Chapter 39
“Mom! Dad!!”
Realizing that her parents had completely abandoned her, Ring shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Shut up! Just follow me.”
It was at that moment, when the merchant yelled at her, that something flew through the air and hit him on the head. With a dull thud, like something had cracked, the merchant screamed and staggered. His head buzzed, and he felt dizzy for a moment.
“Who did that?!”
Eluana looked down at the iron marble that had flown back after hitting the merchant. She had only thought about wanting to stop him—but somehow, the marble had flown on its own.
And it had hit perfectly.
Eluana, who had already planned to step in, took a step forward and spoke up.
“…I think I did.”
The merchant’s wild eyes moved, searching for the voice’s owner. He had been about to shout again, but when he saw Eluana step forward, he swallowed hard.
She was clearly a noble. Not just the girl but even the boy accompanying her radiated wealth. The woman who looked like a maid and the person dressed like a guard also didn’t look ordinary.
They weren’t just any nobles—he got a strong feeling they were high-ranking aristocrats.
“Ah, yes. It could’ve been you, of course.”
As the merchant bowed his head obsequiously, blood trickled down from his forehead. He wiped it casually with his sleeve. He was startled by the blood but didn’t dare complain.
“Just… a little compensation for the treatment will be fine. Yes.”
Even while bowing and scraping, the merchant didn’t let go of Ring’s arm. Eluana frowned at the sight. Alex stepped in between them.
“Miss, you don’t need to deal with someone like this. Just give the word and I’ll handle it.”
Before Eluana could respond, the merchant screamed. When she turned her head, she saw that Sing had already pulled out her whip.
“Alex, that’s why you don’t get it! You need to protect the young lady proactively. She shouldn’t have to say something like ‘kill him’ with that pretty mouth of hers.”
Eluana hadn’t been planning to say that, so her expression turned a little awkward. Entangled in Sing’s whip, the merchant groaned and shouted,
“Ahhh! I’m dying!”
Sing yanked the man closer and whispered in his ear.
“Don’t worry. I’ll cover your funeral costs. Out of my own pocket!”
“N-No! It’s fine! My forehead was in the wrong! Yes, yes! I was in the wrong for being there at all. Please, just let me go!”
“Do you even know who this is? Get lost. Leave the girl.”
The merchant was still awkwardly clinging to the girl’s arm.
“Huh? But she’s mine.”
“You know, you lose a hand for theft. But human trafficking? That’ll cost you your neck.”
“N-No! I didn’t mean anything like that. Sell her? No way. I was just going to have her do chores around the house…”
“This is your last warning. Leave. Without the girl.”
As Sing’s eyes flared, the man finally let go of Ring’s arm. Then he stumbled back and turned to run.
As the scene faded, the onlookers dispersed one by one. Only Ring, collapsed on the ground, and Eluana’s group remained.
After catching her breath, Ring slowly got to her feet.
Eluana stared at her. The girl was biting her lip, trying not to cry. Her tightly clenched hands gripping her skirt reminded Eluana of her own past.
That moment when, regardless of your own will, someone else’s malice nearly dragged your life into ruin. That despair.
“Th-Thank you, miss.”
Ring bowed her head to Eluana.
“It’s nothing. I didn’t really do much.”
Eluana had simply thought she wanted to stop him, but everything had unfolded smoothly.
It had all started with the iron marble. When she focused on it in her hand, she could feel a faint vibration. Opening her palm, the marble spun around as if it wanted praise, with its little face drawn on it.
‘You did well. Thanks for helping.’
The marble spun once more. Somehow, it looked happy. She felt like they’d grown a little closer. Realizing people were still watching her, Eluana quickly stuffed the marble into her pocket. She could think about why it had flown later. For now, she needed to wrap things up.
A few days ago, Eluana would’ve hesitated. She wouldn’t have known whether she was allowed to say these things. But now she was sure.
As Eluana Vita Spes, she could do a lot. And not just buying expensive things or eating delicious food. Like Regis, she was now someone who could change another’s life.
Her first step as Eluana Vita Spes headed toward a small girl. Standing before Ring, she spoke kindly.
“Your name is Ring, right?”
Unable to raise her head to look at her savior, Ring nodded.
“Yes, miss.”
“How old are you?”
“Fifteen.”
“We’re the same age then. Ring, would you like to come with us?”
“Huh?”
Ring looked up at Eluana for the first time. Their eyes met, and Eluana’s green eyes curved gently.
