The Northern Duke’s Daughter Will Never Fall

Chapter 3: Astrid Makes a Decision

Astrid gazed out the carriage window as it carried them back to the mansion.

The scenery outside was nothing short of breathtaking.

The setting sun cast a crimson glow over the farmland, enveloping it in a warm, fiery hue. Workers, having finished their day’s labor, were seen stretching their backs. 

They gathered the remaining chaff and bundled it into straw stacks after threshing the harvested crops.

It was a sight of abundance.

Such a scene was rare in the northern Miterien territory, where Astrid’s family estate was located.

The cold climate made it difficult to cultivate such fields. Only at the very edge of the domain, where it just barely touched the temperate zone, could any semblance of farming be found. 

Most of the territory’s residents survived through hunting, selling the meat, fur, and leather they obtained to purchase grains.

***

“Astie.”

“Yes, Father.”

“It’s just the two of us here, isn’t it?”

Wolfgang gazed at his beloved daughter with a smile that, for him, was as gentle as he could muster.

Faced with his expectant gaze, Astrid hesitated for a moment. After a long pause, she lowered her head slightly and, in a small, shy voice, responded without looking him in the eye.

“…Daddy.”

“That’s my girl.”

Wolfgang’s smile deepened with satisfaction as he watched Astrid’s face turn bright red with embarrassment.

Both Wolfgang and his old friend Kreutz had children late in life. To them, their daughter and son were precious beyond measure — children so dear that even if you put them in your eye, it wouldn’t hurt.

The children were born in the year the war ended, and Wolfgang believed they were blessed children.

That belief wasn’t wrong. Both children grew up to be exceptionally intelligent, sharp-witted, and stunningly beautiful. 

When they were five, Wolfgang and Kreutz made a firm promise — once the children turned twenty, they would have them marry each other.

However, a new clause was later added, requiring that the Crown Prince must attend the Imperial Military Academy. 

As a result, the wedding was delayed, but it was still seen as a matter of time rather than a change in plans.

Then, six months ago, something unexpected happened.

Astrid had been coming down the stairs for dinner when she suddenly lost consciousness, tumbling down the stairs and hitting her head on the way down. 

For an entire month, she lay unconscious, and despite being fed every possible herbal remedy and treated by court magicians and even the master of the southern Magic Tower, there was no sign of improvement.

Wolfgang had begun to fear that she might never wake up.

But on the thirtieth day, Astrid suddenly opened her eyes — as if all that worry had been a lie. Afterward, however, her behavior seemed completely different from before.

They attributed it to side effects from being in a coma for so long. The servants were ordered to take special care of her, and thanks to their devoted attention, she gradually seemed to return to her old self.

And now, here she was, seated across from Wolfgang, gazing quietly out of the carriage window as they returned from the formal betrothal meeting.

To Wolfgang, she was still his adorable, precious daughter.

***

“Astie, what are you thinking about so deeply?”

“Well…”

Astrid pursed her grayish lips, pressing them into a firm line. Her gaze remained fixed on the farmland and fields outside the window.

Even after a long silence, she didn’t respond.

Seeing this, Wolfgang was just about to call her name again when she finally spoke.

“…Do I really have to get married?”

Her words were like a bolt from the blue.

“What on earth are you talking about, Astie?”

“I’m already twenty years old now, and… I’d like to see more of the world before I settle down.”

“Hoh…”

Wolfgang let out a deep breath, rubbing his chin.

He understood where she was coming from.

She had just turned twenty.

Unlike most young ladies of her age, who spent their days reading novels, doing cross-stitching, knitting, and attending social gatherings, Astrid was a “white panther of the snowy plains” — more accustomed to breaking the bones and cracking the skulls of foreign invaders than to handling a needle and thread.

Wolfgang did feel a little sorry for his daughter.

Blessed with the grace of the stars, Astrid would never be able to live as a simple, ordinary young lady. It was understandable that she would feel hesitant about marriage.

“I understand how you feel, Astie,” Wolfgang said softly.

“In that case, Daddy—”

“I know you don’t get along well with Leopold. But that was over ten years ago, wasn’t it? And even then, it wasn’t as if Leopold did it on purpose — it was an accident.”

“Daddy.”

“Things like that are bound to happen in life. Over time, people forget, and bonds form naturally. And besides…”

Wolfgang trailed off. He didn’t want to say it, but he had to.

“If you become part of the Einthafen royal family, if our Miterien family is joined with the imperial line… the future of the Einthafen Empire will be as smooth as a paved road.”

Astrid pressed her lips together tightly, silent once more.

