Her mother, having calmed the confusion, looked at her with a face full of worry. In an atmosphere that seemed to convey something absolutely incomprehensible had happened, Thea carefully replied.

“Not long after the marriage, my mother-in-law passed away and my husband abandoned me and wandered off. Now even my father-in-law has collapsed and I’ve been nursing him. I’ve also been handling all the affairs of the Count’s household.”

At the tremendous content, her mother’s complexion turned deathly pale. Like asking why she hadn’t spoken of such things.

“Thea, oh… my baby. Why did you hide such terrible things?”

At her extremely pitying appearance, she felt ambiguous emotions. Because even if they’d known, nothing would have changed.

She knew well that unless she reached out first, even a maternal family couldn’t offer help first, no matter how close.

“I’m sorry, I had my reasons.”

“Yes, yes. Of course you did. What kind of child are you… you wouldn’t have hidden it on purpose.”

Her mother, nodding her head saying she understood everything, glared fiercely at her father.

It was also a question of what he would do after hearing such words. Under the hot gaze, her father coughed a few times, then spoke while gently turning his eyes away like something was stuck.

“Thea, I understand for now. I need to confirm what happened first.”

“There’s no need to confirm. Count Winter will surely blame everything on me.”

Thea, who spoke like it was obvious, put the tea she’d only held without drinking back in the cup and chewed over the doubt she’d harbored in her heart.

It was because of her father not easily saying to come back.

Her mother was insistent that she should return, but her father wasn’t. Then it meant some hidden circumstances she didn’t know about were concealed.

“Father.”

At just one word, his body trembled like an aspen leaf. It looked similar to a thief’s feet going numb.

Ah, then what he said might be true.

“Father.”

To Thea calling again, he swallowed dry saliva and raised his head. At the deep valley visible between brief emotions, Thea felt dizzy.

“Father, did you sell me to the Winter household?”

Under the name of dowry.

“My husband said so. That the Yut family borrowed money using me as collateral, and I can’t leave the household until the debt is fully repaid.”

When she closed her mouth like asking if those words were true, she saw her father turning pale and gaping. That meant he’d not only sold her off but properly pocketed a share.

“I’m sorry. Thea, at that time our territory had such a drought that crops were scarce. As you know, the Winter household has plenty of crops despite the cold, but we don’t, right?”

The Yut family’s territory bordered a wide sea, so seafood was abundant, but the land contained salt so crops didn’t grow well in the region.

In contrast, the Winter household’s territory had chilly weather and winter came often, but the land was good so crops grew well.

Only then could she understand why her father made that choice. She remembered hearing news of a tremendous drought not long after coming as a bride.

‘…He really did sell me.’

She understood with her head, but couldn’t help one corner of her heart growing cold. Because she realized the place she’d considered somewhere she could come comfortably actually wasn’t.

In the increasingly gloomy atmosphere, her mother tried to grab Thea, but it ended in failure.

Because Thea, who slowly pulled back her chair, stood up with powerless movements.

“I understand. I’ve been very rude. To ask for help without knowing this.”

Saying she’d been foolish, she kept letting out hollow laughs, then turned around—the moment she tried to leave the dining area.

Her mother rushed from behind and grabbed the hem of her dress.

“Still, you can catch your breath, can’t you? Going back in this state, you look like you’ll die right away.”

Looking at Thea’s emaciated twig-like arms, she couldn’t say anything to her mother clinging desperately.

Then, thinking the one at fault was her father, not her mother, Thea nodded slightly.

“I’ll stay just a few days. A debtor must repay their debt, so I can’t stay long.”

“Why… do you speak like that?”

At Thea’s words, her mother’s pale face turned even whiter, seemingly breathless.

Even at that scene, no special emotion arose—probably because the feeling of betrayal was greater.

‘No, that I can end it at this level…’

Isn’t it fortunate? They would never know how fortunate it was to end it before it spread into greater hatred.

When the brief contemplation ended, she swallowed dry saliva with eyes deeply descended into darkness. Then she tilted her head obliquely.

“…It’s not wrong, is it?”

“Thea.”

“No matter how many times you call my name… nothing changes.”

Slowly reciting that it was already spilled water, she turned her body and left that place. The moment she came out, only a self-deprecating smile flowed at the mansion’s scenery welcoming Thea.

Because she wondered why she hadn’t known.

Now she could see the decorations continuing throughout that were impossible with this place’s funds.

The drought was a plausible excuse.

Nausea surged at the traces of transactions visible throughout the mansion.

Yet she couldn’t do anything.

The place she’d considered a safe cradle was choking her, and she couldn’t collect herself. Thea, who just wanted to collapse like this, headed to the garden with staggering steps.

