Chapter 2.2

After digging through the ashes for what felt like an eternity, Frances’s hands finally stopped. Beneath her scorched palms, she felt something hard. 

She didn’t need to check to know what it was. Frances knew instinctively that it was the body of her mother, Iris. 

Now, as then, it was Frances who found Iris’s remains. 

“What is it? Did she find something?!”

The man, who had been threatening Frances, stretched his neck and asked. 

Only he, intent on making a profit by selling her off, had remained at the scene. In the dead of winter, death in the slums was nothing unusual. 

“This one’s completely burned to a crisp.” 

The man clicked his tongue as he looked at Iris, whose body had been disfigured beyond recognition. There wasn’t even the slightest trace of respect for the deceased in his actions. 

“…Help me arrange a funeral.” 

“Me? Why?” 

The man, taken aback by Frances’s request, spat on the ground with a look of disbelief. If he hadn’t been planning to sell Frances off, there was no way he would’ve stayed in the freezing cold to watch over her. 

The cruel man didn’t have enough compassion to help bury a neighbor. And Frances knew this better than anyone. 

“I’ll compensate you.” 

“Compensate me? Your house is completely burned down, and all you have is your scrawny body. What compensation could you possibly offer?” 

The man’s face twisted with dissatisfaction as if Frances’s confident demeanor annoyed him. 

In response, Frances revealed an emerald-green necklace. Though it was covered with soot, the man immediately recognized the value of the jewel. 

“W-what is this?” 

Frances quickly withdrew her hand, hiding the necklace from the man’s grasp. She looked up at him with unwavering eyes. 

“Hand that over right now!” 

The man’s eyes widened, his mouth watering at the sight of the necklace’s unmistakable brilliance. But Frances didn’t flinch under his threats. 

“If you arrange my mother’s funeral, I’ll give it to you.” 

She had already lived one life before. In that life, she had climbed to the highest position through her own abilities. No matter how intimidating this thug was, Frances would not cower. 

“You little brat!” 

The man raised his hand in anger. 

“Ahhh!” 

A hoarse scream echoed through the narrow, cramped alley. At the sound of Frances’s cry, the people living in the alley peeked out to see what was happening. 

“What? What are you doing?!” 

“If I show this necklace to them, what do you think they’ll do?” 

Frances’s calm words made the man’s face contort with unease. Even if he managed to snatch the necklace by force, it was obvious that he wouldn’t be able to sleep peacefully tonight. The alley was full of all kinds of people—some who could pickpocket a wallet from an inner pocket as naturally as breathing. Among them, there were those who wouldn’t hesitate to commit murder. 

Frances’s green eyes scanned the man’s face. Despite his threats, she didn’t waver as she stared him down. 

“If I offer this necklace, there will be plenty of people lining up to meet my demands.” 

The man flinched and took a step back. Frances, though only seventeen years old, had an air of confidence that made her seem older. Without her long hair, she might have easily passed for a scrawny fourteen-year-old. 

“F-fine. After the funeral, you’ll hand it over!” 

“Don’t worry. Unlike some people, I keep my promises.” 

Greedy for the necklace, the man begrudgingly agreed to Frances’s terms. 

Driven by his greed for the jewel, the man moved quickly. He brought a shovel, cleared the remaining ashes, and loaded Iris’s body onto a cart. Together, Frances and the man headed to Camellia Hill, which overlooked the Dupleuri Port. 

The hill, devoid of gravestones, was a communal burial ground and would serve as Iris’s final resting place. 

“How long are you going to sit there?” 

The man, who had been sitting on the dirt after cooling off from his work, suddenly stood up. 

He growled lowly, baring his teeth, clearly irritated by Frances lingering in front of Iris’s grave. 

At his sharp tone, Frances, who had been gently patting the grave, quietly murmured, 

“Goodbye, Mother.” 

In her previous life, she hadn’t been able to give Iris a proper burial. Looking down at the modest mound marking Iris’s grave, Frances felt a small sense of relief. 

“Now hand it over!” 

The man extended his hand toward Frances. His heavy breathing carried an unpleasant smell. Without looking at him, Frances replied, 

“I don’t have it with me right now.” 

