She had to be strong, so even when she cried, she did not dare make a sound or let anyone see her. She had to maintain a tough exterior.
Even though she loathed this land and had no interest whatsoever in the title of duchess, she would have preferred to remain in the Empire if she could.
But Angelina had to protect her mother. For the sake of her pitiful mother, she had to endure all of this.
If necessary, Angelina had even prepared herself mentally to marry Jircniv, the Emperor of the Empire, as his concubine. That ambitious Bloody Emperor was clearly very interested in her magical talent and special abilities. As for her appearance, knowledge, and etiquette, Angelina was quite confident in herself as well.
For the Dragon Kingdom, whose national strength was relatively weak and which bordered a nation of beastmen, a marriage alliance with the militarily powerful Empire would likely be more than welcome.
And for the Empire, it was unlikely that they would have no interest at all in gaining control over Maplemoon Territory, whose current ruler and sole heir were both women.
Her early experiences had given her a maturity far beyond her years, allowing her to treat her own fate with such coldness. She had no room to consider boring things like love. In the hands of nobles, marriage was merely one of their most important bargaining chips.
With nothing left but her mother, Angelina was prepared to place that bargaining chip—and herself—on the gambling table at any time.
"Miss, eat first." The old servant helped her to the table, then rang a silver bell to signal for the attendants to serve the meal.
The old servant, who had cared for Angelina since childhood and offered her guidance and education as she grew