Chapter 2

It was already completely dark when we got back to Sinclair Manor.

No lights were lit inside. The servants stood along the walls, holding their breath, afraid to make even the slightest sound.

My father dismissed everyone and supported me as he walked me back to my room.

Everything in the room was exactly as I had left it. The book I had not finished still lay on my desk. It was as if the wedding that shook the entire city had been nothing more than a ridiculous dream.

My father poured me a glass of water and watched quietly as I took small sips.

"Don't let what happened today get to you," he said, breaking the silence. "None of this is your fault."

I shook my head, fingers wrapped around the glass. "I didn't do anything wrong, but now everyone in Portiz is laughing at me."

He sneered. "Let them laugh. I will deal with them. You're my daughter. Even if you never marry, you'll always have someone watching your back. No one gets to mess with you."

His words sent a flicker of warmth through my frozen heart, but I knew it wasn't that simple.

I said, "The Ashford family holds military power. Doing this—"

"The military?" My father laughed coldly, his eyes suddenly sharp.

He said, "The military belongs to His Majesty, not the Ashford family. If a man can walk away from his own wedding for another woman, he can walk away from his country, too. Do you really think His Majesty would fully trust him?"

I instantly understood what he was getting at.

This was no longer just a matter of pride between two families. It had become a pawn in a much bigger political game.

I took off the heavy wedding dress, changed into a simple gown, and spent the night in silence.

*****

By the next morning, the news had spread throughout the manor.

"Lady Leona!" My maid, Lily, rushed in. "General Ashford is waiting outside the gate."

I paused while brushing my hair. "How long has he been here?"

Lily said, "They say he rushed back overnight. When he returned to Ashford Manor and realized you were gone, along with all the gifts, he completely lost his composure.

"Their servants say his father was furious and beat him on the spot. Afterward, he came straight here, injured and shaken. He's been outside since the middle of the night."

Lily sounded a little pleased.

I gazed at myself in the mirror. My face was pale, with faint dark circles under my eyes.

However, the shyness and anticipation of a bride-to-be were gone from my eyes, replaced by hollow stillness.

An entire night, huh?

I just thought he was pathetic.

It was too late to regret.

Did he really think his little trick would fix what he did, or make my father go easy on him? He clearly didn't know my father at all.

And he understood me even less, as I was completely heartbroken.

As expected, my father showed no reaction the entire morning. He went to court as usual, and after returning, stayed in his study handling official matters, as if the man waiting outside did not exist at all.

It was not until the afternoon that the butler, Carson, hurried in. "My lord, there's a message from the palace. His Majesty wants you and General Ashford to see him."

My father set down his pen, his expression unreadable.

He finally issued his first instruction regarding Henry. "Deliver a message to General Ashford."

Carson bowed. "Sure."

My father gazed out the window at the gray sky, speaking each word with icy precision.

"You want to marry my daughter?" He stopped for a moment. "Not a chance."

*****

After that, my father took a car to the palace.

He sat across from me with his eyes closed, appearing calm, though I knew his thoughts were anything but.

The palace was where power gathered, and nothing there was simple. After what had happened, the king's summons was far from a simple attempt at family mediation.

I waited outside the chamber.

My father wouldn't let me. He said I had already suffered enough and should never be subjected to judgment at the palace.

He also said that Henry should offer a public apology and seek forgiveness with genuine remorse.

Still, he carried that message with him. "Do you want to marry my daughter? Not a chance."

That was the Sinclair family drawing the line.

Later, people said things were very tense in the chamber that day.

The king looked at the two men standing before him.

One was his most trusted government official, the other his most relied-upon military commander, yet a single wedding had turned them into sworn enemies.

Henry bowed, his voice hoarse and heavy with regret.

He said, "Your Majesty, this is entirely my fault. I failed Leona, and I betrayed Mr. Sinclair's trust. I'm willing to accept any punishment. I only ask for one more chance to make amends."

He lowered himself and shouldered all the blame.

He sounded sincere, but it was way too late.

My father refused to look at him at all.

The king sighed, sounding weary.

He said, "Henry, you were indeed wrong. Marriage is not a game. You left Edward's daughter waiting for six hours and made her and the Sinclair family a joke in Portiz. This was a serious mistake."

After scolding Henry, he turned to my father, his tone noticeably softer.

He said, "Edward, I understand your anger. No father could tolerate seeing his daughter humiliated this way.

"What I must say is that Henry has rendered great service to the nation. Peace in the Northland still depends on him. A conflict between you two wouldn't be good for the nation."

It was textbook politics. First, the reprimand, then a concession, and finally an appeal to national interest, leaving little room to refuse.

Most people would have gone along with it, but my father was not one of them.

He raised his head and met the king's gaze, his tone calm yet resolute.

He said, "Your Majesty, I have only one daughter. I raised her carefully and taught her well. I thought I had found her a good marriage. Instead, this man abandoned her on the most important day of her life for someone else."

His voice was calm, yet every word pierced deep.

He continued, "Your Majesty, you speak of prioritizing the greater good, but can you fully trust a man who easily betrays his wife? How can you believe he will honor the commitments he made to you and to the country?

"Considering what he has done, I fear he may forsake the nation and its people in the future for some other reason."

The moment he said that, the entire chamber went silent.

My father didn't just talk about Henry's character; he questioned whether he could be trusted as a general.

This wasn't just a family issue anymore; it had become political.

Henry jerked his head up, his face pale. His lips trembled, but no words came out.

What my father said was true. Perhaps exaggerated, but it made perfect sense.

The king's face darkened. He stared at my father, his longtime right-hand man of over twenty years, realizing for the first time how uncompromising he could be.

After a while, he finally said, "Edward, I get what you mean."

He didn't try to smooth things over. He just sighed, looking tired. "Henry, you may leave. Go back and reflect on how to earn Edward's and Leona's forgiveness. I will no longer intervene in this matter."

Henry was led out, utterly dejected.

By the time my father returned from the palace, night had fallen. He told me everything that had happened, holding nothing back.

He looked at me seriously. "Leona, I spoke firmly in front of the king today and ended any possibility between you and Henry. Will you be angry with me?"

I shook my head and handed him a glass of water.

I said, "Dad, you did the right thing. I've figured it out. Marriage isn't the only way for a woman. If that road isn't open, I won't follow it."

My voice was soft, yet firm. "From now on, I just want to take care of my family."

At that moment, I noticed my father's eyes were wet.