Bala: The Duke's Contract Wife

The Ugly Witch from the South

The window in Rose’s carriage felt utterly cold. Though it did not stop her from leaning her head against it. She welcomed the striking coldness. She shut her eyes when a memory flowed in her mind.

***

“I have no need for you anymore. Now you can live in silence like a dead rat in Maraina.”

Rose looked up to see a pretty girl adorned in glamor. The girl’s hair was blonde and her irises were blue. She was Rose’s stepsister and the Future Queen of Elysseria Kingdom.

“I heard life in Maraina is like a cold prison,” her stepsister, Anisa Fullmeir, said mockingly. “What a perfect place for someone like you.”

Anisa grabbed Rose’s chin and pulled it up roughly. “Just stay still, like you always have been.”

With her free hand, Anisa grabbed a bunch of Rose’s black hair. Roughly. But Rose refused to even give a slight glimpse of being in pain. Rose did not even wince. Her expression stayed neutral like she was used to it.

“Hmm?”

Anisa was waiting for Rose’s reply. Her blue eyes looked straight to Rose’s rouge eyes.

When Rose did not answer, Anisa became frustrated and slapped Rose. Again, Rose maintained her neutral expression. She did not make a single sound of whimper even when her body was thrown to the floor by the force.

“Without you answering, I could already see that you’re broken, Rose. That man’s death must have hit the nail in your head, huh?”

Hearing Anisa talked about that man finally elicited an expression from Rose. Anger flickered to life inside of Rose. Her neutral expression changed instantly into a powerful gaze. Her red-colored eyes made the murderous effect felt numerous times more than usual colored eyes would.

Anisa instinctively shivered when she saw her stepsister’s gaze. But the Future Queen has always been a person with so much pride. She tried to cover the uncomfortable feeling by slandering her yet again.

“Suits you right. That man is dead because of you, my dear little sister.” Anisa’s lips smiled sinisterly though the hairs on her neck were still standing.

“So, it is best for all of us if you just live your new life like a muted corpse in that cold prison. I am sure it would not take long for you to catch up to that man in death’s realm.”

“Especially because Duke Maraina is famously known as The Monster From the North. You just need to kindly ask him to kill you! Wouldn’t that be the best solution to pay for all of your sins?”

Rose did not answer her... because Anisa was right. That man had died because of Rose. It is a fact. Rose bit her lower lip hard. Unconsciously, she had clenched both of her fists hard.

While Anisa’s forced laughter filled the room.

***

Rose opened her eyes again. She let out the breath she did not realize she was holding, creating haze on the carriage’s window. The cold temperature that kept on lowering was proof that they were already near Maraina. After five days of travel, finally, they have arrived.

Maraina was the northern province and the largest territory in Montserra Empire. It was also the northernmost region of the empire. Hence, the very cold temperature. It was two times colder than in any Montserra empire territories. But for Rose, who came from the Ellyseria in the South, Maraina’s temperature was three times colder than the one she was used to.

Rose was the only daughter of Santika Fullmeir. Her grandfather was the late Marquis Fullmeir. In order to cover up for the wedlock pregnancy, Rose’s mother married Lord Rendre, the Baron of Remrod. Unexpectedly, on the day of her mother’s death, Rendre brought in his biological daughter, Anisa, to the Fullmeir Mansion.

Rose was seven years old then. In her little mind, she just wanted love and care from her supposedly ‘father’. She wanted comfort due to the loss of her mother. So, she accepted Anisa wholeheartedly. She even tried to have a good sisterly relationship with Anisa.

Fool, she thought, I was a fool.

A bitter laugh filled the carriage. Rose was laughing at her own stupid old self.

Her carriage stopped in front of the opened gate of Maraina province. When her carriage that had the southern kingdom emblem entered the city street, all civilians in the vicinity started whispering.

Behind the window, Rose’s sharp eyes caught some of their lips movement.

‘That’s the bride from Ellyseria.’

