Her husband had died.

One day, he was suddenly gone, with no warning whatsoever.

If he had been ill, she might have had time to prepare and anticipate the end. But his death was completely unexpected.

Before the funeral had even finished, a lawyer came to see her.

“According to the will, all of Baron Vansen’s property is to be inherited by Miss Selena Lowell.”

Selena Lowell.

That wasn’t the name of her husband’s eight-year-old daughter. Nor was it that of a secret sister or any other hidden relative.

The woman called Selena Lowell was as pale and delicate as a lily of the valley — pure and ethereal, yet a complete stranger.

The unfamiliar woman lowered her gaze with a look of pity.

“I’m sorry things turned out this way, but the will is clear. I’m sure you’ll understand.”

‘I didn’t know he had a hidden lover.’

The newly widowed Estella stared at her coldly.

‘Something doesn’t add up.’

If her husband had a lover, he shouldn’t have married her in the first place.

‘And this inheritance makes no sense.’

Even if she were excluded, how could he leave nothing—not even a gold ring—to his only daughter? It was suspicious.

Yet the will had been perfectly notarized, leaving no room for objection.

As Estella struggled to find the right words, Selena reached into her bag and took something out.

Estella forced her voice to remain calm.

“What is that?”

“A train ticket.”

Selena’s brows dipped in an exaggerated show of sympathy as she sighed.

“You probably already know this… but once the inheritance is settled, any direct family member who isn’t included must leave the town.”

It was both a tradition and a social custom. The heir would provide travel expenses to those who were excluded—especially to anyone who might otherwise cause trouble.

Why?

To make them leave quickly. To tell them, wordlessly, Don’t make a scene. Just disappear quietly.

It was an unspoken rule everyone understood. Estella knew it too, yet she feigned ignorance as she asked.

“A train ticket?”

Selena stepped closer and whispered softly.

“Just so you know, there’s a guard from the patrol waiting at the gate to escort you to the station.”

In other words: don’t do anything foolish.

“I even arranged a first-class seat.”

Selena added, arching a brow as if she had done something magnanimous.

“Most people only prepare the lowest class, but… I wouldn’t feel right doing that.”

Estella swallowed back the hollow laugh threatening to escape and stared at the hand extended toward her.

“There’s also some compensation money inside, to help you manage for a while.”

‘Should I demand to know what gives you the right to inherit everything my husband owned?’

‘No.’

That would be pointless. She and her late husband had been a married couple in name only, and everyone in town knew it.

Besides, she didn’t want to stir up unnecessary trouble.

“At least let me pack a few clothes.”
“Of course.”

With that reply, Estella turned toward the staircase.

Then, from behind her, came Selena’s smooth, lilting voice.

“Don’t forget the child’s clothes, too.”

‘The child’s… clothes?’

Puzzled, Estella looked back. Selena tilted her head slightly and said.

“You’ll be taking the child with you, won’t you? You’re her mother, after all. And legally, you’re still Lord Vansen’s wife.”

In other words, Selena was telling her to take the girl away.

Estella stood speechless, her gaze falling to the little girl watching her from the corner of the first floor.

The child shared nothing of Estella’s cold, sharp features—she was soft, warm, draped in gentle colors that seemed to belong to another world entirely.

‘Mother…?’

Estella was not the type of person to feel affection for a stranger, and she had not spent enough time with the girl to develop a strong attachment to her. After all, she had only married six months ago — hardly enough time for bonds to form.

Back then, the lawyer had made a point of emphasizing,

“Legally speaking, Mrs. Estella, you are Miss Ayla Vansen’s guardian.”

In other words, if she refused to take the child, there would be legal consequences.

For a fleeting moment, the thought crossed her mind—’What if I just destroy everything and walk away?’

But she quickly steadied herself.

‘No. I promised I wouldn’t live that way anymore.’

So she had to endure it.

Besides, there were six of Selena’s people present in the hall. Killing them and escaping—that might have been possible. But merely knocking them out and running? Not a chance.

“Don’t worry,” Selena said with a pleasant smile. “I made sure to include enough for the child’s expenses as well.”

