The godfather reached out to grab her, but luckily she managed to escape him, leaving a long scar on her arm.
Leila ran out of the house in thin pajamas, barefoot, and with blood dripping from her arm.
‘Help me. Help. Please, someone please help me!’
She did not cry out for help because she was terribly afraid.
If a man heard her voice at night and jumped out to grab her, it was clear that she would not be able to resist.
‘Where should I go? Where to go…’
At first, she tried to visit the heir of her parents. But it was unlikely that a man who had not seen her face even once while inheriting her fortune would help her.
In addition, the man had been insulted for visiting Leila’s father in the past.
He said, ‘I am your only heir, so let me marry your daughter’. Her father was very angry and almost dragged him out.
Since he had suffered like that in the past, there was no way he would take care of Leila now that he inherited all of her property.
All of her friends, or acquaintances of her parents, cut ties with Leila when she was left on the brink.
There was nowhere to go. As soon as she thought about it, she stopped running.
‘If it’s the emperor…’
She had nothing. There was no one to protect her.
All she had was a body that was praised for being beautiful and coveted by any man.
If the only way to sustain life is to sell it, wouldn’t it be better to sell it to the most powerful person who will buy it at the highest price?
Just like my mother did.
At this point, she realized that the offers she had received were not so bad.
In exchange for selling yourself, you can get a life of abundance and satisfaction as in the past. Is that bad?
For a moment, Leila stared at the Imperial palace that soared in the dark.
Then she turned her back.
‘Let’s go to the temple. I wonder if they’ll let me in.’
She was too young to decide to sell herself and live, while the time of the world would not wait for her.
As an aristocrat, as a person who inherited the bloodline of a prestigious family, she could not abandon her pride and arrogance.
Also, she was different from her mother. Her mother needed money to treat her father, but Leila only had to take care of her body.
‘I should have done this earlier.’
If she gets in, she must say goodbye forever to all the worldly things that have entertained her.
But what is the difference between that and now? Now and with nowhere to go.
It was far better to worship God and celibate than to sell one’s body to be stained by the world.
In what spirit and how she arrived at the temple, she could not remember well.
Leila arrived in front of the temple when she was about to cry in tears because of her soles that were hurt by the dirt and stones, and the arm that was torn by the godfather’s nails.
“Who is it?”
He was standing in front of the entrance to the temple. It was as if he had just come out of the temple and was about to get on the carriage.
Leila hunched over. The one who visited the temple late at night was a man, and he was even talking to her.
The godfather she trusted had almost done the same to her, so she was afraid.
“Are you… by any chance, Lady Elantre?”
When he called out her name, Leila trembled and hurriedly tried to knock on the temple door.
“I am Marquis Karsha. Do you remember?”
When Leila was about to knock on the door, she stopped at the man’s words.
Leila turned her head and looked at the man quietly.
‘Young Master Theotron?’
That name didn’t dispel all the fear that reigned over her body.
Even so, she, who had been in a panic, stopped moving upon hearing his name. She became embarrassed.
She never imagined that she would meet him here.
She, accompanied by her parents, had been socializing since the age of 14.
Around that time, she first met this man who was still called ‘young master’.
The first time she met him, she stiffened as if struck by lightning.
“Will the lady give me a glorious chance to dance with her?”
He requested for a dance without even making eye contact with Leila. At first glance, she could see his embarrassed face and red ears.
Even at the age of 14, Leila had received many dance requests.
As a prerogative of a beautiful woman, she deserved to choose from among the many who asked her to dance.
She was young, good-looking, well-mannered, and she chose handsome men who could suit her. From that day on, young Master Karsha became one of them.
Strangely enough, she met him quite often. Wherever Leila went, he was always there.
He didn’t come close to her. But whenever she turned her head, her eyes would always find his.
And each time, young Master Karsha would quickly avoid Leila’s gaze and his ears would redden.
It was the same when dancing. He would not make eye contact and didn’t try to force a conversation.
“Are you not bored spending your free time with someone in moderation like this?”
One day, Leila, who was dancing with him, asked at once. She didn’t think deeply when she spoke.
Leira, accustomed to being loved because of her natural appearance, could not understand this man who kept his mouth shut in front of her.
Still, she asked because it was strange that he kept asking her for a dance without missing a beat, even though he didn’t seem to like her at all.
