IAML&MAH ~ Episode 2

 

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"You'll have to look for it carefully."

The Grand Duke held his wife's head in one hand and forced her to turn to the stadium.

"Because I'll put the one you like among them as your escort."

A martial arts society.

Until one winner came out, thousands of Toono players risked their lives, a kind of sport in which aristocrats enjoyed entertainment, and trainees in faded white Toono uniforms were killed or at least injured.

Every place where people were dragged out, bright red blood spots were seen.

"I, I can't see, uh."

"Isn't it enough time you got used to that?"

"Urgh."

"Everytime you see this, you always vomit."

When Selina couldn't stop her nausea, he clicked his tongue as if he wanted her to hear it.

"You're not even pregnant yet. What's wrong with you? Do you know that every time you do that, I get excited? You’re not pregnant yet, right?"

'Oh, no, ah.....not yet...'

"I'm kidding. Don't tell me that you really think that I don’t know? You're cute.”

He turned round and round the glass of dark red wine, letting go of her jaw, which he had grasped with a thud.

"My wife is too soft-hearted."

As he turned to the stadium, a gentleman in a blue priest's uniform rushed to begin his prayers.

Then like magic, that Toono player's blood began to stop.

In "The Bound of Salvation," there were many scenes in which ML forced Selina to like what she dislikes.

I remembered when I read it, I strongly cursed at him, saying, "This son of a bitch."

Selina's miserable life naturally unfolded before my eyes like a video.

Abuse, trade, insult, neglect, confinement, kidnapping, torture.....

'Crazy, I can't live like that!'

Being the main character of the impoverished country, I need a detailed plan to be happy.

Looking for an empty paper, I picked up a letter that was rolling around on the table. Then spread out the clean part of the back, and put ink on the pen.

"Number one."

Not to be seen by the ML

Considering what Selina suffered because of her baby with the ML, so the ML was like a villain to her.

‘If I avoid him, I'll be half successful.’

I haven't met him yet, but.....My stepmother will try to sell me to the Grand Duke at all costs.

Or she'll sell me to another man who will give her money.

So, number two.

Chasing out Camilla

Camilla could be said to be a sample of a wicked stepmother.

Abuse her stepdaughter, isolate her, and eventually sell her!

Only when Camilla disappears from this house will I be happy.

But it will never be easy to kick out a vicious boss with a background of money, personal connections, and even family.

Because she was so closed and passive, Selina had no one to be on her side. At best, it's Penny.

To kick out Camilla, I need a plausible cause and witnesses to be on my side.

So, number three.

Make My People

'Ha, this is the hardest one.'

Create a strong side for me, and at the same time.

To undermine Camilla's reputation and raise my credibility was a task that required a high degree of political quality.

Now that I have no connections, it's like a bare-handed header, but I had an absolute weapon.

The heroine's face!

'This face is the only thing I can trust.'

I was planning the details of where and how to start, but suddenly I stopped moving my pen.

On a navy blue background, a white cross pattern.

When I flipped over the paper I was writing on, I saw a neat handwriting.

"From the Monastery of Light."

This letter first began in the capital city and is lucky to receive it on a one-wheel-a-year basis...…

In short, serving in the monastery meant good luck. It seemed to be a ceremonial letter received by the ladies.

'Good, it’s here!'

* * *

My outing caught everyone's eyes. Most of them didn't know Selina's face.

'How many times have you been out?'

Every time the servants glanced at me, I felt like a zoo monkey.

"Lady, it's Sir Spencer."

I glanced at Penny’s side. There was a tall man standing beside her.

"He's the youngest person ever to be promoted. The knights told me that he’s a candidate for the next Commander. He looks really worth it, right?”

Aha, I know who he is from listening to Penny's explanation.

William Spencer.

It was a knight of the Count.

The one from the family that has become the general of Count Crawford’s knights for generations.

There were 5 knight forces within the Imperial household, including the Count’s knight force.

It was the "White Knights".

"You can't take your eyes off my lady. Shall I bring you a hat, my lady?"

"No, it's okay."

William didn't take his eyes off me even though he knew it was a big surprise to me when he saw me for the first time.

A bit of curiosity and goodwill, mixed with strange questions.

'He looks like a handsome husky.'

His serious face was quite similar.

"Let's go."

Smiling and laughing, I pulled my eyes out of him and climbed into the carriage.

* * *

What I chose in the dressing room was a dark purple dress.

"You don't even need a fitting.”

The dress I took out of the mannequin fit me perfectly.

It was a down setting for the main character of a high-profile romance novel.

"Will you take it right away?"

"I'll do that."

Nodding her head, the designer packed the dress beautifully and loaded it into the carriage.

"Come for the count tomorrow morning to collect the money."

The count's pattern was seen on the carriage, so she quickly nodded when she glanced at the carriage.

"Yes, yes. Okay."

Usually the aristocrats call the designer to the mansion and order the measurements to be made, but.....

'I don't have time.’

