Chapter 26

Asella woke up with a shiver.

Struggling to catch her ragged breath, she looked out the window to see that it was still midnight.

She slowly lowered her gaze to stare at her body through the wide negligee. She could see smooth, clear, flawless skin without a single scar. It was thanks to the priest, whom Philip had called to heal her.

Her entire body was damp with cold sweat, but her white clothes were clean, not even a speck of blood.

‘Why did I dream of that time…?’

It was a memory that Asella wanted to forget forever. When she was a child, it had sometimes appeared as a nightmare, but at some point, she stopped dreaming about it.

Now, for the first time in years, that memory came back to her in a dream.

‘Mother…’

Her mother’s will and wish, which she had forgotten, reappeared on the surface once again.

‘I’m not sure.’

She had promised to honor it, but since she couldn’t seem to keep it, she tried to forget it instead. Then, as if blaming herself for forgetting her promise, she had the dream again.

‘What should I do?

Asella asked her beloved one.

But obviously, there was no response.

***

The day of the wedding…

In the midst of the excited crowds, Asella remained calm and silent.

She shone like the moonlight on a dark, silent, desolate wasteland, where even the wind did not whistle.

Her body was wrapped in a pure white wedding dress, adorned with all kinds of precious jewels. Her delicate makeup was applied carefully on her pale face, showing off her beautiful features and exquisite beauty.

Her long silver hair, which trailed below her waist, was brushed dozens of times with a faintly scented flower oil.

Finally, a gorgeous tiara, the “Glory of the Goddess”, was placed over Asella’s head.

After all the preparations were completed, Madam Efredieu got up and gave a low exclamation.

“As I expected, you are truly beautiful.”

Like a pearl that shone dazzlingly even when it was buried in the soil. Like a lotus flower that bloomed beautifully even in the mud.

Efredieu’s eyes gazed at her in genuine amazement.

She had made clothes for many people in the past. Naturally, she had seen many famous people in the social world. They were all equally brilliant and elegant people. But she was convinced that none of them could compare to Asella Chartus, not even close.

Not only was she beautiful in appearance, but the radiant dignity and elegance she displayed was something she was born with.

“Wow, you’re so beautiful, My Lady!”

“You look like a doll!”

Asella smiled bitterly as she listened to the boutique staff’s admiring voices.

She was well aware of the fact that her current position was not much different from a well-packaged doll on a display shelf.

“You look more beautiful when you smile, Miss. Try smiling a little brighter.”

The voice sounded somehow recognizable. Asella turned her head and saw a familiar face.

“Please practice smiling from now on so that you can greet His Excellency with a brighter expression.”

It was the maid who had one day stuck a needle in her wrist while making fun of her in a hushed voice.

“This is all for the good of House Chartus.”

The maid whispered her last words as she brought her mouth closer to Asella’s ear. With the palm of her hand covering the edge of her mouth, her voice was so quiet that only Asella could hear it.

Asella bit her tiny lips and nodded. The maid finally gave her a satisfied smile and stepped back.

The maid next to her started another topic as if she had been waiting for it.

“Come to think of it, did you hear that?”

“Oh, that’s right. There was a lot of news this morning.”

Although she didn’t know what it was, Asella didn’t want to hear it.

It was evident to her that the maids talked to her only when they had something to torment her about.

“It was absolutely amazing.”

“You’ll be surprised when you hear about it, My Lady.”

The information that Asella typically received was limited. Philip did not want her to know anything about the family.

‘You just do what I tell you to do. Don’t try to get ahead of yourself.’

However, matters of the marriage were the only thing that was conveyed to her in detail without her wanting to know about it.

“His Excellency, the Grand Duke has been kind enough to send Chartus an additional box of gold bars.”

“As a wedding gift.”

“I heard that the amount is equal to Chartus’s three-year budget.”

Each of the maids revealed the information they knew. They acted as if they were having an ordinary conversation. Still, Asella realized they were exchanging highly sophisticated and calculated words.

These were the same maids who had never let Asella know a single thing she wanted to know. There was no reason for them to suddenly be this friendly.

‘Mariel.’

Things like the safety of her one and only sibling, for example.

Asella had spent the last week trying to obtain a bit of information about Mariel from the maids who came in and out of the room. However, they pretended not to even listen to Asella’s questions, let alone answer them.

They only pushed what she didn’t want while thoroughly ignoring what she really wanted to know.

“Aren’t you glad?”

“…”

“I guess she hasn’t realized it yet.”

Asella kept her mouth shut like a clam and showed no sign of reaction.

The atmosphere subsided instantly, and a cold silence hovered in the air.

“Well, it seems that Miss is quite nervous. I was also very tense at my wedding.”

“Come to think of it, you didn’t sleep well last night.”

“As I thought. I’m sure everything will be fine Miss, Don’t worry too much.”

As Madam Efredieu skilfully took care of the situation, the maids made clever remarks. Thanks to this, the situation was sorted out smoothly. After a brief silence, there was peace once again in the atmosphere.

That’s when it happened.

“His Excellency, the Grand Duke, is here.”

****