Chapter 20

“You really do know well.”

Yvonne’s tone was particularly firm, making Ethan feel a sting to his pride.

Why is she so rigid?

Suddenly, his gaze caught the embroidery pattern on the handkerchief. The emblem of the Polshared family was stitched in gold thread.

He imagined how painstakingly each stitch must have been made.

“Why did you marry such a man? I know it was a marriage of convenience, but there must have been some reason you chose him.”

It seemed to be an unexpected question; Yvonne’s face showed discomfort. Ethan, knowing she would usually just press her lips together in such cases, lowered his gaze, not expecting an answer—then she spoke.

“…Because I loved him.”

“You really loved that man?”

Ethan was about to ask how that could be, but then recalled Carlisle’s tall figure and outstanding abilities, which no one could rival.

He’d seen more than once how women went wild whenever Carlisle appeared in uniform, with his distinguished looks so different from Ethan’s own.

“Did you really fall for his polished appearance at first sight?”

“No, I liked him even before that.”

“Before?”

He’d heard Earl Sellus and his wife had raised her so preciously that she rarely went out. Did she have contact with him before that?

Reading Ethan’s curiosity, Yvonne’s gaze became distant.

“It was a very long time ago. I’ve always had feelings for him, all by myself.”

Her eyes were shy yet bitter, shining softly. For some reason, Ethan lost all desire to continue the conversation on this topic.

“Ow.”

“What’s wrong? Does it sting?”

Pretending to be hurt, Ethan made a sound, and Yvonne, startled, withdrew her hand.

“It stings more than I thought. Actually, that female soldier—her slap was pretty strong.”

“That’s why you shouldn’t hurt people carelessly. Hold still.”

“Well…”

Ethan’s face froze mid-sentence, still smiling. Suddenly, Yvonne leaned closer, pursed her lips into a circle, and gently blew on his cheek. The sweet scent of flowers and her own fragrance tickled his nose.

Perfume? No, this was a scent he’d never smelled from any woman before. Realizing it was her skin’s natural scent, Ethan swallowed dryly and waved the handkerchief.

“Can I keep this handkerchief? It looks like it belongs to someone, but I want it.”

“There’s no owner.”

He saw the emblem but didn’t say anything more, simply taking the handkerchief.

“So, what’s your goal from now on?”

“I told you already.”

“No, not that—this.”

Ethan’s straight finger pointed at Yvonne. She hesitated for a while, unsure whether to answer, then finally spoke.

“…I’m going to leave. For the New Continent.”

“You’re leaving at this time?”

There was a period, about five or six years ago, when rumors of gold mines and instant riches led many to buy passage and leave. That was before the investment bubble burst and the economy collapsed.

“You don’t know how things are now. It’s dangerous to go. Nations are so desperate to seize other countries’ resources, war could break out anywhere, anytime. Even if the New Continent bubble burst, there are still countries eyeing it.”

“I don’t care. Anywhere but here.”

Despite his warning about getting caught up in war, Yvonne quietly gazed at the flowing river and murmured.

“As soon as everything is settled.”

“I don’t know what ‘everything’ means, but it sounds strange to me. You don’t need to leave the country. If you’re worried about how your husband will react, just hire a lawyer with a high success rate. Even Carlisle couldn’t…”

“It’s done.”

Her playful fingers pressed Ethan’s cheek and moved away. Sensing she didn’t want to discuss it further, Ethan fell silent.

* * *

With increased public attention lately, Yvonne refused Ethan’s offer to escort her home and got out at the entrance to Cadney Road.

She walked along the path like a promenade, exchanging awkward glances with a few neighbors who quickly went inside.

Dragging her tired body into the house, she was greeted by darkness with the lights off.

“Jane, I’m home.”

She spoke as she took off her coat, but Jane, who usually would have come running by now, was silent.

Where did she go?

Thinking nothing of it, Yvonne turned on the lights—and froze. The house was a mess.

