Some people might think that knowing the future would allow them to control everything.
Unfortunately, Aileen's life had never worked that way.
She had been born into nobility and raised in a loving family. She had grown up cherished, wanting for nothing.
Yet she knew a truth no one else did.
This world was the setting of a novel, and she herself was a character within it—Aileen Cassier, a girl destined for a miserable end.
Because of that knowledge, her childhood had never been filled with complete happiness.
Once, she had desperately tried to change her fate.
But no matter what she did, she could not prevent her parents' deaths.
And now—
Even her grandmother, the person who had loved her most after their passing, was nearing the end of her life.
For the first time in a long while, Aileen felt utterly powerless.
"Aileen, remember this no matter what. You carry both the blood of the Imperial Family and the distinguished Cassier lineage. And you are my one and only true granddaughter."
Worried about the young granddaughter she would leave behind, the old woman could not bring herself to close her eyes.
Aileen tightly held the hand that had protected her for her entire life.
"Grandmother... just a little longer. Please stay with me a little longer. We promised we'd go see the spring flowers together when they bloom."
She was not someone who cried easily in front of others.
But this time, she could not hold back.
As tears silently streamed down her cheeks, the old woman's heart broke as well.
"That shameless man and his wife will try to steal your inheritance by any means necessary."
The "shameless man" was her grandfather's illegitimate son, born from an affair.
The moment the previous Count and Countess Cassier died in an accident, he had stepped forward as though he had been waiting for the opportunity and seized the title.
No one had been able to stop him from acting as the new count and bringing his family into the estate.
There had been no one left to oppose them.
"Those people will never be satisfied."
That family was endlessly greedy and wastefully extravagant.
And the thought of Aileen being left alone among them filled the old woman with dread.
"I know, Grandmother. I know I have to protect what's mine. No matter how sweet their words are, no matter how they threaten me, I won't be swayed."
"Good. Never forget that. You must endure until you come of age and inherit the portion that belongs to you. Even if he tries to control your life under the excuse of being your guardian, you must endure."
Seeing her granddaughter answer so firmly seemed to ease the old woman's worries a little.
"And above all..."
Her frail voice softened.
"You must find happiness, Aileen."
"I will. No matter what happens, I'll survive. And I'll be happy."
"Yes... You're a clever child. I'm sure you can do it."
With those final words—
Her grandmother's breathing slowly came to a stop.
Aileen remained seated for a long time, holding the hand that was gradually growing cold.
She knew what she needed to do next.
But knowing that did not make the grief disappear.
Even so, the world refused to grant her even a moment to mourn.
Bang!
The door suddenly burst open, and a middle-aged man strode into the room.
"Has the old lady passed away?"
There was not even a pretense of sadness in his voice.
If anything, it carried poorly concealed anticipation.
A man whose shallow nature made it hard to believe he was family at all.
The current Count Cassier.
Aileen stared at him silently before slowly rising to her feet.
"Yes. Grandmother has passed away."
"Hm... I see."
Her chest ached.
Now, truly, there was no one left on her side.
"Father! Then can we go to the party now?"
"There's a dress I wanted to buy!"
His children did not even attempt to hide their excitement.
Aileen no longer wanted to remain in the same room as them.
Without a word, she turned and headed toward her own room.
She needed a quiet place where she could be alone.
But the world had no intention of leaving her in peace.
There was no longer anyone to protect her.
Completely isolated, Aileen quickly became the target of discrimination and bullying.
"Oh dear, sorry. I didn't see you there. You should've moved out of the way."
Even when Mia and Sadina "accidentally" spilled tea on her dress, Aileen let it pass.
To begin with, she had never wanted to acknowledge them as cousins.
"That dress doesn't really suit you anymore, does it? Why don't you give it to us?"
One by one, they began taking her belongings under the flimsiest excuses.
And she found it more ridiculous than upsetting.
"You're the older sister. You should set an example by being frugal. Try spending a little less."
The countess, now acting as mistress of the household, used absurd reasoning to withhold even Aileen's allowance.
"Sister, I want this room. Would you move somewhere else?"
Eventually, Aileen was driven out into a dusty guest room in the attic.
Even then, she remained calm.
"Isn't this too much? Lady Cassier has barely passed away, and they're already treating you like this."
Her maid Mary fumed with indignation.
"I really tried to get along with them at first..."
Aileen smiled bitterly.
"They probably saw me as some spoiled noble girl they couldn't stand."
Mary continued venting her frustration, but Aileen remained composed.
She couldn't help sighing, but there was little point dwelling on it.
Kindness did not always return as kindness.
With a shrug, she rolled up her sleeves herself.
"My goodness, Miss. You're cleaning personally?"
"I can assure you, this isn't the first time."
While dusting and tidying the room, she could at least keep unnecessary thoughts out of her mind.
After hiding the jewelry box her mother had left her deep beneath the bed, Aileen waited for the news she knew would soon arrive.
If word of her grandmother's death had reached the Imperial Palace—
Then the Emperor's people would come.
And they would bring with them an important engagement proposal.
One that would, at least on the surface, prevent her so-called uncle's family from treating her however they pleased.
