Chapter 2.4

Late at night. It had been just over an hour since the once-bustling mansion had quieted.  

Taking advantage of her grandmother and Alec’s trip to a small uncle’s estate, the servants were throwing a party of sorts.  

By the time the drunken revelry had quieted, Solnia slowly rose from her bed.  

In the moonlit room, a lone, thin figure moved about silently.  

Locking her door, Solnia changed into the clothes she had prepared earlier. Without even glancing at the mirror, she braided her hair, her eyes fixed on the locked door. Her trembling hands kept losing grip of her hair.  

“Stay calm. Stay calm, Solnia.”  

Even her voice, repeating the words to calm herself, trembled slightly at the end.  

Finally, after donning her bonnet and gloves, Solnia began tying knots using her bedsheets.  

‘Quickly, just a little faster.’  

Her frantic hands struck the bedpost, but she barely noticed the pain. She couldn’t afford to feel it.  

There wouldn’t be another opportunity like this.  

After hurriedly securing the knots, she tied one end to the bedpost and threw the other out the window.  

Then, climbing onto the windowsill, she hesitated.  

Looking down at the pitch-dark garden below, fear crept in.  

‘What if I fall and die?’  

The thought made her laugh bitterly.  

How absurd, to be worried about dying at a time like this.  

Mocking her own fear, Solnia gripped the makeshift rope tightly and stepped out.  

It was only the second floor of the mansion, but her entire body trembled like a leaf.  

Had it not been for her kid gloves, she might have lost her grip and fallen.  

When her feet finally touched the ground, her back was drenched in sweat.  

But Solnia didn’t waste time marveling at her survival. She ran straight to the stables.  

As expected, only the horses were there. The stable master was likely mingling with the servants, enjoying the feast in the absence of the mansion’s owners.  

Amidst the horses whinnying in caution, Solnia chose the calmest-looking one, mounted it, and escaped the mansion.  

Of course, it had been nearly ten years since she last rode a horse, and she almost died three times.  

But somehow, she managed to hold onto the reins and clumsily crossed the dawn.  

The Nutak Villa she finally reached was far more splendid than she had imagined.  

Deep in the mountains, where birds chirped and rivers flowed, stood a beautiful villa bathed in the gentle morning sunlight.  

And there he was.  

“How have you been?”  

“…”  

With the cool-flowing river behind him, he gazed at her with olive-green eyes, a firm jawline, jet-black hair, and an expression that screamed incredulity.  

“Should I call you Lord Trovill?”  

There he was—Luette Trovill, the man who would save her from hell.  

***

A jolt woke Solnia.  

She realized she had fallen asleep, slumped against the window, and quickly straightened her posture.  

The journey to the capital was long. Sitting upright in the same seat for three hours was no easy task.  

As she swept back her disheveled hair, she noticed Luette watching her.  

She had no idea how long he had been staring.  

“Why are you getting up? You should rest more.”  

“…”  

“Arriving on the train with the carriage isn’t a bad entrance, you know.”  

His words weren’t worth responding to.  

Come to think of it, he seemed a little less handsome than the face she had seen in her dream earlier.  

To be honest, when she first reunited with Luette, she had been briefly stunned by his striking appearance.  

She had thought that all the talk about his extraordinary looks was exaggerated, but seeing him in person, he truly was that handsome.  

Yet now, the man before her…  

“…”  

Somehow, he seemed to grow less attractive by the day.  

The noise outside the window grew louder. Pulling back the curtain slightly, she saw a bustling crowd beneath a towering clock tower.  

It was Rodson Station, the heart of Melfir.  

Just as Solnia stifled a late yawn, a dry voice drew her attention.  

“Wake up.”  

Luette had already prepared to disembark.  

“I have no intention of playing the lovesick fool carrying his drowsy wife onto the train.”  

His tone was still irritated. He clearly resented the unwanted trip to the capital.  