Her mint-green eyes turned back toward the window.

The carriage had left the bountiful farmlands behind and was now making its way up a mountain path.

Marriage… marriage, huh.

Astrid chewed on Wolfgang’s words as they echoed in her mind.

Half a year. Only half a year.

No matter how familiar one might be with it from reading books, experiencing a fantasy world firsthand was a completely different story. It took far more time to adapt.

Even putting aside the way of speaking, he couldn’t understand where Astrid — the original owner of this body — had gone. Why was he now occupying this body instead?

But from Astrid’s perspective, there was no choice but to adapt as quickly as possible.

A world with no computers, no television, and no smartphones was mind-numbingly boring.

Her one driving goal was simple: Return to the original world as soon as possible.

And to achieve that goal, she set her immediate objective: Survival.

No one should ever suspect that Astrid von Miterien was anything but herself.

She had to blend in seamlessly, act flawlessly, and leave no room for doubt.

And from that point, she would figure out a way to return to her original world.

That was her ultimate goal.

Then, like a bolt from the blue, came the news that shattered her resolve — marriage.

As someone who had originally been a man, no amount of “adapting” could prepare her for that.

On top of that, marriage meant… doing that.

And if she ever had to accept doing that —

“That would make me female, wouldn’t it?! No way. No way! Absolutely not. Never. Not in a million years. I’m not doing it. I won’t do it. I am and must remain a no-romantic man!”

I will not be a slave to hormones. I will become romance itself — No Romance.

With this new determination, Astrid added another goal to her list.

But it was inconvenient not knowing anything about her current situation.

At the moment of possession, she was suddenly twenty years old. She had already debuted in high society, and her reputation was, quite frankly, in the gutter.

As a grand duke’s daughter, invitations to social gatherings flooded in every week, but Astrid rejected them all.

Who cares about etiquette or proper manners? I have no idea what any of that is.

Using her “illness” as an excuse, she declined every invitation, and only after consistently doing so did the flood of invitations finally die down.

Despite all these hurdles, she somehow managed to make it to the formal engagement meeting — only to make the worst possible choice there.

Still, she had successfully bought herself four more years.

“I have to return. No matter what it takes, I will return.”

But there was a problem — the academy.

If you’ve read any of those novels, you know that the academy is where everything goes wrong.

All the trouble happens there.

It’s where male protagonists, with their alpha-male dominance, make hearts throb, and the female lead eventually “submits” and becomes just another “female” in one of those storylines.

And the place where those plots unfold is always the academy.

From Astrid’s perspective, the academy was the only legitimate excuse to delay the wedding. It wasn’t a choice she would have made willingly, but it was an undeniably effective reason. And since she hadn’t known Leopold would be attending too, she thought it would be the safest route to avoid romantic entanglements with the main character.

Had she known in advance, she never would have picked it.

The academy.

And next week, Astrid would have to go there as well.

The emperor himself had granted her entrance via imperial decree. There was no backing out now. No excuse would be sufficient to avoid it.

***

“Daddy.”

“Yes, my dear?”

The moment she called for him, Wolfgang’s blue eyes locked onto her.

Those eyes sparkled in many different ways.

When facing barbarian invaders, his eyes burned like the sharp gaze of a white tiger, brimming with killing intent and combat spirit.

When governing internal affairs with his vassals, his eyes glowed with intellect and insight.

When visiting his people in the territory, his eyes were as warm and gentle as a father’s love.

And when he looked at Astrid like this, his eyes softened into those of a kind, doting father.

“Daddy, which unit do you want me to join?”

“The Heavy Cavalry Knights, of course. The heavy cavalry is the flower of the battlefield. While the Magic Knights may have its prestige, in the end, neither as knights nor as mages are they truly first-class. In the end, it’s the heavy cavalry that charges deep into enemy lines, breaks them down, and plants the banner of victory. Tricks and gimmicks have no place on the battlefield. Understand?”

Just a single word from him was enough.

With that, Astrid made her decision.

***

Her Three Objectives:

Find a way back to her original world. No matter what.

If that’s impossible, break off the engagement by any means necessary and become an official member of the Heavy Cavalry Knights at the academy.

Once the training is complete, return to the estate, inherit her father’s title, and live out the rest of her days in peace.

***

If I become the Grand Duke, I’ll be able to live a quiet, peaceful life.

If she absolutely couldn’t return to her original world, this backup plan was still a perfectly fine option.

Yes…

I am the Grand Duchess of the North.

I am Astrid von Miterien — the unbreakable, impregnable fortress that will never fall.

My life is a life with no romance.

It must be.

Absolutely.