Chapter 01 : The Father Sold His Daughter
Important!
Do not talk about this series aside from Travis Translations or NovelUpdates. Do not post this to any third-party sites in any form, yes, I’m looking at you, damn aggregators, especially to social media such as Instagram and Twitter.
Korea is very sensitive regarding copyright issues. I do not want to attract unnecessary attention and risk this series getting taken down.
Keep in your mind that you are not forced to pay to be able to read. Therefore, if this does get taken down for one or other reasons, it will not hinder me to keep enjoying the series. The only party that’ll be disadvantaged will be you, my readers.
Without further ado, enjoy the story. ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿
[To you who are abandoned, and to you who are unforgiven]
On that night, little Rena sought her father in his study with a feeling of excitement.
“Father, did you call for me?”
“Come in.”
Rena bit her lips and smiled at the voice behind the door.
Rena’s father, Viscount Ruber, was an amazing person. He had always been recognized for his great outward appearance, amiability, and excellent capability. His only flaw was that he neglected his family because he knew nothing but work, but Rena loved her father even with the said flaw.
It was the first time for the proud father to call for Rena personally.
‘Why did he call me? Does he know that I got praised in the violin lesson? Or was it because of my birthday?’
Next Wednesday was Rena’s 12th birthday, perhaps he had prepared a special present. Rena swelled with expectation and stepped into the study.
However, what her father had prepared was not some pretty presents, but a cold hell.
“She’s here.”
Said her father in lowered voice when Rena came into view.
“Is that the child?”
Then an unfamiliar voice chimed in.
Rena flinched in surprise and turned toward the voice. There was someone whom she had never seen before sitting in her father’s seat. It was a man as beautiful as an angel basked in holy light.
“What a pretty child. Would you really be okay? It looks a little wasteful to use as a sacrifice.”
The man looked at Rena and asked.
“Please decide carefully. Even having a funeral will be difficult, since not even the body will be left.”
Rena doubted her ears.
Body? Funeral?
Rena looked at the maniac with astonished eyes, while her father grasped her shoulders.
“The decision has already been made.”
“… Father?”
Rena was completely bewildered at the adults’ inexplicable joke.
She looked up to her father but to no avail. Her father’s, Viscount Ruber, face was serious without a smile.
“She’s 10 years old this year and is healthy, hasn’t suffered even from minor illnesses. She will certainly be of help to the Imperial Majesty.”
Said the viscount as he pushed Rena forward.
Rena’s expression became dazed in comprehension. She couldn’t understand the situation she was in and felt like she was in a dream.
Amidst her distracted mind, the words of the viscount wandered by her ears.
—10 years old this year
—Healthy
—Hasn’t suffered even from minor illnesses.
None of the words was right in the slightest.
Little Rena was weak enough that she would cough even just from the cold wind. Because of that, even if the day got only slightly colder, the servants would ready pickled ginger in honey, and prepared clothes made of cotton for her.
Nevertheless, this was but an insignificant misunderstanding. The real problem was the other statement.
The viscount’s daughter was to be 12 years old this year, not 10.
Rena stared at her father who didn’t even know her age, let alone her birthday.
However, the viscount wasn’t looking at Rena at all, and only pressed his daughter’s small shoulder down. The heavy hands awakened Rena. She could not believe it, and yet, there was no way to not believe it.
The father sold his daughter.
That night, Rena was abandoned.
By her father whom she had loved and had respected more than anyone else.
It had been 6 years since then.
***
Human beings were valuable.
Even more so if it was young, and especially expensive if it were a beautiful woman.
Human trafficking was becoming a trend and stain in the empire that had turned into a thieves’ den.
Missing people was a common occurrence in the empire, and because of this, normally women and children did not wander through the streets.
Therefore, the appearance of a beautiful young lady sitting alone in the square was a very strange sight to the citizens.
“My Lady!”
A silvery voice rang in the dreary square. It came from a child in a maid’s uniform.
“My Lady, are you hungry? Please eat a little bit of this.”
A maid who was around 10 years old, came running and offered a sandwich.
And so, the young lady who was sitting on the bench smiled softly. People glanced at the unusual beauty, but the young lady in the discussion seemed to be unaware of it.
The young lady looked at the sandwich the maid had brought over and asked with her head tilted.
“Why is there only one? What about Uni?”
“I’ll be okay.”
“Have we run out of money?”
“Umm, unfortunately, yes.”
The young lady’s expression hardened at the maid’s, Uni, answer. In response, Uni eagerly presented the sandwich she had bought from a stall.
