Chapter 4

Cecilia coughed loudly.

Whether it was intentional or they really couldn’t hear her, she stubbornly squeezed between the noble ladies who pretended not to hear her voice.

“Oh my.”

“Really, what is she doing?”

The noble ladies who raised their fans moved away from Cecilia. Some pulled at their skirts as if they didn’t want to touch Cecilia at all. Though they didn’t avoid her outright, they were filled with hostility toward Cecilia.

Cecilia’s face reddened at the sharp gazes of the noble ladies, but she couldn’t give up this opportunity.

‘I need to sell off that girl and make some money. I can’t live like this forever, can I?’

The small change Elena earned couldn’t satisfy Cecilia’s greed.

She had brought Elena here with the intention of sending her to a wealthy family and making a solid profit. How much trouble she had gone through to hide the swollen cheek from the slap she had given in excitement a week ago.

Besides, Elena could also live comfortably if she met a wealthy husband.

She wouldn’t have to struggle doing translations anymore.

‘If you’re nobility, you should live like nobility. What is this wretched state?’

So she had chosen the smallest and most low-cut dress from what they had. It was fortunate that Elena had outstanding looks, taking after her. Men were showing interest and approaching Elena because of the strange atmosphere she gave off.

But the flustered Elena had run away to the wall to avoid them.

Cecilia, who had been watching Elena’s behavior with her eyes, sighed.

‘Really.’

It wasn’t enough to set the table—she had to spoon-feed her too. Elena was disappointing. Leana was in no position to receive a dowry, and the one decent daughter was such a fool. It couldn’t help but be regrettable for Cecilia.

Everyone lived the same way. If you acted too haughty, you could lose everything and end up crawling on the ground. That’s why Cecilia was stepping forward. Cecilia coughed loudly once more.

“Actually, I brought my eldest daughter. Her name is Elena.”

The noble ladies closed their mouths and glanced at Cecilia.

“That child over there.”

At Cecilia’s pointing, the noble ladies’ gazes turned toward Elena.

She was a woman who gave off a mysterious atmosphere. A woman with long, faded golden hair and blue eyes sparkling with moisture. Though she seemed to have a thin body, she had volume, so her figure in the dress wasn’t bad, and even the way she clutched her clothes aroused protective instincts.

The way she was pale as a sheet and only rolling her eyes pitifully actually drew more attention.

She definitely had a pretty face. She also had something that stirred people’s hearts.

“…She’s a pretty child.”

Cecilia smiled triumphantly. That’s right. Elena’s looks were well-formed, taking after Cecilia.

“And you don’t know how kind Elena is. That child thinks of nothing but family whether sitting or standing. She can read books and play piano too. She can also do translations.”

Cecilia rattled on about whatever came to mind. These were things her father had personally taught Elena while he was alive.

“It truly breaks my heart, but now that child has reached marriageable age. As a parent, even though I don’t want to send Elena away, I have no choice for the child’s life. If there’s a good man, I intend to marry her off.”

Cecilia, who had clearly stated her intentions, looked around at the noble ladies. Fortunately, they didn’t seem completely uninterested. There seemed to be several who might serve as matchmakers for Elena for Cecilia’s sake. It didn’t matter if she entered as a second wife to a wealthy baron family, and she had heard that a wealthy merchant was looking for a wife—such a position would be good too.

If not that, even a position as a high-ranking noble’s mistress would be fine.

As long as it was a position that could bring her money!

Cecilia looked Elena up and down with greedy eyes.

“A good marriage prospect should appear for our Elena. Our child doesn’t have such great desires.”

The noble ladies understood well enough what Cecilia was saying.

And what Cecilia wanted too.

---

Elena bit her lips tightly.

She had no desire to be dragged to such a place to play the fool. However, she couldn’t ignore Cecilia, who had been making death threats since morning, and when she even brought up Leana, it ended up like this. Elena clutched her dress.

The waist that Cecilia had forcibly tightened was stuffy and made her dizzy.

She wanted to quickly escape from this place and run away. The men who approached her expressing interest were troublesome, and she only wanted to hide.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know what intention Cecilia had in bringing her to this place.

She sang the marriage song every day, so it was only natural. Cecilia would be mixed among the noble ladies, working hard to sell her off.

If it weren’t for Leana’s small hands clutching her skirt, saying she didn’t want her to go.

If it weren’t for that child who was gasping for breath.

If it weren’t for that child’s eyes full of desire for life.

Elena squeezed her eyes shut and opened them.

Elena’s wandering eyes suddenly collided with someone else’s. They were eyes that held deep green. Brilliant silver hair was lightly disheveled above the man’s forehead, and his lips, which drew a faint arc, were red. He was a man handsome enough to steal one’s gaze.

Even such a man was looking at her as entertainment.

Elena blushed and quickly lowered her head.

She wanted to run away.

This wasn’t her place.

---

Eventually, Cecilia caught Elena, who couldn’t bear the humiliation and was trying to escape. She roughly grabbed her wrist and coldly scolded her, asking what she was doing. Cecilia pulled Elena, who was swaying in front of the stairs.

Elena shook her head.

“I don’t want to, mother…! This isn’t right. Please let me go!”

“Are you going to embarrass me like this? What are you trying to do, Elena? Are you going to leave Leana like that? Do you really want to see that girl kicked out onto the cold ground?”

It was a vicious whisper.

Cecilia, who held Elena’s leash, smiled brightly. A transparent tear fell with a thud down Elena’s cheek as she stared blankly at Cecilia.

“If you came to a social gathering, you should dance, Elena.”

Cecilia pushed Elena’s back. The men who had been waiting for her rushed toward her. At least that’s how Elena felt.

Elena was pushed by Cecilia to take a man’s hand and step onto the floor. He was a man who reeked disgustingly of garlic.

She didn’t know what state of mind she was in while dancing holding the man’s hand. Elena’s feet moved as if they had lost their way. When she raised her head, all she could see was the man’s chin.

“I’m honored to have the first dance with such a beautiful lady, Elena. You’re looking for a marriage prospect now, aren’t you? I’m not a person who wants much. Though I’m a bit older, I’m willing to support your family if you’re a healthy woman who can bear children. A son to carry on the family line would be enough.”

Elena turned pale.

Elena, who had been listening to the man babble with his garlic-reeking mouth without saying anything, stepped backward as soon as the music stopped. Only then could Elena see the man’s face.

A little older?

The man looked at least ten years older than her father’s age!

‘Mother has definitely gone mad!’

Elena swallowed. Cecilia caught Elena again as she tried to run away.

“Why do you look like that? Hey, how long are you going to act haughty?”

Cecilia frowned.

“A man like that is more than you deserve! Do you have money to bring as a dowry, or don’t you have a family to support?”

“I don’t need to get married, mother. I can provide for us. If mother would…”

“How long can you live on such small change!”

Cecilia burst into hollow laughter. She drove Elena against the wall like herding sheep and said coldly.

“That’s not even enough for your sister’s medicine costs. Are you doing this because you want to see that child die?”

Elena knew that Cecilia wasn’t saying such things out of affection for Leana. Cecilia was someone who valued cosmetics for her own face more than Leana’s medicine costs. But that was also the truth.

“When will such a banquet be held again in this countryside! Today is the opportunity!”

She had kept everything secret until now because it was obvious Elena would run away if she knew. Even while taking the dress to have it altered and getting the shoe size reduced. The expensive cosmetics Cecilia had purchased were also applied to Elena’s face.

Cecilia had made a kind of investment in Elena.

And Cecilia intended to get her money’s worth back.

Elena was dragged away by Cecilia with a face that looked like she was about to cry.