“What?! What nonsense are you talking about?!” 

The man’s face twisted into a dumbfounded expression at Frances’s bold tone. He had been watching her the entire time. 

“I buried it in the ashes.” 

“What?! Why would you bury it there?!”  

The man screamed in shock. The camellia trees surrounding the communal graveyard trembled at his outburst. 

Frances moved slowly, leaving the man who was losing his temper behind. The winter wind blowing from the port was biting cold, but it was perfect for facing reality. 

“Are you out of your mind?” 

The man asked Frances, his expression incredulous as he watched her. She was so composed that it was hard to believe she had just buried her mother. She walked as if she had no emotions at all. 

“Wouldn’t it be scarier if I were in my right mind?” 

Frances murmured as she gazed down at the port. 

“What?” 

“What are you doing, not going down quickly? What if someone takes it?” 

At Frances’s words, the man panicked. He hurriedly descended the narrow alley. Watching his retreating figure, Frances stood still, letting the wind hit her face and body. She looked down at the port by the sea. 

She hadn’t expected to see this view again. The second time witnessing her mother’s death felt unfamiliar. Iris had sacrificed everything, even her life, to protect the necklace that proved Frances’s lineage. She hadn’t realized that it would ultimately drive Frances into hell. 

“My wish was for your peace…” 

Frances’s whispered words were swept away by the wind. 

“This time, I won’t be able to run away either.” 

Frances looked down at her hands. Her small hands, blistered and worn, made her sigh. 

Then, she touched her face. 

Her smooth face, free of burn scars, felt strange. 

‘Can I protect it?’ 

If she couldn’t run away, she had to protect it. 

The future of the Wiblow family depended on it. They weren’t people who would give up on Frances so easily. 

If that was the case, what could I do? 

At that moment, Frances spotted men in uniforms. Dupleuri, home to the empire’s most beautiful port, was also the location of the best knight academy. 

In the past, Frances had studied here as well. 

As she walked, recalling her memories of the past, the man from next door suddenly appeared in front of her. It was at the end of an alley where no one passed by. 

“What’s the matter?” 

“What’s the matter? This is the payment for the funeral, and the cost of repairing the house is extra.” 

His greed made Frances laugh. His shameless demands amused her, but it also made things easier. The man seemed to interpret her incredulous laughter as agreement. He grabbed her wrist and led her down another alley. 

Having secured the necklace, the man now planned to sell Frances to an old man for a hefty sum. No one would care if an orphan girl from the slums disappeared. 

Even when the fire broke out, the city hall hadn’t sent anyone to investigate. The man, walking through the winding alleys, hummed a cheerful tune. Frances, without resistance, followed along, her wrist held tightly in his grip. 

“Hey, Hans! What’s with that mess of yours?” 

Hans, the man, was covered in sweat, dirt, and ash. 

“Never mind that! Watch over this for me until I get back.” 

It was then that Frances learned the man’s name was Hans. Shoving Frances forward as if she were an object, Hans spoke to the woman standing nearby. 

“What am I supposed to do with this?” 

“It’s payment for a debt. If things go well, I’ll give you a cut, so keep an eye on her.” 

At Hans’s gesture, the woman, whose name was Laura, quickly understood Frances’s situation. However, she didn’t pity Frances. 

Instead, she was more interested in the promise of a share from Hans. 

“This works out perfectly. With all the academy students suddenly coming in, the restaurant needed someone to wash dishes.” 

Laura quickly changed her tone. If more hands were available, her workload would decrease, so there was nothing to lose. 

“Great. Just make sure she doesn’t run away.” 

Hans waved his hand dismissively as he walked away, clearly in high spirits at the thought of selling the necklace and filling his pockets. 

“Hey, you heard him, right? Even if you try to run, Dupleuri is all under Hans’s control. So don’t make things harder for both of us.” 

Frances silently nodded at Laura’s words. She had no reason to run away anyway. 

“…” 

“Good. You seem to understand, so let’s get you cleaned up first. Even if you’re just washing dishes, this is a bit much.”  

The woman led Frances up a narrow staircase. It seemed to be a set of stairs used exclusively by the workers. 

Before following Laura up, Frances silently watched Hans as he turned the corner of the alley.