Chapter 17

Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────Chapter 17

‘There’s nothing to like about her.’

‘How nasty. Is that Father’s wife?’

Moreover, the biggest slap of reality was the reaction of the people around her. The old man who was her husband looked at Tessa and chuckled as if he didn’t like the sight of her, and his son openly demeaned Tessa’s appearance. Even the castle’s employees chatted among themselves whenever they saw Tessa, and so she only folded into herself more and more.

“Oh, Madam. What are you saying about this being of no use. We haven’t even started dolling you up yet.”

“No, even if you don’t do that… I already know. I…”

“That, that’s not true. You are still so pretty. If you get dressed up, you will be even more beautiful.”

As if soothing a child, Mani praised Tessa while she was digging into the ground. But Tessa didn’t hear Mani’s words at all. She’s pretty? It was an obvious lie. She couldn’t possibly be pretty. How could she be pretty when she was full of ugly features from head to toe?

Tessa hurriedly turned away from the mirror.

“I’m just, I… I won’t do it. I’ll just go. The new Lord… He’ll feel the same way.”

At that moment, Janet grabbed Tessa, asking where she was going. She said to Tessa with her stern face.

“No! We can’t accept that. We worked hard to prepare everything, are you really going like this, Tessa?”

“But…”

“If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work! Trust me just once. Okay?”

Janet clasped Tessa’s hand tightly and said.

“I’m going to make you really pretty.”

“…….”

“Tessa, just one time. Once! It’s my wish!”

Janet now begged, hanging from Tessa’s arms.

“If I can’t doll up this pretty face, it’s a sin!”

But it was Tessa who got more embarrassed as Janet whined like a child. It was hard to understand Janet as she said that Tessa was really pretty.

“Janet, I’m not pretty. So… It will be useless.”

“It won’t. Tessa, you are beautiful! You’re really pretty! Why do you keep saying no! And have you done it before? Not yet, so how are you so sure!”

“The people…”

“Are Mani and I not people? Have we ever said otherwise? Just once, trust me. I’ll make you really pretty!”

“…….”

“If you don’t want to look in the mirror, should I take it out? Jin, come here and take the mirror.”

Janet watched Tessa’s reaction and she ordered the mirror to be removed. While the maid cleared the mirror, Janet hastily fetched several dresses and brought them to Tessa, and she began to think seriously.

Tessa twitched her fingers, still struggling to understand Janet.

‘If you draw stripes on a pumpkin, it won’t become a watermelon…’

Tessa looked at the clothes in Janet’s hands. All of them were beautiful dresses of good quality and high prices. They shimmered with every move, and there embroidered were hanging jewels and gold thread.

Something like that would never suit her. That kind of thing was only suitable for a lady like Janet, who had been wearing clothes like that since she was young. It was too much for Tessa, who had only worn old hand me down clothes.

In fact, it wasn’t that Tessa never wore high-quality, fancy clothes at all. They were not quite as nice as the dress Janet brought, but since she became a wife of a Marquis, she had the chance to try on decent dresses a few times.

When she went to the Barony without knowing anything. When she was educated to act like a noble woman. When she was trapped in the Barony like a doll. When the Marquis would call her for the night. And also during the simple wedding ceremony where she wore a wedding dress.

But every time she wore these dresses, Tessa felt like she was wearing something she wasn’t supposed to wear. And no one ever said she was pretty.

‘If I wear it, it will definitely be excessive. I’m not even a noblewoman like Janet. People will laugh at me. That the ugly, vulgar girl wore something that didn’t even suit her…’

Good things and clothes look good only when a person has a good attitude, just as when a beggar wouldn’t look rich just because they wear expensive clothes.

Tessa looked at Janet, not the clothes. Janet was beautiful no matter who looked at her. The shiny, curly brown hair looked like it had been cared for every morning, her eyebrows were straight, and her forehead was smooth with no wrinkles. Above all, her sharp nose and round eyes sparkled whenever she smiled. Janet was lovely and at the same time elegant and noble.

She was the model of a noble girl Tessa always envisioned. That’s why Janet was the woman who best matched and deserved the clothes she brought with her. She was very different from a naive fool like Tessa.

“Ah, this is it!”

Then Janet shouted low as she picked up one of the dresses.

What she picked up was a green dress made of shimmering silk. The sleeves and around the waist were tightly embroidered with gold thread and red jewels, and on the inside was a double-padded thin, soft fabric that flowed with every movement.

At first glance, it looked like a custom-made dress, and it seemed to be of considerable value. Janet showed it to Tessa and held it out.

“Come out wearing this. It will definitely suit you, Tessa.”

“Th, this?”

Tessa staggered back, unable to accept the beautiful dress. It was too much to even touch it with her own hands. Tessa shook her head. I , I can’t wear it. She was afraid that the dress might be damaged in the slightest while wearing it.

“It’s okay, so hurry up and try it on! If it suits Tessa well, I’ll give it to you as a gift! Mani, Jin! What are you doing? Help Tessa change her clothes.”

At Janet’s words, Mani and the maid approached Tessa. Tessa was quickly led by them and moved her behind the screen. Then the moment the maid was about to undress Tessa, she got startled, and unknowingly, she slapped off the maid’s hand.

The maid looked at Tessa with a bewildered face.

