn’t deserve any care, and thus, they were damaged with time.

However, everyone knew that unlike the palace’s splendid shell, the humans in its core were wretched.

The nobles no longer feared the king—the ruler of Estia was once highly respected and even regarded as powerful as the sun. But now, he would pale in comparison to a small lamp.

Stubborn as he was, the king clung to his meaningless pride and turned a blind eye to reality, even when his sovereign power hit rock bottom.

The betrothal of the royal princess was a clear indication of the royal family’s downfall. Byun Gyeongbaek of Oberde wanted no one but Princess Lisa, and the royal family had quickly sold her off—without any objection and careful consideration.

The military power of Byun Gyeongbaek of Oberde protected the frontier from the Kurkans—a power that should’ve belonged to the nation’s king.

To flaunt his wealth and supremacy, he wore purple clothes— something only the royalty could afford and should afford.

The purple dye was a rare and precious commodity in the kingdom—it could only be extracted by crushing thousands of shells of snails living in warm waters.

On top of that, the dye obtained from crushing a thousand of these tiny animals was just enough to stain only a small piece of cloth.

And because Byun Gyeongbaek monopolized the supply of dye, there were times when even the royal family couldn’t get their hands on it.

Byun Gyeongbaek’s arrogance was criticized by many, but they could only talk behind his back. No one dared to openly defy him.

The powerless king of the royal family couldn’t even dream to stop him. In fact, it would’ve been more logical to call Byun Gyeongbaek a king instead.

“… Princess, shall I call for the new carriage?”

Lisa came back to her senses upon hearing Countess Jisoo’s voice. The countess smile softened, gazing at the princess. She knew that Lisa was lost in her thoughts, so she woke her up from her stupor in a courteous manner.

“Thank you, Countess.”

Lisa couldn’t believe that she got distracted while in the middle of doing her job. She could only blame herself, but she didn’t have a choice. It was all because of the message that Dara sent through a servant this morning.

『It’s been a long time since we had dinner. I have a gift for you, so come to the Queen’s Palace.』

A dinner with Dara…