Throne of Silk and Smoke

When Father asks me who I want to marry, I resolutely give up on Prince Maurice Swain. I choose to marry his uncle, Prince Gideon Swain.

Father is confused. After all, everyone in the capital knows that I'm desperately in love with Maurice. I've said more than once that he's the only man I'll marry.

I only have a bitter taste in my mouth. I married Maurice in my past life, and I gave my all in managing the household. Yet he never came home and even took a mistress behind my back.

When I eventually became bedridden after wearing myself out, he brought Camilla Chapman back and threw her a grand wedding. The children they'd secretly had together came with her.

It was only then that I realized the tonics Maurice had given me had rendered me infertile and weak. They slowly ate away at me from the inside.

I watched as Maurice and Camilla lived a happy life with their children. I chose to let them have what they wanted.

Now that I've been reborn, I'm going to stay away from Maurice and marry Gideon instead. Yet when Maurice finds out, he goes berserk. He stands before me with his eyes bloodshot as he forbids me from marrying Gideon.

Not long after Father entered the palace to ask for a marriage decree on my behalf, the palace urgently sent someone to summon me for an audience. I knew this had to be because of my marriage, so I followed the palace chamberlain, David Smith, to the palace.

However, before I got to the imperial study, I ran into Maurice Swain and one of his buddies. They approached me, and Maurice asked coldly, "Where are you going? You seem like you're in a hurry."

"Your Highness, Ms. Chapman has been summoned to the palace to see the emperor and empress. They want to speak to her about her marriage," David answered.

Maurice and his friend immediately smiled mockingly. His friend said, "Looks like you're really excited to marry Maurice, Ms. Chapman."

"You're the chancellor's daughter, Giselle. Why don't you have any of the self-respect and dignity every proper lady should have? You're so desperate to marry me that you're even getting Father and Her Majesty involved," Maurice said.

His friend added, "I bet she's going to use Their Majesties to force you into marrying her, Maurice."

I looked at them, clearly seeing the scorn and disdain in Maurice's eyes. It was too bad I'd been so foolish in my past life that I'd thought that was just what he was like. I'd thought he wasn't nasty deep inside. Now, I realized how dumb I'd been.

I said, "Rest assured that I know my place, Prince Maurice. I'm wholly undeserving of you."

Maurice and his friend laughed at my words. He said, "I'm glad you know that! Still, becoming a nun is all you can do if you don't marry me. After all, everyone in the capital knows that you're