As expected, it was not long before an imperial attendant arrived at the Count Cassier estate.
"To think one of His Majesty's close aides would visit such a humble place..."
"Please, have a seat and enjoy some tea."
The count and countess bowed repeatedly, eager to curry favor with the attendant and the imperial knight accompanying him.
"I am merely here to deliver His Majesty's command to Lady Aileen Cassier."
"You were looking for me?"
Wearing a black mourning veil, Aileen stepped forward and knelt respectfully.
"Greetings, Lady Aileen Cassier."
The attendant's attitude toward her was entirely different from the way he had treated the count and countess.
Aileen's grandmother had been the Emperor's beloved younger sister.
And Aileen had, in turn, been dearly loved by that grandmother.
That was why she still received such respect.
"I will now convey His Majesty's will."
Ah.
Once again, fate had come knocking at her door.
Half resigned, Aileen lowered her gaze and waited.
"By the decree of His Imperial Majesty, the engagement of Aileen Cassier and Cedric Lowell is hereby announced."
Cedric Lowell.
After the Duke of Lowell had died in battle not long ago, he had become the sole heir of the Lowell family.
However, because imperial approval had not yet been granted, he had still not officially inherited the ducal title.
And now—an engagement.
At that moment, the reason for the Emperor's long delay became clear.
"What? An engagement?"
"That's impossible! The Lowell family? We've never heard anything about this!"
"Shouldn't Aileen's opinion matter as well? Even she looks surprised!"
As expected, the count and countess objected fiercely.
Watching them, Aileen smiled faintly.
Their expressions, pretending to care about her, were laughable.
The same people who planned to marry me off as the second wife of some elderly baron to get their hands on my wealth.
In the Empire, a wife's property became her husband's upon marriage.
They had likely intended to sell her off to an aging noble with a taste for young women and pocket her inheritance.
There was no way Aileen had failed to notice their scheme.
"Are you suggesting you intend to defy His Majesty's will?"
The attendant's sharp question silenced the room.
After glaring at the count and countess, he looked back down at the document.
"This engagement is the sole condition required for Cedric Lowell to inherit the official ducal title rather than remain merely head of the household. If the engagement remains intact, Cedric Lowell will receive the Lowell family seal upon reaching adulthood."
The family seal.
The most important symbol of the Lowell family.
The Imperial Family had confiscated it under the pretext of preventing political instability.
Aileen thought it was rather unfair to Cedric.
Political marriages were common, but this arrangement was unusually one-sided.
In the end, both of them were people without secure footing, and they were being tied together so they could support one another.
"I accept His Majesty's will."
Since even a ducal title had been made conditional upon it, the Emperor's intentions were obvious.
This was his final act of consideration for his deceased sister.
Perhaps he felt guilty for marrying the woman he loved most to Count Cassier, a notorious womanizer.
Of course, there were political reasons as well.
A marriage between Aileen, who carried imperial blood, and the Northern Ducal House was the ideal way to strengthen ties between the North and the Imperial Capital.
Whatever the reason—
Aileen Cassier had just acquired the strongest shield she could possibly imagine.
"Wow! Engaged to the heir of a ducal family! No one in this household—or even in the Imperial Capital—will dare mistreat you now, Miss!"
Mary practically bounced with excitement.
In truth, even the servants who had sided with the count began treating Aileen more cautiously.
Watching them, Aileen quietly muttered to her overenthusiastic maid,
"I'm not so sure. At least one person definitely won't be happy about this engagement."
"Honestly, you two are a perfect match! You're elegant, dignified, and every bit the noble lady. You're exactly the kind of person who belongs in a ducal household!"
"That's exactly the problem."
To most nobles, the Emperor's decision would seem perfectly reasonable.
Cedric Lowell, whose position was unstable, had gained a powerful supporter.
It looked like an ideal engagement.
But that was only from an outsider's perspective.
And just as Aileen expected—
At dawn the very next day, Cedric Lowell arrived at the count's estate without warning.
A visit so rude it bordered on offensive.
And it marked the beginning of a relationship that would be anything but smooth.
"So this is what the Lowell family considers proper etiquette? Visiting someone's home at this hour?"
Standing in a garden washed by the faint light of dawn, Aileen looked at him.
Dark golden hair.
A face that still carried traces of boyhood rather than adulthood.
Despite her sharp words, Cedric's expression did not change in the slightest.
Instead, he immediately voiced a demand worthy of such an impolite entrance.
"Please ask His Majesty to cancel the engagement."
Aileen crossed her arms and shivered once in the cold morning air.
Then she repeated his words in her mind.
Just as I thought.
Exactly as expected.
"No."
Cedric opened his mouth to argue.
But Aileen raised a hand, stopping him before suppressing a yawn.
"We're the same age, right? Let's drop the formalities. I'm really not in the mood to act elegant and polite right now."
"...What?"
"I'm saying let's talk normally. And don't just stand there—sit somewhere. You woke me up, and I'm exhausted."
Cedric Lowell stared blankly at her retreating figure as she confidently walked past him and deeper into the garden.
Whether she intended it or not—
Their first meeting would remain in his memory for a very long time.