Chapter 3

“Sabrina Wintlet!”  

On a crisp morning with even the wind feeling refreshing, the roof of the Wintlet Viscountcy trembled at the booming voice of the Viscount.  

In his trembling hands was today’s newspaper, crumpled into a pitiable state. It had been handed to him by his eldest son, Archer, who had been fuming with rage.  

“Explain yourself!”  

Thud.  

The misshapen newspaper was flung onto the wide desk.  

Summoned to the Viscount’s office immediately after waking up, Sabrina didn’t bother to look at it. She already knew what it was about—it was obvious, given her family’s furious faces.  

Yawn.  

Facing the blazing glares of her family, Sabrina let out a big yawn.  

It was a natural physiological reaction, given she had been dragged in without even washing her face, but it only served to further irritate the Viscount and her three brothers.  

With an indifferent expression, Sabrina spoke.  

“I don’t see why I need to explain when you’ve already seen it all.”  

“What did you just say?”  

The Viscount’s neck stiffened. He was an extremely conservative man. The idea of a noblewoman engaging in economic activities was something he couldn’t even fathom in his wildest dreams.  

Of course, he was aware of the Crown Prince’s reckless declarations. But he had assumed no noblewoman in her right mind would agree with such nonsense.  

Yet, to think that the one who did was his own daughter!  

‘And to make matters worse, that Frederick fool failed the first round!’  

The Viscount knew Sabrina possessed a sharp mind that was hard to find in his sons. Yet, he had never bothered to assign her a proper tutor.  

What was the point of learning? It wasn’t like she’d have any use for it. He had always thought it would suffice to find her a suitable match once she came of age.  

But this peculiar daughter of his had struck him squarely in the back of the head! The Viscount could already feel the scornful gazes of the noble society piercing him.  

He erupted in anger.  

“Who gave you permission? Do you think I’ll stand by and watch you act so recklessly? A girl, without her parents’ consent…!”  

However, Sabrina didn’t so much as bat an eyelash at his outburst. She shrugged her shoulders and replied nonchalantly.  

“Isn’t it a bit late to stop me? My name is already printed in bold letters in the newspaper. Backing out now would only make me seem disloyal.”  

“You, you insolent brat…!”  

The Viscount’s face turned as red as if it would burst.  

“If you continue to act this way, I won’t give you a single penny from now on. If you’re so determined to do as you please, pack your things and leave this house immediately. I won’t stop you! Whether you live or die, it’s none of my concern.”  

Leave the house.  

The Viscount’s final card was played, and his face bore the triumphant expression of someone confident in his victory.  

Even the three brothers, who had been nodding along in agreement with their father, were taken aback by this extreme measure.  

“Father, isn’t that a bit too much…?”  

“Where would she even go? She’s a peculiar girl with no friends.”  

Even Archer and Frederick, who had spent their lives tormenting Sabrina, hesitated to fully support the Viscount.  

But then…  

“Fine! I’ll leave.”  

Sabrina’s response was calm and composed, as if she had just been liberated from a decade-long burden.  

The shock was left entirely to the rest of the family.  

“What… what did you just say?”  

“What nonsense are you spouting…?”  

“Has she completely lost her mind?”  

Their disbelief and indignation poured out like a barrage of flaming arrows.  

The Wintlet family wasn’t politically influential or deeply rooted in tradition. However, their fertile lands and a streak of good fortune had made them extremely wealthy.  

Naturally, the title would pass to the eldest son, Archer. But even Frederick and Jonathan would inherit a portion of the family’s wealth.  

Perhaps Sabrina might have received a small crumb as well.  

Wouldn’t it have been wiser to live quietly and amicably, aiming to secure even a tiny bit more of those crumbs?  

But Sabrina’s perspective was entirely different.  

To spend her life catering to her narrow-minded father and foolish brothers, only to marry someone equally insufferable and waste away the rest of her days? The mere thought made her shudder.  

‘I’d rather end up on the streets.’  

For over a decade, she had lived with only one goal: to escape this house.  

So, to Sabrina, the Viscount’s declaration of war was nothing short of a triumphant fanfare of victory.  