“So, this is for you, my Lady. I’m small, so it will be okay if I don’t eat it!”
“Since you’re small, you have to eat more to grow up. It may not be enough, but let’s share.”
The young lady smiled tenderly, then split the sandwich in half, and offered back the bigger side. Uni received it with a smile.
“Then, I will enjoy this food!”
“Yes, me too.”
The beautiful young lady and the adorable child sat side by side and started eating.
In the meantime, many eyes set their gazes on them.
‘What are those kids doing?’
‘Do they not have guardians?’
‘How did they end up like that…’
Most of the comments were excessive worries coupled with criticisms.
The citizens directed their wagging tongues toward the fearless woman and child, then hurried along while yelling at the daughter and younger sister by their sides.
“Is she a noble?”
“Hey, would a noble do something like that?”
“Why don’t you try talking to them once?”
On the other side, a bunch of young men was busy whispering among themselves in the midst of their work. Everyone seemed to be attracted, but because of their lack of confidence, they only wandered from a distance.
One of those who were observing the young lady was a tall young man, standing at the entrance to the plaza.
It was then.
With everyone watching, a man in a uniform spoke to the young lady.
“Can you show me your identification card?”
The young lady raised her head toward the unfamiliar voice and the shadow covering the setting sun.
The stranger who had approached was looking down at them. From his outfit, he seemed to be the city’s guard.
“Identification card?”
“There’s been a report of suspicious individuals. Please show me your identification card.”
“I, I don’t have it at the moment…”
As if she was frightened by the word ‘report’, the young lady stammered. And so, the eyes of the indifferent guard narrowed.
“Where is your residence?”
“We’re not from this city.”
“Visitors? Do you have any other party with you? What’s the reason for your visit to our city?”
“There’s no other party, and we’re only passing by this road…”
“So, it’s just the two of you?”
The young lady answered with sincerity, but the guard crossed his arms in doubt. He then asked again in an interrogative manner.
“What is your status?”
“I am the Northern Marquess’…”
“A young lady of a marquess household wandering around in the square, accompanied only by a single maid? As if that makes any sense.”
The guard interrupted the young lady’s words and laughed at her. The young lady’s face paled.
“It’s not like that, I…”
“You will be investigated for having unknown identity and impersonation of a noble until the charges are resolved. Follow me!”
The guard seized the young lady’s wrist at once.
“What are you doing!”
“Uni, it’s fine!”
“My Lady…!”
“It’s fine, it will be fine. They just need to inquire about some things.”
The young lady reasoned with the child and rose from the bench to follow the guard. Even Uni, who was still fuming a while before, quietly shut her mouth.
The guard dragged the innocent young lady and the child.
There were many people in the square, but everyone seemed as if they were already familiar with the scene, and only avoided their gazes.
.
.
.
The place where the guard led the young lady was not the guard office, but a quiet alleyway.
There, he laughed for the first time.
“Isn’t this too easy?”
Nasty-looking men who had been hiding around the area revealed themselves as the guard spoke,
“Hey, where did this come from?”
“Look at that fair face. Now this is a real woman.”
As the filthy men approached with grins pasted on their faces, the young lady looked at the guard with a frightened face.
“A, Aren’t you the city guard?”
“Yeah, that’s right. But because the salary is kind of low, every once in a while I do side jobs as well.”
“Then…”
“So why do you go traveling alone so fearlessly. It’s dangerous.”
The men chuckled, pretending to be worried, while the young lady’s shoulders slumped at their sleazy attitude.
Then one of them muttered.
“Hey, by the way, will this not raise a problem?”
The grown-up woman was too gentle. She looked like a well-educated daughter of a rich family in many different ways.
The guard laughed at his colleague’s worries.
“You fool, will a precious lady of a renowned household go outside without an escort?”
“Is it possible that she went out secretly?”
“Why are you thinking so much, it will be over once you sell her!”
The guard reached out roughly. Then Uni shouted out loud.
“This bad man! Don’t touch my Lady!”
“Puh ha ha!”
The men burst into laughter when the child shouted.
“This will sell well. Those perverts will like it.”
“Don’t do this. Please let us go.”
Amidst the disturbing mockery, Uni clenched her teeth, while the young lady enveloped Uni in a hug and plead. It could have been better had she not done it.
The quivering voice aroused their already distorted mind. The men laughed freely, then stretched out their arms as if trying to grab the young lady.
At that time.
Crash!
The man who had been blocking the alley fell backward with an unexpected sound. Everyone turned their heads in surprise and stiffened at once as if they had made an agreement together.
