Translated: reireiss, MTLs-nim 

Edited: reireiss, Grammarly ssi 

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Chapter 1

Born the daughter of a farmer in the countryside, my mother was such a beautiful person that she didn't seem to fit into a simple environment. Many landlords pay attention to my mother who is 30 years younger than them.

Then, my grandfather sold my mother to a landlord and said, "Money is the best."

When I brush my mother's long blonde hair in front of the dressing table, my mother often reminisces about her past. Blue eyes that look like the color of the shining ocean. I often stare at my mother's reflection in the mirror. Then my mother's red lips smiled and she laughed.

Mother did not want to spend her life in such a simple place.

So my mother ran away from home in the middle of the night. Holding the hand of a mercenary who was passing through the village at that time.

Under the moonlight. A white forehead covered in sweat. A bright smile and red cheeks. I can tell without seeing it myself. How beautiful my mother is. I wondered how much my father liked my mother at that time.

After leaving the village in that way, my mother settled in Harbor Town in the South. Then I was born. It would have been better if it was a happy ending, but marriage is a reality. Mother is not satisfied with her daily life.

In my memory, mother and father were always arguing. Mother admired the neighborhood where the rich lived on the hill. Father was a pretty decent mercenary, who could do magic even though he wasn't of a high standard. Even so, he couldn't afford to buy mother's dream house built with white bricks and a blue roof.

Mother was fed up with Father. Then one day. When Father went to work in the next town for weeks, Mother took me and ran away.

"But I didn't leave you. Thanks to me, you can wear such beautiful and expensive clothes."

"Yes, I know. Thank you, Mom."

My mother always smiled with satisfaction when she heard my answer. I mean it. My mother is a person like a butterfly, she gets farther and farther away when someone tries to reach her, so I always worry that one day I will lose her.

We were mother and daughter, but that wasn't enough to quell my anxiety. I don't want to be abandoned by my mother, so I always pay attention to her.

Mother left Harbor City with all her possessions. We went to the North. During the trip, the closer we got to the North, the price went up and slowly our money ran out. When there was no money left, my mother sold the ruby ​​ring my father gave me.

In the town where my mother sold ruby ​​rings, I heard about my father. It said, there was a riot in the town where my father worked. Father was one of the mercenaries deployed to quell the riots, and he was killed in the midst of a riot that was more violent than expected.

So now my mother is a widow. When we had no money and couldn't sell any more rings, mother met a knight with white bricks (T/N: has a nice house). In an instant, they fell in love with each other, as if they had made a promise.

A knight who had a house with white bricks and a blue roof that my mother wanted, was now my stepfather. But a few years later, my stepfather died. It said it was caused by sepsis.

T/N: Sepsis is the lethal response of the immune system to infection or injury.

Mother was sad, but she was soon happy. It was because the house and property left behind in my stepfather's name belonged to my mother. Not only that. When mother married him, mother became close friends with the Baroness whom stepfather served. Baroness Blancier. She is a very good person. The Baroness sympathized with my mother who had twice lost her husband in her mid-20s. And she was willing to let mother into her Manor so that we would not starve and have a little luxury.

The Baroness was born with a weak body. She said that giving birth to a child could put her life at risk. The Baroness likes me, she said that I am very much like my mother. I'm not as pretty as mother, but I'm pretty much like her.

I still can't forget how sweet the red jade candy is that she sometimes gives me. Ever since I met the Baroness, I could scream "Candy!" without hesitation if I am asked what my favorite food is.

Mother became the aide of the weak-bodied Baroness and naturally, she attended the nobles' gatherings the Baroness attended. There were many noblemen who looked up to my mother, a beautiful young widow. Baroness also told mother that if she liked someone, she would help her (to propose).

Unfortunately, the one who caught my mother's attention was nobody, but Baron Blancier himself. The Baron and his wife who got married because of a political marriage did not have feelings for each other. In addition, the Baroness fell seriously ill while staying at a resort even though the visit to the resort was aimed at restoring her health. As time went on, the Baroness became so weak that she couldn't even lift a spoon.

In her last will, the Baroness left a message telling my mother to look after her husband. I still don't know if that means the Baroness wants my mother to marry the Baron. But, whatever the Baroness meant, my mother married Baron Blancier after her funeral.

