"I shall accept the proposal. However, I am unable to sign."

"If there are further conditions you desire, do speak."

"That's not it..."

Laila's face flushed in an instant. After taking a deep breath, she quietly opened her mouth.

"I am illiterate."

"....?"

"I do not know how to read or write."

In the place where she lived, the people had never received education. Those who could read were few and far between. Since her childhood, Laila had been helping her mother sell fish, leaving no room to learn how to read. While it may not be a sin, it was a great source of shame.

"And your name?"

"Yes, my name... I do not know how to write it."

"...."

Cain, who never lost his composure even in times of crisis, showed a visible flicker on his face for the first time. He silently stroked his chin with his hand.

He probably never imagined a woman so pitiful. Laila thought he might ask her for her hand in marriage.

"There is no other choice."

Cain's gaze became distant, unlike before.

"It would be best to learn how to read and write before declaring the marriage."

Laila nodded with a strange sense of relief. Initially bewildered, this was her first and final opportunity that had found its way to her. Even with an inevitable end, it didn't matter. To paint a splendid stroke on a colorless canvas just once would create a beautiful picture.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

Laila possessed a considerable intellect. Once she saw something, she easily retained it and deduced the pronunciation of unfamiliar spellings through her applied learning. She took pleasure in acquiring knowledge and made diligent efforts. It didn't take long before she confidently inscribed her name, somewhat askew, and that's when Cain extended the document containing the terms of their agreement.

Laila Dunst. Laila Vanderbilt.

Laila never forgot the thrill of officially using two names.

"Let's skip the wedding ceremony," he uttered, and those words didn't displease her at all. Rather, they alleviated any concern and filled her with gratitude. Nevertheless, there were moments when a particular point scratched at her nerves.

"What should we tell the employees?"

The employees of the Vanderbilts' mansion in Seoul were curious about the relationship between Laila and Cain. They seemed to suspect that their bond was more than ordinary, as they observed Cain's unrestrained devotion to Laila. The idea of the two of them becoming a married couple was beyond their imagination; they believed it was merely a fleeting affair born out of Cain's infatuation with Laila's beauty.

"Is it necessary to speak of it unless absolutely required?" Cain replied nonchalantly. While it appeared to be a mere opinion, Laila could sense that he desired it to be so. It was something that he might have to disclose to his mother and the people in his hometown, but was there really a deliberate need to announce it to others?

He likely wished to avoid unnecessary complications since they would soon part ways. He was perhaps unaware of the embarrassment she felt about being formally introduced to the people in his world.

Laila accepted his words. Although there was nothing for her to lose, she couldn't help but feel uneasy about throwing herself into an uncertain future.

On the day when their basic etiquette and common sense education came to an end, Laila packed her belongings. Cain, as the major shareholder, had also completed the process of transferring his business management rights. For the time being, he would focus on hotels and tourism at Everdeen.

One late autumn day, the two of them boarded a carriage heading to Everdeen. Cain's secretary and bodyguards, with their well-built physiques, followed behind in another carriage.

Heavenly Hill, on the outskirts of Everdeen. That was their destination.

Laila hoped that it would truly be a place as heavenly as its name suggests.

***