Chapter 30. The Woman’s Misfortune

The interior of the windowless room was as dark as night.

She wandered around, hoping to find an escape route, but could only find a palm-sized vent.

What was Margot planning to do now?

About 10 minutes ago, when the servants suddenly barged in, she was startled. When they dragged her out of the attic, she was beyond surprised, she was angry, and when she faced Margot in the hallway, she quickly understood everything.

You’re up to something again.

As she conveyed that thought with her eyes, Margot seemed to understand immediately and smirked. Then, with a cold face, she ordered to lock her up. The place she was confined to was this room, a small space without a single window.

‘What on earth is she planning…’

She sighed deeply, went to a corner, crouched down, pulled her knees close to her body, and lowered her head. Her vision grew darker, as if ink had been spilled.

Did Enoch Bayern hear the news from Lotery?

Today was the day she had promised to meet him. The daily Veritas newspaper is published early in the morning, so it should be in his hands by now. If he wasn’t still sleeping, Enoch Bayern would have read the article about Lotery.

So, when would he come to find her?

‘See you again in five days, Miss Lopez.’

He had definitely said that. It meant he intended to come find her himself. Today was the promised day, and if he wanted to make a deal with her, he would probably visit the Lopez estate today.

Or come to capture her…

There was a good chance he wouldn’t make a deal and would detain her, handing her over to the Mage’s Tower. About 30% chance. The remaining 70% was the probability of him making a deal with her. It was a rough and ridiculous calculation, but she was expecting it to be that way.

‘That man would want to use my abilities.’

She slowly raised her head and stared into the darkness, lost in thought. Should she use the foresight magic for a moment…? Just to see how today would turn out. It wouldn’t cause much strain on her body.

‘…Alright, just for today…’

She made up her mind and closed her eyes. Just as she was about to focus her mind to invoke the magic.

“……!”

She heard the sound of a lock being picked from outside. She flinched slightly and opened her eyes, fixing her gaze on the door. The door rattled a few times and then creaked open. The person who peeked through the gap was none other than Margot. Her pale face, backlit, looked ghostly.

“…You tough thing. Not a single tear even when confined in such a dark place.”

Margot, with a look of disdain, slowly entered the room. She was holding a tray with two pieces of bread and a cup of water. It seemed she didn’t intend to starve her.

“Why did you lock me up?”

As she put the tray down in front of her, Ellen asked bluntly, causing Margot to hesitate slightly. The blue veins stood out on Margot’s tightly clenched hand. Without waiting for her answer, Ellen continued with another question.

“Are you planning to sell me to Marquis Anderson?”

“……!”

Margot’s eyes widened and glinted oddly in the darkness. She bit her lips and glared at Ellen fiercely. …Judging by her reaction, it seemed to be true. Ellen had asked just in case.

“Does Father know you locked me up?”

“…Your father agreed. To marry you to Marquis Anderson.”

“I need to speak to Father, so let me out.”

“No, it’s better for you to stay here quietly.”

“You shouldn’t be doing this.”

“You, how dare you be so rude to your stepmother—”

“I’m engaged to His Highness Grand Duke Bayern.”

“…What?”

Margot, who had flinched, asked with a stiff expression. Ellen repeated herself clearly.

“I’m engaged to His Highness Grand Duke Bayern.”

“What nonsense…”

“Whether it’s nonsense or not, you can find out for yourself by sending a letter to the Grand Duke’s residence.”

Margot took a step back, looking down at Ellen. Her lips moved slightly, and disbelief was written all over her face, but the emotion in her eyes was unmistakable… fear.

As expected… Margot was afraid of Enoch Bayern.

“Don’t lie, Ellen. Where did you pick up such a bad habit—”

“Did you call Marquis Anderson?”

Margot noticeably flinched at Ellen’s nonchalant question, gripped by fear. It seemed true that she had called Marquis Anderson while locking Ellen up.

