Riley tried to ignore the ‘affair theory’ and just waited for news to arrive from the capital.

She had heard that he swept through the capital a month ago, but he hadn’t contacted her once. So Riley had all sorts of thoughts.

Was he in a difficult situation, or had he already lost interest? Or maybe he didn’t even care about this silly affair theory.

No, maybe he’s already preparing to break off the engagement. He could ignore something like his mentor’s last wishes if he wanted to. Or he could plan the guardianship procedure as originally planned……

Why hasn’t he contacted her at all? She wanted to contact him first, but there was no means to send a message to Blestage in this rural area.

She thought about going to Blestage to meet him in person, but soon gave up. If she went to the capital unnecessarily, it might just add fuel to the affair theory.

As his kind and caring image from the day she left Blestage overlapped, her worry and anxiety grew even more.

“Why are you so distracted today?”

“I’m sorry.”

“Do you have some concern?”

“……No, can we stop here for today? I’m not feeling well.”

Mrs. Berickseed carefully examined Riley’s pale face and nodded.

“You’ve been overdoing it lately. Let’s stop here for today.”

After Mrs. Berickseed left, Riley collapsed onto the bed.

‘This is the worst.’

She had pushed herself to continue with the education for the past few days.

Even her aunt had clicked her tongue, suggesting she take a break. Perhaps due to overdoing it, she wasn’t feeling well.

Her body felt heavy as lead and she was in a daze all day. The headache that started mildly had now spread into a severe pain that felt like her head was splitting.

However, more concerning than her worst physical condition was Givnen.

His image that had been floating around in her mind like contemplation every day now started appearing even in her dreams.

Moreover, all the dreams he appeared in were nightmares. Dreams of him pushing her into a hellfire pit, dropping her from the magic tower, marrying her off to Count Ermeints.

And among them, the absolute worst dream was of Givnen being stoned by the public.

In the dream, Givnen’s handsome face was covered in blood. She woke up screaming after seeing that hideous sight of him being hit by stones. It was truly the worst.

She couldn’t fall asleep easily, afraid of having another nightmare.

In the end, Riley started writing a letter to Givnen using paper and a quill pen.

When she finished the letter, carefully considering each word and pressing the quill pen firmly, the door opened and someone came in.

It was Claire.

“You. How long are you going to pretend not to know and hide like that?”

“……”

“Why don’t you demand to break off the engagement before you get dumped? I think that would be a little less embarrassing.”

With her mind already in turmoil, Claire deliberately added fuel to the fire with her sarcastic remarks.

“You’re a sinner to that man. How could you cause such trouble just to avoid your marriage, tsk. And you still want to go through with this marriage? Don’t you have any conscience? We’re about to suffer because of you too.”

“……Get out.”

“That’s why you’re like trash. If you hadn’t done such a stupid thing, would the Archmage of Horizon have had any reason to get involved with you? He probably wants to marry you because of the scandal, please come to your senses. Do you think that man is sincere about you rather than just playing with you?”

“……”

“Moreover, now at that age he’s become a scoundrel who stole another man’s woman, do you think he’d willingly become an adulterer, you fool. Do you know how prestigious the Ryanster family is? You’re the one who tarnished the reputation of that incredible family. You’d be lucky if you don’t face retaliation. You should be on your knees begging for forgiveness. You know that?”

Riley, who had been quietly listening to Claire’s lecturing, grabbed her throbbing head and glared at her. Thanks to Claire’s appearance and provocation, her already low mood plummeted to rock bottom.

“……So?”

“What?”

“……What do you want me to do?”

“Don’t you have any conscience?”

At Claire’s question, Riley let out a bitter laugh and answered in a tired voice.

“Do you have a conscience?”

“……What?”

“I don’t know why you’re so presumptuously lecturing about my marriage. Yes, as you said, I’m trash. I think of myself first, and only of myself. But I don’t think you, not Givnen Ryanster or anyone else, have any right to criticize that, do you?”

Claire was quite taken aback by Riley’s uncharacteristically strong response.

Regardless, Riley, who was irritated, snapped at Claire.

“Whether to break off the engagement or not is for Givnen Ryanster, that man, to decide. I don’t have the right to decide. You don’t have the right to decide either.”

“If you had a conscience, you should demand to break off the engagement first from your side. Act morally.”

“That’s funny. Do you think you’re in a position to talk about morality? Your uncle is a piece of trash who sells morality to make money, do you think you have the right to talk about morality when you live in luxury off money earned by sucking the blood of others?”

At Riley’s words, Claire flushed red with anger. Then she shouted with veins popping on her neck.

“What? Are you done talking now? Calling my father trash? It was my father who took you in when you had nowhere to go!”

“Living as an orphan with nowhere to go would have been much happier than living tied to your family now. I was treated worse than insects. Your father who tried to sell me off to an old man…… Your family who verbally abused, mocked, and mistreated me for years. You all live well after doing worse things than trash, so why can’t I live a little like trash?”