“What, why? Is there a problem there?”

Janet peeked inside the screen in a small commotion. Then she noticed that the maid looked at her and found the restless Tessa, and she pretended nothing was wrong and opened her mouth. It’s nothing, Madam! She seemed to have noticed something in Tessa’s reaction.

In fact, among the employees who worked in this castle, there was no way that they would not know if they had working ears. The fact that the sixth wife of the old Marquis was being beaten by the Young Lord.

“I’m, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that…”

“No, Madam. I guess I’d better go out. Sorry for not being able to help.”

The maid nodded towards Tessa, and then she disappeared outside the screen as Mani came up to Tessa.

“I’m sorry, Madam. I should have paid more attention…”

“It… It’s okay. I… I also don’t know why I…”

“Then I’ll help you take off your clothes.”

Mani removed Tessa’s clothes very carefully.

Tessa’s slender back was full of long, long scars, as if she had been hit hard with something. It was a sign of long-term abuse. Tessa turned her back and her body trembled.

‘I, I should’ve said no. I should’ve said it’s okay.’

Tessa bit her lower lip. Suddenly, she regretted all this. From her stubborn unwillingness to refuse, to all these situations. I’m sure she’s thinking how ugly my back is. Mani would have looked at her back several times, but those thoughts did not go away.

Tessa closed her eyes tightly. Recalling the wounds on her back brought back nightmarish memories, and her body reflexively quivered. It was a really terrible time. A time of corporal punishment that she could not escape.

‘You arrogant bitch, you’ve been sold! How dare you ignore me!’

Thwack! A thick, heavy leather belt flew over her back. The pain was so great that she fainted at that very moment.

Tessa couldn’t resist at all. She had neither the strength to resist nor the strength to run away. Just waiting for this moment to come to a halt, she had no choice but to endure the violence as she crawled on the floor.

‘You b*tch! If it wasn’t for my father, you’d already be dead. Understand? Just ignore me one more time. Then I will kill you.’

The man didn’t stop beating her until she lost consciousness, blood dripping down her back. And then, he would place Tessa in solitary confinement.

She was able to receive medical treatment the next day, but the wounds became worse because they were left unattended all night. Tessa had a towel over her mouth throughout the treatment, her body shaking all over as she shed tears.

She hadn’t been beaten up since the battle for the territory, and although she’s gotten a lot better now thanks to the steady treatment of Kennis, she still feels the pain occasionally. It would be difficult for these scars to go away completely unless she was treated by a mage, Kennis said.

“…It’s very ugly.”

“Oh, no. Madam. It isn’t.”

She’s really lying. Tessa just smiled faintly at her words.

Who would think that such a large scar on a woman’s body didn’t look terrible? Looking back now, she was fortunate that Hert didn’t completely take off her nightgown. She wouldn’t have been able to hide the wounds on her back.

But this time? Tessa paused for a moment. Now that she thought about it, there was no way that Hert wouldn’t take off her clothes forever. And if he finds the scars like this…

‘No, I really don’t want that.’

No one would like a woman with scars like these.

Tessa was afraid that Hert would see the wounds on her back and despise her even more. This terrified her. Although she had already committed an irrevocable sin against him that roused a great hatred within him, there was only one thing she feared.

‘I don’t want to be hated anymore…’

Tessa was changing clothes with the help of Mani, but her expression was heavy the whole time.

“Alright, it’s done!”

Mani spoke in a bright voice and led Tessa, who had changed her clothes, out of the screen.

Janet looked at Tessa coming out with a change of clothes and spit out a groan on her face that didn’t know what to do. Oh my god! She rushed towards Tessa.

“Tessa, you are so pretty. This really suits you, Tessa. No, it’s safe to say it was made for Tessa.”

Janet clasped Tessa’s hands tightly and exclaimed again and again. But it didn’t really reach Tessa. What nonsense. How could these clothes suit me? Tessa answered in a trembling voice, pulling her hand out of Janet’s grip.

“Janet, you are exaggerating…”

“What? Are you saying I’m lying? It’s the truth. The dress really looks good on you, Tessa. Come on. I’ll even do your hair and makeup.”

“No, I’ll just change clothes again…”

“Are you saying that to make me sad again? You haven’t looked in the mirror properly yet!”

Janet caught Tessa, who was trying to get into the screen again, then forced her to sit on the chair. Against Tessa’s will, she started smoothing Tessa’s hair with her maid.

“Tessa’s hair is half-curly, so just a slight curl like this will help shape it. I have a bad case of curly hair, so I envy Tessa’s hair like this. It would be nice if my curly hair was nice like yours, Tessa.”

“…It’s not. My hair is…”

How easily tangled and brittle. It’s not shiny and it’s crumbly, so it’s not soft at all. Since coming to this castle, Tessa has never liked her hair. While everyone had smooth hair, only Tessa’s hair looked ugly.

“You’re doing that again! I said you’re pretty, so why do you keep saying that?”

“…Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. In my opinion, Tessa needs to be more confident. You’re this pretty.”

Janet focused on decorating Tessa, even opening the jewelry box, which she loved. After a long time, she wiped a sweat and patted her back. All right, my masterpiece! She led Tessa to the mirror that she had put away.

“One, two, three! Ta-da!”

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