At the end of the alley, there was a man standing under the sunset.
He was a tall man in a black cloak, with a mask covering his face. And beneath his feet lay the man who had been the lookout.
“What the hell, this bastard!”
The men shouted at the uninvited guest.
The tall man did not answer and stepped on the head of the man who had fallen under his feet. There was a sound of a cracking bone, however, the man underneath had already passed out and stopped moving.
“This guy…!”
Another man who felt belittled rushed in and threw his fist.
The mysterious man dodged it narrowly, then grasped, and broke the man’s arm.
“Kwaaahk!”
The man sunk on his knees with a sound like a breaking log.
As their colleagues fell one after another, the rest of the men took the stance to withdraw.
Then the mysterious man stood straight and stretched out his shoulders.
Nobody realized when exactly did he move, but he looked very broad at the moment. Moreover, his eyes, which were exposed within the gap of the mask, were filled with killing intent, like the edge of a blade.
The men flinched at his overbearing frame and the sharp glint in his eyes, and in the end, they could only cuss.
“Damn it!”
A frightened dog barked. The group of angry men pulled out and escaped.
As the dogs ran away, the alley became still in an instant.
However, the young lady and the maid were still embracing each other tightly. The reason for this was, the man in the cloak seemed just as dangerous as the guard and his group.
The pitch-dark shadow of the mysterious man approached. Then he quietly asked the young lady and the maid who were gulping down their dry saliva.
“Are you alright?”
It was an ordinary warm voice.
When the young lady was still surprised by the unexpected voice, the mysterious man rolled up his mask.
“Ah…”
The young lady was once again surprised at the face that was revealed soon after.
Unlike his aggressive actions, his appearance was neat. His face was fair as the moon, and the deep, black eyes were composed, unlike before.
It was hard to believe that this gentle-looking young man had broken those people severely.
The young man spoke as the young lady blinked.
“I saw you in the square and followed after. You can’t follow the guards blindly, it’s dangerous.”
The young man said calmly and reached out to the still-stiff young lady.
“I’ll accompany you.”
“Huh?”
“Not until your house. Just somewhere nearby.”
“… We are not from this city.”
The young lady replied in a breezy voice.
“We only stop by here for a while, we’re heading to the capital.”
“Just the two of you?”
As the young lady nodded, doubts aroused within the eyes of the young man.
“There’s my father in the Imperial Palace.”
Under the young man’s gaze, the young lady confessed with a beautiful but uncertain face.
“My name is Rena Ruber. His Grace, the northern Marquess, Cardo Ruber, is my father.”
Rena Ruber, the young lady who had just spoken, looked not that much different from 6 years ago. She was just as fragile and pitiful as when she had been abandoned by her father.
Chapter 01 : The Father Sold His Daughter
Important!
Do not talk about this series aside from Travis Translations or NovelUpdates. Do not post this to any third-party sites in any form, yes, I’m looking at you, damn aggregators, especially to social media such as Instagram and Twitter.
Korea is very sensitive regarding copyright issues. I do not want to attract unnecessary attention and risk this series getting taken down.
Keep in your mind that you are not forced to pay to be able to read. Therefore, if this does get taken down for one or other reasons, it will not hinder me to keep enjoying the series. The only party that’ll be disadvantaged will be you, my readers.
Without further ado, enjoy the story. ∠( ᐛ 」∠)＿
[To you who are abandoned, and to you who are unforgiven]
On that night, little Rena sought her father in his study with a feeling of excitement.
“Father, did you call for me?”
“Come in.”
Rena bit her lips and smiled at the voice behind the door.
Rena’s father, Viscount Ruber, was an amazing person. He had always been recognized for his great outward appearance, amiability, and excellent capability. His only flaw was that he neglected his family because he knew nothing but work, but Rena loved her father even with the said flaw.
It was the first time for the proud father to call for Rena personally.
‘Why did he call me? Does he know that I got praised in the violin lesson? Or was it because of my birthday?’
Next Wednesday was Rena’s 12th birthday, perhaps he had prepared a special present. Rena swelled with expectation and stepped into the study.
However, what her father had prepared was not some pretty presents, but a cold hell.
“She’s here.”
Said her father in lowered voice when Rena came into view.
“Is that the child?”
Then an unfamiliar voice chimed in.
Rena flinched in surprise and turned toward the voice. There was someone whom she had never seen before sitting in her father’s seat. It was a man as beautiful as an angel basked in holy light.
“What a pretty child. Would you really be okay? It looks a little wasteful to use as a sacrifice.”
