Episode 5
Charlotte pursed her lips into a small circle as she replied.
“Sorry.”
At her smile, Richard momentarily caught his breath.
Charlotte’s smile—he hadn’t seen that expression even once in the fifteen years since they became engaged.
Could she really smile like that? Richard clicked his tongue, ruffling his bangs in disbelief.
“Alright. Now that I’ve seen your face, our business is done. Make sure to convey my words properly to your mother… well, the Countess. I waited for you for hours in my busy schedule just to see your face once before leaving.”
“Yes, I will. If I meet the Countess, I’ll be sure to convey your words to her as well.”
“Listen.”
Rising to his feet, Richard strode over and slammed his hand against the back of Charlotte’s chair.
“If you think of saying anything foolish to my mother, forget it. I’ll tear your mouth apart.”
“Why do you assume I would say anything foolish?”
Charlotte looked up at Richard, who was now uncomfortably close.
“Could it be that you suspect me because you think I might have said something foolish to your father?”
“Charlotte Aubrey!”
Richard clenched his fingers and growled angrily.
“Stop it. The only reason I’ve tolerated your insolence is because of my mother’s orders.”
“I know. That’s why I’m speaking as politely as I can.”
“…Insolent, indeed.”
Realizing that continuing the conversation was pointless—and remembering the medicine she had left behind in the carriage—Richard decided to end it and leave quickly.
“You know there’s a royal ball coming up, right?”
He had a servant fetch his coat as he tugged the reins.
“Dress like you did today. At least it will save my pride.”
Charlotte tilted her head slightly.
How strange. Could a woman’s appearance really preserve a man’s dignity? If a man’s pride can be saved by something so trivial, then perhaps pride doesn’t exist at all.
Charlotte pushed aside the thought and nodded.
“Yes. I will.”
“Farewell.”
Waving his hand, Richard left the room. Charlotte exhaled slowly, gazing at the ceiling.
She and Richard were engaged.
It was an arranged marriage that had been in place for fifteen years, set up almost immediately after she was adopted into the Aubrey family.
Had this arrangement not existed, or had Richard been a decent man, the Count and Countess might have judged him favorably—and Charlotte would not have been brought into their lives.
But Richard was a terrible man. The Count and Countess had brought Charlotte into their family to protect their biological daughter, Marlene.
In that sense, Richard’s existence might have been what dragged Charlotte out of the abyss of class oppression.
But that was all it was.
Richard was a traitor who had abandoned her to death. He was someone she needed to exact revenge on.
The problem, however, was that breaking off the engagement wasn’t easy… unless Richard’s weaknesses—his irredeemable nature, his status as a worthless scoundrel unworthy of being the Count’s second son—were made public. Then perhaps a divorce could be possible.
Charlotte closed her eyes, exhaled deeply, and spoke to Lily, who was waiting by the door.
“Prepare to go out. I have someone to meet.”
Rather than struggling to do everything alone, it was wiser to seek an ally. Charlotte pictured one particular person in her mind and rose to her feet.
The carriage rattled.
Yet Charlotte sat upright, her posture unshaken. She maintained her elegant poise, turning her head to gaze out the window.
Outside, winter was in full swing.
The sky was gray and dull, sunlight failing to break through, making the day feel dim. The dry wind cut across the barren land.
Charlotte thought perhaps this bleak world mirrored the future she was about to face.
A future without sunlight, a desolate land with only cold winds… at the end, Charlotte would no longer exist. She would have already crumbled into dust.
But that was fine. Even if she died and vanished from everyone’s memory, it didn’t matter.
As long as she could take revenge on Marlene, make her unloving sister shed tears of blood, it would be worth it.
If she could accomplish that, Charlotte could throw away her life without hesitation.
So she must make it happen. The fixed future would not change—not as long as Charlotte remained unbroken.
Unlike what she told Richard, Marlene was not in the mansion. The Count and Countess had sent her to a southern villa to recuperate after a light cough in the cold weather.
The Countess had fussed over her beloved daughter, claiming, “You are my hope, my life, my value. You must be happier than anyone else.” Charlotte had silently observed this ridiculous scene.
So was she not allowed to be happy?
Was she truly happy now?
For the first time, Charlotte realized that even this life as a noblewoman was far from pleasant.
Sure, being chosen by the Countess and leaving the orphanage should have filled her with happiness, but that was a memory from over a decade ago. To claim happiness now based on faded memories was mere self-delusion.
You were chosen, so you’re fine. If you had stayed at the orphanage, you’d have lived a miserable life—the words of others were now tiresome.
Who knew? Perhaps a life at the orphanage could have unfolded differently, bringing true happiness.
But Charlotte, having known only abuse and discrimination since arriving here, could not call this happiness. It would have been cheap self-deception.
In any case, witnessing the Countess tearfully embrace Marlene, Charlotte felt bitter.
Marlene’s farewell could have been taken in her own room, yet the Countess made it here deliberately, as if to warn Charlotte: You are not like Marlene. You exist only for use. Do not dare to surpass Marlene.
Just a week ago, when Charlotte had suffered a harsh cold, this had been made clear through the Countess’s treatment—a perfectly fitting lesson.
“Sorry, sister. I’m weaker than you… so I’m the only one going.”
“But since I caught your cold, you’ll understand, right?”
At the time, Charlotte had thought Marlene’s apology was genuine.
She had believed that only the Count and Countess and the servants tormented her, and that Marlene was a caring, loving, and beautiful sister.
But she was wrong—she realized it far too late.
As proof, after Marlene left, Charlotte was once again beaten by the Countess, blamed for passing on her sister’s cold.
At that time, Charlotte had no choice but to obey.
She accepted it. If she had not existed, Marlene might not have fallen ill, and defying the Countess was unthinkable.
Yet looking back, Charlotte felt utterly wronged.
Marlene had her own life, and so did Charlotte.
Since being chosen by the Countess, Charlotte had never truly lived her life.