Our life became smooth. Although there were rumors that my mother had been eyeing this from the start.

Then Baron Blancier was gone. It happened when I was 19 years old. Unlike his ex-wife, Baron is a healthy and strong man, but one day he starts to get sickly. During the hunting season, the Baron went to the forest with the other nobles. Then he died, he broke his neck from falling from a horse.

Mother cried, her tears dripping like glass beads. "Ophelia, what did I do wrong to keep all my husbands gone?" Mother held my shoulder as if she was genuinely curious and wondering.

But that wasn't a question she asked for an answer. I hugged my mother's slender waist without saying a word. That's enough.

As we slowly try to let go of the sadness and rest. I thought all the mourners had left, but suddenly someone near me spoke to my mother.

"It's unfortunate, Madam."

It was such a beautiful voice. He was Duke Arpad, an acquaintance of Baron Blancier. After the funeral, he stayed at the Baron's Manor for a while, he said that he would help if we needed help.

Sometimes when I go to the park to read a book in the sun, I see my mother and Duke Arpad walking around. I tried to avoid them by changing my seat. I don't know what conversation was going on between them. But by the time the Duke left, mother became quite close to him, they held hands and embraced.

"Mother, are you going to–"

‘Again!?’ I swallowed my words and fiddled with the hem of my white dress with my hands. As the luxurious carriage left, my mother looked back, looking at me with eyes filled with satisfaction, as if she had managed to get what she wanted. Then she laughed.

Instantly I could tell. Soon mother will be the Duchess of Arpad. Somehow, my chest feels tight. It was like suffocating. Mother is easily satisfied, but that satisfaction does not last long. From the daughter of a farmer to the wife of a mercenary, the wife of a knight, the wife of a Baron, and then the wife of a Duke. Then what's next? Don't tell me, Emperor!

I miss my days in Harbor City where our (economic) situation was not so good but peaceful. Mother and father often fought, but soon they would make up and kiss each other on the cheek. I was the happiest at that time. At least I was (happy). That's what happened.

She is not a mother. So pathetic. As the years passed and the scandal about my mother who had lost her husband several times subsided, we went to Duchy Arpad. I didn't say a word the whole way. And mother doesn't seem to really care.

Duchess Arpad died shortly after giving birth to an heir. Mother whispers that in my ear, then she folds and unfolds her fan.

"Mother is going to be a Duchess. Aren't you happy, Ophelia?"

I smiled and pretended to be happy when my mother asked that. My role is to smile and say, "If mother is happy, I'm happy too."

The horse-drawn carriage continued day and night for a month and we finally arrived at Duchy Arpad. As I had expected, no one greeted my mother –a person who had lost her husband three times. I just stood still beside mother like a doll and blinked like a doll. No one greeted us with pleasure, except for Duke Arpad.

"I missed you, Isolde. And you too, Ophelia. Comes here."

The Duke kissed the back of mother's hand as soon as she got off the horse carriage. I let my mother enter the Duke's Manor first.

I was used to people's unpleasant looks, so I got out of the carriage alone. I straightened my wrinkled skirt and lifted my head, suddenly a huge shadow seemed to be blocking my path.

"Pleased to meet you."

It was a rather heavy voice –perhaps it could still change due to puberty. His tone was elegant, but strangely piercing, perhaps because of his voice.

"Ophelia."

"......"

"Introduce, Sis."

He called my name as if it was natural. But at that time I couldn't open my mouth easily, I couldn't say a word because I was embarrassed. Only then, when I raised my head. The cold snow hit me along with the light of the rising moon.

"I'm Alexander."

His hands were large and white, as white as snow. He tugged at the corners of his mouth slowly as we shook hands. A gentle smile hung over his mouth, but his eyes didn't smile at all. He is an ice sculpture. No, he is a human.

"Nice to meet you too. I mean… Alexander?"

"Speak comfortably."

Instantly cold sweat ran down my body, and my palms were sweaty. I've never had a brother before. Even though he looks younger than me, I have to be determined and muster up the courage to talk to him, he's one span taller than me and he's even an heir to the Duke Family.

"Then I'll do it."

"……"

"Yo."

I said with a deep breath. However, he looked surprised with his eyes wide open. I couldn't even bring myself to make eye contact with him anymore.

He had a terrifying gaze, which could kill if he really wanted to.


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