As if a thief had broken in, the furniture and sofas were overturned, and in the bedroom, the wardrobe and drawers were wide open. They were empty, with not a single dress or piece of jewelry left except for a few things she hadn’t packed.

What happened?

Returning to the living room, she headed for the entrance to call for help. Suddenly, she sensed movement behind her.

Screech. The door closed behind her, and a chilling voice echoed.

“Yvonne, my daughter. Have you been well?”

Yvonne slowly turned, her wide eyes trembling fiercely. Emerging from the kitchen, a large middle-aged man and three strong young men stood threateningly.

Her heart dropped.

“Fa…ther.”

The elderly man, accompanied by the burly men, was Earl Bernard Sellus.

“How are you here…”

Even seeing him, she couldn’t believe it, her voice trembling. Her head spun.

How could he be here?

The Earl, head of Sellus Trading Company, had left for the Asnesh Kingdom a month ago for business. She’d checked several times and knew he shouldn’t be back for another six months.

Yvonne, stepping back in fear, grabbed the sofa. From the kitchen came a groan, and one of the men dragged something in, tossing it onto the living room floor.

“Mmmph.”

“Jane!”

She rushed to Jane, who lay gagged, but the man who had dragged Jane blocked her path.

“It’s useless. Be quiet.”

At the command to give up, Yvonne bit her lip and glared at the man she’d just called father.

“How dare you do this in someone else’s house! Let Jane go right now.”

“Impertinent. How dare you try such sly tricks?”

The Earl removed his cylindrical hat and struck the floor with his cane. His hand gripped the lion-shaped ivory handle, added to show off his wealth.

His sunken eyes gleamed with contempt.

“What are you waiting for! Take her away.”

At his order, two men grabbed Yvonne’s arms from both sides. She struggled desperately to shake them off.

“Let go! I won’t go. I’ll never return to that house.”

Yvonne fought with all her strength to escape their grip. If she was dragged to the mansion, she knew she’d suffer horrors again.

Her struggles were so fierce that she knocked over a side table with a loud thud.

The Earl’s face darkened as he grabbed the doorknob to leave. Deciding he’d had enough, he threw his cane. The sound of it hitting the floor echoed loudly.

“Then we’ll do it here.”

The old man began to remove his gloves, and his large hand flew toward Yvonne’s face.

* * *

Smack.

Smack!

After heavy, ragged breathing, the violent sound of slapping echoed again and again. The Earl’s impatient hand mercilessly struck Yvonne’s cheeks.

“How dare you deceive me?”

“Hhic.”

Yvonne tried to duck away from the Earl’s harsh palm, but the men holding her arms blocked her every move.

“I bowed my head to that young brat to make you a Duchess, and you submit divorce papers?”

The Earl’s thunderous voice crashed into Yvonne’s ear as her head whipped from the blows. Her eardrums felt like they would burst.

The taste of blood from her split lips was bitter. She’d grown numb to the pain, but the fact that she was helplessly beaten by the man who’d brought her into the world was devastating.

The accusations she’d heard every day for the past ten years hadn’t changed at all. All Yvonne ever received from her biological father were unspeakable curses and one-sided beatings like this.

Yvonne was not the beloved daughter of the Earl as society believed, but an illegitimate child who was even treated as a servant at home. If only he were a stranger—it might have been better, but violence inflicted because she shared even half his blood was horrific.

At eight, after losing her mother to illness, Yvonne spent four years living on the streets until a sympathetic acquaintance helped her enter an orphanage.

That one year in the orphanage was the happiest time in her life, and the foundation for her endurance now—until the monster of a father came for her exactly one year later.

After being dragged into the Sellus Earldom by Bernard, Yvonne had to endure *buse under the guise of discipline from the Earl and Countess.

Afraid of rumors, the couple nearly imprisoned her, so as a child, she could only endure their violence. Unable to even go to the hospital, she applied medicine herself and waited for the marks to fade, with no one to help her.

Marriage didn’t change things much. Her father, worried she wouldn’t obey after marrying, forced her to return to her family every two months, and each time, she suffered the same cruel discipline as before marriage.