The man looked at Rena and asked.
“Please decide carefully. Even having a funeral will be difficult, since not even the body will be left.”
Rena doubted her ears.
Body? Funeral?
Rena looked at the maniac with astonished eyes, while her father grasped her shoulders.
“The decision has already been made.”
“… Father?”
Rena was completely bewildered at the adults’ inexplicable joke.
She looked up to her father but to no avail. Her father’s, Viscount Ruber, face was serious without a smile.
“She’s 10 years old this year and is healthy, hasn’t suffered even from minor illnesses. She will certainly be of help to the Imperial Majesty.”
Said the viscount as he pushed Rena forward.
Rena’s expression became dazed in comprehension. She couldn’t understand the situation she was in and felt like she was in a dream.
Amidst her distracted mind, the words of the viscount wandered by her ears.
—10 years old this year
—Healthy
—Hasn’t suffered even from minor illnesses.
None of the words was right in the slightest.
Little Rena was weak enough that she would cough even just from the cold wind. Because of that, even if the day got only slightly colder, the servants would ready pickled ginger in honey, and prepared clothes made of cotton for her.
Nevertheless, this was but an insignificant misunderstanding. The real problem was the other statement.
The viscount’s daughter was to be 12 years old this year, not 10.
Rena stared at her father who didn’t even know her age, let alone her birthday.
However, the viscount wasn’t looking at Rena at all, and only pressed his daughter’s small shoulder down. The heavy hands awakened Rena. She could not believe it, and yet, there was no way to not believe it.
The father sold his daughter.
That night, Rena was abandoned.
By her father whom she had loved and had respected more than anyone else.
It had been 6 years since then.
***
Human beings were valuable.
Even more so if it was young, and especially expensive if it were a beautiful woman.
Human trafficking was becoming a trend and stain in the empire that had turned into a thieves’ den.
Missing people was a common occurrence in the empire, and because of this, normally women and children did not wander through the streets.
Therefore, the appearance of a beautiful young lady sitting alone in the square was a very strange sight to the citizens.
“My Lady!”
A silvery voice rang in the dreary square. It came from a child in a maid’s uniform.
“My Lady, are you hungry? Please eat a little bit of this.”
A maid who was around 10 years old, came running and offered a sandwich.
And so, the young lady who was sitting on the bench smiled softly. People glanced at the unusual beauty, but the young lady in the discussion seemed to be unaware of it.
The young lady looked at the sandwich the maid had brought over and asked with her head tilted.
“Why is there only one? What about Uni?”
“I’ll be okay.”
“Have we run out of money?”
“Umm, unfortunately, yes.”
The young lady’s expression hardened at the maid’s, Uni, answer. In response, Uni eagerly presented the sandwich she had bought from a stall.
“So, this is for you, my Lady. I’m small, so it will be okay if I don’t eat it!”
“Since you’re small, you have to eat more to grow up. It may not be enough, but let’s share.”
The young lady smiled tenderly, then split the sandwich in half, and offered back the bigger side. Uni received it with a smile.
“Then, I will enjoy this food!”
“Yes, me too.”
The beautiful young lady and the adorable child sat side by side and started eating.
In the meantime, many eyes set their gazes on them.
‘What are those kids doing?’
‘Do they not have guardians?’
‘How did they end up like that…’
Most of the comments were excessive worries coupled with criticisms.
The citizens directed their wagging tongues toward the fearless woman and child, then hurried along while yelling at the daughter and younger sister by their sides.
“Is she a noble?”
“Hey, would a noble do something like that?”
“Why don’t you try talking to them once?”
On the other side, a bunch of young men was busy whispering among themselves in the midst of their work. Everyone seemed to be attracted, but because of their lack of confidence, they only wandered from a distance.
One of those who were observing the young lady was a tall young man, standing at the entrance to the plaza.
It was then.
With everyone watching, a man in a uniform spoke to the young lady.
“Can you show me your identification card?”
The young lady raised her head toward the unfamiliar voice and the shadow covering the setting sun.
The stranger who had approached was looking down at them. From his outfit, he seemed to be the city’s guard.
“Identification card?”
“There’s been a report of suspicious individuals. Please show me your identification card.”
“I, I don’t have it at the moment…”
As if she was frightened by the word ‘report’, the young lady stammered. And so, the eyes of the indifferent guard narrowed.
“Where is your residence?”
“We’re not from this city.”
“Visitors? Do you have any other party with you? What’s the reason for your visit to our city?”
