ALL NOVEL Chapter 1 - Liv Ragnell
“How could you do that!”“It’s already done.”“What? I didn’t know anything, so what’s done!”The woman, with her soft brown hair tied together, shouted to the man in front of her with a face that seemed to cry.“Do you know what state our family is in now?”Her family has been on the wane for a long time. In Liv’s opinion, it was a natural result.It wasn’t even a great family in the first place. Just a baron in a small estate. Although it was once booming in trade, most of it was taken away, and the financial situation was only what it is now.In contrast to her father who does not know development and just insists on the old, the world has changed rapidly.It was natural that those who did not change were taken away and left behind.‘But, this is…… something I never thought of.’“But what do you mean by marriage! I don’t like it!”Anton flushed as he looked back at his daughter’s impudence for the first time.“No, you have to!”“Why!”“Should I have told you earlier? Are you waiting for words to come out of my mouth that our Ragnell family is on the verge of collapse?”“The baron family has long since disappeared!”“Liv Ragnell!”When Anton slammed his fist against the desk, Liv stepped back in surprise. His eyes were filled with unbearable anger as he looked at his daughter.But Liv was not wrong.Abolition of the status system. It had already been more than four years. They were no longer Baron Ragnell.“If you mess up like that one more time, I won’t let you go.”Anton Ragnell was truly a noble. The attitude of the nobility, the mindset of the nobility, the clothes of the nobility. All for the honor of the baron family. That was the whole of his life.Even when the status system was abolished, he was never distracted. Nobles are born with different blood from the beginning, and it is not determined by the system.‘A father like that…… told me to marry that man.’Liv had to close her eyes tightly at the shameful memories that penetrated her body when she remembered the man’s face.It was an unforgettable memory that haunted her all her life. Her own shameful feelings that no one could understand. Her existence felt so small that she couldn’t go out for a while.If you cross a bridge in a carriage, you will see a city several times larger than Hale, where Liv lives. Its name is Lesbourne. It was a place where the slums and the nobles were separated by a single road in between.People called the slums there a ‘back alley’. It was said that all sorts of evil things that people could not imagine happen there.The man was from there.Not only did he become an adopted son of a neighboring country’s wealthy family, but he suddenly returned to the empire one day and became a soldier and was favored by the emperor. He was Liv’s marriage partner.“I would rather marry another man…… I don’t like him!”“It’s already done.”“Then why didn’t you talk to me about something so important? It’s my marriage, why!”“Why do I have to tell you that?”“Ah, father.”Liv looked at Anton with tears in her eyes.“If you hadn’t meddled and made a scar on your face, our family wouldn’t have been so shaken.”Anton looked at the scar on Liv’s right face with a dissatisfied look. The dark red, distorted scars was a burn caused by Liv being hit by a falling fireball when she was a child.Liv’s mother was beautiful. Liv, who resembles such a mother, has been loved by everyone since childhood. Anton also used to look at Liv with a face full of expectations. Until she got a burn on her face…….There was no man from a lowly family who would marry a woman with a large scar on her face. Anton looked at Liv with an even more dissatisfied look when no news had been heard even though she was at a marriageable age.Liv was a rascal of the family who grew up eating Anton’s abuse.“I, I did nothing wrong…… It has nothing to do with me that the family has become like this.”“You’re good at making stupid noises. All you have to do is get married to help your family. If you can’t do that, how can you say it’s not your fault?”Anton lashed out at Liv.“This is an opportunity you can never miss. You’ll never get married like this again. It takes a little bit of his origins, but it’s nothing compared to your flaws, so don’t take it too seriously and just get married.”For Liv, the origin of the man didn’t matter at all. To be honest, there would be no family who would reject him just because of his origins. He was the perfect man for everyone to covet.So why choose her. Liv had no wealth or power enough to cover her shortcomings.