I lowered my head and explained coolly:
"I am the Young Madam of the marquis's household. Because of certain circumstances, I married into the family to seek temporary refuge."
"Now that James Brooks has returned, of course I can't continue to occupy the position of his wife."
I stood up and bowed:
"I will willingly request a divorce and won't trouble the young general any further."
Jordan Miller anxiously paced, glancing back and forth between me and James Brooks:
"This... that's not how it is!"
James Brooks's face was expressionless, his jaw set tight:
"You've been the Young Madam for so long—what's the rush to get divorced in just a day or two?"
I suddenly looked up and saw James Brooks's eyes dart away.
Alright then.
Lied to me again.
I sneered inwardly, but kept my face neutral:
"Rest assured, young general. I'll have the divorce letter ready by tomorrow."
17
After settling Miss Yun into the marquis's residence and having dinner, it was nearly midnight.
I sat motionless on the bed, lost in thought.
Sure enough, not long after, a gentle knock sounded at the door.
I opened the door, and standing there was James Brooks.
I showed no expression:
"May I ask what brings the young general to my door in the middle of the night?"
James Brooks looked at me with a wounded expression:
"A Ning, my master said I wasn't dead, just that my soul had left my body. I wanted to tell you before, but my master wouldn't allow it—he said it would reveal the secrets of fate."
"Miss Yun and my master found my body. She only came here with me for the money."
"A Ning, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lied to you."
I let out a cold laugh:
"Did we know each other before, young general?"
With that, I slammed the door shut.
I paid no attention to James Brooks's pained cries from outside.
The next day, sure enough, Miss Yun left with a pile of gold.
James Brooks, Jordan Miller, and I stood at the door, watching her walk away.
Once her figure disappeared from sight, I glanced at James Brooks, who was watching me expectantly, then turned and walked away.
James Brooks hurried after me.
Jordan Miller followed behind us with a smile.
There was nothing to worry about.
Seeing James Brooks anxiously pacing around me, I couldn't help but let out a laugh.
Alright, for Jordan Miller's sake, once I've calmed down, I'll forgive him.
My mother gave me the childhood name Alex Cooper.
First, she hoped I would have a peaceful life; second, that I would always be happy and carefree.
I think I've managed to do just that.
—
Side Story: Jordan Morgan
My name is Jordan Morgan. I was born in the Northern Marquis's household during the Dai Li dynasty.
I've always felt that I must have done a lot of good deeds in my past life to be born into such a family this time around.
My parents are harmonious, and my older brother loves me dearly.
Well... if you ignore the bruises that often appear on my father's face.
My brother's name is James Brooks. He's four years older than me, and our father is very strict with him.
Every morning, he has to get up early to practice martial arts and doesn't come home until late at night.
But I never had to do any of that.
I asked why.
Father held me in his arms, his face full of concern:
“You're a girl, so you don't have to bear the responsibilities of the marquisate. But your brother is a man—if I'm not strict with him, he won't be able to protect his own life on the battlefield in the future.”
It didn't feel right to me, but I didn't know what to say, so I ran to ask Mother.
Mother was silent for a while, then bent down and gently stroked my cheek:
"Isabella Cooper, do you feel like something isn't quite right?"
I thought for a moment:
“I'm also your child—why does my brother have to shoulder the responsibilities of the marquisate, but I don't? Is it just because I'm a girl?”
Mother didn't say anything.
After a long while, she finally sighed:
"I named you Isabella Cooper, hoping you could live a gentle, peaceful life. I never expected..."
Mother didn't finish her sentence, and I didn't understand what her sigh meant.
All I knew was that the next morning, Mother woke me up early and said, if I wanted to take on the responsibilities of the marquisate, I would have to get up and train just like my brother.
But this time, she would teach me herself.
I was overjoyed.
When Father found out, he didn't say anything. He just sighed and stopped interfering.