…Well, it was a question that didn’t need an answer. So Ellen decided to take this opportunity to stir Margot’s emotions. She had always wanted to do this at least once.

“You want me to marry Marquis Anderson and be unhappy, don’t you?”

“…What do you know? Marriage is originally…”

“You want me to end up unhappy like you did when you married an older man in your youth.”

At that moment, Margot’s gaze changed. The fear that had enveloped her was replaced by anger. She glared at Ellen, her eyelids trembling, with a murderous look as if she wanted to strangle her right then and there.

Her tightly pressed lips slowly parted.

“…Yes.”

What came out was an unexpectedly straightforward affirmation. Her low voice was filled with fiery rage, making it clear that Ellen had touched a nerve.

“I want you to be unhappy.”

“……”

“I want a noble girl like you to be ruined like a back-alley pr*stitute. I really hate you. I’ve loathed you since the first time I saw you. Are you satisfied now? Did you want to hear me say this? You finally made me curse you out loud!”

Ellen slowly closed her eyes and shook her head.

In the end, it was like this. Whatever other reasons Margot had, they could not be more than a malice-driven motive to make me unhappy. All the things she did to torment me, trying to marry me off to Marquis Anderson, it was all because she wanted to see me suffer.

There are such people in the world. Foolish and pitiful people who wish others to be as unhappy as they are…

“Margot, you actually hate the nobility, don’t you?”

“……”

“No, actually, you hate your situation of not being born a noble.”

“What do you know…?”

“So you tried to project your unhappiness onto me, a girl born into nobility.”

“Shut up! How dare you talk back to me!”

“But your unhappiness isn’t because you weren’t born a noble.”

Margot’s arm, which was raised to slap me, froze. I stood up abruptly. Grabbing her arm tightly, I said,

“Do I look happy just because I was born a noble? Has there ever been a good time in my life? You and I, we are both unhappy because we were born as women in this wretched world! You’re just taking your anger out on the wrong target!”

“……!”

Margot’s eyes glaring at me sparkled fiercely. Her arm, which I was holding, seemed to tremble, and then she shook off my hand. Then, she slapped me hard across the face.

Smack!

With a trembling voice, she muttered,

“Taking it out on you? Yes, maybe I am. But so what?”

Smack!

Margot slapped my other cheek as well, so hard that my eardrum rang.

As I grabbed my cheek and staggered, Margot lifted her foot and kicked me in the stomach. I collapsed to the floor and looked up at her through my disheveled hair. In the darkness, Margot’s eyes, shining brightly, were glinting with the excitement of violence, yet they looked fragile as if they might crumble at any moment.

“So what? Are you upset that a lowly commoner like me is taking it out on you?”

Was her trembling voice due to anger, or was it shame? Whatever it was, it was clear that the raw truth she had been hiding was now exposed.

She must know well how despicable and petty it is to take her anger out on me. But she just doesn’t convert that fact into words and thoughts.

Because if she did, she wouldn’t be able to bear the self-loathing.

“You got engaged to Grand Duke Bayern? Don’t make me laugh. Someone like you? Just stay quietly locked up here and let Marquis Anderson take you away! That old man is dying to pamper you right now!”

After hurling a curse at me, Margot turned her back. Bang! The sound of the door closing loudly echoed. Soon followed the sound of the lock being turned and her uneasy footsteps fading away. And then, silence.

“……”

I blankly looked around the room, now only filled with darkness and stillness.

Even in a place where no light entered, a transparent glass had a faint luster. After a moment of hesitation, I grabbed it and smashed it hard on the floor.

With a loud noise, glass shards scattered everywhere. Groping in the dark, I picked the sharpest piece that seemed best for stabbing and hid it under my sleeve.

There seemed no need to use the magic of foresight.

It felt like about seven hours had passed when the door to the room opened again. As expected, it was Robert Anderson who appeared, silhouetted against the dim light of the hallway.

He approached me with a smirk. I tightly gripped the glass shard hidden in my sleeve.