1.2  

She tried to enter the marriage market, but due to being too nervous, she made mistakes and ended up being eliminated from the marriage war, thus missing out on a good match.  

‘Such a disgrace! Even though you’re my daughter, I’m so ashamed of you.’  

When things didn’t go according to his plan, Viscount Novary felt anxious as the family fortune gradually dwindled, and he intended to make Ellen the sacrificial lamb of the family through a loveless marriage.  

“Elder sister… Don’t marry such an old man.”  

“Sister. Please save us.”  

Her father and younger brother, Luca, wanted Ellen to marry, while her mother and younger sister, Anna, opposed it.  

Thinking of her parents and much younger siblings, Ellen wondered if she should sacrifice herself, but the thought of marrying a man she didn’t even like made her future seem bleak.  

What choice should I make? Family or my happiness?  

Ellen had to ponder what choice to make.  

Then it suddenly occurred to her that she couldn’t marry just based on her father’s words, so she thought she should meet her future husband, and she arranged to meet Baron Aran.  

“There is plenty of money, so if we marry, you can spend as much as you want. I will actively support the Novary family financially, so you won’t have to worry about money at all.”  

The Baron’s mansion she was invited to was incomparably large and splendid compared to the Novary house.  

With endless walls, vast gardens, numerous servants, and a mansion interior decorated in gold, it was clear that Baron Aran was wealthy.  

Though it was a short meeting, it was hard to grasp what kind of personality Baron Aran had, but it seemed that if she married him, she would be materially abundant. Rumors said he wasn’t stingy with money, so it was probably true.  

‘From my experience, money is the best. Didn’t you feel it as our family declined? If you just endure, our family and your future children can live a prosperous life.’  

Moreover, the reason Viscount Novary was pushing for the marriage with Baron Aran was not only the large sum promised upon marriage but also because older men do not live long, and when he dies, all his wealth would be inherited by Ellen’s children.  

As a result, he instilled in Ellen the idea that money was the best, repeating the same words over and over, and she began to think her father’s words might be right.  

Is money everything in life? If I endure, my children can live a prosperous life, and my family can escape poverty, so is it right for me to sacrifice myself?  

However, the problem was that no matter how hard she tried to see Baron Aran in a positive light, she felt no romantic attraction to a man over fifty.  

Even if affection could grow, she couldn’t imagine it happening. The thought of having a husband older than her father was horrifying. So Ellen tried to refuse whenever her father brought up Baron Aran.  

“Ellen, please. Think of Luca and Anna, not just me. What fault do the young children have?”  

When persuasion didn’t work, Viscount Novary began to use her younger siblings as leverage to convince her.  

If I sacrifice myself, won’t Luca and Anna avoid hardship?  

She tried not to fall for her father’s coaxing, but after over a month of his pleading, Ellen was gradually swayed.  

Especially when she looked into the bright eyes of her young siblings, her resolve to refuse weakened.  

“All right…. I’ll follow your words, Father.”  

In the end, Ellen surrendered. It was not for her father but for her young siblings.  

She didn’t want to see them suffer from poverty, so Ellen, who valued family, chose to sacrifice herself.  

“Ellen, thank you!”  

“I don’t understand why you have to sacrifice yourself.”  

Viscount Novary was so delighted that he shed tears, while her mother looked at her with pity.  

She glared at her husband once and then embraced Ellen, patting her back.  

“Don’t think of it as a sacrifice. If you think of it as finding happiness, my heart will feel much more at ease.”  

“How can I do that…?”  

“Love isn’t everything in life, so as Father said, marriage to the Baron might bring me another kind of happiness.”  

Ellen consoled the saddened Viscountess, saying she was fine, but contrary to her soothing words, her heart was not at ease. The thought of having to enter an unwanted marriage made her future seem bleak.  

Perhaps because of that, she suddenly wanted to do what she had wanted to but hadn’t been able to do before getting married.  

It’s the last time, so it’s okay, right?  

“Instead, I have one condition. Can you grant it?”  

She had hesitated many times about whether to do it, but thinking it was the last time gave her courage. So Ellen presented her condition with a trembling heart.  

“I’ll grant any condition. Just say it.”  

The excited Viscount was ready to grant whatever condition she mentioned.  

When it came time to speak, she hesitated. Ellen, moving her lips, finally managed to speak.  

“Before the engagement, can I stay for a while at Courtney Earldom in the capital city of Melchia?”  

The Countess of Courtney was her mother’s sister and her aunt.  

“Sure. You can. Before marriage, it might be good to take a trip if your mind is troubled. Would a month be enough? Since it’s the social season, you can stay at the Earldom and attend balls in the capital to enjoy yourself.”  

Fortunately, Viscount Novary readily agreed.  

“Thank you. Then I’ll leave immediately tomorrow.”  

“So soon? Won’t the Countess of Courtney be surprised?”  

“The Countess said she’d welcome me anytime. So I’m going to send a letter saying I’ll go right away. Even though she said I’m welcome anytime, I should let her know I’m coming before I arrive, shouldn’t I?”  

Ellen said, pretending to be cheerful.  

“All right. You may.”  

Leaving behind her startled mother and father, Ellen headed to her bedroom. Following her quick pace, Anna hurriedly followed with small steps.  

“Sister, are you really okay?”  

Feeling sorry about the marriage with Baron Aran, Anna kept asking if she was okay.  

“I’m okay.”  

Even though she wasn’t okay, Ellen reassured her sister, unable to speak honestly. It was to lessen the burden of guilt she might feel.  

“Are you really okay? Really?”

Although Ellen said she was fine, Anna still seemed unconvinced.  

“I’m really okay.”

“If you’re okay, that’s great… But, you still have lingering feelings for him, don’t you? That’s why you want to stay at Aunt’s house in Melchia for a while, right? To see his face one more time before the wedding….”  

As Ellen turned the doorknob to open the door, she hesitated. She turned around and looked at her sister with wide eyes. Anna’s gaze was filled with pity.  

“No. It’s just that once I marry into Baron Aran’s family, I won’t be able to leave easily. So before that, I want to travel as much as I can.”  

“If that’s the case, then I’m relieved….”  

Anna lowered her head and trailed off.  

Ellen gently stroked her sister’s lovely silver hair before returning to her bedroom. Having said all she wanted to, Anna didn’t follow her inside.  

Ellen collapsed onto her bed. The bed creaked under her weight, and her body bounced slightly. When she looked up, the pure white ceiling came into view.  

She slowly closed her eyes.  

She had told Anna it wasn’t true, but in reality, Ellen’s purpose was exactly as Anna had guessed: to meet that man before her wedding.  

Before agreeing to the marriage, her first love had suddenly come to mind.  

She had thought about meeting him again many times, but it had always remained just a thought.  

And so, impulsively, she told her father that she wanted to visit the Countess of Courtney. It was solely to see him before the wedding.  

“Sir Leon Guilford….”