Born Again for the Nation

At my engagement banquet, my cousin Erin Zane pretended to be drunk and drugged herself. Tearfully, she clutched my dress and begged, "Marina, please, let Jude save me, won't you? Marina, it's just for one night. Please, have a little mercy on me."I looked down at Erin, kneeling and sobbing at my feet, and sighed. "Erin, Jude and I are already engaged. If you do this… what will people say? How will you ever marry after this?"Jude Langdon, standing beside me, frowned in disgust. "I'm engaged to your cousin. You're revolting." With that, he kicked Erin aside and pulled me away.I glanced back at my cousin sprawled on the floor in pain, and in the end, my heart softened. I called for the Eastons' youngest son, Mason—who always had a thing for Erin—to help her.Erin and Mason were already betrothed, and he was a man of good character. I knew he would never breathe a word of what happened. Asking him for help was, at the time, the best way to protect her.But when Erin woke and found

George's face lit up with delight instantly.He had never liked Erin. To him, she was petty and calculating, the kind of woman who schemed behind every smile. If not for his son's foolish affection for her, he would never have let someone like her step through his family's doors. Now that he saw I was willing to consider his proposal, he was more than pleased."Marina," George began warmly, "I can't promise you the world, but there are a few things I can guarantee. First, once you and Mason are married, we'll divide the family holdings. I'll go straight to the notary to make it official—each of my two sons will receive 40% of our assets, and the remaining 20% will be kept for me and my wife to live on."Second…" He drew out the word, casting a disdainful glance at Jude before continuing lazily, "Our family values propriety. We would never allow something as shameful as an engagement banquet turning into a scandal between a groom and his fiancee's cousin. And lastly, after the marria

A week later, I agreed to marry Mason. George was so overjoyed that he personally helped Mason prepare the wedding."You don't know how long I've had my eye on that girl Marina. She's the perfect lady—educated, well-mannered. You'd better treat her right, or I'll have your hide!"When Mason told me about it later, I couldn't help laughing as I sat on the swing in the back garden. "Why does your father like me so much?"Mason scratched his head, a little embarrassed. "My family's been a line of soldiers for generations. My brother and I are the first ones to actually get an education, so my father's always hoped one of us would marry a proper lady from a family of scholars. My sister-in-law came from a military background too, so…"I covered my mouth, stifling a giggle. "So, your father finally got his wish?"Mason nodded. "You could say that."My smile faded as I looked at him. "And what about you?"He blinked, a little startled. "Me?"I nodded. "What's your dream? Don't you re

I never imagined I would see Jane Kingswell on the battlefield. When she was carried in, her right arm had already been blown to pieces, and she was completely unconscious.The other medics and I rushed forward to help bandage her wounds. But with the limited medical supplies we had, the only thing we could do was amputate.I held her down on the stretcher while a nurse heated an iron saw and sawed through what remained of her right arm. Jane came to midway through the operation, then fainted again from the pain—but she never once screamed.When she finally woke, the first thing she asked was, "I won't be able to fight anymore, will I?"I looked at where her right arm used to be and tried to comfort her. "You can still help us behind the lines. You—""No need to comfort me," she cut me off. "Compared to those who died out there, I'm the lucky one, aren't I?"I lowered my head without answering. She was right—luck was relative.Then, she suddenly asked, "Do you know which unit we

Jane wrested free from my grip, muttering with a pout, "Stop tugging—have some decency!"I poked her. "I like it!"Then, she leaned in, curiosity bright in her eyes. "But was the diary really yours? Can I see it?"I shoved her away, repeating, "Stop tugging—have some decency!"Jane's eyes widened. "Hey, don't be ridiculous—I didn't yank you!"I ignored her and kept walking. "Then, explain why everyone said you were jealous back then."She hurried after me. "Ah, that was just my father worrying I'd get the short end of the stick, and my temper didn't help—people just made it into gossip. Come on, give me your diary. We've been through thick and thin; let me see it."In the end, I couldn't refuse, and I handed the diary to her. She carried it everywhere, often holding Hope on her lap and having the little girl read the entries aloud.Over and over, the worn pages were read—through Hope's elementary years, through middle school—until the girl could recite the diary by heart.One