MPGF 03

Episode 3 — What kind of outdated tactic is this?

Even Serdis’s flustered expression was a sight to behold. Maybe because he’s the male lead, he looked dramatically good no matter what he did.

“What are you talking about all of a sudden, Anette? Marriage?”

“I meant to tell you yesterday, Your Highness, but you suddenly collapsed, and I didn’t get the chance.”

The method I had desperately come up with was marriage.

Someone once said that marriage is the only true escape route.

That person was absolutely right.

Marriage was the only definite way to cut off the male lead.

No matter how much Serdis loved Anette, he wasn’t trash enough to chase after a woman who was about to get married.

Shocked by the unbelievable news, Serdis forced the corner of his trembling lips up into a faint smile.

“You’re joking, right? Anette…?”

“Why would I joke with Your Highness? We’re so close, after all…”

“……”

As Serdis remained silent, I awkwardly looked around. My eyes met Betty’s, who stood there with her mouth wide open. I gave her a sweet smile.

When Betty, rolling her eyes nervously, forced herself to blurt out, “That’s right! It’s true,” Serdis asked in a complicated tone,

“I didn’t hear anything like that from the Count.”

“It was a sudden decision. I’m not getting any younger. I should marry before it’s too late, don’t you think?”

“Who is it…? Someone I know?”

“You might know him… or not?”

Serdis’s eyebrows twitched noticeably.

“It’s only been a year since your coming-of-age ceremony. Isn’t this a bit rushed? You could wait a little…”

“No. I’m ready.”

“This is just… so sudden. You never even showed interest in men before.”

“He’s a really good person.”

I opened a drawer and pulled out a stack of letters. Pretending they were from my lover, I held them up. Serdis’s pupils visibly trembled. Meanwhile, just thinking of my long-time pen pal calmed my heart.

“I hope Your Highness also meets someone wonderful.”

I felt a little bad seeing his pitiful face, but I quickly brushed it off. This was good for both of us. I’d be safe, and Serdis could finally be rid of at least one excuse to keep chasing me.

“I can’t believe this…”

He mumbled quietly, but I ignored it with ease.

Smiling broadly, I picked up a macaron and took a big bite. Right then, Serdis reached out in panic.

“Wait!”

Too late. Crunch—something hard. Judging by the round shape and hardness, it was a ring. He must have planned to confess to me with it after just a few meetings.

What kind of outdated tactic is this?

I took the ring out of my mouth and said calmly,

“Looks like the pâtissier dropped a wedding ring into the batter.”

✦✦✦

Serdis stood there stunned for a long time before finally returning to the imperial palace. As soon as he left, I changed into my pajamas and headed to the drawing room.

“Father! Mother!”

My loud voice rang out through the peaceful Count of Luangveria household, accompanied by gentle piano music.

Inside, Mother was fondly watching a young painter she was sponsoring. My doting father was watching her lovingly over the top of his book.

“We need to talk. Now.”

At my urgent voice, all three turned their heads. Mother spoke first.

“Anette, how are you feeling?”

“I’m completely fine. I’ve taken my medicine. I haven’t had breakfast yet, but this couldn’t wait.”

“We were so worried. Things had been calm lately, and then you collapse outside? That was almost a disaster.”

“I’ll dress warmly from now on. I’ll visit the temple too. But more importantly, I have something urgent to discuss.”

Father noticed the seriousness in my tone and approached as well.

“Did something happen with His Highness?”

“It’s not entirely unrelated.”

“But, Anette… your makeup is too heavy again today.”

Father scolded me gently, pointing to my red lips, which I had applied to hide how pale I looked.

“Dad—I mean, Father. The makeup isn’t what’s important here.”

“And what could be more important than my only daughter’s health?”

I clung tightly to his arm—my biggest ally.

At this point, I really had to go through with the marriage. The truth would come out eventually, and marriage was the only way to completely end it.

Determined, I looked between my parents and said,

“I need you to find someone for me.”

If I were to get married, I’d need bait. Something to distract my parents.

For parents who just wanted their only daughter to be happy, I had no choice but to make it convincing.

“Anette. Who exactly are you asking us to find all of a sudden?”

I pulled out a letter envelope I had brought from my room. On it was the name of the sender.

“Cassian?”

Father tilted his head and repeated the name. Mother, however, recognized it immediately.

“Isn’t this your pen pal? The one you’ve been writing to all this time?”

“Yes. Please find Cassian for me.”

Cassian.

As my parents knew I didn’t have any male friends, he was the only person I could use to convince them.

He had been my pen pal during the hardest time of my life, after my brother Lian died. He had comforted me with letters left in the academy’s shoe locker. I had ignored the first few, and once even tried to tear one up—only to read a line and start crying.

It wasn’t a cliché message—it felt like someone truly understood my heart.