Before long, she stood in front of a fountain where cool water bubbled up. This too was something that hadn’t existed before Thea disappeared.

Noticing one thing, she could see everything was a problem.

With a hollow heart, did she sit in front of the fountain and blankly stare at the rising water? Small shoe heel sounds came from behind.

“Miss, the wind is cold.”

Why did the softly reciting voice sound so unpleasant today? Even the worried tone sounded only like pretense. What could be trusted in this mansion—

‘Only myself alone.’

In a situation where even the person who raised her couldn’t be trusted, only hollow laughter rippled. Soon, at the hand gently embracing her drooped shoulders, she forcibly opened her tightly stuck throat.

“Did you know, Nanny?”

“…Know what?”

At the returning question, Thea kept moving her lips before finally opening her words.

“That I was married off like being sold.”

“What do you mean by that? Sold?”

To the nanny producing words without a single note faltering, misery surged even more. She’d rather say she knew.

“I already heard everything from Mother. That you sold me off to the Winter household. How much did you receive?”

“Miss, that’s… that’s.”

At the denial that didn’t come easily, the answer became certain. Thea gripped the fountain’s surface strongly with both hands. She gripped so fiercely that bones showed prominently on her gaunt hands.

“Did you receive enough to fix this mansion and live lavishly?”

“That can’t be, Miss!”

“Or did you receive enough that I could never escape Winter for my entire life?”

“Please don’t say more. I said it’s not true.”

The nanny’s increasingly rough breathing and shrill screams told the truth. Having come this far, she couldn’t deny it anymore.

“Yes, I see. Well, there’s no way you wouldn’t know, Nanny. Were you all in it together?”

“Miss, please don’t misunderstand. We, we…”

“I don’t need excuses.”

What did she hope for coming here?

What did she come to gain in the first place?

‘When I have no one on my side.’

The betrayal received from the one she trusted most was more bitter than expected.

Well, she was stupid to trust so firmly. She was a nanny who’d been with her mother all along—there’s no way she wouldn’t know this fact.

Learning everyone had deceived her, even the hand placed on her shoulder gave her chills.

Because she remembered laughing and crying in these hands.

Thea didn’t accept the outerwear the nanny carefully offered and turned her head slightly to stare blankly.

It was truly ridiculous to think she’d accept outerwear after reaching this situation.

She was terrified of the white hand before her, but the nanny didn’t seem to be.

What scheme did she hide beneath that innocent expression?

‘If only she’d revealed being in cahoots straightforwardly…’

This much fear wouldn’t have surged. At the emotion growing heavier as time passed, she exhaled a slow breath and spoke.

“Nanny. That’s enough, so go rest now. I’ll come in after getting a little more air here. I don’t need the outerwear either.”

“But it’s dangerous, Miss.”

At the word dangerous, a bitter laugh tried to squeeze out. The most dangerous person worrying about her? Even a passing dog wouldn’t laugh.

Who in this mansion could dare touch her? Even if they did, wouldn’t it be the nanny or her mother?

Thea stretched her finger straight and pointed at the slightly open doorway, telling her not to worry unnecessarily and go inside quickly.

“Now, go on. Isn’t it time to have tea with Mother by now?”

“Even if I’m a little late, the lady will forgive me.”

“No, Mother won’t forgive you.”

It’s her beloved morning teatime—if she learned the nanny was delayed for just this matter, she’d drop a thunderous reprimand.

Thea, who calmly stated reality, rose from the fountain like she would leave if the nanny wouldn’t.

Then she gently shook and smoothed out the wrinkled hem of her dress. The nanny watching the series of actions now acted like someone with a spark fallen on their foot.

“Miss! I’ll help you. Moving alone isn’t what a noble should do.”

At those words, Thea indifferently raised her head.

“I don’t think I’ve particularly been treated as a noble, though? And is there really a need? It’s not like I don’t have hands or feet.”

“Even so. It weighs on my heart.”

Now she half-lowered her eyes and made a pitiful face. How many times had she been fooled by that piteous, sorrowful appearance when the inner thoughts were surely nothing like that?

If she were her naive self, she would have been fooled countless times, but having rolled around at the Winter household, her current self had grown far too smart to fall for shallow tricks.

“Nanny. You know well enough that I hate repeating the same story over and over… so why do you keep repeating it? Are you trying to play word games with me?”

“Word games? I’m just speaking for your sake—how can you take it as a joke?”

“You can complain to someone else. Even if not me, there are plenty who’ll listen to you, aren’t there?”

Continuing an argument she didn’t even like made fatigue surge. If she conversed more, even the faintly remaining strength seemed like it would all disappear.

The nanny seemed to have gradually noticed that point too. She began examining Thea with a clearly different demeanor than before.