But Solnia decided not to feel guilty.  

This was simply fulfilling the terms of their contract, and both of them were obligated to adhere to it.  

“Then you should manage your expression as well.”  

Solnia retied her bonnet strings as she spoke.  

“I don’t want to be seen as the peculiar woman dragging her exhausted husband to her grandmother’s birthday party.”  

The first-class train car was quiet.  

To avoid any potential issues, Luette had rented the entire car.  

Their attendants, Philip and Angie, were seated in the second-class car directly behind them.  

Before long, the train roared to life with a loud noise and began its journey.  

For the first time, the reality of leaving for the capital sank in.  

A place she never wanted to visit, not even in her dreams.  

And yet, here she was, with her fake husband in tow.  

Solnia lifted her head to glance at the dark-haired figure sitting at a distance.  

She wasn’t too worried. Luette Trovill would handle everything well on his own.  

When it came to ladies, he was always a kind gentleman. He wasn’t the type to stir up scandal after scandal without reason.  

Even if he was quick to snap at her, he would undoubtedly treat her grandmother with care.  

‘I just have to do my part.’  

Solnia closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if to remind herself of her resolve.  

‘I can do this. I knew this would happen.’  

Yes, she had expected this.  

When she hurriedly married and left the capital, she knew her grandmother would summon her back someday.  

Her grandmother would never stand by and allow her to inherit the estate.  

That’s why she hadn’t raised her voice when the sudden marriage was announced, and why she had been sent off so quietly.  

Perhaps her grandmother had even enjoyed it, laughing at the foolish girl who thought she had gained everything, only to bide her time before calling her back.  

Right before her coming-of-age ceremony, no less, even going so far as to send a party invitation.  

There was only one reason for this:  

Her grandmother undoubtedly knew all about her plans. She simply lacked proof.  

So, Solnia just had to make sure no proof was left behind.  

That was all that mattered.  

If she could manage that, she would safely board the return train.  

When Solnia opened her eyes again, she rummaged through her bag and pulled out a small medicine case.  

Considering she had taken some just a few hours ago, it was an excessive dose.  

But from now on, all she had to endure were hours of sheer willpower.  

It felt as though her doctor’s warnings were echoing faintly in her ears.  

Her hesitant hand eventually tossed the pills into her mouth.  

When Solnia opened her eyes again, she was greeted by the face of Philip, Luette’s aide.  

“Madam, we’ll be arriving at Watson Station soon. You should get up.”  

At his words, she glanced out the window.  

The once-dense forest had changed into a new landscape.  

Under the pitch-black night sky, the scattered mansions looked like pieces of a puzzle.  

Solnia shivered for no apparent reason, though it might have been the effects of the medication.  

Or perhaps it was because of the grand mansion among them.  

“Philip.”  

At that moment, Luette Trovill, looking impeccably composed, approached them and spoke.  

“Reynold will be at the station. Head straight to the townhouse.”  

“Are you stopping somewhere first, Sir?”  

“To Oberon.”  

At those words, any lingering drowsiness vanished entirely.  

Oberon was the name of her grandmother’s grand mansion.  

Solnia instinctively jerked her head up and asked,  

“Did you just say you’re going to Oberon?”  

Luette Trovill, who was about to respond, seemed to notice Philip’s gaze and instead answered with a faint smile.  

“Yes, my dear. Did you sleep well?”  

“I thought we were going to the townhouse.”  

“If the Dowager hears we’ve arrived in the capital, she’ll summon us anyway. No need to go back and forth unnecessarily.”  

“……”  

“Besides, it’ll surely put your mind at ease as well, my dear.”  

He offered her a dazzling smile—the kind of smile one might expect from a husband deeply concerned for his wife.  

Just as she was about to argue, she caught sight of Philip standing beside them.  

He was watching the supposedly loving couple with a pleased expression.  

Solnia turned her eyes to the window in exasperation.  

The train was already pulling into the station.