* * *

Even after returning to the mansion, the eyes of the servants were glued to me each footstep.

Everyone seemed to be wondering and amazed  at how the Count’s lady looked.

I tried on the dress and checked the accessories that were there.

'What's will suit this dress?'

They were all trivial and there weren't too many things to choose, so there was not much to do.

After roughly choosing a necklace and taking off my dress again, I opened the curtains and looked out the window.

'It's time to come.'

Sure enough, the servants began to gather outside.

"Lady, the Commander is back!"

Penny rushed in and announced.

I opened my eyes wide as if I had no idea.

"My uncle?"

"Yes!"

Cedric Crawford.

Leader of the White Knights, my uncle, who is still single.

The servants stood in a line to greet his safe return.

"He’s later than what he told you, my lady. I guess the bandits are still going crazy."

"How long has it been since then?”

"It's been about three months. The commander will be surprised to see my lady speak so fluently."

Penny seemed eager to show him that I was no longer stuttering.

"My lady, aren't you going to say hello to the Commander?"

The mind is quite imaginary, but I was tired.

"I'm going to greet him tomorrow."

Selina was not even close to her uncle.

"But it's been a while since you've seen him. How happy would the commander be if you would go out and greet him?”

If it were Selina usual self, Penny wouldn't have said that either.

"Shannon will go. I'm going to take a rest now."

Penny stared out of the window with regret.

‘Now that my uncle is here, Shannon will be quiet for a while.’

However, he was a person who is going to leave again for various reasons, including inspection, management of the residents, training, and so on.

‘Camilla's  would be coming home soon...’

I got tired of this and that, so I went to bed early.

* * *

At the dawn of the morning

"Lady! Lady! There’s a big problem!"

"What's the fuss?"

"Don't be too surprised, my lady."

Penny's face had turned white when she said so.

"The dress, the dress you bought yesterday...….”

Standing on my feet, I followed Penny, who looked like crying, into the dressing room.

"Uh."

The surprised breath naturally dissipated among the lips.

It was a shocking sight.

‘I was thinking hard about it..’

My purple dress was torn to shreds and scattered everywhere.

It looked like bloodstains at the scene of the gruesome murder. So it was even worse.

"How did Lady Shannon do this again? That's too much!"

She did. Shannon had done the same thing before.

"She must have ordered Emma. Emma must be going in and out of the annex like a rat!"

The cause was clear. 

Her vent of anger that has not received an invitation to the imperial banquet

"It's the first dress you've ever bought yourself…….. How can she tear this up like this?"

With the resentful penny behind me, I scanned the torn dress.

'This is a warning.'

Warning that I’m about to be like this.

Selina might have held back her ignorance so far, but I couldn't bear it.

'I'll never let this go.'

Grabbing the bloody cloth, the me in the mirror was surprisingly calm.

"Penny."

"What?"

"If I scream, run straight to my uncle."

"At this dawn? He's probably asleep now, but...... the sun hasn't come up yet, my lady."

"No, I'm sure he's up."

Cedric.

I know him well.

Because he was the supporting character that I hated the most in the original story!

Deeply breathing, I screamed dismally as if I had seen the most terrible thing in the world.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

* * *

Cedric looked quite surprised at the terrible sight of the dressing room.

"What's this--”

As I expected, he woke up early in the morning and had already finished his breakfast.

'I thought he's completely like an adult man.’

In reality, he was a hot-looking adult man who can shake my hatred toward him a little.

‘Thirty-five? Thirty-four? He’s not that old.'

Cedric Crawford.

That fine-looking knight who has been single for 3X years.

After a lifetime of knife-cutting, he suddenly returned to the land and had no interest in the secret power struggling that took place in the house.

He didn't know what his niece was going through, and he didn't care.

All Cedric cared about was the knight's safety and the honor of the white knights he is in charge of.

He also applied the Knights' Code of Fairness at any time, anywhere, to the household.

"So that was originally a dress...."

"Yes, sir!"

"It's what Shannon did, you said."

"Yes."

Cedric coughed in vain as if he was unfamiliar and awkward to even put the word "dress" in his mouth.

"Do you have any solid evidence?"

"Sir, there's no evidence, but it must have been Lady Shannon! She was jealous that only Lady Selina got an invitation to the banquet!"

"There is no evidence, but only circumstantial. There is no evidence."

"Well, they’re all Shannon's henchmen. Who's going to testify?"

"That's just your assumption."

"The same thing happened before, sir...…!"

Penny shuddered, but told with all her heart.

Cedric sighed and stared at the lieutenant next to him.

"Didn't I order you that there should be no disturbance in the house?"

"I'm not a butler, sir."

It was the handsome Husky, Sir Spencer.

Coming down the stairs, I made eye contact with him.

"My lady’s..."

He, who had been hardened for a while, said, with his eyes fixed on my lips.

"There's no way I could stop what's happening in the bedroom."

Is it because of his slow voice?

It sounded like he really wanted to come into my bedroom.

Next episode : IAML&MAH ~ Episode 3