Chapter 3: Volume 1 - CH 3

“You’ll have to look at it carefully.”

The Grand Duke held his wife’s head in one hand and forced her gaze to turn to the stadium.

“Because I’ll put the one you like among them as your escort.”

A Martial Arts Championship for Toonos.

A kind of sport in which aristocrats enjoyed as entertainment where the thousands of Toonos risked their lives until one winner came out, and participants clothed in old white Toono uniforms were either killed or injured.

A place where people were dragged out with bright red blood stains was seen.

“I-I couldn’t see anything, ugh.”

“Hasn’t it been long enough for you to get used to that?”

“Urgh.”

“You always vomit when you see this.”

When Selina couldn’t get her nausea under control, he clicked his tongue as if he wanted her to hear it.

“You’re not even pregnant yet. What’s wrong with you? Do you know that every time you do that, I get excited? You’re not pregnant yet, aren’t you?”

“Oh, no, ah……not yet…”

“I’m joking. Don’t tell me that you really think that I don’t know? You’re cute.”

He spun the glass of dark crimson wine around and around, letting go of her jaw, which he had grabbed with a thud.

“My wife is too soft-hearted.”

As he turned to face the stadium, a guy in a blue priest’s robe hurried forward to commence his prayers.

Then, as if by magic, that Toono player’s blood stopped flowing.

There were numerous cases in the story of  where the Male Lead pushed Selina to like what she despised.

When I read it, I remember cursing him and screaming.

‘This son of a bitch.’

Selina’s miserable life played out in front of my eyes like a movie.

Abuse, exploitation, defamation, mistreatment, imprisonment, abduction, and torture……

‘That’s insane! there’s no way I could live like that!’

To live comfortably as the main character of this poor story, I need a clear strategy.

I picked up a letter that was rolling around on the table in search of an empty sheet of paper. After that, spread out the clean area of the back of the paper and ink the pen.

“The first thing I should do is……”

Given what Selina had gone through as a result of her pregnancy with the Male Lead, the Male Lead was viewed as a villain.

‘I’ll be half successful if I could just avoid him.’

I haven’t met him yet, but…… My stepmother will do everything she can to sell me to the Grand Duke.

Or she’ll sell me to another man who will give her money.

So that brings the plan to number two.

Camilla is a good example of a malicious stepmother.

Abuse, mistreatment, and finally sell her stepdaughter!

I’ll feel satisfied only when Camilla leaves this house.

But it will never be simple to dismiss a vicious boss who has money, personal connections, and even family ties.

Selina had no one on her side since she was so introverted and passive. Penny is her best case scenario.

To dismiss Camilla, I need a credible reason and witnesses on my side.

So here we are at number three.

‘Ha, this is the most difficult one.’

It was a challenging task that required a high level of political expertise to develop a strong side for me while weakening Camilla’s reputation and strengthening my credibility.

Now since I don’t have any connections, it’s like a bare-handed header, but I had an excellent weapon. The face of the female lead!

‘The only thing I can trust is this face.’

My pen suddenly stopped moving as I was scribbling down the specifics of where and how to proceed.

‘A navy blue background with a white cross pattern.’

As I glanced over the paper I was writing on, I noticed some lovely handwriting.

“From the Light Monastery.”

This letter was originally written in the capital and circulates once a year to bring good fortune to the recipient……

In summary, it was claimed that volunteering at the monastery will bring them good fortune.

The noble women appeared to have received a formal letter.

‘Good, let’s start here!’

* * * * *

My appearance attracted everyone’s attention. The majority of them had never seen Selina’s face.

‘Since when has she been out?’

I felt like a zoo monkey every time the servants stared at me.

“This is Lord Spencer, Lady.”

I cast a peek to Penny’s side. A tall man was standing beside her.

“He is the youngest person to ever be promoted. According to the knights, he is a candidate for the next Commander. He looks to be well worth it, doesn’t he?”

I recognized him after hearing Penny’s explanation.

‘William Spencer.’

He serves as the Count’s knight.

The one from the family that has for centuries served as the commander of Count Crawford’s knights.

Within the Imperial family, there were five knight forces, including the Count’s knight force, known as the White Eagle Knights.

“This man couldn’t take his gaze away from my lady. Do you want me to bring you a hat, my lady? It troubles you, doesn’t it?”

“No, it’s okay.”

William didn’t take his gaze away from me, even though he knew he was being impolite to me, whom he was meeting for the first time.

His face was filled with a mix of curiosity and friendliness, as well as unusual thoughts.

‘He looks like a handsome husky.’

His solemn expression was that of a husky.

“All right, let’s go.”

I hopped into the carriage, smiling and laughing as I took my gaze away from him.

* * * * *

I picked a dark purple dress from the boutique.

“My lady doesn’t even require a fitting.”

The dress I took from the mannequin was a perfect fit for me.

It was a well-known setting for a romance story novel’s main character.

“Would you like to take it right away, my Lady?”

“I will do that.”

Nodding, the designer carefully wrapped the dress and loaded it onto the carriage.

“Come to the Countdom tomorrow morning to pick up the payment money.”

When she caught sight of the Count’s pattern on the carriage, she instantly nodded.

“Yes, yes. Alright.”

Normally, the aristocracy summons the designer to the estate and instructs him to take measurements, designs, and others, but……

‘I don’t have time.’

Even after I returned to the mansion, the servants’ eyes remained focused on my every movement.

Everyone seemed to be taken aback by the Count’s lady’s appearance.

I put on the dress and examined the accessories that were provided.

‘What will go with this dress?’

They were all petty, and there weren’t many options, so there wasn’t much to do.

I opened the curtains and glanced out the window after roughly selecting a necklace and stripping my dress.

‘It’s time for him to arrive.’

The servants, indeed, began to assemble outside.

“Lady, the Commander has returned!”

Penny hurried in and made her announcement.

I opened my eyes wide, as if I didn’t know what was going on.

“My uncle?”

“Yes!”

Cedric Crawford.

My uncle, the White Eagle Knights’ commander, who is still unmarried.

The servants formed a line to welcome his safe arrival.

“He’s later than he said he’d be, my Lady. I guess the bandits are still going rampage out there.”

“How much time has passed since then?”

“It’s been three months. The commander will be surprised to see my lady speak so fluently.”

Penny seems enthusiastic to show to him that I was no longer stuttering.

“Won’t you welcome the Commander, my Lady?”

The idea had crossed my head, but I was too tired to act on it.

“I will be there and greet him tomorrow.”

Selina was not even close to her uncle.

“But you haven’t seen him in a long time. How pleased would the Commander be if you went out and welcomed him?”

Penny would not have said it if Selina had been her normal self.

“Shannon will accompany him. I’m going to take a rest today.”

Penny sighed and looked out the window.

‘Shannon will be quiet for a while now that my uncle has arrived.’

However, he was a person who was going to leave again for a variety of reasons, such as inspection, territory management, training, and so on.

‘Camilla will be returning soon……’

I had had enough of this and that, so I went to bed early.