It wasn't until I grew up that I understood—Father didn't look down on women. It was just that the duty of the Northwatch Marquisate was to protect the peace of Dai Li.
That's why, in the Brooks family, every child had to study martial arts and military strategy from a young age, whether boy or girl.
But this wasn't necessarily a good thing, because in our family, every generation ended up dying on the battlefield.
My aunts, my uncles' wives—they all met the same fate.
So, in Dai Li, where women weren't allowed into ancestral halls or given memorial tablets, only the Brooks family had no such rules.
Father didn't want me to end up like my aunts or my uncles' wives, so he didn't let me learn anything.
But in the end, I still walked that path.
I once thought that everything I learned would never be needed.
But I was wrong.
When I was fourteen, Dai Li's borders were attacked by enemies from both sides.
Father chose to defend the North, leaving the South to my brother.
Mother was worried, so she went to the palace to plead with the Empress, then joined Father on the campaign.
Before they left, they each patted my head and told me to be good and wait for them to come home.
My upbringing kept me from begging, “Can you not go?”
Instead, I made Father, Mother, and my brother promise they would all return safely.
They smiled and agreed.
But Father and Mother still lied to me.
The deputy general said there were too many people on the battlefield—they couldn't find my parents.
All they could bring back were two cold memorial tablets.
I reached out to touch them.
They were so cold, nothing like my parents at all.
From then on, only my brother and I were left in the marquisate.
It took a long time, but eventually, my brother's smile began to return.
I knew he had fallen for a certain young lady.
As the eldest daughter of the Vu family, I was never favored.
My brother took me to secretly catch a glimpse of her, and I liked her very much.
I told my brother to go propose marriage.
He blushed, then shook his head:
“No, not now. It’s not possible yet.”
I lowered my head and said nothing.
My brother thought I didn’t know, but I had already overheard him talking with Jordan Miller.
He said he was about to leave for the Northern Frontier, and this time, he didn’t know if he’d live or die—he couldn’t make her wait for him.
He told Jordan Miller to prepare the betrothal gifts, and if he returned safely, he would go propose marriage.
If he didn’t come back...
He was silent for a long time, then softly said:
"Jordan Miller, I’ll have to entrust both Isabella Cooper and her to you."
My brother went off to war, and I didn’t make him swear any promises this time.
Instead, he patted my head and told me to stay home and wait for him to return.
But he broke his promise too.
Outsiders all said my brother was a deserter, that his mistakes in command led to defeat.
They said the undefeated reputation of the Northern Guardian Marquisate was all a lie.
Jordan Miller looked at me with worry.
I told him he was worrying too much, that I didn’t care about those reputations.
After all, it was just a false reputation—why should the whole Co family have to pay with their lives for it?
I wouldn’t be angry.
I was the last of the Co family. I had to live, to tell the story of our family to future generations.
I asked Jordan Miller to find me a memorial tablet.
I locked myself in the ancestral hall and carved my brother’s name onto it, stroke by stroke.
When I finished, I realized something.
I couldn’t lie to myself.
I snuck into the palace and requested an audience with the Emperor and the Empress.
I begged them to grant me permission to go to war.
The Empress was heartbroken:
“You are your parents’ only daughter. If something happens to you, how could I ever face A Dung?”
A Dung was my mother.
I silently knelt down and bowed my head to the floor, hard:
“If I see others attacking my parents and brother and do nothing, what meaning would Isabella Cooper’s life have?”
Above me, there was only the sound of the Empress weeping.
The Emperor remained silent.
After a long while, he finally uttered a quiet, "Very well."
I accepted the imperial decree and set out for the Northern Front.
Repeating the fate of the Co family.
When I was utterly exhausted, I heard the cheers of victory.
At last, I couldn't hold on any longer and slowly closed my eyes.
It was good.
In the end, I didn't let those people tarnish the honor of the Northern Guardian Marquisate.
I only regret it for Jordan Miller.
I told him to wait for me to come back.
But I broke my promise too.
— The End —