Chapter 10

Elina chose to protect the child.

Moreover, she decided to meet Floi, whom she had longed for.

It wasn’t just because she felt affection for the child she barely knew.

Once her pregnancy was discovered, she had to leave the Valois estate unless she chose to terminate the pregnancy.

Even if she stayed after terminating it, they’d likely blackmail her into a strategic marriage or claim it as a disqualification for inheritance.

Since everything was revealed, she had been planning to leave the estate.

This way, she could naturally protect the child.

From the moment she suspected she might be pregnant, her mind was filled with thoughts of the child and Floi.

She knew it wasn’t a good thing for her, but she wondered if there was a chance to meet him again after their brief encounter.

There was an address he left, but she was cautious about visiting it recklessly, not knowing what might happen.

Regardless of his identity, from that point on, it was no longer a fleeting night but something requiring greater responsibility.

However, she had already set things in motion.

Regret was inevitable, but nothing would change by regretting now.

Elina quickly left the place.

She moved swiftly to the small attic room she was so familiar with that it felt tiresome.

No one would stop her from leaving the estate today.

That was exactly what they wanted.

For Elina to leave the estate without inheriting the rightful property.

The consequence of a single act of rebellion was this heavy.

Thinking about how Madame Rasiche might be laughing joyfully right now made her really angry, but there was nothing she could do.

What if she had chosen to terminate the child and stay in the estate to the end?

Whether by choice or not, she would struggle alone for days, clutching her vanished belly.

A child growing inside couldn’t just disappear without a trace in an instant.

If she worked hard in that state, she might collapse somewhere in the estate… Of course, it’s just a guess, but she could die that way.

So Elina made a decision and moved immediately.

If she hesitated in the estate, the stress might harm the child.

She knew this well because her belly ached every time she did hard work for days.

Even if she left the estate, it wasn’t completely impossible to inherit her beloved parents’ property, so she shook off some regrets.

It was a long-considered plan, but she could sue Madame Rasiche, who approached the child with the intent of seizing Valois’s fortune.

The chance of winning the lawsuit was extremely low, so she hadn’t easily chosen it, but now there was nowhere to retreat.

Creak. The always creaky attic door opened boldly.

No, it seemed like a corner was broken.

“But what can I do? I have to try.”

The child in her belly was also conceived against the odds. Even if they hadn’t used contraception, there was a chance at that time.

“Let’s go. I’ll protect you.”

As soon as the door opened wide, Elina swept everything in the room into a bag.

There were all sorts of items.

Clothes hanging in the wardrobe. A small ornament Madame Rasiche gifted long ago.

A few coins received under the guise of maintaining dignity despite her current life.

And she carefully packed items hidden in the corner of the room, filled with memories of her now-unseeable family.

Beautiful jewelry, even now.

Her parents ran the Valois business diligently until their deaths, creating and selling beautiful jewelry that she loved as a child.

The carriage accident happened on their way back from negotiations in a neighboring empire.

“How long can I hold out with this…?”

In truth, Elina didn’t know the outside world well. She lost her parents young and lived under the protection of a stepmother-like Madame Rasiche.

Though she suffered abuse and insults, she was provided with minimal lodging and meals. Her only outings were brief errands.

“Going out, ah, it’s heavy. I can’t carry it all.”

Elina let go of the bag filled with various items.

It seemed like excessive greed.

As she put back one by one the items she packed, her gaze fell on the drawer in the corner of the room.

A crumpled note she had taken out earlier while overturning the room.

She planned to meet Floi first when she left. She had to inform him, regardless of his intentions. That there was a child of his in the world. If things went well, maybe even live together….

Unintentionally, her thoughts reached that point, and Elina frowned.

What kind of marriage would I have when I have nothing to my name?

And she felt bad thinking about how she recently thought it would be better if the child in her belly didn’t exist.

Though she planned to sue Madame Rasiche after leaving the estate, she couldn’t be sure of winning.

And he might reject her.

In truth, what if he lied about being a lower noble when he was of high status….

Is that unlikely? What am I thinking….

