CH 3.2

Chapter 3: I think I’m out of it for now…

Part 2

“Hey, miss. You’re back early, huh?”

Fufu, a large emerald ring can be seen on Becky’s finger as she covered her mouth and laughed.

“What are you doing here?”

I thought I knew why. Her voice was unsurprisingly not pretty.

“Nothing. Cleaning your room. Why is it always so dirty?”

Lila’s eyes narrowed as she watched her carelessly poking around the couch.

“Hmm, by the way, young lady, why don’t I see that pouch, did you sell it?”

For some reason, Becky’s interest in my pouch was irritating.

Regardless of its contents, I didn’t like the way she kept coveting it, even though she knew her father had given it to her for her birthday.

“I don’t know. It’s gone.”

“What!”

Lila replied, trying to sound nonchalant. Becky grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her as she walked over to Lila, who was sitting on the bed, looking like she was about to be wiped out.

“No, when did it disappear!”

Lila’s mouth was full of swear words. She hadn’t done anything to make up for being ugly, but she was always calling her ugly, picking up on things, and even threatening her.

Lila was sick of it, too. She grabbed Becky’s hand and shoved it away, thinking that this was the end.

“Don’t you dare touch my body. I’ve done enough.”

Becky, who was always bugging her to pay the bills and help out the family, couldn’t resist.

Unbeknownst to Lila, the dowry sent by the Duke of Montefeltra was enormous.

The pouch was missing, but there was nothing she could do about it.

She wondered if an impudent maid or maidservant might have hidden it, just as she had hidden Lila’s jewelry when she was a maid.

“You know you’ll leave tomorrow morning, so get ready.”

With arms folded and a haughty stance, Becky stormed out of the room.

Lila vowed to stay put, not bothering to wash up, and catch the carriage in the morning.

I don’t know what kind of man the Duke of Montefeltra is, but I hope he’s a man of sense.

It’s a deviation from the plan, but it’s the same as leaving this house. And it’s not a real marriage. Like all noblewomen, she will have to spend a year’s cohabitation with the Duke of Montefeltra.

If she continues to behave as she is now, the Duke may be the first to cast her out, and then she can truly live her life.

With a faint sense of anticipation, Lila looked out the window.

The next day, Lila left her room carrying only a small suitcase, her employers seemingly unaware of her departure.

At the mansion’s deserted entrance, Lila stood for a moment, lost in thought. It’s been nearly a decade since she woke up here, thanks to the Reaper’s stupid mistake.

Ten years was enough time to grow accustomed to the place, and it was also the place where her memories of her late father were stored.

For Yoon Seol, who had no parents, the only thing she could say she was glad to have as Lila was her father. Although their time together was short, it was enough for her to feel his affection.

When she was about to leave, she began to remember many things, such as the handrail she used to climb the stairs with as a child and the lilac garden she loved to plant.

But perhaps it would be better to leave quietly now that there were no people around, so Lila moved her legs that had stopped.

Thump, thump, thump.

Lila’s steps began to quicken as she made her way to the carriage. There was something exhilarating about being free of the Baron, even if it wasn’t complete independence.

The coachman was surprised to see her alone and took off his hat to greet her. Normally, the man would have sent a carriage, but she didn’t think it was strange that it wasn’t there.

From the moment she realized that this was a 19+ novel, Lila had been thinking about how to deviate from the original route, and she had no friends or teachers.

Unable to fill her lack of aristocratic common sense, she climbed into the baron’s shabby carriage.

It was a slow ride, but the moment they left the manor’s gates, Lila felt liberated, and for a moment she thought of the Duke of Montefeltra, who would be her protector.

“I hope it’s someone with a normal mind.”

Someone with a normal mind who would put himself out there.

…As she thought this, Lila’s mouth dropped open as she looked up at the handsome man standing in front of her.

‘What, they said he was an ugly duke!’

Surely she had been told by Louie that he was ugly like her, so why was there a man standing there who matched her ideal?

Lila forgot that she was tired from the long carriage ride and couldn’t take her eyes off the Duke.

Lucas quirked a very fine eyebrow at Lila, who was so surprised that she didn’t even bother to say hello.

“My name is Lucas Hugh Montefeltra. I’d appreciate it if you could tell me your name.”