5.1

Quiet days continued.  

It felt like the calm before the storm.  

* * *  

Before dawn, Larisa woke up early and sat on her bed, staring blankly out the window.  

Running her fingers through her hair, she was lost in thought. Since that day, she had often woken up this early. And during such moments, she would think of a man who resembled the pre-dawn stillness.  

He was a man envied by all, so it was impossible not to hear about Pavel. Even though they were no longer bound by the title of “lovers,” she still knew how he was doing. In fact, it almost felt like she knew more about him now—or was it just her imagination?  

People deliberately brought up Pavel in front of her, subtly observing her reaction. While she inwardly mocked them, she couldn’t help but listen to the stories about him.  

Once, she had caught a glimpse of Pavel from afar. He seemed sharper than before—because he had lost weight. He might have noticed her too, but he didn’t show any reaction and simply walked away. That lack of acknowledgment left a faint ache in her chest, and Larisa found herself ridiculous for feeling that way. She was the one who had let him go, so why was she acting as if she were the one hurt?  

After their breakup, she had thought that news of Pavel’s engagement to Princess Alicia would soon surface. Yet, for some reason, both the Ducal House and the royal family remained silent. Though confused, Larisa deliberately turned her gaze away. It was no longer her concern.  

“Sigh…”  

Larisa let out a deep breath and rolled onto her side on the bed. Her silver hair, smooth and fine like silk, spilled messily across the sheets. Lying there, she thought again of the man who used to lie beside her. His long, dark lashes resting against his closed eyes, his sharp and straight nose, and his beautifully red lips…  

She had always thought words like longing and regret didn’t apply to her. But look at her now. She mocked herself. That man probably didn’t even think of her anymore—he might even hate her. And yet, here she was, reminiscing about Pavel and missing him.  

Larisa stayed lying down and closed her eyes. Perhaps it was better to try and get more sleep. But once sleep had fled, it never returned. She lay there until the sun rose and the maids knocked on her door, bringing her morning wash water.  

“You look very tired, my lady.” 

One of the maids remarked as she carefully curled Larisa’s hair into soft waves.  

Larisa glanced at the maid in the mirror, her gaze shifting without moving her head. The maid, with a concerned expression, lightly touched the dark circles under Larisa’s eyes and continued,  

“It seems like you have shadows under your eyes.”  

“I woke up too early.”  

“Ah, I see. I’ll take extra care with your makeup today.”  

“There’s no need for that.”  

After all, her only plan for the day was to visit her parents. The maid fell silent at Larisa’s words, knowing how irritable she became whenever she had to visit her family home.  

By the time Larisa stepped out of her chambers in a deep blue dress, it was already past noon. Her mother had sent a letter asking her to come before lunch, but Larisa knew better than to eat between her parents—they would only ruin her appetite. She could always use oversleeping as an excuse.  

Listlessly climbing into the carriage, Larisa headed toward her family’s estate on the outskirts of the capital. Feeling a slight chill in the air, she closed the window she had left open.  

When the carriage arrived, the butler greeted her with a slightly awkward expression as he opened the door.  

“You’re a bit late, my lady.”  

“Well, that happens. It’s not as though the two of them would have skipped their meal waiting for me.”

The butler gave an awkward smile. He knew she wasn’t wrong. Larisa walked past him and stepped into the mansion. She was about to ask where she should go first, but unexpectedly, the Marchioness was standing in the first-floor hall, her face clouded with worry.  

Without needing to ask, Larisa knew her mother was the one she needed to see first. She approached the Marchioness.  

“Why are you out here?”  

“Ah, truly! I can’t live like this because of your father!”  

“What happened this time?”  

Larisa gently took the Marchioness by the arm and led her. Together, they climbed the stairs to the second floor, one step at a time. The Marchioness clutched her chest with her free hand, visibly agitated.  

“Why did I endure all this time? If I had known it would come to this, I should have taken you and returned to my family.”  

“What are you talking about? What happened?”  

“Your father… Ah! Really!”  

The Marchioness stomped her foot on the landing as though she had reached the peak of her frustration. For someone who always paid special attention to proper conduct as a noblewoman, this behavior was shocking. Larisa felt both puzzled and a little uneasy.  

What could father have done to make mother so angry again? Had he perhaps brought some high-class courtesan to stay in the annex? Or, if not that, had he said something humiliating to mother again?  

“Let’s go inside. You can tell me there.”  