‘Leave immediately? Pack my things, even? And you won’t stop me?’  

What a stroke of luck!  

For the first time, Sabrina’s previously expressionless face brightened into a radiant smile, like sunlight breaking through clouds. The Viscount’s face grew redder and redder, but by then, he was no longer of any concern to her.  

Sabrina was certain that the Viscount wouldn’t stop her.  

‘He might assign a few people to keep an eye on me, but even that interest won’t last long….’  

He was a man of immense pride. Having boasted so loudly in front of his sons, he would never retract his words.  

Feeling that his authority had been trampled upon, he would likely go out of his way to erase any trace of Sabrina’s presence.  

In truth, there wasn’t much of a void to erase. After all, Sabrina had always been a nonentity in that household.  

To leave behind people who were supposed to be her family, and yet feel no sadness whatsoever—  

Sabrina smiled brightly, her face devoid of even a trace of regret.  

“No need to see me off. Thank you for raising me until now.”  

* * *  

Life is far from easy.  

Sabrina realized this all too well—just three days into her independence.  

“…Is it really that expensive? It wasn’t like this just six months ago.”  

“Prices have gone up a lot lately. Still, I’ve shown you the best options I could find. Even these will be gone soon.”  

Having gone out to look for a place to live, Sabrina was struggling with the unexpectedly high housing costs. The prices had skyrocketed compared to what she had seen before.  

She had saved up her allowances diligently, sold off her jewelry and dresses, and amassed a fair amount of money. She could afford the houses the agent showed her if she wanted to.  

‘But that would mean pouring all my money into it, leaving nothing for emergencies….’  

From the beginning, Sabrina hadn’t even considered borrowing money. There were few places willing to lend to a noblewoman with no assets, and even if they did, the interest rates would be astronomical.  

A decent house or emergency savings.  

A decent house or financial security.  

As Sabrina’s deliberations dragged on, the agent finally pulled out his trump card—a property he had kept hidden until the very end.  

The house was small, almost too small for a family, but it was sturdy, clean, and even had a little garden.  

Though it was somewhat isolated from the village, it was close enough to commute to the royal palace.  

It was move-in ready as soon as the contract was signed.  

And—  

It was 50% cheaper than the market rate for similar houses in the area!  

‘This is it!’  

The moment Sabrina heard the final condition, she felt a strong intuition that this would be her new home.  

But there’s always a reason for something being too cheap.  

Sabrina’s new home was an abandoned house that had stood empty for twenty years.  

Rumors abounded: it was haunted, it was cursed—the stories varied.  

When she saw it with her own eyes, the house was in remarkably good condition, considering it had been left untouched for so long.  

Of course, the garden was overgrown with weeds, but the blood-red brick walls looked as pristine as if they were brand new.  

This only added an eerie credibility to the chilling rumors. It was said that even moss, ivy, and spiders avoided the place because the land was cursed.  

‘Well, at least it’ll be easy to clean.’  

But Sabrina wasn’t swayed by such rumors. Her philosophy was that the truly frightening things in this world were not ghosts, but people and money.  

“I like it. I’ll sign the contract right away.”  

Within half a day of expressing her intent to buy, the house’s elderly owner hurried over.  

The old man, eager to rid himself of the troublesome property that wouldn’t sell even at a bargain, seemed elated.  

Even when Sabrina aggressively negotiated the price, he remained surprisingly accommodating.  

As he enthusiastically stamped the contract, the old man glanced at Sabrina. Narrowing his eyes as if uneasy, he asked,  

“You seem like a fine young lady… Are you really planning to live here alone? You know about the rumors, don’t you?”  

Sabrina, who had been meticulously reading through the deed, looked up and replied,  

“Oh, you mean the cursed house?”  

“So you’re buying it knowing all that?”  

Sabrina shrugged.  

“Yes, I don’t believe in that sort of thing. Dead people don’t scare me. It’s the living who are frightening.”  

“Well, aren’t you wise beyond your years. Anyway, since you’re signing with full knowledge, don’t come back complaining later, alright?”  

“Yes, yes, I understand.”