Aristocrat: A Transmigration Story

Chapter 4 - Proposal of a General

Elana was lost in thought on her way back to the manor. The rocking of the carriage did not lull her to sleep the way Mizu did, who was quietly dozing off opposite her. Elana recalled everything she had observed from the month and a half long stay in this mysterious world. Now it made sense--the appearance of the locals, the mixing of East Asian cultural traditions, the Empire of Seo.

The Aristocrat Universe was supposed to be imaginary, written from the author's imagination. Yet there she was, a living reminder that everything was real. 

Did she die then? Was this the after world? Elana sighed. She hasn't even said goodbye to her parents, and the last she saw them was two months ago--or maybe three months if she counted her stay in Seo. She smiled sadly.

Elana shifted her weight a bit. The sounds of people slowly diminished bit by bit, which meant they were out of the city. Only the sounds of the chirping birds and horses' hooves remained. It was a peaceful sound, but Elana's heart and mind were somewhere far away. 

What will happen to me now?  Elana thought hard. She was supposed to find a way to go back to her original world after she fixed the original Han Lia's mess (which would also bug her because she was the Han Lia of the present). And since the family business was now starting to stabilize, she needed to prioritize what she put off for over a month now.

She wanted to go home--to her home world.

*

"Lia, my samera, finally you're here. There is a matter of great importance that we need to discuss." Grandmadam Han beckoned her granddaughter to sit beside her to which Elana indulged.

"You see, your mother and I have just gone back from the Empress' Palace." 

Every three months, Madams and Grandmadams of every noble family were invited for the Empress' Luncheon. The Han family, while still a commoner one, also attended as they were part of the higher-tiered Merchant class and the sole producer of the national symbol, the samera stone. In these luncheons, Elana learned, was where marriage connections were formed. 

"Your governess has nothing but praise to you." Madam Han said. "The Empress was impressed with your tanka. The Emperor even." 

"The Emperor?" What was the Emperor doing at the Empress' Luncheon?

"The Royal Family was there. They were a sight to behold. Never have I seen them together in one room." Madam Han answered.

"Haha, but my dear, the most important thing was that the Emperor was impressed. That hard-hearted old man was impressed by you."

It took a while before Elana reacted. The only royal person mentioned from the first two Aristocrat books was the Crown Prince, but never the present-reigning Emperor and Empress. She knew nothing about them.

"And that means, my samera, that you are now an eligible marriage partner to the great and noble houses of Seo." Grandmadam Han continued. "In fact, five great families have formally submitted their intention to take you in as a daughter-in-law."

Elana's head was spinning. It was all happening so fast. She never knew that the tanka she created would spiral into something like this. All she wanted was to fix Han Lia's mess and then go back to her world. Now she apparently impressed the Emperor and piqued the interest of noble houses--which by the way, in the books that she read, was never a good thing.

"My samera, we are invited to Grandmadam Bai's birthday banquet next week. She also expressed her desire for you to meet her grandson." 

"The Bai family is a military family. General Bai Ling has recently retired and was now replaced by his eldest son, Kun. This will also be the first time we'll see General Bai Kun since he serves in the North." Madam Han quickly explained. "The Bai family intends to take you as the official wife."