Read Rewriting the Marriage Contract Novel Translation Chapter 2

(다시 쓰는 결혼 계약서)

Original: 백설홍 (White Snow) | Translation: Genie

#josei #drama #romance #contract-marriage #mature #fantasy

---

1. The Contract Marriage

“That over there is the imperial palace of Nervenan, often called the heart of the continent, Princess.”

At the maid’s words, Laniakea turned her gaze towards the colossal structure visible through the window.

The heart of the continent.

Some might deem the moniker arrogant. However, those who laid eyes on the imperial palace for the first time could not help but agree.

It was truly vast and majestic.

The maid seemed eager to see a spark of awe on Laniakea’s face.

Laniakea Friatra.

Princess of Friatra, a kingdom nestled deep within the Gigantes mountain range in the easternmost edge of the continent.

For someone who had lived in such a remote place to behold the imperial palace for the first time, awe would seem natural.

“Walking through this entire place would be impossible.”

That was Laniakea’s honest impression upon seeing the palace for the first time.

Of course, voicing such a thought would have been unwise. Instead, she adopted an expression carefully blending wonder and admiration, and replied, “It’s truly beautiful. Even more magnificent than I had imagined.”

The maid, seemingly unsatisfied with Laniakea’s measured reaction, began hurriedly listing the palace’s history and grandeur.

The gate they had just passed was constructed during the reign of the first emperor. That garden over there was commissioned by an empress several generations ago, and so on.

Laniakea listened absentmindedly, letting her gaze drift to the sprawling palace scenery beyond the window.

This was to become her new home. Yet, not a single shred of emotion stirred within her for the place.

─── ･: .☽ . :･ ───

The carriage carrying Laniakea continued its journey into the inner palace.

Even within the inner palace, there were more than ten grand structures that resembled mansions.

The carriage came to a halt at the largest and most splendid of these.

“You have arrived at the Empress’s Palace.”

The Empress’s Palace.

The maid’s words caused a lump to rise in Laniakea’s throat.

As a princess of a small kingdom, her journey to the empire had been entirely at the empress’s behest.

Two months ago, a letter bearing the seal of the Empress of the Nervenan Empire had arrived at the Friatra royal court.

The royal family was so astounded that they double-checked the authenticity of the envoy delivering the letter multiple times.

And with good reason—Friatra was a minor kingdom, a remote, secluded land nestled in the rugged Gigantes mountain range.

Without noteworthy resources, Friatra was a place no one coveted. Yet, it held a modicum of renown across the continent.

It was the oldest surviving kingdom, and its royal family was said to carry the blood of the fabled fae who once inhabited the Gigantes range.

As proof, Friatra’s royalty inherited the silver hair and green eyes synonymous with the fae, and their beauty was unforgettable.

Had that been their only asset, Friatra would have been destroyed by more powerful kingdoms long ago.

Yet, the royal family also inherited the fae’s power.

Most of them possessed formidable abilities in spirit magic—a near-extinct art that was exceptionally potent within Friatra’s borders.

This power had ensured the kingdom’s survival for over a millennium.

And so, Friatra had quietly persisted in isolation—until the empire’s unexpected letter arrived.

The empress’s letter was filled with elaborate rhetoric, but its message was straightforward.

The Empress wished for the third princess of Friatra, Laniakea, to become the wife of Nervenan’s first imperial prince, Hypherion.

Upon reading this, the royal court fell silent, each member eyeing the other nervously.

They had immediately discerned the Empress’s true intent.

The Empress sought to pair the unsupported, figurehead prince with a powerless bride.

Why else would she specifically name Laniakea, the weakest of Friatra’s three princesses?

Compared to her elder sisters, who were praised as incarnations of the first king due to their immense spirit magic, Laniakea was ordinary.

The only spirits she could summon were of the lowest rank, and she could only summon one at a time.

Even her appearance was considered a blemish in Friatra. Unlike her sisters’ flawless silver hair, Laniakea’s hair had a golden sheen—a hue deemed tarnished and impure by royal standards.

She was the princess who lingered unnoticed at the edges of royal banquets, silently keeping to herself.

