Chapter 1

0. Escape

“Ugh!”

Elrose pulled at the bottom of potatoes as hard as she could. Then, there was a sound of the roots breaking, and the potato was pulled out from the ground.

“Wow, did it grow exceptionally well this time?”

With a proud look on her face, Elrose shook the dirt off the potatoes, and the basket next to her was filled before she knew it. After she dug for a long time, she got up and stretched her back.

“That’s enough for today.”

She turned her head and looked at the open field in front of her, then she sprayed cool water over the plants. Thanks to this, the soil became moist and the leaves were covered with clear drops of water.

As far as anyone could see, it was just a paddy field where everything was growing freshly.

‘Nobody would think there’s a field like this in such a forest.’

It’s natural.

The place she’s standing in right now is called the Viera Forest, also known as the cursed forest by everyone else. It was a dark place because the trees were so big to the point no light could come through. Furthermore, the forest was not easily accessible since it was located behind the Viera monastery.

“It’s time to go back.”

It became a habit for her to talk to herself, so Elrose picked up the basket full of potatoes. Besides that, there were also cabbage, ripe tomatoes, and sweet-scented fruits. The basket was full of appetizing things.

Every time she took a step, her apprentice-nun outfit fluttered. It was like a dark rag filled with marks, but Elrose didn’t care.

‘There’s no one here besides me.’

After struggling through the lush bushes, she walked through the forest and soon after, there was an old cottage at the end.

It was an old hunter’s hut.

This was the place that the Viera Monastery gave her as she has lived there for 14 years.

***

Fourteen years ago, Elrose’s mother, who was the owner of Espencia, passed away. By law, all of her wealth should’ve been inherited by her daughter, Elrose. However, Count Basilin, who is her father, used the excuse of Elrose’s young age to steal his wife’s property from her.

Of course, he insisted that it was natural for him to manage his daughter’s property as a father. But everyone knew that the Count didn’t give her a penny and that he will also use it all for he was also a son of a fallen count.

Elrose’s maternal grandfather was also greedy for the title and would’ve died at the gambling house if he had not taken her father in as his son-in-law. When her mother died, he quickly remarried and then changed the people who worked in his wife’s mansion to his own.

The nanny and maid who took care of Elrose left the mansion overnight. Elrose, who lost the familiarity of her mother, became depressed. Then, Count Basilin told the people:

“The shock was too great for Elrose, so she wants to take care of herself in the monastery.”

She was eight years old at that time. He was good with words, so her life was closer to imprisonment since the Viera Monastery was like a fortress. There was only one hill to go up, with a forest behind it, and there was also no way out of the forest without passing through the monastery because of the high cliff at the end.

The day that she arrived, the monastery director stepped out and greeted her. He was very pleased with her, and to be more precise, he was bribed to not let her out of the place and to keep her safe.

“A lady from a noble family will need a quiet, private place. That’s why I especially prepared it beforehand.”

The director then secretly picked up something expensive from her luggage and sent Elrose to the old cabin along with the rest of her stuff.

So when his wife died, Elrose’s father drove his daughter away and took over everything. Fortunately, an old nun felt sorry and took care of her. Thanks to that, she was able to grow up safely. However the nun passed away when Elrose was eighteen, and ever since that happened, she remained here alone.

After the death of the caring nun, the monastery sent a meal here once every two days.

‘It was food that even a passing dog wouldn’t eat.’

Elrose sighed when she recalled the meals she used to get. It was garbage that cannot be called food.

“Did you think I’ll eat something like that?”

Elrose smiled and looked at her basket full of food. Over the past few years, she had built a field in the forest without the monastery’s knowledge.

“And you think I’m getting sick.”

She made them think that way on purpose, so the surveillance won’t be strict.

Elrose continued to walk through the forest while humming. At night, cursed werewolves would appear. There were quite a few people in the monastery who saw them in person, so no one dared to step foot in here.

‘That’s all a lie.’

Elrose recalled the hunter’s diary that she had found on the floor when she first came to the cabin.

‘It said that he deliberately wore wolf skin while wandering around the forest at night.’

It was deliberately devised by the hunter so that the monks who ask to pay a fee for the use of the forest wouldn’t approach him.

It wasn’t just that.

The hunter pretended to be crazy in front of the monks by muttering a curse and wandering around at night. This made the monks even more reluctant to come.

The hunter caught live animals here in the forest where no one came and left his money here. But, rumors still lingered.

‘Besides, I had to lie by saying things were going around the forest at night.’

