Chapter 2.3

Thus began a new routine, one that strangled Solnia in a different way than before.  

The tutors reported every detail about Solnia—her gaze, gestures, tone of voice—to her Grandmother.  

On days when her behavior displeased them, her Grandmother would take a cane and strike her calves.  

“Stand up.”  

“……”  

“Feigning illness now, are you?”  

Even when her calves were so swollen they bled, Grandmother didn’t bat an eye.  

“Stand up. Or I’ll break your legs myself.”  

It was then that Solnia realized there were many kinds of hell.  

At every meal, countless eyes scrutinized her.  

The tutors, seated around her, observed her every move.  

Was her posture slouched? Did she open her mouth too wide when she ate? Were her feet tapping under the table?  

Even the slightest misplacement of her fingers while holding a fork and knife was noted.  

The dining room, filled with the sound of scribbling and intense stares, was suffocating.  

Even swallowing soup felt like forcing down wet sand.  

Under her Grandmother’s orders, countless tutors were hired to monitor and report on Solnia’s every action.  

As a result, her calves were never free from bruises, and her back bore the marks of corsets tightened to the extreme.  

Life was suffocating, so she let her mind drift away.  

It was the only way to endure.  

She had to dull the sensation of being alive to survive.  

It was during this time that an unexpected guest arrived.  

Three years had passed, and her coming-of-age ceremony was just a year away.  

“Is no one home?”  

It was a rare day when the chains were loosened.  

With the weather growing warmer, the tutors had gone on vacation, and her Grandmother had left for the palace for tea with the Queen. Alec was also absent, leaving only the servants and Solnia in the mansion.  

As Solnia headed to the dining room for lunch, she turned her head at the unfamiliar voice echoing from the lobby hall.  

There stood a well-dressed gentleman speaking to the butler.  

“Is everyone out?”  

“Yes. The Dowager will return around 6 PM this evening.”  

“Will the Earl of Heston also be late?”  

“Most likely. He’s been very busy these days.”  

Whoever the visitor was, it had nothing to do with her. Solnia paid no attention to the conversation between the stranger and the butler as she hurried on her way.  

“Then, the Young Lady is at home, isn’t she?”  

The voice calling for her made her stop and turn her head.  

The butler hesitated for a moment before shaking his head.  

“The Young Lady is also unavailable. She’s been busy with wedding preparations lately.”  

“Yes, that’s precisely why I’m here to speak with her.”  

“Do you absolutely need to meet with the Young Lady?”  

“Yes, I have something to convey to her.”  

Why was it? The moment she noticed the gentleman’s searching gaze, her heart—something she hadn’t even realized was there—began to race.  

‘I need to hear what he has to say.’  

That was the only thought in her mind. Her feet were already moving in his direction.  

“In that case, you should speak with the Dowager—”  

“Step aside.”  

The butler, startled by the sudden interruption, turned around in surprise. Solnia stepped forward, brushing past him, and stood face-to-face with the gentleman.  

“I am Solnia Heston. And who might you be?”  

At that, the gentleman’s face lit up, and he removed his silk hat.  

“You’re here. It’s been a long time, Young Lady. My name is Bobby Barnes. I’m a lawyer who was once employed by the late Earl and Countess of Heston—your parents.”  

The mention of someone employed by her late parents brought her a fleeting sense of familiarity, but Solnia quickly glanced back.  

As expected, the butler stood frozen, looking as though he’d just encountered an unforeseen disaster.  

“If you don’t mind, could I have a moment of your time?”  

“…This way, please.”  

Solnia led him to the parlor, trying her best to suppress her trembling.  

Even though a guest was now seated in the parlor, no one brought him tea.  

That was Solnia’s position in this household.  

No matter how much she was now being educated to act like a noble young lady, the servants continued to ignore her, as if mimicking their master’s attitude.  

Fortunately, Bobby Barnes didn’t seem to care much about such things.  

“I apologize for the sudden visit. I had sent a letter before, but I received no reply.”  

“…It must have been misplaced.”  

Misplaced, indeed. Solnia was certain her Grandmother must have intercepted and burned it.  

Over the years, letters addressed to Solnia—mostly inquiries about her well-being—had occasionally arrived, only to be found later in the parlor’s fireplace, burned almost beyond recognition.  

“I’m relieved to meet you in person. I’ve come to discuss the inheritance procedures and schedule.”  

“Inheritance…?”  

“Yes, the inheritance left to you by the late Earl and Countess of Heston.”  

She hadn’t known. She’d never heard of such a thing.  

Caught off guard by the unexpected news, Solnia widened her eyes and asked,  

“I thought all of my late parents’ assets had gone to my Grandmother.”  

“Yes, that’s correct. For now, as your guardian, the Dowager manages them until you come of age.”  

“Then, when I come of age…”  

“Some of it will be passed on to you. The late Earl and Countess designated a portion of their cash assets and the Lipton Estate to you.”  

