"Wh-what do you mean by that, my lady? Someone to 'take you away'?" Estelle stammered, already revealing the answer in her hesitation. Estelle was Anna only personal maid.

Anna calmly asked again, "I’m part of a public matchmaking process, aren’t I? Finally, the candidates who meet the Duke’s expectations have arrived, right?"

Estelle bit her lip as if unsure what to say, then gave a small nod.

"That’s why he’s been holding back, despite how frustrating I’ve been... until the very end."

"My lady..."

"Normally, one glass of wine wouldn’t have been enough to stop him."

After all, they had to present her perfectly packaged before selling her off.

Estelle sniffled a few times, then hurried ahead, saying she'd prepare the bathwater.

The wet dress clung to Anna, hindering her movement. As she grasped the fabric loosely and gazed out the darkened window, everything reflected back at her was red—the hair that used to be honey-colored, her violet eyes, and even her white dress.

Maybe, if she submerged herself fully in wine like this, the color she shared with her father would eventually change. Shaking her head, Anna dismissed the thought and moved on.

‘Such a pointless thought.’

Self-pity was a luxury Anna could not afford.

The bathroom filled with steam, and as she played with the soap bubbles, Anna said, "Estelle, the place you told me about—it was truly beautiful."

Estelle, who had been silently pouring water over Anna' back, froze for a moment.

"So that’s why you returned late from the bookstore today?"

"Yes. Raul took a different route than usual, so I was looking out the window. Then I saw a forest of thorns, just like the one you described."

"You could’ve told them Raul got lost, so they wouldn’t have punished you."

"But then Raul would’ve gotten in trouble."

"My lady, you being punished is okay?"

"It’s fine." Just a little while ago, she had endured all sorts of insults merely for being twenty minutes late.

And yet, Anna smiled as if she had already forgotten everything, like a fool.

Anna had always been that way. Watching her was unnerving, and turning away from her felt even more unsettling. There was a nickname people used for the young lady, which suited her perfectly.

"The long shadow of the Savior family."

There were also crueler names, ones that were shorter, harsher, and more direct.

"The foolish lady, the broken lady."

"Just as Raul stopped for some urgent matter, I secretly got out of the carriage. I was so curious to see how wonderful the place you spoke of was."

The lady, traumatized by the Duchess’s death, had spent a long time in a convent. It was said that she had stayed there for ten years before returning to the duchy only a year ago. Estelle was one of the three maids newly appointed to her six months ago. After six months, Estelle was the only one left.

The resignations weren’t due to Anna but because of Duke Machel Savior himself.

His cruelty, combined with an absurdly low salary, made the prestige of serving at the duchy meaningless. Still, Estelle found the job manageable.

The young lady rarely went out, aside from occasional visits to the bookstore, and perhaps because of her long time spent in the convent, she did many things herself. Estelle’s duties were mostly limited to assisting with baths, applying ointment to unreachable wounds, and telling Anna stories about the outside world.

"But the place was even more beautiful than I imagined. Thank you. Because of you, I saw something I’ll never forget."

Estelle’s conscience pricked her. She cleared her throat. "Why, Estelle? What’s wrong?"

"I just feel like it’s my fault you were punished, my lady, for telling you about that place."

"No, it was my choice to go that far. Don’t say that. Keep telling me stories in the future. I don’t know much, you know."

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Anna smiled warmly, her expression radiant.

‘Why do they torment someone like her? Why be so cruel if they want her to improve? Isn’t that a contradiction?’

Though it wasn’t her own suffering, Estelle felt a surge of frustration.

While mentally cursing the Duke, Estelle listened as Anna continued.

"But it seems that cliff was on private property."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, there was someone there. He claimed ownership of the land."

"Wait, someone in the Savior duchy claimed land ownership from the lady of the house?"

"He probably didn’t know who I was. Not many people recognize my face."

Estelle blinked, then cautiously asked, "What kind of person was he?"

"A man."

"What kind of man?"

Anna tilted her head, puzzled by Estelle’s unusual curiosity. Embarrassed, Estelle hurriedly tried to explain.

"Uh, no, it’s just that it’s the first time you’ve mentioned meeting someone while out. I was just curious."

"Was it?"

"Yes, usually when you return, you talk about the weather or the scenery. You don’t often mention people."

Thankfully, Anna didn’t seem to find her reaction odd. After hesitating for a moment, she slowly spoke, her long

lashes still damp.

"He was… strange."

That was an unusual description.

"Strange? Was his clothing odd, or did he speak differently?"

Estelle stopped mid-question, realizing Anna was watching her quietly.

"The broken lady." "The mad lady."

Though Estelle pitied Anna, part of her agreed with those cruel nicknames. Ever since the death of her mother, Anna had been half out of her mind. She often behaved unpredictably, like wandering barefoot through the garden whenever it rained.