“…”

Looking at that saccharine smile made Estella’s knuckles twitch. She wanted nothing more than to leap down the stairs and slam her knee straight into that shameless face.

But she held herself back.

At that moment, her stepdaughter quietly approached and reached for her hand first.

“…”

Estella’s eyes drifted down to the small hand clutching hers.

‘Unbelievable.’

After a brief pause, she said in a flat voice,

“Don’t grip so tightly.”

“…Yes, ma’am.”

The girl loosened her hold slightly, though her small, sweaty hand still clung to Estella’s palm.

Ignoring the clammy sensation, Estella climbed the stairs. When they reached the landing, she spoke calmly.

“Pack the expensive things, not what you like. You’re a smart child, you understand what that means, don’t you?”

The girl nodded and disappeared into her room.

Watching the door quietly close, Estella turned away and walked toward her own room to pack her things.

And just like that, she became a widow with a child in tow.

✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦ ✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦❘༻༺❘✦ ✦❘

The train was both loud and dirty.

Every time the coal-fired engine roared into action, it belched out clouds of thick black smoke that spread in all directions. If you dared to open the window slightly to look outside, the acrid stench and soot would instantly creep in.

It was an unfamiliar smell that made you never want to experience it again.

So she kept the window shut tight. Yet, at some point while she’d been asleep, the child had opened it again.

“My throat hurts, so I’ll close the window.”

The girl, clutching the stuffed rabbit that her late father had given her for her birthday, glanced back reluctantly before nodding.

Estella shut the window without hesitation.

Nevertheless, the child remained standing on the seat, leaning sideways to peer through the glass.

“Fascinating?”

Estella asked. The girl hugged her rabbit closer and gave a timid nod.

“When someone asks you something, you should answer with ‘yes’ or ‘no.’”

“…Yes.”

“Good. Just like that.”

Silence settled over them again.

For a moment, Estella considered tossing out some meaningless question to fill the void, but she stopped herself and closed her eyes instead.

‘What’s the point?’
‘It’ll only make me grow attached.’

Resting her head against the window, she felt the rough, jarring rhythm of the train.

‘It shakes so d＊mn much.’

Whether it was the movement of the train or the uncertainty of her future, her stomach churned either way.

‘I don’t understand what people find so exciting about this.’

She gave a wry smile at the thought, at how people these days went mad over every new invention.

‘At least this train has a destination.’

As for herself, she had neither a purpose nor an end in sight.

‘I thought marriage would change that.’

Although their marriage hadn’t been born of love, she had hoped for it, if only a little.

People often said that once you had a family, stability would follow. That a restless heart could finally find peace.

So she had foolishly believed that even if their marriage was nothing more than a ‘formality’, time might still build something between them. Perhaps she could one day have what others called a family, too.

But, as if mocking such wishful thinking, Estella Rivers’ life remained as unstable as ever.

Lost in her thoughts, she suddenly felt a gentle tug at her skirt.

“…Um.”

When she opened her eyes, the child was glancing nervously between the train door and Estella.

“I think we’re almost there…”

Estella said nothing, only looking at her. The girl mumbled in a small voice.

“The train’s… slowing down.”

Eight years old, and yet she already understood the concept of speed. She really did take after her father—sharp, observant.

‘So much like him, and yet he didn’t leave her a single coin.’

For all his coldness, Estella had thought he would at least care enough to provide for his own daughter. But apparently not.

She looked at the girl again.

‘He spent every waking hour shut in his laboratory.’
‘When, then, did he have the time to form an affair—with someone who wasn’t his wife?’

‘Should I find out?’

Just as that thought began to spiral, the child tugged at her skirt again.

With a sigh, Estella rose to her feet and reached for the suitcase on the overhead rack.

“Let’s go.”

She handed the girl her own small trunk, but even that seemed too heavy for an eight-year-old. The child grunted and strained as she tried to lift it.

“Give it here.”

Estella said, taking it back and instead passing her a small bag designed to look like a lady’s handbag.

Right then, the train came to a stop.

Estella stepped down onto the platform, the child following closely behind.