When I informed the monks by telling them that with a terrified expression, their face turned white and they haven’t bothered coming back. Since then, no one has come except the person who brings the meal.

Crack! Crack!

The crows flew up while making a noise. Someone is coming.

Elrose ran straight into the cabin. She hid the potato basket under the bed, took out the dirty old robe and flipped it over, then opened a bottle in the corner and sprinkled water inside and over her clothes.

“Ugh!”

The rotten, nasty smell stung my nose, but I had to put up with it. Elrose listened while breathless, and heard a walking sound.

‘Huh?’

That’s weird. Usually, only one monk comes with a meal, but today there are two of them approaching.

Knock knock.

One of them who came to the front of the cabin knocked on the door.

“Elrose, here’s your meal.”

She opened her door slowly on purpose.

“Ugh!”

When Elrose came out while wearing a robe, the monk backed away from the rotten smell.

“Thank… thank you very much. Cough! Today… cough!”

“Don’t talk anymore! It’s alright!”

When Elrose deliberately coughed in a harsh voice, the monk dropped what he had brought in fright and backed away. He then looked at the person who he came together with, and the man nodded his head and turned away.

“Well, then I’ll leave you alone!”

He also quickly turned around to follow the other guy. After seeing them enter the monastery, Elrose entered the cabin and opened the window.

“Ugh, I can’t get used to this rotten smell.”

It was water mixed with all sorts of herbs to make her condition look bad. Elrose threw off the robe and looked at the mean which was brought to her. It was no different. When she dumped it out from the window, the crows that were waiting quickly flew over.

Elrose took out the tomato from the basket that she had hidden under the bed, wiped it, and took a bite. Fresh juice rolled around her mouth along with its crunchy pulp, which tasted slightly sweet. She then wipes her lips while lost in thought.

‘I’m sure my father sent him.’

The man who came with the monk. He was definitely looking for her, and that wasn’t hard to guess.

‘But why all of the sudden?’

He threw her here and didn’t bother checking on her for fourteen years.

‘I need to find out.’

As she swallowed the remaining tomatoes, Elrose’s eyes began to sparkle.

***

On a dark night, Elrose opened the back door of the monastery.

‘It’s still here.’

She walked towards the inside familiarly. In fact, she visited this place quite often.

‘Vegetables, fruits, and meat can be found in the forest, but things like sugar, butter, flour, and milk can’t be helped.’

She had to sneak into the kitchen at night whenever she needed those things.

‘In the meantime, it became messier.’

Elrose clicked her tongue as she looked at the kitchen which was even more disorganized than last time. The plates were full of meat oil, and the table was full of empty bottles. Looking at it, these people seemed to have been eating and drinking excitedly. She then peaked at the kitchen warehouse.

‘It’s full of butter and baked bread. I’ll take it with me when I go.’

While she was looking for something to take and tried to get out, she heard voices of people approaching the kitchen from the hallway. Instead of panicking, she smoothed her hair towel and went to the sink to wash the dishes. Soon, two drunken monks came in. When they saw Elrose washing the dishes, they turned away and went to the place where all the bottles were piled up.

‘Ah, of course.’

Since they’re drunk, they thought she was just an apprentice who’s in charge of chores. Elrose listened to their conversation while pretending to wash the dishes. At first, they talked about the drinks that they were drinking, but the subject soon changed.

“Who was the guest that came today? I don’t think the donation was the biggest, but I love it. Thanks to that, I can drink like this.”

“You didn’t know? You know the woman who’s abandoned in the cabin.”

“Elrose?”

“The woman who’s waiting for the day to die in this place. Anyways, her father died.”

“…!”

Elrose stopped her hands without realizing it.

‘My father died?’

She thought he sent someone, but he died?

It wasn’t sad news, for she had little memory and was abandoned by him here. She was just surprised. In the meantime, the monks continued their conversation.

“What? So now she’s a count?”

“That’s right, but… remember when you asked who the guest was today? It’s the dead count’s wife.”

Just before Elrose left the mansion, her father remarried.

‘I’m sure he said her name was Camilla.’

That woman sent someone. She felt a cool chill sliding down her back as she swallowed.

“I’m not sure, but the law says that she has to follow the inheritance process within a week of his death. In the meantime, if she doesn’t do it, the problem gets complicated.”

“So you want to send her there for a week?”

“That’s stupid. Just leave it alone as it is now. Why would we send her back? We were even sent with a large sum of money to the director…”

The monk said while wiggling his hand as if to demonstrate something.

“Just deal with her here so you don’t have to worry about it.”

Deal with it.

The words hit Elrose’s head like a lightning bolt.