“Oh, I don’t know. It’ll work out somehow.”

Even if today’s decision might not be the best later, it was the best for now.

The best of what she could choose.

How did my once smooth life become such a mess?

Elina ruffled her olive hair and checked the bag she would take out of the estate one last time.

She discarded all heavy clothes, keeping only valuable jewelry and items with deep memories.

Lastly, the trace of Floi she was about to meet.

Holding the crumpled note with long numbers, Elina moved energetically.

***

“Can you take me here?”

Elina found a carriage rental, hiding her face in her only robe. It was her first time visiting this place, and she was visibly nervous.

While anxiously looking around.

The coachman, who received the crumpled note, didn’t easily answer.

Since speaking more wouldn’t bring a quicker response, Elina waited, checking her clothes and the bag she brought.

No one stopped her from leaving the estate.

Recalling the empty gates of Valois estate, Elina bit her lip.

The Valois estate, befitting its prestigious family, was surrounded by a vast forest, making it slightly inconvenient to travel to the busy commercial district.

So even when a maid went on an errand, a small carriage was always provided. Yet, they didn’t call a carriage for someone leaving voluntarily.

Having walked for hours through the endless forest path carrying her bag, Elina wanted to lie down anywhere.

They probably thought all the Valois fortune would be theirs once she disappeared.

I’d be happy too. Bad people.

Elina muttered bad words inwardly, tapping her shoe sole on the ground. Her ankles ached from walking so much.

Even though she walked for hours, she felt better now that she left the Valois estate.

I really caused trouble.

“Is the address wrong…?”

When the coachman’s answer didn’t come for a long time, Elina asked, urging him. She felt a bit anxious.

What if it was a fake address?

It looked slightly different from the familiar addresses at a glance.

It’s the only link to him, what if it’s fake? 

Unable to hide her anxiety, Elina tightly gripped her robe’s hem.

Sensing her nervousness, the coachman, who had been staring at the note for a long time, slowly spoke.

“No… that’s not it. This is a new address, but coachmen aren’t familiar with new addresses these days….”

“The address is real, right?”

“Oh, this isn’t the time. Get in. We can leave right away.”

The coachman, assuring her to trust him, led the standing Elina into the empty carriage.

Before Elina could open her mouth in surprise, the coachman said he wasn’t familiar with the address, but they could find it quickly by carriage.

Having received part of the fare, the coachman showed strong determination not to give up on this passenger, so Elina got into the carriage.

The carriage interior was small but well-maintained. It was similar to the ones Madame Rasiche provided for Elina’s errands.

A carriage suitable for a lady-in-waiting of a good family or a lower noble.

Though it wasn’t the right carriage for Elina, the young lady of Valois, to ride. Well, since when did I care about such things.

Still, it was different from the carriages commonly used by commoners.

Even the coachman earlier was proud of driving this carriage.

After checking the address again, the coachman loaded Elina’s bags from outside and shut the carriage door with a bang.

As the carriage slowly started moving, Elina leaned back in the seat and looked out the window.

People who seemed happy passed by outside.

People who seemed to lack nothing.

Will I ever live like that someday? 

Elina absentmindedly stroked her belly, watching the endlessly flowing scenery outside the window.

Contrary to her expectation of a long journey, the carriage gradually slowed down not long after she got on.

Maybe thirty minutes had passed. Elina stopped idly watching the scenery and hurriedly called the coachman.

“Have we arrived?”

She looked around but it wasn’t in front of a specific building. In the middle of a main road favored by nobles.

If she had to name a building, there was one standing there….

“Ah, no. Well, yes, but… is this address correct?”

The coachman, opening the window of the coachman’s seat, glanced around a building. That building also caught Elina’s attention instantly.

A place surrounded by sharp, high fences.

The largest building resembled the grandeur of the Imperial Palace.

Even Elina, ignorant of noble society, could recognize the emblem fluttering on the flag.

Impossible.

Countless thoughts crossed her mind in a short time. Elina unconsciously mumbled.

“Rennes Grand Ducal residence…?”