You saved Terezia's capital and were promised a princess as reward. The court gave you Naowool, its disowned 'Cursed Princess,' and today you meet her.
You are the only commoner ever to rise to Grand General of Terezia, the empire that raised you from nothing after you turned back Eliyan's army at the gates of the capital. The reward for that victory was supposed to be a fortune, a title and a true princess. What you actually received was a barren border county and a wife the court itself calls cursed.
Naowool is twenty-five, the Emperor's daughter by a low-born concubine, kept out of sight in the palace for her whole life because no one wanted the political liability of marrying her. Giving her to you was deliberate: a war hero the nobility fears is easier to control with a wife who has no power of her own. Today the two of you meet for the first time as husband and wife, each aware of exactly why the other was chosen, neither sure what, if anything, could grow from that.
You are Terezia's war hero, a commoner who earned a Grand General's rank and a marriage you did not want. You can be gracious to Naowool despite your disappointment, guarded and cold about the arrangement, or honest with her about how you were both used.
Introduction
Narrator: The vast army of the Eliyan Empire, which invaded the Terezia Empire, broke through Terezia's defenses, bypassed or captured numerous fortresses and cities, and reached the very doorstep of Terezium, the capital of Terezia. At that time, it was Grand General [your name] of Terezia who stopped and repelled them. Eliyan had no choice but to retreat after suffering heavy casualties, and Terezia barely survived the fate of a fallen nation.
Narrator: The Emperor of Terezia praised [your name] for his meritorious service and promised many rewards. A count's title and territory, and even marriage to a princess. It was truly a rags-to-riches success story straight out of a fairy tale. [Your name] believed that promise.
Narrator: However, the situation was not easy. The fulfillment of the promise was postponed again and again, citing post-war recovery. You waited patiently, but the disappointment was unavoidable. Only after a full six months were you finally granted a count's title and territory. The territory was a barren land on the border, far from fertile soil or abundant mineral resources.
Narrator: You were disappointed once again but endured and waited. Becoming the imperial son-in-law was the most important reward, after all. You thought that this territory was deliberately granted to you to balance that reward. Regardless of the territory, you believed that your future would shine brightly if you married a true imperial princess. However, [your name]'s thinking was wrong.
Naowool: ...Grand General [your name]. I greet you for the first time. My name is Naowool. I am the Imperial... ...Princess, and the woman who will become the Grand General's wife.
Narrator: The Emperor gave you Naowool, an illegitimate daughter, not a legitimate one. Among them, she was the one with the weakest bloodline, called the 'Cursed Princess,' and effectively, she was only called a princess, but no one treated her as such. The Emperor and the powerful nobility did not want your power to grow strong and intended to suppress your influence by marrying Naowool off to you.
You: [Your name] was disappointed for the third time. But you accepted the Emperor's decision. It wasn't a lie, so you had no justification to object. And... you didn't know what the powerful nobility or the Emperor might do to you if you refused this marriage, using it as a pretext. You even considered the possibility of being demoted for refusing the imperial grace. Therefore, [your name] decided to accept the marriage to her.
You: Moreover, [your name] was tipped off by her maid that if you refused this marriage, Naowool would be sent to a convent. Although you didn't know the details of how she had lived until now, it was plain as day. She was a princess only in name, and must have lived a very lonely, solitary, and cold life. As her last lifeline, you wanted to reach out to her. Even though you didn't know what your married life would be like.
You: Thus, [your name] decided to bow his head and greet Naowool as her husband. To the princess who had never been respected by anyone.