Hypherion, her intended groom, held a similarly precarious position.

His mother, the late empress, had passed away when he was young. His father, the emperor, had remarried, and the current empress had borne three sons.

The emperor’s affection for his new empress grew with time, granting her considerable influence as he aged.

When Hypherion was eight, the empress sent him to a distant monastery, ostensibly to recover from grief over his mother’s death.

By the time he returned to court at the age of twenty-five, his base of support had vanished, and the empress wielded all real power.

No one believed Hypherion could ascend to the throne.

Yet, the Empress sought to extinguish even the faintest possibility by arranging his marriage to a powerless bride.

That bride was Laniakea.

When the marriage proposal was finalised, Laniakea considered her options.

Refusal was out of the question—the kingdom could not afford to deny the empire.

Her decision was solidified by her family’s reaction.

Her parents and sisters, elated at the prospect of ridding themselves of their “blemished” family member, revealed their relief plainly.

“It’s time for me to leave this place,” Laniakea realised.

To her, her family had always been less than strangers.

While outsiders maintained a semblance of respect for her royal status, her own family treated her as a disgrace.

She had longed to escape this life since childhood.

But how?

Most Friatra royals married within the kingdom, their lives confined to the royal court.

This imperial proposal, however, was her golden ticket.

Hypherion was rarely at court, and when his siblings ascended the throne, he would likely relocate to a distant province—taking Laniakea with him.

“I could live quietly, far away.”

Even if he didn’t favour her, or worse, sought a divorce, it was better than staying in Friatra.

For Laniakea, this was her chance to escape.

“This is my opportunity.”

Laniakea had made her decision:

She would go to the empire and live her life as quietly and unobtrusively as possible.

─── ･: .☽ . :･ ───

The Empress greeted Laniakea with a warm voice.
“You must be weary from your long journey.”

Although the woman before her was the mother of three grown princes, she didn’t look her age. Her youthful, beautiful appearance was striking. Yet, behind that facade of charm, her sharp, calculating gaze rivalled that of the most seasoned courtiers, setting Laniakea on edge.

“It is no trouble at all. I spent the journey admiring the beauty and grandeur of the empire, leaving no room for fatigue to settle,” Laniakea replied politely.

The Empress’s lips curved into a smile at her response.
“These sights will soon become part of your daily life. You’ll grow accustomed to them quickly.”

From the very beginning, the Empress had treated Laniakea in a manner befitting a subordinate.

Though the marriage had not yet been formalised, and despite Laniakea’s weak position as the third princess, she was still, in essence, Friatra’s representative in the empire. To dismiss her status so casually was deliberate.

“You’ll also see much of me, so there’s no need to be so tense,” the Empress added, her tone laced with feigned reassurance.

It was no accidental oversight. Someone at the very heart of the imperial palace, a place teeming with political intrigue, wouldn’t make such a mistake.

The Empress was sending a message to Laniakea from the start: you have no choice in this marriage, and Friatra is of no consequence here.

Her gaze shifted, taking in Laniakea fully. “Looking at you now, it’s clear that the legends of Friatra were not exaggerated. Don’t you all agree?”

The maids standing nearby nodded in agreement.

Internally, they were surprised. Tales of Friatra’s royal family were widely known. Their beauty was said to be as exceptional as their powers.

However, they had heard that Laniakea, the third princess, was the least remarkable among her siblings. Given this, they assumed her beauty would pale in comparison to the others.

Yet, from the moment she entered the Empress’s palace, Laniakea had captured everyone’s attention.

Her platinum hair shone like sunlight collected in threads, and her green eyes mirrored the richest hues of summer foliage.

Her features were so flawlessly composed, it seemed impossible for a face to be this harmonious.

A knock at the door broke the moment.

With the Empress’s permission, an attendant stepped inside and approached her, whispering something into her ear.

The Empress’s expression shifted slightly, betraying her surprise.
“The first prince is here? Already?”

Dismissing the attendant, she turned back to Laniakea.
“Princess, you are aware of the marriage contract, I presume?”

─── ･: .☽ . :･ ───