The man widened his eyes. It was very cute to see the bright red eyes getting bigger.
“No. Being with the lady is the greatest joy and honor of my life.”
Thinking that those words were not enough, young master Karsha quickly added back words.
“I am so honored and happy that I got… nervous.”
Leila laughed. It was a laugh that came naturally to her because a man who was a head taller than herself looked so cute.
At that, young master Karsha’s entire face turned red.
Perhaps if her father hadn’t said this that evening, Leila might have had a crush on young master Karsha.
“What a cheeky kid, how bold of an illegitimate child to speak to you!”
Her father was very offended.
“There is no proper heir, so he was adopted. But such a thing is an embarrassment to the real noblemen.”
Then he spoke firmly to Leila.
“You mustn’t fall for such a bastard. I didn’t pamper you to give you to someone like that!”
He himself criticized and despised young master Karsha, an illegitimate child who was also from a commoner.
Maybe it’s because he saw Leila’s smile when she danced with young master Karsha.
In any case, Leila obeyed his words admirably, based on her past experiences of being obedient to her father.
“I’m sorry. I’m not feeling well. I’d like to rest for a while.”
She started to reject young master Karsha’s dance request. On the days she stumbled upon him, she tried not to look towards him.
It was probably like that for about a year. By the end of a few more months, he had completely disappeared.
And after a while, Leila heard the news. The news that he had married a woman of noble status and became a marquis.
“Are you okay?”
At the voice of the marquis, Leila woke up from the memory.
Her face was hot. She meets a man who must have liked her in a place like this while looking like this. In a split second, she thought again that there was nothing to be ashamed of. But then the fear rose again.
She wrapped her arms around herself and curled up.
“… Here.”
The marquis looked at Leila and took off the thin coat he was wearing.
He merely wanted to hand it to Leila, but Leila took a step back from that simple act.
The marquis didn’t say anything. He held out his coat and waited patiently.
After hesitating for a long time, Leila finally accepted his coat.
It was because it was cold, and she was ashamed that she was only wearing pajamas.
As soon as she accepted his coat, the marquis took a couple of steps back, as did Leila.
“Are you here to visit the temple?”
“… Yes.”
To his actions, which showed no sign of malice, Leila responded meekly, even though she was still a bit hesitant.
“About that.”
The marquis swallowed his saliva and looked sorry.
“They already locked the door after I finished my confession.”
Leila looked around the temple. Not a single light was visible in the temple.
“They wouldn’t open the door until the morning prayer begins…”
The marquis raised his arm and looked at the clock.
“You will have to wait at least four hours.”
With those words, Leila stared at the thick gate of the temple.
If she knocks as hard as she can, someone might hear her.
‘If they just locked the door, maybe there are people who haven’t slept yet.’
‘Or perhaps there are light-sleepers.’
But what if no one comes out? What if she attracts rough men with her voice? What should she do?
“Are you going to wait?”
Leila, who had nodded involuntarily. She held the coat in which the marquis’ body temperature still remained with both hands and stepped backward again.
He, herself, and the coachman who drove the carriage were all here. And it was late at night.
His red eyes shining brightly in the dark looked terrifying, unlike in the past.
“I will lend you a carriage.”
The marquis, who was looking at Leila’s feet as she stepped backwards, to be precise, her bare feet, said.
“It is cold. Wait in the carriage.”
Leila looked at the carriage slowly, not lowering her vigilance towards the marquis.
“Since there is a horse, the coachman and I will go back on horseback. Don’t worry.”
Although Leila didn’t say anything, the marquis seemed to know what she was worried about.
Even though the marquis she met by chance was so considerate of her, Leila was still afraid.
What if someone suddenly opened the door when she was sitting in that carriage? How would she escape? Would she be able to escape in the narrow carriage?
And how could we guarantee that the marquis and the coachman will return to their place? What if they came back here with malicious intentions? If so…
“If you don’t like it, we can escort you to a place where you can stay.”
Leila’s body shook so violently that it could clearly be seen even in the dark.
She had been betrayed by someone she trusted just a few hours ago, and to accept his favor was just…
The marquis put his hand inside his jacket. Seeing that, Leila thought.
There is no such thing as pure kindness in this world. In the end, she won’t be able to avoid the tragedy.
“Take it.”
What the marquis took out of his jacket was a dagger.