’She’s the one called ’The Ugly Witch From the South″

’Is this not a mockery from Ellyseia to our Duke? They are sending a girl who was once been investigated for a crime!”

‘She was the b***h that lured Sir Pierre Cornohen to kill her own father! Poor lad. He was hanged in the end!’

‘She’s a villainess!’

‘She poisoned her own stepsister, Lady Anisa Fullmeir. But Lady Anisa was like an angel for forgiving a woman like her.’

Rose let out a deep sigh. The desire to escape had emerged in the back of her mind yet again. She could think of eighteen ways to run away during her trip. Five involved jumping out of the carriage by herself, ten involved a chase from the knights, three involved her pretending to be dead.

But she did not follow that desire. If the bride promised by Ellyseria to the Monster From the North does not arrive, there would be consequences. The royals of Ellyseria, especially Anisa as the one who proposed this marriage, would be in trouble.

Rose was very much tempted to make those rotten royal families suffered. Let them taste the consequences! she thought for a moment. Yet she knew better. The consequences she could bring would not only affect the royals, but it would also affect the people.

It would mean forsaking the good relationship between Ellyseria and Montserra. Which would lead to disruption in inter-countries trade. War could also be the worst outcome, and obviously, Montserra Empire would squash the little Ellyseria Kingdom like a bug. The point is, the people of Ellyseria would suffer the most.

‘Please, protect the people of Ellyseria.’ Rose remembered what someone had asked her to promise in the past.

On the other hand, her coming to Maraina, was also seen as a mockery. Because Rose was once accused of attempted murder against Anisa. For quite some time, Rose has been rumored to be the villainess with a vile appearance, while Anisa is the pure saintess. ‘The Ugly Witch From the South’ became Rose’s nickname after the trial ended.

Tch. Rose clicked her tongue.

She could not deny that her presence as the bride for the northern Duke was a mockery gesture from Ellyseria. The Duke could not reject Rose without valid reasons, especially because she was still considered a daughter of a marquis. And, because for whatever reason, the Emperor of Montserra decided to agree to the marriage.

So, Rose closed her eyes again. Fine, she would uphold that promise for the last time. She would go through this marriage. She would play along with Anisa’s little game.

Let her feel like a mastermind ... for the last time, she thought, before she would eventually realize what I have done all this time. She would pay, eventually.

She thought of her would-be husband. The Duke was infamous for being wild and blood-thirsty due to his prowess in helping Montserra Empire conquer various kingdoms. With his black sword, he became the reason why Montserra was able to expand their territories as much as 13% in the span of ten years.

Truly, a marvelous achievement. Duke Victor Maraina was also called the God of War. Despite his success, his cold nature and his history of spilling blood made the people also called him another name. The Monster From the North.

Pfft. Rose laughed bitterly again. This time, she laughed inwardly.

The Ugly Witch From the South and The Monster From the North.

Hilarious! When did Anisa think of this? 

***

Rose looked straight at the man in front of her. He had blonde hair with piercing emerald eyes. He was the only man sitting inside the office.

After five days of travel without stopping, Rose was summoned directly to the office. She was not offered a seat or even tea. It was obvious, that she was not welcomed.

Victor Maraina. The rumor was that every kingdom would immediately put up a white flag whenever they heard his name mentioned in the war.

‘The Monster From the North’

‘The Devil From the North’

‘Cold-Blooded Killer’

‘Don’t look straight into his green eyes if you don’t want to die’

Rose held her gaze true to his cold and intimidating eyes. She would not be afraid. She had faced worse.

Behind Victor’s chair, stood two men who also stared at Rose coldly. Though they could not give the same intimidation as Victor could. One man looked much older than Victor while the other looked the same age as Victor. And Rose knew that Victor was nearing thirty years old.

“Rose Fullmeir,” Victor finally broke their silence. His tone was heavy. He never left Rose’s gaze. “You have guts to come to Maraina, it seems.”