Chapter 2

That day was the day of her second husband’s funeral.

A drizzling autumn rain soaked the ashen pavement. It was rain that carried a chill, signaling that winter was soon to come.

Martin, the coachman of the Lancaster family, stood at the front door and spoke.

“My Lady. The carriage is ready.”

“You’re here, Martin.”

Soon the door opened, and Celia appeared in mourning attire. Beneath the slightly parted door, under a black veil, her water-colored eyes glimmered with a gloomy light.

“Are there still a lot of people outside?”

Martin glanced around. To the right of the main gate were loan sharks, and to the left, reporters had gathered. Martin swallowed hard and nodded.

“Yes. But I’ll shield you well. Please bear with it a little longer.”

But the moment he opened his black umbrella, the reporters swarmed in front of the gate.

“Lady Celia! How do you feel, now that you’ve been widowed twice?”

“What do you think about the nickname ‘the woman who devours her husbands’?”

“What does your father say? Will he be running for governor again next year?”

Celia walked silently toward the carriage, giving no response. However, the hand clutching Martin’s arm was trembling violently.

Martin suppressed the urge to kick the reporters away.

‘What vile people. To pull this even on the day of the funeral!’

Just as Celia managed to get into the carriage safely, a man swaggered over.

“Lady Celia. You can’t just leave like this.”

Before Martin could block him, the man raised a pistol and threatened them. He was the infamous loan shark, Miguel Santines.

“Your husband owed me 100,000 Dastals. You, as his guarantor, should know that better than anyone.”

Miguel Santines blew cigar smoke into the carriage.

“Don’t even think about running. Remember, the loan sharks of Fifth Avenue will do anything to collect their money.”

“Who do you think you are, you wretch…!”

Unable to hold back, Martin shouted furiously. But Miguel Santines only laughed loudly and walked away as if nothing had happened.

“My Lady. Are you all right?”

Martin turned around in a hurry and asked. Seeing Celia coughing and choking, he was filled with outrage.

“What on earth is the master thinking? Leaving you alone even on a day like this, it’s just too much!”

His anger was directed at Celia’s father, Scott Lancaster. The governor of New Adams State in the New World, Scott Lancaster was a cold-hearted father who wouldn’t even assign a single bodyguard to his daughter.

“I’m fine, Martin.”

But Celia only sighed with a pale face.

“Let’s go. If we hesitate any longer, we’ll be late for my husband’s funeral.”

Martin remembered Celia from ten years ago.

‘She used to be as bright as sunlight.’

‘Thank you for the ride. See you later!’

Every time she got off the carriage, she would greet him kindly, and sometimes she would sit beside him and chatter about what had happened at school.

‘How did she end up meeting such men…’

Celia Lancaster’s misfortune began at age twenty, with marriage.

Her first husband was Frank Miller. Suffering from depression, he died after being hit by a train two years into their marriage.

Her second husband was Charles Evans. He spent their entire marriage drifting between gambling dens and brothels, and, unable to handle his mounting debts, ended up taking his own life.

‘Was it from then on? That dreadful nickname started.’

After that, Celia became known as ‘the woman who devours her husbands’ and was shunned.

‘Two husbands dead in five years, that’s really suspicious.’

And Celia’s family did nothing but try to hide her in fear.

‘Don’t go outside! Don’t show your disgraceful face!’

‘Poor young lady.’

Angry at his heartless master, Martin grumbled to himself.

‘As if losing two husbands in five years wasn’t enough, now even loan sharks are after her. The people in society just gossip, and her own family pretends not to know!’

Perhaps spurred by his anger, the carriage arrived at the funeral home faster than expected.

When the carriage door opened carefully, a woman in a black veil stepped out. She had grown so thin in recent days that she looked as if she would collapse at a touch. When Martin unconsciously reached out his hand, a small, pale hand lightly rested on his.

“Thank you for the ride, Martin.”

Hearing the same greeting as ten years ago, Martin’s throat tightened.

“Yes. Please… come back safely.”

With a pale face, Celia gave a faint smile and walked on. Toward the gray cathedral, where not a single person was on her side.

***

The funeral was conducted by the Evans family.

Celia was not assigned a seat of honor. Her mother-in-law, Bernie Evans, disliked her. Celia sat in a corner of the cathedral, listened to the priest’s eulogy, and stood at the edge of the cemetery to watch the burial.

Then she went to the Evans mansion. It was to hear the reading of the will. The large mansion was crowded with mourners, but not a single person offered her any words of comfort. Bowing her head low, Celia made her way to the room where the will would be read.

“We will now execute the will of the late Charles Evans.”

There were not many people gathered in the study. Only her mother-in-law, Bernie Evans, Charles’s older brother, and a few relatives.

“First, I will list the assets of Charles Evans….”

Born with a silver spoon and living recklessly, he did not leave much behind. A few mansions in the suburbs of New Adams, some stocks he hadn’t managed to sell, and the Evans Hotel located in the heart of New Adams City were all he had.

“…All of this is to be inherited by his mother, Bernie Evans.”

What?

Celia couldn’t believe her ears.

She had checked Charles’s will several times while he was alive. It was a procedure she had to go through every time she stood as guarantor for her husband’s debts.

‘You’re borrowing from loan sharks again? Charles, you’ll go bankrupt at this rate. If something ever happens…’

When Celia voiced her concerns, Charles would wave her off irritably.

‘Stop nagging. If it comes to it, we can just sell the Evans Hotel. No matter what, that’s going to you.’

‘But now even the hotel is going to the Evans family?’

She looked up and glanced around. As if it were the most natural thing, her mother-in-law Bernie Evans nodded and wept.

‘No way… Did they forge Charles’s will?’

A chill ran down her spine.

‘No. If that’s true, I’ll be left with nothing.’

She recalled what the loan shark Miguel Santines had said.

‘Don’t even think about running. Remember, the loan sharks of Fifth Avenue will do anything to collect their money.’

Bank debts could be written off by declaring bankruptcy, but loan shark debts were different. They would do whatever it took to get back their 100,000 Dastals.

“If there are no objections, we will proceed as stated….”

“I object!”

Celia sprang to her feet. Charles’s relatives all looked at her in shock, but she couldn’t afford to care.

“The Evans Hotel is mine. The hotel… at least the hotel is supposed to be mine!”

The men of the Evans family raised their voices threateningly.

“Miss Lancaster! Can’t you be quiet?”

“How shameless. Trying to claim an inheritance after causing your husband’s death!”

Celia bit her lip hard and shouted.

“Sorry, but I can’t just stand by! I need the hotel to pay off Charles’s gambling debts!”

“What? Gambling debts?”

“Attorney, please review the will again! No matter what, I can’t accept this forged will!”

“Forgery? How dare you!”

At that, Charles’s mother Bernie Evans sprang to her feet.

“How dare you! Not only did you kill my son, now you’re trying to disgrace our entire family?”

The study instantly became chaotic. People in the hall and corridor glanced at the noisy study. As the commotion refused to die down, some reporters picked up their pens, ready to write an article.

It was a moment on the verge of disaster. Bang! The study door burst open, and an appalling scene unfolded.

“Get out! Get out right now!”

Bernie had grabbed Celia by the hair and dragged her into the corridor.

“Not only did you kill my son, but now you’re shaming our family—there’s a limit to shamelessness!”

“Ah, Bernie, let go of me…!”

“I can’t stand the sight of you, so get out! Never show your face in front of me again!”