***

Even after returning home, Eliza couldn’t calm down.

The rich, mouth-watering aroma of Marie’s soup filled the air, but it did nothing to ease her inner turmoil.

She was determined never to live like a fool again.

She believed that she had the right and duty to free herself from the foolish, destructive relationships she had endured over two lifetimes.

However, the memory of cowering in James’s office and practically working for free like a pushover made her blood boil.

Gripping her head with both hands, she slumped over the table, consumed by frustration.

“Ugh… I should’ve brought him my unwashed socks instead!”

She sniffled for a moment, then suddenly realized something and slowly raised her head.

The information in the documents she had organized that day was valuable enough to make someone risk robbery just to obtain it.

Eliza had gained insight into the secrets behind James’s success, albeit unintentionally, and it was knowledge that she had not fully understood before.

She had no intention of taking what he had earned through his own efforts.

However, she could certainly find a way to use that knowledge to her own advantage.

‘Besides… that “Queen of Farmin” I heard about at the chocolate shop…’

“Oh my god!”

For the first time, Eliza felt as though the goddess of fortune had finally begun to smile upon her.

Only then did she slowly begin her meal.

“Haah… Marie really is good at cooking.”

***

The next morning, after Marie had left, Eliza put on the simplest outfit she could find and set off for the city.

Although she had walked down this street every day recently, her heart pounded and she found herself glancing around at every step. With two jewelry boxes tucked inside her handbag, walking calmly through the crowded district was no easy task.

Nevertheless, she managed to avoid pickpockets and snatch thieves and safely reached the pawnshop at the far end of the district.

The pawnbroker looked back and forth between Eliza and the necklace in her hand; his gaze was heavy with undisguised suspicion.

Eliza assumed it was because she was dressed more simply than usual. She had chosen her outfit to avoid looking like a woman carrying valuables, but this had only made the shop owner more wary.

“I’d like you to prove that this belongs to you, miss.”

Eliza had never been to a pawnshop before, but she knew well enough that acting naïve here would only get her taken advantage of.

She spoke with a hint of irritation.

“I’m not a miss. I’m a married woman.”

She held out the receipt that proved ownership of the jewelry, and after checking it, the pawnshop owner let out a low grunt.

Disappearing behind the iron bars, he soon returned carrying a thick bundle of cash.

“Two hundred thousand derk. Count it.”

Eliza had deliberately brought a large handbag, intending to carry cash, but the sheer volume of money placed on the counter still felt overwhelming.

She swallowed hard, then spoke firmly.

“I told you—I just need quick cash. So do not sell my jewelry. I’ll be back for it within three days. Understood?”

“Hmph. That’s what they all say. Every single person who leaves something here says the same thing! ‘I’ll be back in a week,’ ‘I’ll come in a month.’”

“I said don’t sell it!”

“I heard you!”

After a heated exchange, Eliza and the pawnshop owner parted ways.

Stepping out of the shop, Eliza stared at the sign, feeling strange and disbelieving.

Had her husband pawned his birthday gift just to borrow money for gambling? Wasn’t that something only people at rock bottom would do?

‘But people only rise after they’ve hit the bottom.’

Holding the handbag containing the money, she hailed a cab and went home.

Once inside, she offered a brief prayer of thanks that James wouldn’t be coming home anytime soon.

The next day, at the crack of dawn, she set off for the racetrack.

She had given Marie the day off the previous day.

Gazing out of the carriage window at the rain-dampened roads in the early morning light, Eliza felt certain.

‘Today is the day.’

As soon as she arrived at the racetrack, she went straight to the betting window and placed her large handbag down in front of it.

“There’s two hundred thousand derk in here. Please confirm the amount.”

Eliza couldn’t quite tell why the clerk looked at her with wide, almost startled eyes.

Perhaps it was because she had brought such a large sum of money or maybe because she so obviously looked like someone who had never set foot in a racetrack before.

Tense, she muttered inwardly,

‘I’m just as overwhelmed as you are.’

When she was young, she knew several people in her village whose lives had been ruined by gambling, whether through card games or horse racing.

