Brittany had this uneasy feeling in her gut, so she approached her dad, "Dad, what''s up?"


    "There''s been a message from the pce... they want you to..." Yuri nced at Brittany''s expression, "marry Ivy''s brother, Eltham."


    "What?"Belonging to N?velDrama.Org.


    Brittany was speechless, now understanding why the Queen had inquired about her love life.


    "No way, Dad. I already have someone I like."


    Brittany was adamant. She had never even met Eltham; how could she possibly marry him?


    "Calm down."


    Yuri was in a tough spot too, "Bri, I know this is sudden, but my hands are tied."


    He lowered his voice, "With Princess Ivy gone, the royal family''s focus is all on Eltham. Royal marriages, they''ve always been about alliances."


    The royal family knew Ivy and Dominic''s marriage was just for show; they didn''t care about love, just the strategic alliance.


    With Ivy out of the picture, Eltham''s marriage became their top priority.


    In all of Craneville, Brittany was deemed the most suitable match for Eltham.


    Even though Brittany was divorced, she was the sole heir to the Lte family fortune, a tantalizing prospect for the royals.


    Yuri didn''t want Brittany to marry Eltham, for two reasons. Firstly, in Craneville, marrying into royalty meant women had to follow royalmands, acting as mere figureheads and attending events without any chance of pursuing their own careers. If Brittany married Eltham, taking over the Lte Conglomerate would be out of the question.


    Secondly, while the royal life seemed morous, it was fraught with intrigue and danger.


    He didn''t want Brittany caught up in all that, wishing instead for her to live her own life.


    Hearing all this, Brittany''s face turned pale.


    "The word from the pce has spread, this marriage..."


    The Lte family had long been a thorn in the pce''s side.


    Now, wanting to marry Brittany was clearly a move to bring the Lte Conglomerate under royal control.


    Yuri felt powerless to oppose the marriage.


    Brittany couldn''t believe things had escted to this point, panicking, "Dad, I really don''t want to marry Eltham-we don''t even know what each other looks like " She already had someone she loved.


    Yuri understood, "Don''t worry, I''ll try to talk to the Queen, but if the pce insists, there''s nothing I can do."


    Even with all their wealth, the Ltes'' fate was still in the royals'' hands.


    Brittany knew Yuri had done his best, sighing deeply.


    ...


    Ivy had passed away.


    The Hartman family was devastated.


    Dominic, her husband, worked with the pce on the funeral arrangements.


    Ever since marrying Ivy, Dominic had maintained the image of a loving husband. His tearful appearance at the funeral sparked widespread discussion.


    On the day of the funeral, Dominic was there early.


    Estelle Ulbricht woke up to a phone call, "Estelle, I''ve left Craneville."


    It was Ivy.


    "My princess."


    "Don''t call me a princess, I''m just Ivy now," Ivy said with a smile. "My affairs should be in order by now. After a while, you and Dominic can be together." "Thank you, Ivy."


    Ivy waved it off, the young man by her side hugging her quietly, his eyes full of tenderness.


    "I should be thanking you. Marrying Dominic, I made you carry a lot of me," Ivy knew that all three of them had been victims from the start.