Episode 5, December 5, 2023

After Sinclair's departure, the Aswell estate became a veritable disaster area. "Answer me now! What did you tell Sinclair?" Melvin demanded, his urgency almost like someone being chased. Elaina knew why. Not just because his plan to sell her to the ailing Duke Hank for a high dowry was faltering, but that wasn’t all of it.

The shining empire, Edenbell. Unless something drastic happened, the next emperor would be Hister Butler, born of a concubine. Melvin had been networking with Hister and the emperor for a long time, and there was a reason for all his efforts. If Elaina, though only a half-blood of the Aswell line, became the wife of the notorious prince Sinclair... all Melvin’s efforts would have been for naught.

"Why do you still have that proposal, Elaina!" It seemed somewhat satisfying to see Melvin flustered and losing his temper, perhaps knowing his internal turmoil.

"I was told I could take my time to think, and I initially agreed," Elaina responded truthfully.

"What?" Melvin seemed taken aback.

"He was quite insistent, and I was afraid," she added.

"I'm sorry, Father." But her apology was met with violence. Elaina counted eight slaps to her face and five kicks. Melvin, mad with rage, seemed ready to tear up Sinclair's proposal but hesitated as if afraid the moment he actually held it in his hand. He struck Elaina on the head with all his might, threw the proposal down, and commanded, "Send a refusal to Sinclair by tomorrow. It’s up to you to handle this. If not, I will indeed make both your legs useless!"

It was utterly despicable and cowardly. Would he have acted so boldly if Sinclair had left the marriage contract with the emperor's seal? Elaina scoffed internally as she picked up the proposal. She then returned to her room.

"..." She sat silently in front of an old, cracked mirror, holding the proposal in her hand. Her face was a mess, and her hair even worse. If she went out on the streets like this, she might be pointed at as a madwoman. But this too was all too familiar, and oddly, she was not sad about it.

Elaina stared silently at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was as dark and silky as the night sky, cascading down to her waist. Her bright blue eyes resembled the sea and her mother. Her skin was pale like moonlight, her features compactly arranged on her small face. It was no wonder Layla felt inferior about Elaina's beauty. If one were to name the most beautiful woman in the Empire of Edenbell, many men would undoubtedly agree it was Elaina Aswell.

If only her leg had not been damaged, her beauty could have comfortably paved her way through life. But tragically, for a woman with nothing, no backing, and thus no power to assert herself, her beauty was nothing more than a poison—a deadly one that could ruin her entire life.

"..." Eventually, Elaina reached behind the mirror, sweeping her hand back and forth, lost in thought.

Before long, what she picked up was a dusty dagger. There had been a time when she had contemplated slashing her own face. Perhaps then, she thought, there would be no one willing to buy her. She figured there wouldn't be a man willing to take in a woman with scars on her face, let alone one with a hunchback. Of course, it was Melvin who callously shattered that hope. "Go ahead, give it a try," he sneered at Elaina as she attempted to carve her face with the dagger. "The moment a mark appears on that half-and-half face of yours, I'll dig up your mother's grave." He said it with an expression so indifferent. "Why, didn't you cry because you missed your mother?" [...] "After all, isn't accepting Sinclair's offer the best option for me?" If that were the case, she could have easily ruined Melvin's political standing overnight without exerting any effort. Moreover, didn't Sinclair promise? If she endured for just a year, she would help Elaina leave Edenbell. "But... if Sinclair's rebellion fails, I'll die too." And could she truly trust Sinclair's words? What if he had other ulterior motives? Lost in her thoughts, Elaina absentmindedly brushed aside her injured leg and chuckled bitterly before she even realized it. What's the difference between being decapitated and being sold off as a slave for ransom, enduring a lifetime of humiliation? Are they not both forms of torment? With a determined expression, Elaina clenched her lips tightly. Then, she picked up the proposal she had laid on the dusty floor. "Right, Len. I'm definitely going to leave." Elaina, silently contemplating the proposal, suddenly heard her own voice echoing in her ears from long ago. "Our mother used to say that. She said I took after her, that my feet were really fast. So, nobody could ever catch up." "...." "If I succeed in escaping Aswald Ga, I'll come back for you. I promise." "Ha." A wistful laughter escaped Elaina's lips. But at the same time, there was an inexplicable quiet anger simmering in her eyes. 'Pointless thoughts...' It's all in the past already. Right now, she had to deal with what was in front of her. "Yes, where could I flee to..." Elaina murmured softly with a voice cracking. "There's nowhere..." Then, she wished for even a sliver of new hope. If Sinclair really succeeded in rebellion within a year and became emperor, and if he released her... A faint hope, even if it meant risking being beheaded. With her decision made, Elaina carefully folded the proposal and tucked it inside her worn-out dress. "..." With her head held high, she gazed at the narrow moonlight pouring in through the window, staring endlessly at the black night sky. And she thought. May today's choice at least not lead me to a greater hell. Because I'm still struggling in an unbearable hell as it is. *** Melvin's face remained pale as he raised his glass repeatedly. "..." Grabbing Melvin's arm tightly, Melissa, who had been staring at him with folded arms, couldn't stand it anymore and grabbed her husband's shoulder again as he poured himself another drink. "What are you going to do?" she asked. "If Elaina really marries that Sinclair, Aswald Ga is finished. Our Leila, Leila won't be able to save herself!" Hating the emperor, hating the heir apparent. There was no noble willing to accept a woman from such a cursed lineage. Of course, it went without saying that Aswald Ga would be ruined. "If Sinclair pushes her into this... there's no answer!" "..." "Stop drinking and at least give me an answer!" "Shut up!" With Melvin's loud outburst, a crashing sound followed. It was because Melvin, unable to contain his anger, haphazardly threw the glass he was holding. "Damn it..." Veins on Melvin's forehead repeatedly appeared and disappeared as they turned purple. He continued to grumble to himself, then gulped down the entire glass of alcohol this time. He had known Sinclair was crazy, but he never thought that madness would affect him too. "Why the hell would he choose that incompetent woman?!" No matter how hard he thought about it, he couldn't understand the reason.