Only serious gambling addicts would place such a large bet.

Nevertheless, she believed that this was the fastest way to raise the money she needed to escape.

So, she racked her brains, trying to figure out how to do so.

Ultimately, her decision to pawn her jewelry cost her several sleepless nights.

‘What if my memory is wrong? Just like how I met Aedrin and Rose this time, and ended up going to that chocolate shop—what if there are variables in the race results too?’

But she realized that if she kept shrinking back like this, nothing in her life would ever change.

And that would mean eventually drinking the tea Lorina handed her.

‘Eliza, you have to be brave.’

Once she had made that decision, she noticed something surprising: the uneasy feeling that had been gnawing away at her had completely vanished.

She lay awake all night, thinking about it until dawn finally broke, and at last she found her answer.

What she was about to do wasn’t for James.

It was her attempt to create something that truly belonged to her.

Outmaneuvering her husband through her own strength was a challenge she had never taken on before, and, strangely, it felt worth pursuing.

The clerk looked at her in a difficult-to-read way, somewhere between concern and dissatisfaction, as he asked,

“I’ve confirmed two hundred thousand derk. Where would you like to place your bets?”

“The first race. ‘Morning Glory.’”

“……”

“……”

“……All of it?”

“Yes. All of it. Two hundred thousand—everything.”

“Ma’am.”

The clerk quickly glanced around before leaning closer to Eliza. Lowering his voice, he spoke with the air of someone who wasn’t supposed to give any hints to customers.

“Ma’am, that’s far too large an amount to bet on a single horse. You might enjoy it more if you spread your bets across several races and horses. There are four races today.”

“What are the odds for ‘Morning Glory’?”

“If it wins…”

The clerk’s expression tightened, his eyes widening slightly as if he had stopped breathing. He repeated,

“If it wins—twelve times the payout, ma’am.”

Right now, “Queen of Farmin” was breaking winning records one after another, while “Morning Glory” was a horse no one paid any attention to.

With a mix of awkwardness and faint gratitude, Eliza gave a small, stiff smile.

“Twelve times? That means it has no chance of winning, doesn’t it?”

“……”

The clerk simply shrugged in response.

His eyes clearly showed his fear that, if she lost everything, she might come back and cause a scene, threatening to kill herself right in front of him.

This stirred a strange thrill within her.

It was the kind of exhilaration only a gambling addict could experience.

“‘Morning Glory.’ Two hundred thousand derk. Place it.”

Even though she already knew the outcome, Eliza felt as if all the blood had drained from her fingers as she pushed the bundle of cash through the counter, her nerves stretched to the limit.

The clerk stared at her intently, his movements stiff and disjointed as he handed over the betting ticket.

“Please check it.”

“Yes. It’s correct.”

As Eliza took the ticket through the small slot, she felt a wave of embarrassment at the sight of her trembling fingers. But she chose to accept it.

‘When would I ever have experienced something like this?’

She turned sharply and made her way towards the stands.

At first glance, the seating area appeared to be only half full, looking rather sparse.

But she knew better. In truth, the place was already packed.

Usually, only die-hard gamblers watched the first race in person, while wealthy bettors placed their wagers through agents.

The fact that so many ticket holders had gathered by this time meant that the stands were already overflowing beyond capacity.

As the horses lined up at the starting line, Eliza’s heart was pounding so hard that she could barely think.

Her handbag now hung limply at her side, empty of money and jewelry. Beneath it, she clenched her fists tightly, forcing herself to stay composed.

‘Today’s winner is “Morning Glory.” So calm down!’

Soon, a man in an absurd suit stepped onto the track and lowered a set of brightly colored flags.

The thunderous sound of the racehorses kicking up the ground all at once was like an earthquake.

The crowd in the stands erupted into shouts, drowning out the rumbling sound.

Several seconds after the first race had ended — and after Eliza had started screaming — she became aware of the silence around her.

“Ahhhhhh!”

Only then did she realize that she was waving her arms around and screaming at the top of her lungs. She also noticed that the seasoned gamblers she had once looked down on were now glaring at her.