OMJFWTRAA chapter 1

My dream was to become a knight.

Born as the eldest son of a count’s family, I received the necessary education to lead our household, but I had little interest in such matters.

I had a knack for wielding a sword rather than dealing with complicated administrative tasks, and I found military strategy and tactics far more intriguing than politics.

“Young master, your movements have become much faster! Your stance is excellent as well!”

My daily routine consisted of waiting for the tedious lessons to end and then running to the training grounds.

My family knew well that I spent more time with our household guards than with the retainers who assisted in managing the estate.

Over time, no one bothered to push me to study subjects I wasn’t suited for, and my desire to renounce my title and leave the family grew more feasible.

Of course, it wasn’t as if I had nothing to rely on.

Fortunately, my younger sister Ines, seven years my junior, was growing up to be quite capable.

The family had high expectations for her intelligence. All I needed to do was patiently wait for her to come of age.

Once I passed on the position of heir, I would be free to pursue my dreams.

I believed I could find a lord worthy of dedicating my life to, someone I could pledge my loyalty to without regret.

I truly thought it was possible until I got entangled with my power-hungry family and was practically sold off in an engagement to the heir of a duchy.

“I had no choice, brother. Tying our family to such a household will make it easier for us to secure a position in the central government.”

Our grandfather, the previous count, had secured a proper residence in the capital with taxes from the estate’s tea leaves.

Before that, our family was merely a provincial noble house managing a somewhat prosperous territory.

‘These days, even provincial lords maintain a residence in the capital. It’s essential to make regular visits to ensure the future of our family.’

Grandfather, who had been swayed by such words, was actually a simple man without grand ambitions.

To me, he was more of a grandfather who walked me through the large squares and avenues of the capital when I first visited, rather than a mere provincial lord.

However, my mother, who inherited the title after him, was different. Her ambition towards the central political scene had always been intense since her days as the heir.

For her, the capital residence served as a legitimate base to realize her ambitions.

While the person who sold the mansion to my grandfather had exaggerated for profit, the claim that it was for the benefit of future generations turned out to be somewhat true.

After Grandfather passed away, my mother’s plans to enter the political arena began in earnest.

In the process, I was dragged to the capital, dressed up like a peacock, and had to attend countless social gatherings with a forced smile.

Indeed, despite my lack of genuine effort, or perhaps because of it, my family’s relentless determination led them to marry off even their formally educated heir to forge ties with the only duchy in the empire.

“Just get married first. If you really don’t like him, you can always find a lover. These days, among the capital’s nobles, that’s even considered a virtue.”

My twelve-year-old sister, who was our family’s light and hope, suggested something so shocking.

Was it appropriate for a young girl to encourage her brother to commit adultery even before he was married?

We had the same tutor, so where did her moral learnings go wrong?

Naturally, I refused, but if I didn’t comply, young Ines would have been forced into becoming the countess with such a terrifying mindset.

Ines was a valuable talent meant to be the countess. However, she had inherited my mother’s ambition and cunning to an excessive degree.

If she were sent to marry a duchy, she might someday devour it and even reach out to the imperial family. She was destined for greatness, but as her brother, I hoped she could fulfill her potential in a safer environment.

Moreover, the heir of the Lazurblanc Duchy, whom I was engaged to, was infamous even in distant regions.

He was rarely sober, had a gambling habit, and was known for his violent tendencies when upset.

Despite his status and being well into adulthood, no other family had managed to arrange a marriage with him. There was a reason for that.

Yet, I ended up engaged to this notorious individual without even exchanging a single word with him.

I had hoped to at least meet and greet my prospective husband before formally promising marriage.

However, he ignored every invitation, and whenever we visited the duchy’s residence, he would lock himself away in a drunken state.

It was clear this was not a habit formed overnight. Other families must have considered an engagement with him but would have broken it off in outrage after receiving such treatment.

But my family, the Reinhard County, was different. They clung to the engagement contract with shameless determination, finally setting a wedding date.

I had no intention of defying the family’s leaders, who always achieved their goals.

At this point, I was merely curious to see my embarrassed fiancé’s face, eagerly awaiting the wedding.

I had also accumulated some resentment towards him, intending to mock him as a reluctant groom myself.

Then, one month before the wedding, he ran away alone to the heavily guarded Academy.

“…What did you say?”

That was the gist of the long letter from the duchy.

Their only son had taken advantage of the busy preparations to run away in the dead of night and enroll in Saint Ricerta Academy, known for its strict security.

They were searching the city, but if he attended the entrance ceremony, there would be no way to force him out until the end of the semester.

Saint Ricerta Academy was a military school that trained holy knights under the direct authority of the Pope.

Although it had a general education department, he had entered the knight department, which granted knightly status upon graduation, with students being drafted into the military during emergencies.

In short, my fiancé had fled to a military-like academy in order to avoid marrying me.

His family, ashamed and apologetic, had no way of pulling him out without violating the academy’s autonomy recognized by the empire.

My family, including Ines, was half-crazed by this point.

“Let’s see how far he can go. A couple is one body, after all.”

We had never been a couple, but they were ready to send me to hell if necessary, so there was only one order for me.

“Go to Siela, Aina. Use any means necessary to make that jerk of your fiancé pledge to marry you.”

And that was how I, Aina Nox Reinhard, ended up being forced to enroll in the knight department of Saint Ricerta Academy.