A carriage bearing the seal of the Triad Household climbed a narrow forest path. The shadows of trees cast over it seemed dark and oppressive, like the domain of evil. 

The coachman shivered involuntarily, rubbing his arms to shake off the unease. There was still one more mountain to cross before reaching the next village.

Inside the carriage, a young woman with a somber expression sat quietly. Her sea-green eyes, reminiscent of a distant ocean, were filled with worry. She sighed softly as she gazed at the deep orange sky peeking through the curtains.

“Smile. Show your teeth. Let your eyes soften. Straighten your back and shoulders. Always smile in front of the Count. That’s your duty as a lady.”

A strict-looking middle-aged woman, holding a book and a pointer, rattled off instructions to Riena. It stung her pride. Even if her family had squandered their fortune, she was still raised as a noble and had received a noblewoman’s education. 

Yet, she was being sold off as a young, pretty wife to satisfy the vanity of an aging Count. Her pride rebelled against the idea, but Riena suppressed it and performed her so-called duties as though nothing was wrong.

She knew that showing her wounded pride would only make her seem more pitiful.

The woman smiled in satisfaction at Riena’s compliance. Riena swallowed her humiliation and endured.

The nanny, watching with concern, reached out and held Riena’s hand. She had been Riena’s caregiver and teacher until now. Riena gave her a small smile to reassure her. The unwavering smile calmed the nanny’s heart a little, though it also made her worry even more.

“Miss, have you been taught how to prepare for the wedding night? You know, how to please a man in bed?”

“Our lady has not received such vulgar lessons!” the nanny shouted on Riena’s behalf before she could stop her.

Slap!

The middle-aged woman struck the nanny across the face without a moment’s hesitation. 

Riena’s mouth fell open in shock. The nanny clutched her stinging cheek, biting her lip to hold back tears.

“Nanny! Are you okay? This is too much, no matter what!” Riena exclaimed, shielding the nanny as she glared at the tutor.

The tutor didn’t even flinch. She simply continued speaking, like nothing had happened.

“I am the one in charge of educating the future Countess, nanny. Don’t interfere. From now on, Miss Riena is no longer the sister of the head of the Triad Household—she is the Countess. My job is to prepare her accordingly.”

Riena let out a bitter laugh. Her defiant gaze filled with unshed tears as she stared at the tutor. 

So this is what it meant to be from a family of a lower standing. Even though her nanny had been humiliated so cruelly, she couldn’t say a word in her defense. Overwhelmed by anger, Riena clenched her fists tightly.

The tutor’s pointer came down sharply on Riena’s clenched fists.

“What kind of insolent behavior is this? Do you not understand how much the Count paid to take you from the Triad Household? If you understood your place, you’d know better than to act like this.”

Riena’s glare burned with fury, but she eventually averted her eyes.

It had been a week of this. A week inside this cramped carriage, with the tutor’s hysterical voice constantly berating her. If she leaned back against the seat, she was scolded. 

If she furrowed her brow, she was scolded. It felt suffocating, unbearable. And yet, this was only the beginning. They were on their way to her wedding with the Count.

“Miss Riena. Shall we call off the wedding? Would that make you happy? Are you willing to let the Triad Household, built by your father, collapse just like that?”

The tutor raised her chin, exhaling sharply through her nose. Riena, who had been staring at her, pressed her forehead with her hand and took a deep breath.

“…I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking clearly.”

“Good. Then let’s continue with your lessons. I’ll start by telling you about the Count’s preferences in the bedroom. For instance, his previous wife always prepared by cleansing her body with fragrant oils and applying soft creams to keep her skin smooth…”

The tutor was in the middle of listing the Count’s distasteful preferences when—

Screeeech!

Suddenly, the horses panicked, rearing up on their hind legs. The forward momentum of the carriage was abruptly halted as it collided with the horses. The interior of the carriage jolted violently.

“What’s going on out there?” the tutor shouted.

The moment she raised her voice, an arrow shot through the window and embedded itself in her temple with a sickening thud. Her eyes widened in shock before she collapsed lifelessly to the floor.

“Aaaaah!” 

The nanny let out a blood-curdling scream.

Riena grabbed the nanny’s hand and pressed herself against the wall, trying to stay calm. 

