"Tea. Earl Grey. Hot." Commanded the silver-haired beauty with a wave of her hand towards her porcelain cup. Her sultry blue-purple eyes that sparkled like the galaxy looked off in the distance, half-lidded. 

"Pardon, my lady?" Said the personal maid, holding a teapot in confusion. "Earl Grey…? Is there an Earl named Grey? Will you be having tea with this lord, my lady?" 

"No… no, no, no, Emma. I'm sorry. I was just quoting something I heard once." The princess sighed, her gloved hand running down her face with a sigh. Being a nerd in a world where nerds didn't exist was both a blessing and a curse for the transmigrated barista. Being here for several months did nothing for her attempt at a comedy career within the confines of the palace. She sighed again as a knock was heard on the door.

"Come in." She said, the boredom evident in her voice. 

"Lady Veriana," bowed the knight upon entry, "The Count requests your presence in his office." 

"Of course." She nodded back, gently pushing herself off the couch and turning towards him. "Please lead the way." The knight nodded and held his arm out to escort the princess.

"If I may, my ladyship." He asked, and of course, she complied, her arm slipping around his elbow before they both walked down the overly-lavished hallways.  Verianna kept her eyes cast downwards, as she still hadn't adapted to this life of being waited on hand and foot. To go from a hospital-bound part-timer in modern times to a noble family in a fantasy novel. 

Not that she had much to complain about. Everything she asked for was provided to her; she was treated like she was held on an altar, and honestly, her new family was wonderful and kind. Previously, not having the best family scenario before - allegedly, passing away had made this whole new life a complete blessing. She instantly fell in love with her new life. Thankfully, besides the comedy attempts, the original Veriana and Nellie have similar personalities. Her only regrets were the guilt of taking over someone else's body and the jealousy that she wasn't born into this life, to begin with. 

The knight swiftly knocked on the office door they arrived at and received the awaited response. The doors opened, and the knight gently released the princess, bowing as he stayed in the entryway while she strolled into her father's office.

"My lord…" She dipped a low curtsy with ease that the body had been practicing for years before she overtook its consciousness. The foreboding silhouette turned around, and a smile crossed his well-groomed bearded face as his arms shot outward.

"Ria! I am your father first. Please remember that." He chuckled, waving his hand to the couches as the butler came over to pour some fresh tea for both of them.

"Yes, daddy." She smiled in response. Adjusting to a 19-year-old body was definitely something else. She gently set herself down on the cushioned upholstery. 

"You called for me?" the princess known as Ria asked her father. He paused as he reached for his teacup, a sigh escaping his bearded lips. 

"I have some… news." The count said regrettably before taking a sip of his tea. Ria nodded. In all honesty, she already knew what he was going to say - she knew what would happen eventually, just not exactly when. 

'It's the start of the novel…' she thought, the grief setting in behind her smile, eyes quickly fluttering closed while she took a shaking breath with a sip of her own tea. Ria was aiming for another couple of years to organize an escape plan or a way to change the story, but it seems she ran out of time. It is an inevitable fate for a noble lady with absolutely no political power after all. 

"You know that we are only a count family and that the power belongs to the nobles who united into their own union and land ownership. We are merely a shared governing party with deals out titles like cards…" 

"Yes, father…"

"We have our business we have been expanding through the mountains, but we have hit a bit of a snag - with advancing, with funds, and with trade negotiations. There is a marquis who owns a fife on the other side of the mountains. He has his own trading business that we cannot compete with. We cannot even enter its market. Our only way to advance has been completely cut off with no room for business talk."

"I'm sorry to hear that, father."

"Yes… The only solution is to put pressure on him politically, but that has also come with a few complications. You see, Marquesse Lamorak is quite the talented man - but also an incorrigible one. Everything I throw at him, he throws right back. That only seems to be leaving me with one option, as the ministers suggested. You see, it seems he has also gotten out of hand recently and we need to find a way to reign him back in."

"Yes…"

"This is where it gets frustrating, my dear. We have arranged a partnership of sorts. We have pressured the Marquesse to accept an alliance through the family to tie our businesses together. A political marriage-" he paused and looked up at his daughter before shamefully back down at his tea, "between you and the Marquesse…"

"I find it hard to believe that that discourageable man would agree to this…" She mumbled over her teacup, her face expressionless like a stone.  His father nodded solemnly. 

"Yes, he had a difficult time agreeing to this. But in the end, he had no choice. The king is putting a great deal of pressure on him to enforce this unity."

"… You are quite tenacious, father…" Ria nodded, slowly putting her teacup down quietly before nesting her folded hands into her lap. He nodded again in return. 

"So it seems that I have been given a baby princess that will be married off to the Marquesse after a few years of you growing up and learning the discipline of a high birth." Ria put her cup down and sighed, her fingers clenching. 

"Marriage…" she said, her face looking like a stone mask, "So that is the reason for all of this pressure." Her father's shoulders slouched as he sipped his own tea, still looking down. 

"Well… it is more than that, of course. The Marquesse family promised that the trade contract could not be revoked and would continue to move through other routes and trades, but there would be a loophole. We will not be involved at the end of the deal." Ria tilted her head sympathetically, her fingers continuing to rub at each other under her bent knees. 

"But…" Ria started before shifting her head, "...As much as I would love to see my father more, I understand that the political turmoil will not end unless I do this marriage. I believe myself to be a good political wife."

"Thank you, darling girl." He took her hand and kissed it before standing up. "I apologize, but I have work to do." He patted her on the head and sighed, his shoulders relaxing. He walked over to the silver desk and grabbed a filled scroll, "I believe that this paperwork will help you understand what is expected of you. I will personally show you the official contract and our conditions. I will be back home when you are through reading, but I do expect you to fulfill your obligation to the Marquesse under my name." 

"Yes, Father." She agreed, and he bowed as he quickly scurried out of the room. She sighed as she looked down at the paper in her hand, her fist tightening in frustration. She was going to escape her future death, whatever it took. She would do it all in a way that doesn't involve her hurting anyone else, no matter where this story goes next. She seriously doubted she had the power to take on two big political figures, but she would do it all in her own way no matter what. She looked down at the contract. Her eyes were looking up at a point on the paper to hide the tears forming in her eyes. 

"I'm sorry I can't do it in any other way, Father…" She whispered, quickly sniffling, stuffing the papers on his desk, and standing up. She scurried out of her father's office before making her way back to her room.