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Chapter 1 "Ugh! He's really stubborn, isn't he?" *Crackle.* I scanned the front ‌page of the newspaper once again today. Today he might marry, tomorrow he might ‌‌‌marry, the day after, the day after that... and so on. But ‌‌‌‌‌‌‌I've been waiting for years now. In ‌‌‌the original story, The Emperor boasts of insane vitality, yet he hasn't even ‌‌met a woman, let alone revealed his true name ‌‌or face, and he ‌rules the nation quietly, but thoroughly. Since his ascension, The Empire—once corrupted—has developed remarkably. The fortress of the stagnant, rotting Nobility Faction crumbled, and he succeeded in appointing ‌‌rising talents and constructing his own governance system meticulously. So why. Won't he get married?! "Are the officials slacking off? If The Emperor works this hard, he should marry and rest for a bit. Or since he's already working, why not quickly resolve the succession issue? That's what should happen, right?" Ugh! This infuriating Emperor. I trembled while gripping the newspaper. "Just marry someone, ‌‌‌‌please. Marry! Anyone is fine, just ‌‌‌get married already!" "Enya." Then a soft, low voice reached my ears. I greeted the man entering through the door with a bright smile. "Dale!" "You'll hurt yourself if you run." When I rushed over and embraced him lightly, Dale smiled shyly. He seemed embarrassed by the hug, his face flushed as he couldn't even wrap his arms around my back. Which ‌‌made him all the cuter. "Dale, is work finished now? Did you pull another all-nighter today?" "I apologize. There was more work than I expected..." "I'm not scolding you. What if my husband collapses from exhaustion?" Startled by my concern, Dale flinched and couldn't even meet my gaze, pretending to be fine. 'Yes, if I must marry, it should be someone like this.' Not like The Emperor in the original story, pushing forward like a madman claiming to be in love, but someone kind, considerate, domestic, and devoted (and handsome). I contentedly leaned slightly against my (handsome) man's ‌‌arm. "Really, I worry since you leave early and ‌‌‌come home late every day." "I trust that you will treat me if I fall ill, Enya." I stared at him in bewilderment, and Dale smiled awkwardly. "After all, my wife is an excellent physician." "Still, wouldn't it be better if you never got sick in the first place?" "I'll keep that in mind." I held him ‌‌closer, savoring the breadth of his chest. A pleasant fragrance emanated from his warm embrace. The greatest prize I'd gained by abandoning my family and fleeing to the countryside to escape marriage to The Emperor. My handsome husband. 'Ah... truly, let him withdraw that Empress decree and marry someone else instead. I'm absolutely never going back. Let him search or not, I don't care.' I held my beloved husband tight and thought to myself. That Emperor should hurry up ‌‌and marry someone already. He has no idea about our marriage at all. * * * All of this began several months ago. "Young lady, you really have no thoughts of marriage? Not even a little?" Grandmother, who often came by to have medicine prepared, asked me. 'It's time to leave this place soon.' I packaged medicine while gazing at the calendar. "Now, Grandmother! Don't underestimate a cold—you must take every bit of the medicine I've prepared for you at the right time! Understood?" "Aw, but do you really have no thoughts of marriage?" "I don't." "Come now, don't be like that. What about meeting my grandchild?" "As long as he's handsome." Grandmother chuckled at that. "Very handsome! Is that enough?" "And wealthy." "He's been working since childhood, so he's earned quite a bit. Is that really all it takes?" "I'm sorry! The truth is, I really have no thoughts of marriage." I ‌‌set down the medicine bottle and declined. "Tsk tsk. What a shame. Why won't you marry? I find you quite charming." "But, Grandmother!" I quickly cut off her words. "Last time I prepared medicine for you, I saw you pretend to take it and secretly dumped it in the field?" "Young lady, you jest! When did I ever—heh, hehe... Oh my! I forgot something at home. Thank you!" Grandmother fled like an arrow at my accusation. She probably won't take the medicine properly this time either, but my duty ends here. "It's ‌already evening." I thought to myself while tidying the shop. 'Grandmother, I just saved your grandchild for you.' Three years as of today. For the past three years, I had wandered across the continent, drifting from place to place like a vagabond. Now it was time to leave this village as well. There was only one reason I never settled anywhere and kept fleeing. Was it because I was a criminal? No. "This insufferable Emperor...." I scanned the newspaper meticulously. The pages ‌‌were filled with glowing accounts of The Emperor's achievements—how he had suppressed the old Nobility Faction and implemented new policies, or how he had successfully completed monster extermination campaigns. But there was no exclusive story of the sort I desperately wanted: "His Imperial Majesty has fallen ‌‌in love with a mysterious woman!" The reason I had been wandering for three years. It was to escape marriage to The Emperor. "Enya, His Imperial Majesty has issued an imperial edict naming you Empress. He wishes to take you as his consort." Three years ago, I had been notified of my marriage to The Emperor like a death sentence. But ‌‌why, when the original story hadn't even begun yet? That was when ‌‌‌‌‌‌I understood. This was a harbinger that my future was rushing toward ruin far faster ‌‌than the original narrative. The moment I received the edict, I fled ‌‌my home and wandered from place to place—and ‌‌‌fortunately, my life as a runaway ‌‌had been successful. 