“There’s no need for that.”  

Larisa turned her head toward the voice coming from above. Standing at the intersection of the staircase and the second-floor hallway was the Marquis of Lochrain. His expression was one of clear displeasure.  

The Marchioness, upon seeing him, raised her voice sharply.  

“Do you have no shame? Do you not feel sorry for Larisa?”  

“And is that something you should be saying? You brought nothing but trouble, yet you act like you’ve done something remarkable.”  

“Trouble? So, the match you’ve chosen must be incredibly beneficial, right? Ha! Of course, it’s a great help—to your pocket, that is!”  

A marriage proposal. Larisa froze at the word.  

Until now, her parents’ arguments had rarely involved her. They always fought over their own issues, leaving Larisa as an afterthought.  

But for the first time, they were arguing because of her. And it was about something Larisa wanted no part in—her marriage.  

With trembling lips, Larisa looked at the Marquis of Lochrain and asked,  

“A… marriage proposal? Are you saying I’m getting married?”  

“You, go back to your room. I need to speak with Larisa.”  

But the Marchioness clung to Larisa’s side, glaring at her husband with no intention of moving. The Marquis clicked his tongue loudly, making sure it was audible, and turned sharply on his heel.  

“Follow me.”  

Larisa, unable to think of separating herself from her mother, followed the Marquis to his study. The Marchioness, her eyes sharp and piercing, trailed closely behind.  

In the end, all three of them sat facing each other in the study. The Marquis took the seat of honor, Larisa sat to his left, and the Marchioness sat to his right. The tense atmosphere made the maids hurry to set down the tea before quickly leaving the room as if fleeing.  

Larisa tried to calm her wildly beating heart.  

‘You always knew this day would come.’  

It had been obvious that the Marquis of Lochrain would eventually select a marriage prospect that suited his tastes and arrange for Larisa’s marriage. So why did her heart feel so uneasy?  

Once again, Pavel’s face flashed through her mind.  

Clenching her dress tightly, she finally opened her mouth.  

“So, who is it that I’m supposed to marry?”  

“Listen, my dear. Your father has truly lost his mind! To think of marrying you off to some… old man! No matter how desperate he is for money, this is beyond reason!”  

“Can’t you keep quiet?”  

“Am I wrong? A girl as beautiful and youthful as her—how could you even think of tying her to someone like that?”

The words “old man” and “money” alone were enough for Larisa to immediately understand the kind of person her marriage prospect was. She let out a small sigh and looked directly at the Marquis.  

“So, who is it?”  

“The Earl of Membrane. You’ve met him before, so you should know who he is.”  

“That old man has already been married twice!”  

“Good grief, I told you to keep quiet! Larisa, listen to your father. A major gold vein was recently discovered in the Earl of Membrane’s territory. I went to see it myself, and it’s clear that it will produce gold for decades to come. The Earl has agreed to transfer 40% of the mine’s shares to us. In return…”  

“You’re giving me to him.”  

“Giving you? Why would you say such a thing? The Earl of Membrane is a gentleman—refined and wealthy.”  

Larisa tightly closed her eyes. She hadn’t expected her arranged marriage to be with someone she would be happy with.  

She had thought that, at best, it would be someone around her age, an unremarkable man. Or rather, she had assumed it would be someone like that—someone the Marquis of Lochrain could easily manipulate through her.  

But this? The Earl of Membrane, as the Marchioness had said, was an old man who had already been married twice and was, in fact, older than the Marquis himself. While it was true that he was very wealthy, as the Marquis claimed, that was all there was to him.  

Moreover, Larisa knew something even worse.  

“Your father has lost his mind! Haven’t you heard the rumors that the Earl of Membrane abused his wives to death? Are you really going to sell your daughter off for money?”  

“Oh, stop spouting nonsense! Those women were simply frail and unlucky, that’s all.”  

No, Larisa knew her father was deliberately turning a blind eye. The Earl of Membrane was surrounded by all kinds of rumors. One particularly horrifying tale was that, due to his s*xual dysfunction and the inferiority complex it caused, he had abused his wives to death.  

The Earl’s wives had all come from humble families, and while their families knew what had happened to their daughters, they couldn’t protest. In fact, they had essentially been bribed into silence.  

But the Marquis of Lochrain’s family wasn’t so desperate that they needed to beg anyone for money. 

And yet, for the sake of that gold vein…