Chapter 04…
The Supreme Treasure Becomes a Mirage.
Ever since her engagement to Alexis was annulled, Felicia had felt a constant sense of emptiness, even while staying in her family’s estate.
The enormous role she had once shouldered had suddenly vanished.
Unable to bear children and unfit for an ordinary marriage, she could no longer tell what purpose her life served or why she was still alive.
If she were to be given a new role—even if her future husband was someone she didn’t know—she must devote herself fully to it.
Simply receiving a marriage proposal at all was, she told herself, a stroke of fortune.
Her wedding date was decided almost suspiciously quickly, as if it had been planned in advance.
Without time for any bridal preparations, Felicia was to be sent off immediately.
Everything she might need, even her attendants, would supposedly be provided by her husband’s side.
The day of departure came without her father’s return from abroad.
The steward, at least wanting to ensure her some comfort, arranged for three loyal attendants to accompany her in the carriage that had come to fetch her.
He had actually pleaded with Yvette to allow five, but—
“Once you reach the border, attendants from the other side will take over.
Within Rubellite’s territory, there’s no need for such numbers.”
With that curt dismissal, Yvette allowed only three to accompany Felicia.
“Dear Sister, I wish you happiness in your new home.”
Céline smiled sweetly, her expression filled with genuine delight as she offered her congratulations.
Felicia could see right through her intentions—to send her far away, somewhere Alexis would never see her again.
Inside the carriage bound for the neighboring country, Felicia gazed out the window.
By evening, the sky had already begun to fade into night.
The Kingdom of Rubellite faced the sea on one side, and on the other, bordered the neighboring Empire of Chalcedony.
Rubellite, blessed with ports that served as trade hubs, was rich in commerce and maritime resources.
Its prosperity, however, made it an appealing target for Chalcedony, which had repeatedly attempted invasions throughout history.
Each time the empire had raised arms, Rubellite had managed to repel it.
Though diplomatic relations now existed between the two nations, the empire’s aggressive nature meant Rubellite could never let its guard down.
A powerful magical barrier was maintained along the border, warded by magic unique to Rubellite’s royal bloodline.
Anyone entering from Chalcedony had to undergo strict inspection at the frontier.
Once she married into that neighboring land, Felicia knew that returning home to Rubellite would not be easy.
Depending on the political climate, she might never be allowed to return at all.
What saddened her most was that she hadn’t even been able to see her father’s face one last time.
The barrier that protected the kingdom was sustained by the power of Rubellite’s royal family alone.
Long ago, in the age of creation, the gods who ruled this land had bestowed their divine power upon the royal line, and since then, no one outside that lineage possessed magic.
The citizens revered their royals as protectors blessed by divine authority.
Felicia’s mother had been born a princess before marrying outside the royal line, and thus Felicia had inherited a trace of that power—
a healing magic that could soothe wounds and illnesses through touch.
It wasn’t a strong power; it couldn’t work miracles in an instant, but with patience, she could gradually heal those she touched.
—Yet that power had not been enough to save the ones she loved most.
(They say my future husband is quite old. I hope this power of mine can at least be of some use to him. If it can help even a little, perhaps my marriage will have meaning.)
As Felicia lowered her gaze to her hands, the carriage suddenly jolted violently.