But it was futile. The rectangular carriage shook violently before tilting to one side. Everyone inside—Riena, the nanny, the maids, and the now-dead tutor—was thrown to one side.

“Nanny!” 

Riena cried desperately.

The dead tutor’s body toppled over onto the fallen nanny. The shattered windows, once adorned with elegant curtains, now scattered shards of glass across the cabin. Cushions and luggage spilled everywhere, adding to the chaos.

There was no time to regain her senses. As Riena struggled to steady herself, the opposite window—now the roof of the overturned carriage—shattered again. 

Glass rained down, and blades suddenly pierced through the ceiling, slashing it apart. The roof was torn open, and masked men appeared. One of them struck Riena on the head with a massive fist.

“Found her!”

Those words were the last thing she heard before a searing pain overtook her, and she lost consciousness.

* * *

Riena wiped at her tears with her sleeve, but they wouldn’t stop. Her once-fair skin was rough and raw from crying, and her neatly combed hair was now a tangled mess. She sat curled up, trembling with fear, her breathing shallow as she tried to stifle her sobs.

Her eyes were swollen from crying for half a day straight. Though her body trembled with fear, she bit the inside of her cheek to hold back her tears. 

She hugged her knees tighter, trying to steady herself. She needed to stay calm. She darted her eyes around, trying to assess her surroundings, but the pitch-black darkness gave her no clues. 

The only light came from a torch hanging on the wall, illuminating the grim reality that she was trapped in a prison cell.

Creeeeak. Bang!

The heavy iron door groaned open, its sound sending chills down her spine. Footsteps echoed as several people entered. The faint light of the torch illuminated the entrance, and the sound of their approach grew louder.

Riena flinched and raised her head. Was someone here to rescue her? Or were they the ones who had kidnapped her?

“D*mn it, look at all this dust,” a coarse male voice grumbled, shattering her fleeting hope. Of course. Who would bother rescuing the daughter of a ruined noble family? No knight or guard would speak with such vulgarity.

“There she is.”

The men stopped in front of the cell, pointing at Riena. She could only blink slowly, her wide eyes filled with fear. Standing before her were rough-looking men, unlike anyone she had ever encountered in her sheltered noble life. 

Like a small animal cornered by predators, Riena bristled with fear. All she could do was glare at them with all the defiance she could muster.

“Who are you? What do you want?” she demanded.

“What does it matter to you who I am?” one of the men sneered, pulling out a set of keys from his belt. 

The iron bars, which hadn’t budged no matter how much she had shaken them earlier, now opened with ease.

“Hey, quit messing around and bring her out already. The boss will get mad if we’re late.”

Sensing imminent danger, Riena instinctively tried to back away. But the small cell left her with nowhere to run. Before she could get far, one of the men grabbed her light brown hair, yanking her back. The pain was as though her scalp was being ripped off.

“Where do you think you’re going, huh?” the man growled, slapping her across the face. 

Stars burst in her vision, and she collapsed to the floor, too stunned to scream. Terror froze her in place.

Before she could recover, the man effortlessly hoisted her over his shoulder.

“Let me go! Why are you doing this to me? Let me go!” she screamed, thrashing in vain.

Ignoring her cries, the man carried her up a spiraling staircase. The long climb left him breathing heavily, but he didn’t slow down.

They emerged into another space beyond a heavy stone door, but it was still indoors. Judging by the grand columns supporting the room, Riena guessed it was the lobby of a large mansion or an old castle. 

It must have been a beautiful place once, she thought. The ornate ceiling murals, the black-and-white checkered marble floor, and the tall arched windows all spoke of wealth and craftsmanship.

But now, the place was filled with rough, unsavory men who didn’t belong in such a refined setting. 

Worn-out tables were scattered around, covered in playing cards and bottles of alcohol. It looked like a den of gangsters.

Riena’s eyes darted around, trying to take in every detail and figure out where she was. Outside the windows, the night was pitch black. Inside, gas lamps and candles lit the space.

The man carrying her climbed another staircase to the second floor. Along the way, other men stared at her with leering eyes. Some clutched their chests and made obscene gestures, while others stuck out their tongues between their fingers. 

Disgust churned in her stomach.