However, sometimes, when looking into those transparent yet ambiguous eyes, it felt as though they could pierce through her.

"It must be my imagination."

No matter what was said, she would only respond with a weak smile, and she didn't even know how to behave to avoid spilling wine on herself. How could such a clueless lady know anything about people’s inner thoughts?

Still, just as a sense of unease began to rise within Estelle, who had been under the gaze for quite a while...

“The water’s cold, Estelle.”

Startled, Estelle fumbled.

“I'm, I'm sorry! I’ll heat it up right away!”

“No, this is fine. I just want to sleep now.”

‘It really was just my imagination.’

As she wiped her master's thin body, Estelle sighed quietly to herself.

Just like everyone else in the duke’s estate, she hadn’t noticed the scarred feet hidden within the slippers.

“Good night, then!”

“Mm.”

With a smile, Estelle hurried out of the room, a bit faster than usual, leaving behind her master who still smiled as the lights went out.

Click—

As soon as the door closed, the smile faded from Anna' face.

Lying down, staring at the ceiling, the afternoon scene that had etched itself under her eyelids replayed once more over the empty darkness. The brilliant sun, the pulsating waves, the sea breeze brushing against her body... and the strange man.

The man with eyes redder than the intense sunset was now imprinted in her memory.

A man who, coincidentally, had been sitting right where Estelle had shown her and where Raul had paused, at that very moment in time.

Anna pulled the old blanket over herself like a shroud.

“...But that cliff really was lovely.”

Over the faint scent of wine clinging to her body, the unsettling and strange scent of cigars from that afternoon suddenly drifted into her thoughts. Trying her best to ignore it all, Anna closed her eyes.

The bruised hands and torn feet still didn’t hurt. The Saviour duchy was currently in an open search for suitors.

Being one of only two ducal families in the Empire, with only a single legitimate daughter, marrying her was an opportunity to gain the honor of becoming a son-in-law to a duke's household. It was a position that everyone should be eager to seize.

At least, that’s how it should have been in a normal case.

“A new marriage proposal has arrived. It’s from Grand Duke Becquerel; would you like to review it?”

“And how old is the grand duke now?”

“I believe he’s fifty this year.”

“So his wife has passed away. He must intend to take her as his second wife.”

Butler Antonio shrank back. Knowing the duke’s usual temperament, such a proposal would normally send him into a furious rage about what they took Saviour for.

‘No matter how reclusive the Saviour household has been, this is too much. Every proposal we’ve received has been from those looking for a second wife, or from men notorious for keeping mistresses!’

There were two reasons behind these outrageous proposals.

One, the Duke of Saviour had been so secluded that he hadn’t even appeared in social circles, nor at council meetings.

Despite the nobility’s decline in status, a duke was still a duke, and as part of the Empire, he had a duty to contribute. And yet, if he remained hidden, it would inevitably spark rumors—either that something was wrong, or that he had fallen out with the Emperor.

The second reason, of course, was because the lady of the house was rumored to be mentally unstable. Hence, men with good family backgrounds and decent reputations weren’t willing to take the risk.

Antonio, who had been bracing himself for something to be thrown at him in a fit of rage, cautiously opened one eye. Thankfully, no smashing sound had followed.

“I see. So that’s how it is.” Surprisingly, the duke was nodding, though a vein bulged on his forehead.

“If even that old man, the Grand Duke Becquerel, has heard the rumors, then they must have spread to the Imperial Palace too. That’s enough.”

“So... are you planning to accept the grand duke’s proposal...?”

“No, that won’t do.”

The duke laughed, and there was a faint grinding sound to his voice.

“I can’t possibly send my precious daughter so far away, Antonio.”

“Then, shall I confirm the proposal we received yesterday?”

“Yes. He’s a knight, a landowner, and even owns a mine. That’s not bad at all. The dowry he’ll bring will be considerable... and he’s not part of the council, so this seems suitable.”

There had never been a more ill-matched marriage. A noble lady and a mere knight?

Yet, considering the Saviour family’s finances, which were on the verge of collapse, and the ripple effects this disgraceful marriage would cause, it wasn’t hard to understand why it was deemed ‘suitable.’

Even so, Antonio hesitated instead of bringing the documents.

“Do I need to say it twice?”

“Master, actually... we didn’t just receive one proposal.”

“Then bring them.”

“Well, I hadn’t had the chance to tell you, as you’ve been in your study all day, but...”

The duke pr

essed him impatiently.

“Antonio!”

Though the duke had used Becquerel as a marker of rumor circulation, he had already been pushed to the limit by the disrespectful proposals.

And with his butler dithering foolishly, the duke finally exploded.

Crash!

The butler barely dodged the flying cup and bowed his head low.

“The last suitor has come in person!”

“What?”