“If it was so horrible and you hated it so much, you should have left the house. Why did you keep clinging to our family like a bedbug? Don’t you think it’s ridiculous to say that?”

“……Because I believed. I thought that someday everyone would accept me as family. Yes, I lived with such a stupid thought back then. Not anymore though.”

“It’s because you act so stupidly like that that you can’t become family with us.”

Angered, Riley pushed Claire away irritably.

“Get out, disappear from my sight right now.”

“How dare you get so arrogant without knowing your place!”

Claire grabbed Riley’s hair. In response, Riley also grabbed her hair while seething. As a physical fight broke out like that, the servants who had been watching from outside were startled and began to try to stop them.

“Ah, young ladies, please calm down! Why are you doing this!”

As the commotion grew louder, Ryan and the baroness who were downstairs came up to the second floor.

“What in the world are you two doing!”

At Ryan’s shout, Claire let go of Riley’s hair first. Riley also let go of the hand that was grabbing Claire’s hair.

Claire shouted in an agitated state.

“This wench insulted father without any gratitude! I couldn’t stand it so……”

“It was you who insisted I demand to break off the engagement with Lord Ryanster, Claire.”

“What? Is what Riley said true, Claire?”

“Ah, father! Riley insulted you!”

“I’m asking if what Riley said is true!”

Claire was flustered by Ryan’s pressing and looked at the baroness while sobbing. The baroness, who had always been devoted to her own daughter, avoided Claire’s gaze after glancing at Ryan.

Claire shed tears with a shocked expression.

Ryan clicked his tongue at this and said in a cold voice.

“Come with me right now, Claire.”

Claire couldn’t understand.

It was Riley who insulted their parents, so why was she the only one being scolded? It felt so unfair. And Riley saw her own image from not too long ago in Claire’s appearance.

Claire, who was always loved no matter what she did. Riley, who was always mistreated no matter what she did.

Riley became distressed as the remnants of the past flashed before her eyes in Claire’s appearance.

“I heard from the tutor that you’re not feeling well. I’ll talk to Claire properly, so you should rest.”

“……Yes.”

After everyone left the room, Riley, left alone, lay down on the bed with the letter crumpled up in her sleeve.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to escape her troubled mind.

Even though Claire had swept through, the desire to see Givnen remained. She was afraid to see him, but on the other hand, she wanted to see him.

What was Givnen Ryanster to her anyway.

They hadn’t known each other for long and barely knew anything about each other. She closed her eyes, wondering why she was thinking of him at this moment.

She hoped she wouldn’t have a nightmare tonight.

·

·

·

Thud.

A small but clear sound.

Riley tossed and turned, opening her eyes wide.

“Mmph−!”

She opened her eyes but couldn’t see anything. She felt someone wrapping around her body.

“Ummph!”

‘What? What is this? Who……?’

Along with the feeling of her body floating, she felt a cold chill. The footsteps of several people, the unpleasant scent of strangers. And the ropes binding her body, the feeling of firm muscles touching her body.

Could it be…… I’m being kidnapped right now?

[This is the timeline separator]

Where on earth are they taking me? How many of them are there? Why are they doing this?

All sorts of question marks swam through her mind.

She had no idea what this situation was about. It seemed clear that she had been kidnapped. But why? By whom?

In the midst of such confusion, the carriage that had been running vigorously came to a stop. People she didn’t even know pulled her out. She felt a cold and chilly sensation.

This wasn’t just because of the cold night air. Feeling the killing intent penetrating to her bones, Riley trembled in extreme fear.

“We’ve brought her.”

They removed the blindfold that had been covering her eyes.

As soon as she raised her head, her eyes met with a familiar face.

“You are……”

“Do you recognize me?”

How could she forget that face?

That greasy and vicious face buried in bulging fat!

Riley stared at Count Ermeints in shock. No matter how crazy he was, to think he would go as far as staging this kidnapping!

“……Why are you doing this?”

“You ask because you don’t know?”

“……”

“I couldn’t sleep because I was so furious after that day!”

“……”

“It was the first time in my life I had suffered such an insult! Especially! It was the first time I had experienced such humiliation from a worthless wench like you!”

He wasn’t just old and perverted. He was petty too.

It was surprising that such a person really existed. To think that someone so narrow-minded was once praised as a war hero.

“You, rejecting marriage? Rejecting me?”

“……You’re truly insane.”

“That mouth! Don’t you realize that cursed mouth of yours is hastening your death?”

“……I didn’t do anything wrong. If there’s anything wrong, it’s your greed for wanting to marry someone young enough to be your child.”

Her voice was trembling, but she thought she had to speak.

She was so scared that tears came out, but she didn’t want to show the ugly sight of grabbing his pant leg and begging for her life even if she died right now. Besides, begging for her life seemed meaningless anyway.

Seeing how he had gone to such extremes, it was clear he had come here with the intention to kill her.

