Episode 4, December 4, 2023

"I..." It took Elaina a long time to respond to Sinclair's nearly coercive proposal. When she finally spoke, Sinclair, who had been looking at her injured leg, turned to meet her face as if nothing had happened.

"I don't understand," she said.

"What don't you understand?"

"How marrying me brings any benefit to Your Highness." Everyone had shunned her, mocked her. But Elaina was not the fool the rumors made her out to be, nor was she stupid—quite the opposite, in fact.

Anyway, Sinclair had won the war and asked for his wish, which the Emperor, his father, had accepted. Of course, the Emperor had hoped his son would die in battle, having drastically reduced the military support on the day of deployment. Regardless of the process, the outcome was that Sinclair had returned victorious, and so the Emperor was obliged to fulfill his wish. This was no secret pact between father and son; if Melissa had heard about it, it was safe to assume that everyone at the imperial court knew.

Thus, Sinclair could have wished for anything. Of course, as Layla had mentioned, reinstating himself as the crown prince might have been too bold a wish to ask for. But to use that golden opportunity to wish to marry a woman like her? There must be a clear reason behind such an absurd act. It would be more bizarre if there wasn’t.

"Do you think you're in a position to worry about what I gain, Elaina Aswell?" Sinclair replied mockingly. "You must know. Melvin, your father, plans to sell you off for a few coins."

It was true, so Elaina said nothing more, just looked at Sinclair.

"I hear Duke Hank has offered the highest dowry. At this rate, within a month at most, you will become his seventh concubine."

"..."

"And you're not planning to live happily ever after, taking care of an eighty-year-old man, are you?" He spoke in a matter-of-fact tone. "Even if you’re lucky enough to die early, you won’t inherit a penny."

At Sinclair’s brutal honesty, Elaina chuckled bitterly. "Of course, if that’s your taste, it would be quite the good news."

"I’ve never said that was my taste, Your Highness."

"Then, are you planning to run away?" Sinclair looked down at her damaged leg. "That would be an impossible feat with that leg."

"..."

"Isn't it?"

Yes, Sinclair was right. With this leg, she couldn’t run away. If her leg hadn’t been damaged, she would have been able to move freely and would have run away long ago from this accursed Aswell house.

"You're not in a position to be considering others' situations. Do we still need to talk more?" Sinclair continued. "Or do you find me unappealing? I thought I wasn't bad-looking," he asked with a smirk.

"...To be precise, I haven’t even thought about it, which is why I'm caught off guard," she replied, turning his own mocking tone back on him.

This time, it was Sinclair who chuckled. "Honestly, your proposal isn’t bad for me, as you know I’m soon to be sold off as a concubine."

"So?"

"But even given my situation, shouldn’t I at least know if I’m walking into a death trap, or a place where I can find a moment's peace?"

It was outrageous. She was bargaining with nothing to offer, yet she looked him straight in the eye as she spoke. No one else in the empire could have such a conversation with Sinclair.

And so Sinclair laughed. "I can’t guarantee it'll be a safe haven, but it certainly won’t be a death trap."

"And during the time you're my wife, you will face no dangers."

"..."

"Let's set the contract for one year."

...A contract? Sinclair's unexpected words made Elaina narrow her eyes.

"How much do you know about me, Elaina?"

"I only know as much as others do."

"Then you are well aware of how I fell out of favor overnight after killing a concubine favored by the Emperor?"

Who in the empire wouldn’t know that story?

"The Emperor has appointed Hister, the son of that concubine and my half-brother, as the crown prince. If things continue this way, Hister will likely succeed him. But I have no intention of just watching that happen."

"Your Highness?"

"However, the Emperor isn’t foolish enough to let that be."

"..."

"Even if it weren't you, I would have had to marry soon. Specifically, someone from the Emperor’s circles. In other words, a noble daughter he could use to keep a close watch on me."

Sinclair gave a self-mocking laugh. "And she would report every single one of my movements, every day without fail."

The Emperor had planned to prevent his eldest son from ever holding imperial power. Sinclair was well aware of this.

"Actually, knowing too much is the problem," Sinclair started. "The Emperor knows my plans, and I know his. I have no connection with the current Emperor, and if I manage to become Emperor myself, I’ll need a woman who can leave Edenbell without any regrets."

Leave Edenbell? Elaina hesitated. "The reason is simple. Those opposed to an Emperor who has usurped the throne through treason are numerous. So, I must somehow tie myself to a powerful family that supports me. Isn't that obvious?"

He was right. Even if Sinclair succeeded in his coup and ascended the throne, the reaction from the people wouldn't necessarily be favorable. Not only the common folk but also the surviving royals and nobles would clearly oppose him. In such a situation, the best move, as he just mentioned, would be to bring into power a woman from a strong family within Edenbell as his Empress.

"Surely you haven’t misunderstood that I came here intending to marry for life, Elaina," Sinclair said, a hint of mockery in his tone. Essentially, his plan was to use Elaina, who had no backing or power, as a shield to deceive the Emperor who wanted to keep him under surveillance.

"After a year, when our contract ends, you can leave Edenbell and live a life of luxury with the wealth you’ll have," Sinclair continued, his expression arrogant. This made Elaina feel an unplaceable twist in her stomach—as if he was overstepping his bounds.

"Your Highness, if I reveal what I just heard to others, what then?" she challenged. After all, the Aswell family was a supporter of the Emperor, and they were pushing for Hister, not Sinclair, to be the next Emperor. If she were to run out now and tell Melvin everything, Sinclair would be put in a difficult position. In the worst case, he could even be executed for treason.

"Well, I haven't worried about that," Sinclair replied calmly, almost dismissively. "Isn’t it obvious, Elaina Aswell? You have nothing lower to fall to."

With that single sentence, Sinclair stripped Elaina of all her defenses. What she felt was a pungent sense of defeat. As before, there wasn’t a hint of deceit in his words.

"Are you really that foolish to miss the only chance to escape the gutter? I didn't think so."

"You speak as if you knew me," she countered.

There was no reply. Sinclair looked directly into Elaina’s blue eyes for a long moment before finally looking away. "If you need time to think, I’ll give it to you. Surprisingly, I am capable of that much generosity."

"..."

"But not too long."

"As you know, I am not a patient man." That was the end of it. Sinclair picked up only the marriage contract and rose from his seat, his steps resolute as he walked away. Elaina watched his retreating figure intently before slowly licking her dry lips. "There must be many others like me, trapped in the gutters of Edenbell, Your Highness."

Sinclair paused mid-step and stood still. "Why me, then?" Of course, Elaina Aswell's life was indeed mired in the deepest mire, but she was not the only one leading a pitiable existence in Edenbell. Perhaps there were others living even more pathetically. "Even though I live as a burden in the Aswell house, barely treated as a person, there are gypsies and paupers who roam the streets without even that much. Isn’t that so?"

"That's an overly simplistic view," Sinclair’s voice lowered, quietly filling the drawing room. "To anyone looking, you are the deepest in the gutter."

"..."

"Gypsies with no place to go, paupers—they might be better off than you. At least they aren't forced to marry to fatten someone else’s purse."

Elaina chuckled hollowly at that. "Is that answer sufficient?"

Sinclair did not respond to her question. He resumed walking as before, and Elaina was left alone once again, her expression blank as she faced the silence around her.