The girl looked so noble that even looking up at her felt disrespectful. She didn’t seem human, more like a fairy or a sacred being. Ring knew she would never forget this moment.
“You can go home if you want. But if you don’t… come with us.”
To Ring, those words were a miracle.
She looked back once at her house’s tightly shut door, then bowed her head again. It was the home she was born and raised in—but it wasn’t worth any hesitation.
“That’s not my home anymore. Please take me with you. I’ll do anything.”
“You don’t have to do everything. Just come with us. Sing, take care of Ring.”
“Yes, Miss!”
Sing responded energetically and helped Ring walk.
“You’re seriously lucky. Our young lady is the daughter of the Duke of Spes. That adorable boy is her younger brother. You’ll probably work as a maid in the Spes Duchy.”
“T-The Duke’s house?!”
Ring felt like she was in a dream. Her savior was a noble from the southern ruling ducal family?
“Yep. It’s happiness after hardship, I’m telling you. The Spes Duchy is the best! High pay, great food! Even if you eat three bowls of stew in one sitting, no one says a word!”
Eluana chuckled softly at Sing’s cheerful commentary.
Louis, who was walking beside Eluana holding her hand, mumbled,
“This is good. Sis. I was gonna ask if she could come with us too. Even the lights seemed relieved.”
But Louis’s quiet voice was drowned out by Sing’s enthusiastic “Long live the House of Spes!”
Later
Ring looked around the room assigned to her. It was the most luxurious place she’d ever seen. She’d always lived in the attic. With only two rooms in the house, her parents used one and her younger brother the other. The attic ceiling was so low she always had to hunch.
To be fair, it made more sense for her smaller brother to use it—but her parents didn’t care about their daughter, who’d eventually marry off. So Ring had worked harder, hoping if she contributed, maybe they’d care.
But this was the result: she had nearly been sold in place of her thieving brother. Though she had tried to deny it, part of her had known this would happen.
Ring reached up. The ceiling was too high—she couldn’t touch it even with her arms stretched. After flailing a bit, she plopped down on the bed.
It was soft and spotless. No worn spots, no stains. Realizing her clothes were dirtier than the bed, she quickly got up.
“Oh…”
Sadly, some dirt had rubbed off onto the white sheet.
She had rolled on the ground, so it was expected. She tried to brush it off, but it wouldn’t clean. She looked like she was about to cry when a knock came.
“Yes. Come in.”
It was Louis.
“Here’s some clothes to change into.”
The clothes he offered with his tiny hands looked too soft to touch.
“Can I really wear these?”
“My sister told me to give them to you.”
“But the sheets… I made them dirty…”
She mumbled, “Because I’m dirty,” and immediately felt miserable. Louis tilted his head and asked,
“Dirty? They’re clean.”
“Huh?”
Surprised, she turned around—and the sheets were spotless again. As if they had never been stained.
“What?”
As Ring blinked in confusion, Louis said,
“Wash up and come downstairs for dinner. I’ll introduce you to the knights. You’re family now.”
The word “family” stirred her heart.
“Th-Thank you. I don’t know how I can ever repay this favor.”
“Take care of my sister.”
“Huh? Y-Yes! I’ll devote my life to serving her!”
Ring answered instinctively. Louis grinned and left. He looked about the same age as her younger brother—but was so mature and noble.
“Ah, nobles really are something,” Ring murmured as she carefully held the clothes.
In the bath, she stripped off her dirty clothes and soaked in the warm water. The scrapes on her arms and legs stung—but not as much as her broken heart. Tears hotter than the bathwater streamed down her cheeks.
“I’ll live well. Just watch me.”
And I’ll repay this kindness.
She had been saved before falling into ruin. Her family had cast her away—but this stranger saved her and even gave her a new life.
Even a low-tier maid at a duke’s house earns several times what she used to. Working at a grand noble estate was rare luck—usually only passed down generations or through introductions.
“Yes. This is my chance.”
Ring dunked her face underwater, then rose and scrubbed herself clean. Once refreshed, she put on the new clothes. They were so luxurious, she felt almost unworthy.
As she finished and headed downstairs, a staff member approached.
“Are you Miss Ring?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Your family is here. They’re waiting out front.”
“…My family?”
“Yes. They’re asking to see you. But since the entire inn is rented by the Spes family, we can’t let outsiders in. Will you go meet them?”
Ring turned coldly and replied,
“I don’t know those people. I don’t have a family.”