“You insolent wench!”

Count Ermeints struggled to raise his body. Then he approached Riley and suddenly kicked her.

Thud−

Even for an old and frail man, the kick was quite painful.

He kicked Riley hard with all his might, rolling his eyes like a madman. Riley curled her body into a ball and crouched down.

Then she clenched her teeth with all her might to suppress the scream that was about to burst out.

“This is why it doesn’t work. If you treat them well, they try to climb up docilely. This is why I hate pretty-faced wenches! With nothing to see but a pretty face, as soon as a young and handsome guy appears, they grin stupidly, such materialists. How dare they call someone else ugly! The truly ugly ones are your selfish materialistic selves!”

“……”

“All my ex-wives were like that too. Not knowing their place, rejecting me…… trying to climb up, trying to run away.”

“It’s because you’re like that…… that everyone hates you.”

“How dare you keep talking back!”

Thud, thud.

Count Ermeints continued kicking, then staggered.

“Huff, huff.”

Even though Riley was the one being hit, Count Ermeints’ complexion was pale.

He had run out of stamina after just a few kicks. Riley was dumbfounded by Count Ermeints’ appearance.

“Huff, gasp, phew…… My body is not what it used to be.”

“Please sit down for now, you might really collapse at this rate.”

Count Ermeints sat down on the chair with difficulty. Then he looked down at Riley, who was covered in mud and blood, and sneered.

“Huhuhuh. Those damned ex-wives were all like you. Looking down on me with vicious eyes, despising me…… How pathetic it was to see those vulgar things with nothing to boast about acting up without knowing their place! But do you know what’s funny?”

“……”

“Those who acted so high and mighty, looking down on me and putting on airs, when it came time to die, they begged for their lives and licked every corner of my toes. Hahaha! How ridiculous and vulgar that sight was! Why put on unnecessary pride and hasten your death? Stupid things. It’s a problem you could figure out if you just used your head a little.”

Riley breathed roughly.

She was out of her mind from being in the worst physical condition and suddenly beaten up.

It was dizzying to the point of nearly losing consciousness. The feeling of blurred vision along with consciousness fading in and out repeated. The sound of her heart beating passionately, thump, thump, was unusually loud.

The heartbeat sounded unpleasant, like a warning to escape from this place immediately.

In her blurred vision, she could see Count Ermeints laughing out loud with eyes rolled back in madness. As her body lost strength, her hair stood on end with the fear that she might die.

Her body trembled and stiffened with tension. She felt all the muscles in her body hardening.

‘Crazy bastard……’

To think a person could become so twisted.

To think someone could be so broken.

It was chilling. He was no longer human right now.

“Now, I wonder how you’ll scream when you die.”

“……”

“Try begging for your life. Who knows? I might feel like sparing you.”

“……”

“Ah, of course I won’t let you live unscathed. Let’s see, how should I bestow mercy? Should I sew that mouth shut that speaks so freely? Or should I cut off your arms and legs first?”

The men surrounding Riley drew their swords.

“Please give us your orders.”

If only she could lose consciousness right now, she might at least not feel the pain. Riley gave up and relaxed her body.

‘I’m going to die like this anyway…… Why did I cling so stubbornly to life?’

I should have at least sent a letter apologizing for involving him in an unsavory scandal.

Instead of just enduring the situation out of greed and stubbornness, instead of fretting about being dumped, I should have at least conveyed an apology saying I was sorry. If I had done that, I might have been able to close my eyes a little more comfortably at this moment.

It was quite complicated that that small regret kept her holding onto her fading consciousness, even though she wanted to let go of her senses right away.

“……Ah, I’ve had a good idea.”

“……”

“I’ll watch, so you guys have some fun. It’s a reward for coming all the way here.”

At Count Ermeints’ order, the assassins flinched. They soon exchanged glances and then swallowed hard looking at Riley.

They took off their masks one by one.

“Um, can we really do this?”

“Yes, I’ll be watching, so do as you please. Kill her while doing it, or do it and then kill her. Do whatever you want. Just killing her would be too boring. You should play with her as much as possible before killing her.”

The men began to take off their clothes with lecherous smiles.

Riley lay there blankly in resignation, just blinking her eyes. Tears kept flowing, wetting both her cheeks. Regardless, the men who had taken off their clothes slowly approached and surrounded Riley.

And just as one of them was about to grab Riley’s clothes.

“Argh!”

The men surrounding Riley suddenly floated in the air. They flailed about in the air, confused by their uncontrolled state.

“Wh-what! Who is it!”

Someone approached.

“Who else.”

The figure hidden in the darkness gradually became clear, and Count Ermeints froze like a wooden block. The intruder carefully lifted up the disheveled Riley. His face, deeply shadowed, was as cold as ice.

The sudden intruder slowly turned to face Count Ermeints.

And spoke to him in a low, sarcastic voice.

“The man who will be this woman’s husband.”