Episode 2. The Second Betrayal
The divorce was not the end.
Frederick killed Everett’s remaining brothers and took all the Pelham family’s wealth for himself.
Then he locked Everett inside the bedroom — to make sure she couldn’t run away before the new marriage.
Inside the dark room, she curled her small body tightly. Frederick’s cruel words kept echoing in her head.
“Your brothers are all dead?”
Even though her family never loved her, the thought that they were killed shocked her deeply. Her father, and now her brothers…
That Frederick.
My Frederick…
“No… that can’t be true.”
Everett buried her face between her knees. She spent the whole night denying reality, but nothing changed.
Two days later — the day of her wedding with Viscount Ventink.
Because the Viscount’s land was far away, the maids began preparing her very early in the morning.
But it wasn’t really preparing — it was covering up. Frederick had struck her to keep her from escaping, and the bruises had to be hidden with makeup.
Over the makeup, they dressed her in the wedding gown she had made herself. It fit perfectly — of course, it was made for her own body. But she had never imagined another man would be the one waiting for her at the altar.
“Leave us,” said a calm voice. “I’ll finish the rest myself.”
It was Hedia, her cousin — the daughter of her aunt.
Hedia had been born with the power Everett lacked and was loved and praised for it. Her beauty was dazzling — glowing skin, deep red hair shining like rubies. Even her smile looked divine. People called her the Saintess.
As Hedia walked gracefully into the room, Everett fell to her knees as if seeing a goddess.
“Hedia… please, save me.”
“Save you?”
“Frederick… he said he killed my brothers. That can’t be true, right? He was just trying to scare me, right, Hedia?”
Hedia didn’t answer. She simply looked down at Everett. The silence itself was an answer.
Everett’s strength drained from her body. Hedia slowly lifted her up and pulled the corset strings tight from behind.
“Ugh—” Everett gasped for air.
“I’m scared… I don’t want to marry the Viscount. Please tell Frederick to stop this, he’ll listen to you—ugh!”
“What are you saying? You must become that old man’s wife.”
Hedia yanked the corset again, pulling Everett toward her ear and whispered coldly.
A chill ran through Everett’s entire body.
“Why… why are you doing this?”
Hedia let out a short laugh.
“Ha! You made this dress yourself, right? Frederick asked me to prepare it for our private ceremony. But you made it thinking it was for yourself.”
“For… you?”
When Everett turned around, the saintly smile was gone. Hedia’s face twisted with cruel amusement.
“Tell me it’s not true, Hedia…”
Her red lips curled mockingly.
“You don’t even know, do you? Frederick has a mole on his thigh.”
“W-What? How do you know that?”
“Because I’ve seen it myself. It was cute, so I teased him about it.”
Everett’s breath caught in her throat. Hedia burst out laughing.
“He’s my lover.”
“Y-Your lover? But you’re married! You’re a princess now—”
Yes, Hedia was married to a prince from a neighboring kingdom that had an alliance with the Empire. She had become a royal princess long ago.
So why—why with Frederick?
Everett couldn’t understand. Her voice trembled as she tried to speak.
“He said it didn’t matter who I married as long as he could have me. He chased after me even before your wedding. I got annoyed and told him, ‘If you kill Uncle Pelham, I’ll give you a chance.’ Guess what? He really did it. He was even going to kill you, but I stopped him. That’s why you’re still alive.”
Her words hit like knives.
“So yes — thanks to you, I escaped that power-hungry old man, and I got all his money too.”
It hit Everett like lightning.
For seven years, she had been called a murderer, a monster who killed her father — but it was all because of Hedia.
Frederick hadn’t betrayed her — he had used her from the start. All for Hedia.
Tears streamed down Everett’s cheeks.
“Did you really think Frederick loved you? A girl who wasn’t even loved by her own family?”
Hedia’s cold fingers brushed away Everett’s tears.
“You poor thing,” she whispered mockingly.
“The Pelham family is finished now. But let me give you one last secret.”
Everett stayed silent, too broken to speak.
“My power — it was actually yours.”
“What…?”
“On the day you were born, my mother stole your ability and gave it to me.”
Hedia smiled cruelly.
“So all this time… all my pain… was because of you?”
“Your mother went insane, your father and brothers died — all because of that, yes.”
“How could you…!”
“Because you were always so easy to use,” Hedia said with a cold laugh.
Everett’s whole body shook.
“Thanks to you, I lived a good life. You were useful to the end, Everett.”
Hedia turned to leave. Desperate, Everett grabbed her hand — her nails, worn sharp from scratching the door, dug into Hedia’s soft skin.
“Ah!”
“Please, I still need to—”
“Don’t touch me.”
Annoyed by the small scratch, Hedia slapped Everett hard across the face.
“Use those filthy hands to please that old Viscount. You’re lucky someone still wants to buy a murderer like you.”
She sneered and walked out, leaving Everett alone in the locked room. Everett scratched at the door, her cries mixing with despair.
“Don’t anger Viscount Ventink,” Frederick warned coldly the next morning. “And don’t even dream of running away.”
Before leaving, Hedia kissed Frederick on the cheek. “Don’t worry. The Viscount’s health is poor — he can’t even do anything in bed.”
Everett caught sight of the scratch on Hedia’s hand — the one she had made. Strangely, it hadn’t been treated.
For a moment, Everett wondered why, but she said nothing. There was nothing left to say. The only man who would have believed her had already betrayed her.
A maid escorted her to the carriage.
“Be careful. Don’t wrinkle the dress before we arrive,” the maid nagged, holding the edge of her gown.
Exhausted, Everett closed her eyes and fell into a shallow sleep.
When she woke, the maid was tapping her arm.
“We’ve arrived. Get out.”
Outside, a foreign estate stretched before her eyes.
The Viscount’s servants waited at the entrance.
“Is this Lord Ventink? Lady Everett has arrived,” the maid said quickly.
The Viscount’s narrow eyes studied the two women — the rough, frightened Everett and the careless maid.
Everett lifted her head. The man looked twice her father’s age, thin and pale, as if death were already waiting for him.
“Welcome,” he said kindly. “It must have been a long journey.”
He walked toward her with a limp and held out his hand. Everett instinctively pulled back.
He gave a faint smile. “Haha. My hand must look ugly to you. Forgive me.”
“N-no, that’s not…” she stammered.
The Viscount brushed it off and led her inside.
When the door closed and the maid disappeared, Everett took a deep breath and stopped him.
If she said nothing, this would truly be the end.
“Viscount Ventink… before the ceremony, I have something to say.”
Sweat gathered on her palms. Would a man who bought a ‘murderer bride’ even listen to her?
But the Viscount’s voice was gentle. “I’ll hear you out.”
They sat inside the quiet manor. He served her a warm cup of tea.
“It’s cold outside,” he said softly. “You’re trembling. Drink and warm yourself.”
He even laid a blanket over her knees. The kindness in his touch made Everett regret doubting him.
She sipped the tea — her tears almost fell into the cup.
“Did something happen on your way here?” he asked.
Everett shook her head and bit her lip. She had to say it, but her voice wouldn’t come.
“You don’t have to tell me if it’s too painful,” he said gently. “The wedding can wait a day.”
“No…” she said, finally finding her voice. “I have to say it now.”
She took a deep breath.
“Please… cancel the wedding.”