From then on, I couldn’t help but look forward to his letters. Even after Lian died, he stayed my friend.

We never met in person, didn’t know each other’s faces or voices. But still, five years had passed that way.

He avoided talking about his family, and I never pressed him about his identity.

“Anette, can’t you just contact his family? Didn’t you say you were from the same academy?”

“I don’t know which family he’s from.”

Cassian appeared like a comet during my darkest time, and I still don’t know who he really is.

I once inquired at the academy, but they said there were four students named Cassian in that year.

If we exclude the Cassian from the Serentina family—as Mother mentioned—then three.

“Baron Melissen. Viscount Cohort. Viscount Bilbert.”

“We can’t just contact all those families. Wouldn’t it be better to ask Cassian directly?”

I shook my head at Mother’s suggestion.

It had been over a month since his last letter. He had said he’d be busy with estate affairs, but this was the longest he’d ever gone silent.

“I haven’t been able to reach him.”

Nervous, I bit my finger—a bad habit of mine. Mother gently took my hand and held it.

“You’re still young. It must’ve been hard not hearing from a friend.”

Father also came over and stroked my head affectionately.

“We’ll try to find him, so don’t worry too much, Anette. Let’s just wait patiently.”

“No. I can’t wait.”

“Is there another reason?”

Smiling brightly under my mother’s kind gaze, I said,

“I’m going to marry Cassian.”

That one sentence stunned both of them, who had been smiling indulgently just moments before.

“Marry? Out of the blue—what are you talking about?”

“Father, Mother, you both wanted me to get married before it’s too late. It’s time I settled down.”

Realizing something was wrong, Father replied in a shocked voice,

“With someone you don’t even know the family of? Someone you’ve never seen?”

Before he could blow up, I quickly responded,

“Yes. It doesn’t matter if I don’t know his face. Political marriages happen like that too. And Cassian and I have been in contact for years.”

“What about the prince?”

At the mention of the prince, Serdis’s face flashed through my mind. His perfect face now made me feel physically sick.

“He’s not the one for me.”

“Just yesterday you were excited about going on a date with him. You wore that new thin dress and ended up sick.”

True. Yesterday, I was a girl fluttering with hope about a handsome prince.

Back then, I didn’t know what was coming. That one wrong man would lead to the downfall of my family.

Marriage with the Duke of the Frontier.

Yes. I wasn’t interested in men anyway, so it didn’t matter who he was.

But in the original story, Anette was murdered by the duke’s son after the wedding. Her family was destroyed, and her parents’ corpses were hung in the capital square.

She wasn’t even the villain. And it wasn’t her fault to begin with.

I didn’t care what happened to me.

But I couldn’t let my family suffer because of me. These people had shown me warmth when I had no one. My parents who couldn’t sleep from worry after losing their son.

“I was just excited about going out. Not the prince.”

I immediately denied my father’s assumption. He looked at me, confused by the sudden change in his daughter.

“Anette. Yesterday, His Highness seemed to care for you.”

Just as expected, my father tried to match me with Serdis. I turned away, pretending not to hear.

“Is that so? I couldn’t tell. I’m not interested.”

“That might change if you meet more often.”

“It won’t.”

My father licked his dry lips nervously.

Of course he was anxious.

Cassian might be from:

• Viscount Bilbert’s family.

• Viscount Cohort’s family.

• Baron Melissen’s family.

None of them had real influence.

And the prince? He’s the first in line for the throne.

Which noble family would say no to having their daughter become Empress?

“If it’s Prince Serdis, I’d feel at ease. He clearly cherishes you. He’s a man of good character.”

Even my mother tried to calm me, stroking my hair.

“I don’t like him. Even if he wanted to marry me, I’d never want to be trapped in the palace.”

“Did something happen between you and the prince?”

“No. I just realized we’re not meant to be.”

I shook my head with a face full of disgust. My father, clueless, kept trying.

“Don’t be so negative. Try meeting him a few more times. You might come to like him. That’s how it was for your mother and me.”

“And there are royal physicians at the palace. You wouldn’t have to go to the temple for treatment. Anette…”

Ugh, the health argument again.

“Your health is the most important thing. I’ve told you many times. You need someone who can take care of you after marriage.”

Father, always gentle, now spoke in a lower tone. He was serious.

They used to say to marry for love. Now it’s health and stability.

Parents always wanted more for their kids.

They had no idea what marrying Serdis actually meant.

“No. Even if I die, I’m marrying Cassian.”

I buried my face in my hands.

“Anette…”

“Honey, let’s talk again once she calms down.”

But really…

Who in this world can win against their child?

Behind my hands, my eyes didn’t fill with tears—but with fiery determination.

Mom, Dad. I’m sorry.

I won’t ever meet Serdis again—

—but I won’t marry Cassian either.

He was just the bait to set my plan in motion.