All Chapters of Born Again for the Nation: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1 The Night Everything Changed

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

Chapter 2 Between Blood and Honor

When I woke again, dusk had already fallen. My parents, my aunt, and the Easton and Langdon families were all gathered in the room.The moment I opened my eyes, Jude's mother, Catherine, hurried over to help me sit up. "Oh, sweetheart, you're awake," she said kindly.But I pulled away from her touch and threw myself into my mother's arms, sobbing uncontrollably. Anyone watching would have thought I was a poor girl whose heart had been completely shattered.Catherine awkwardly withdrew her hand. "Marina, dear, what's done is done. Why don't we… let your cousin be with Jude too? Don't worry, the title of Mrs. Langdon will still belong to you."Then, she turned toward Jude and Erin, standing behind her. "Our idea is to let Erin live with you. That way, you sisters can support each other, and no one's reputation has to suffer. What do you say?"My father let out a cold snort. "What a clever scheme you've cooked up. You think I'll let my daughter marry into your family after this? Drea

Chapter 3 The Proposal

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

Chapter 4 A Different Kind of Battle

I looked up at Jude and thought he was absolutely delusional. "Mr. Langdon, are you sure you're in any position to talk about feelings? When you were in bed with my cousin at our engagement banquet, did you stop to consider mine? Maybe worry about yourself before preaching to others."Jude's face turned from red to pale, his jaw trembling with fury. "Very well, Marina—you'd better not regret this!"With that, he grabbed Erin by the wrist and stormed out. As they left, Erin turned to glance at me, her lips curving into a smug smile as she mouthed, 'I won.'Watching her strut away, head held high, I couldn't help but laugh under my breath. Did she really believe marrying into the Langdon family would bring her happiness? The Langdons were merchants—ruthless ones. A man like Jude was incapable of truly loving anyone.If he had ever loved her, he would have broken off our engagement cleanly and married her honorably. But he hadn't. He'd had six whole months to end things with me, and i

Chapter 5 Vows and Chains

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

Chapter 6 The Fire of a New Nation

I looked straight at Erin. "Instead of sticking your nose where it doesn't belong, maybe you should think about how to win your man back from his wife."Erin was about to strike me when George stepped in. "No one lays a hand on my daughter-in-law on my watch! Especially not in my house!"Alice helped me to a chair. "It's been sent out just as you instructed. Don't worry—Mason will be home soon."Only then did my heart finally settle. The "delivery" was the horse ranch I'd asked my father to purchase. I'd originally wanted him to make a fortune from it—after all, in my previous life, Jude had grown rich off that same ranch after my death. I hadn't expected it would now serve such an important purpose.George ordered his men to throw Erin out and even had them send Jude's wife a message. "Tell Jane to keep her servants in line."Erin went pale as a sheet. All her arrogance vanished as she dropped to her knees, begging George for mercy. He merely gave her a cold glance before gesturi

Chapter 7 Betrayal on the Front

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

Chapter 8 The End of War, the Weight of the Past

When Hope turned ten, the war finally ended in victory. I held my two sons by the hand while Mason carried our daughter, and together we stood in the capital to witness the birth of the new Elaron.On the city tower stood the soldiers who had fought through blood and fire. Some had lost a leg, some an arm, and some—only their torso remained. They leaned on one another, sharing the joy of survival and triumph.Below, crowds filled the streets—men, women, and children celebrating the dawn of freedom. Many had lost sons, husbands, or fathers. Some had lost their entire families.Though victory had arrived, many of our comrades never returned. Some left no bodies to bury, only names carved into the heart of the new nation. They would forever remain on the battlefield, forever young.Mason had suffered injuries years before, and whenever it rained, the old wounds in his limbs ached terribly. On gloomy days, all three of our sweet children would gather around him, massaging his arms and

Chapter 9 Pages That Quieted Time

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

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