“………what will father receive in exchange for marriage.”Anton only made a squeaking noise, but didn’t say anything.“What did the man ask of us?”“He didn’t ask for anything.”“What?”“He didn’t ask for anything.”There was no way he didn’t want anything.Anton muttered next to her, ‘He must be greedy for Ragnell’s blood,’ but it was absurd. If he wants, he can marry a family with more power.She was afraid because she couldn’t figure out what the man thought of marrying her. Liv bit her lip gently.“Father…… please. I don’t want to get married.”“The Emperor himself appointed him as captain. In the past, a captain had the same rank as a knight, so in a way, it was similar to a baron. So stop nagging and get married. He’s the only man who can take that nasty scar of yours. And wasn’t that guy the adopted son of the Vergo family? It’s a great opportunity for us.”“I don’t like it! I don’t want to marry that man! I hate it!”Squeak-Then she heard the door open.Both of them looked at the door at the same time. There stood a man in uniform who had made a buzz in the social world for some time.He took off the military cap he was wearing and entered the study naturally. Seeing the butler who was at a loss after the man who came in, it was clear that he heard the conversation the two had.“I must have chosen the wrong day.”The high nose and strong chin were noticeable because he turned his black hair back and showed his forehead. Everything was dark for this man. Dark black hair, copper-toned skin darker than others, and……Liv quickly averted her gaze from the black eyes she met suddenly.“It’s been a long time. Lady Ragnell.”She could feel her heart pounding from the low voice that stuck in her ear. Liv took a step back from the man much bigger than her. The man looked indifferent, only looking down at Liv.She’s the only one who is agitated. This is why she didn’t like this guy.After the man appeared in social circles, Liv was in a hurry not to run into him. Even when she was in the same room with him, she felt insignificant and uncomfortable as if she was wearing clothes that didn’t fit.“Your lips are bleeding.”When she swept her lips with her tongue, she felt a bitter taste. The cause of the trouble was that she couldn’t control her anger and bit her lip.“Let’s see……”Liv coldly slapped the large hand approaching her without realizing it. Then, as if surprised by herself, she opened her rabbit-like eyes and looked at the man.The man moved his hand several times and smiled softly, as if his sharply slapped hand hurt quite a bit.“Oh, I’m sorry. I must have been mistaken for a moment.”He shifted his gaze toward Liv and looked at Anton. The eyes looking at him had a different sharpness than when he looked at Liv.“We are not married yet. Isn’t that right, Baron?”“Well……”Anton only smoothed his mustache and glanced at Liv, but said nothing.“I have come to tell you something more pressing than that. This time, Vergo decided to make a deal with a new country, and I want to put Ragnell’s name on the goods I will send there. What do you say, Baron?”Liv was very disgusted with the title Baron he gave at the end of his sentence. It sounded like a sarcastic remark as if they were just barons.If you ask a stranger who you think is the most noble person here, you will naturally choose that man. She felt unsightly with the expensive accessories and dresses wrapped around her.“……I have no reason to object.”“They urged me to get the goods quickly, so I plan to finish everything by next month.”“…….”“But I have no relationship with Ragnell, so I don’t feel like putting that name in?”She got a sense of what he was trying to say. Liv clenched her fists.“I hope to get married within this month. What do you think, Baron?”‘I don’t want to.’Liv desperately mouthed towards Anton.Unlike the pale Liv, the man was so relaxed that he even looked arrogant.‘That lowly bastard……’Anton had a strong resentment within him, but it soon subsided. The proposal he made was very attractive. After a short deliberation, he opened his mouth.“I see.”Liv couldn’t stand it any longer and opened the door and left.The man sat naturally on the sofa nearby. Anton approached the sofa without saying anything.“Sit down, Baron.”The owner of this place is obviously Anton, but from the looks of his actions, he seems to be the owner.The room was quickly filled with acrid smoke when the man took a cigar from his inner pocket, put it in his mouth, and lit a fire. Hello, everyone~! Eica, here. If you find any mistakes, please do not hesitate to inform me. And, I'm sorry in advance for any mistranslations that might occur.