'But now that too must end.' The Emperor had implemented many policies since ascending to the throne, but one of them posed a problem. It was the recent Resident Law Reform. The Emperor's ‌‌‌stated reason was that he needed to investigate the exact population of The Empire to replenish military forces—but that was merely the ‌‌pretext. In truth, the previous Emperor had allowed the nobility to accumulate too much power, so The Emperor was systematically dismantling their foundations ‌‌to suppress them. The fact that The Emperor himself, rather than the ‌regional lords, had begun the census was proof of this. In other words, he was investigating the composition of each household. Since he had started from the Capital, he would soon move eastward. 'I should head south before then.' The Southern Region had the smallest population, so his reach would extend ‌‌‌there last. Was this the tenth move? The eleventh? ‌I couldn't even remember exactly how many times I ‌‌‌‌had relocated, so packing had become second nature. Whoosh! I burned all traces of my presence and packed only a single trunk. "Magical pouch with infinite ‌‌‌‌herb storage—check. My forged identification papers—check." That should be everything. "I've decided my next ‌‌destination: Count Grunvalt's territory in the Southern Region." I set out on another long journey. * * * After two weeks of relentless travel by carriage, I finally arrived in Grunvalt. Grunvalt, with its vast expanse of land but sparse population, was far quieter than I had imagined. The most serene and sprawling settlement among all the towns I had ‌‌wandered through. This was the southernmost region of The Empire—a peculiar territory where the land stretched wide but the soil was barren, and the lack of employment for young people had resulted in severe population aging. "Rain seems to ‌be coming soon." I gazed up at the overcast sky. "The address is... over ‌‌there." The paper I'd been given contained the address written upon it. Because Grunvalt had so few inhabitants, the spaces between houses were remarkably wide. I made my way toward the place that the real estate agent and the lord's assistant had recommended. "Is this it?" A pale yellow brick house built upon a gentle ‌‌‌‌hill. It was a charming, well-maintained dwelling with a white fence and a striking red roof. Including the attic, it seemed to ‌‌be about three stories tall—a size that would be ‌‌‌perfect for two people rather than one. "But they said this house has some problems." When introducing this property, they had mentioned it had certain peculiarities. However, they had said this was the only house available to move into immediately, so there was no choice. 'They said ‌it had peculiarities, so I thought it would be a strange house, but it's incredibly nice.' I had expected something like a desolate ruin or a haunted mansion, but compared to the neighboring houses, it was a beautiful property without any shortcomings. I stood before the door, dragging my heavy trunk. "They said the key would be inside the mailbox." I reached into the old mailbox beside the tree and felt a small key hanging there. Rumble. At that moment, thunder that seemed to pierce the heavens roared overhead. I hurried inside the house and locked the door behind me. "Wow...! There's even furniture here!" They said it was ‌‌‌‌a strange house, but far from being strange, it was fully furnished with everything necessary—a sofa, table, chairs, and more. The furniture gleamed and was spotlessly clean, ‌‌‌‌with no ‌‌‌hint of age or wear. "Did someone leave in a hurry?" It seemed they had left behind nearly all their belongings. I sat carefully on the sofa, then collapsed back into ‌‌it. "The only thing missing is firewood." The house even had a fireplace; the only shortage was fuel for it. Is this really a haunted house? Otherwise, how could this property be listed at half the price of ordinary ‌‌‌‌rent? "That house does have a ‌‌‌‌very slight... problem? But living there should be... no problem? I think?" A house this well-maintained could overlook minor inconveniences—the occasional insect infestation, ‌‌or the dark history of a previous death. I could live with such things. More importantly, it ‌‌‌‌was the perfect hidden ‌‌refuge to escape The Emperor's gaze. I lay on my back, staring up at the staircase. The wooden stairs leading ‌‌to the second floor were swept clean and well-maintained. 'The caretaker must have kept the place in good condition.' It was quite satisfactory. Far better than the dozen or so houses I'd stayed ‌‌‌in while wandering. Now all that remained was to hope The Emperor would marry quickly.... "Why on earth is he waiting for me?" There must be some reason. In the original story I'd possessed, I was destined to marry the male protagonist—The Emperor. But even in the original, our marriage was one of political convenience, devoid of love. According to the original plot, I was fated to die because of my marriage to The Emperor. I'd thought that if I simply endured long enough, he would find another noble house whose daughter would obey him better and arrange a new engagement. But I was wrong. ‌‌‌‌‌For reasons unknown, he had been waiting three years for me—the one who fled because she despised marriage. Why on earth was The Emperor waiting only for me? A distant rumble. Thunder struck again. This time, a sharp bolt of lightning accompanied it, so bright it burned my vision white. "I should gather ‌‌‌‌‌firewood before the rain gets worse. I think the storage shed was in the back—should I check?" But the moment I opened the door. Thud. "Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Something suddenly tumbled out. "A bug ‌‌‌‌‌the size of my body!!!!! Or rather..., a man...?" I couldn't believe my eyes. Why was an unfamiliar man collapsed in front of my house?

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