Bobby Barnes glanced at the documents he had pulled out while speaking.  

Why was it? Tears welled up in Solnia’s eyes at those words.  

The image of her parents, who had tried so hard to protect her, briefly flashed through her mind.  

Where the tears subsided, a fiery determination took their place.  

A feeling she had never experienced before surged from deep within her. It was as if a flame had ignited in her stomach.  

Cash and an estate. With those, she could finally leave this house for good.  

However…  

“I hear you’re getting married next year. The inheritance process should proceed without issue—”  

“Does my marriage have anything to do with the inheritance?”  

The fact that news of her marriage had even reached this unfamiliar lawyer was startling, but Solnia focused on her urgent question.  

Bobby Barnes hesitated, touching the bridge of his nose as though puzzled, before answering.  

“Yes, Young Lady. For a woman to inherit property, she must be married.”  

“Wait a moment. Does that mean that even if I inherit the assets, my husband will manage them?”  

“Yes, that’s correct.”  

Bobby Barnes tilted his head slightly, as if confused by the question. It was only natural. A woman of marriageable age being so ignorant about such matters was unusual.  

In the Kingdom, a husband gained ownership of everything his wife had upon marriage.  

It was absurd, but there was no way around it—that was the law.  

And Solnia realized her Grandmother’s true intentions.  

Her Grandmother was undoubtedly planning to manipulate her future husband, Viscount Anais, into seizing the inheritance for herself.  

Or perhaps she had already promised the Viscount a portion of the inheritance in exchange for something.  

Knowing her Grandmother’s greed, it wouldn’t have been surprising.  

Especially since the inheritance was tied to the granddaughter she despised so much.  

In other words, even this marriage couldn’t save her.  

The horrifying realization made Solnia clear her throat several times to steady her voice before asking,  

“…I have one question.”  

“Yes, please go ahead.”  

“If I were to divorce after marriage… would the inheritance then belong to me?”  

Bobby Barnes frowned slightly, seemingly taken aback by the question, and Solnia swallowed dryly.  

After a few moments of silence, Bobby Barnes finally spoke.  

“Yes. If the divorce is amicable, the inheritance would revert to you.”  

“…”  

“An amicable divorce implies that the husband agrees to let the wife become independent—”  

At that moment, Solnia made up her mind.  

She would find a husband who would agree to a peaceful divorce.  

And with that, she would escape this hell.  

***

However, being confined to the mansion made it nearly impossible for Solnia to find another suitable husband.  

After Bobby Barnes’s visit, her grandmother had isolated Solnia from the world more thoroughly than ever before, and strict surveillance followed.  

A maid watched her every move, from the moment she opened her eyes to when she closed them at night. Meeting anyone or exchanging letters was utterly out of the question.  

Time passed, and before long, summer approached. According to the news, Viscount Anais was expected to arrive soon in the capital, specifically to discuss the marriage in earnest. Time was running out.  

“Who is this!”  

A cheerful voice rang out from beyond the open window. Solnia, who had been absentmindedly gazing outside, doubted her own eyes.  

A black carriage bearing a familiar crest. And stepping out of it, a familiar face.  

Though years had passed, traces of the past lingered on that face.  

“…Lu?”  

The moment she muttered unconsciously, as if by magic, he lifted his head and looked in her direction.  

The second son of the Trovill Ducal Household. The boy with jet-black hair and olive-green eyes, Luette Trovill, had grown into a man.  

From that day onward, Solnia began gathering information about Luette Trovill. It wasn’t difficult.  

Near the servants’ entrance, gossip magazines or newspapers piled up daily, and slipping a few away went unnoticed.  

「Luette Trovill, Unfit as the Head of the Household!」  

「Outcry Among the Branch Families―」  

Completely cut off from the world, Solnia had only just learned that William Trovill, the eldest son of the Trovill family, had passed away.  

But her sorrow was brief; this was an opportunity for Solnia.  

Now was the time when the newly designated heir, Luette, faced backlash from the branch families, who deemed his past conduct unsuitable for the role of heir.  

Since last year, Luette had been appearing in social circles, seemingly in search of a partner with a respectable family and background—someone who could solidify his position.  

The calculation was simple, and the decision came quickly.  

Luette Trovill was the perfect candidate.  

Though it had been nothing more than a joke between their parents in the past, there had once been talk of marriage between them.  

For someone like Solnia, who had been confined to the mansion, he was a fitting match.  

Moreover, his impeccable background meant he wouldn’t covet her inheritance.  

What he needed was a partner from a distinguished family with a strong reputation, and her proposal would appeal to him.  

The honor of being from an Earl’s family that had helped establish the Kingdom would immediately secure his position as heir.  

Above all, if a powerful family’s eldest son openly desired her, even her grandmother would have to back down—for now, at least.  

Who knew what schemes her grandmother might concoct later, but for now…