“There’s no other party, and we’re only passing by this road…”
“So, it’s just the two of you?”
The young lady answered with sincerity, but the guard crossed his arms in doubt. He then asked again in an interrogative manner.
“What is your status?”
“I am the Northern Marquess’…”
“A young lady of a marquess household wandering around in the square, accompanied only by a single maid? As if that makes any sense.”
The guard interrupted the young lady’s words and laughed at her. The young lady’s face paled.
“It’s not like that, I…”
“You will be investigated for having unknown identity and impersonation of a noble until the charges are resolved. Follow me!”
The guard seized the young lady’s wrist at once.
“What are you doing!”
“Uni, it’s fine!”
“My Lady…!”
“It’s fine, it will be fine. They just need to inquire about some things.”
The young lady reasoned with the child and rose from the bench to follow the guard. Even Uni, who was still fuming a while before, quietly shut her mouth.
The guard dragged the innocent young lady and the child.
There were many people in the square, but everyone seemed as if they were already familiar with the scene, and only avoided their gazes.
.
.
.
The place where the guard led the young lady was not the guard office, but a quiet alleyway.
There, he laughed for the first time.
“Isn’t this too easy?”
Nasty-looking men who had been hiding around the area revealed themselves as the guard spoke,
“Hey, where did this come from?”
“Look at that fair face. Now this is a real woman.”
As the filthy men approached with grins pasted on their faces, the young lady looked at the guard with a frightened face.
“A, Aren’t you the city guard?”
“Yeah, that’s right. But because the salary is kind of low, every once in a while I do side jobs as well.”
“Then…”
“So why do you go traveling alone so fearlessly. It’s dangerous.”
The men chuckled, pretending to be worried, while the young lady’s shoulders slumped at their sleazy attitude.
Then one of them muttered.
“Hey, by the way, will this not raise a problem?”
The grown-up woman was too gentle. She looked like a well-educated daughter of a rich family in many different ways.
The guard laughed at his colleague’s worries.
“You fool, will a precious lady of a renowned household go outside without an escort?”
“Is it possible that she went out secretly?”
“Why are you thinking so much, it will be over once you sell her!”
The guard reached out roughly. Then Uni shouted out loud.
“This bad man! Don’t touch my Lady!”
“Puh ha ha!”
The men burst into laughter when the child shouted.
“This will sell well. Those perverts will like it.”
“Don’t do this. Please let us go.”
Amidst the disturbing mockery, Uni clenched her teeth, while the young lady enveloped Uni in a hug and plead. It could have been better had she not done it.
The quivering voice aroused their already distorted mind. The men laughed freely, then stretched out their arms as if trying to grab the young lady.
At that time.
Crash!
The man who had been blocking the alley fell backward with an unexpected sound. Everyone turned their heads in surprise and stiffened at once as if they had made an agreement together.
At the end of the alley, there was a man standing under the sunset.
He was a tall man in a black cloak, with a mask covering his face. And beneath his feet lay the man who had been the lookout.
“What the hell, this bastard!”
The men shouted at the uninvited guest.
The tall man did not answer and stepped on the head of the man who had fallen under his feet. There was a sound of a cracking bone, however, the man underneath had already passed out and stopped moving.
“This guy…!”
Another man who felt belittled rushed in and threw his fist.
The mysterious man dodged it narrowly, then grasped, and broke the man’s arm.
“Kwaaahk!”
The man sunk on his knees with a sound like a breaking log.
As their colleagues fell one after another, the rest of the men took the stance to withdraw.
Then the mysterious man stood straight and stretched out his shoulders.
Nobody realized when exactly did he move, but he looked very broad at the moment. Moreover, his eyes, which were exposed within the gap of the mask, were filled with killing intent, like the edge of a blade.
The men flinched at his overbearing frame and the sharp glint in his eyes, and in the end, they could only cuss.
“Damn it!”
A frightened dog barked. The group of angry men pulled out and escaped.
As the dogs ran away, the alley became still in an instant.
However, the young lady and the maid were still embracing each other tightly. The reason for this was, the man in the cloak seemed just as dangerous as the guard and his group.
The pitch-dark shadow of the mysterious man approached. Then he quietly asked the young lady and the maid who were gulping down their dry saliva.
“Are you alright?”
It was an ordinary warm voice.
When the young lady was still surprised by the unexpected voice, the mysterious man rolled up his mask.
“Ah…”
The young lady was once again surprised at the face that was revealed soon after.
Unlike his aggressive actions, his appearance was neat. His face was fair as the moon, and the deep, black eyes were composed, unlike before.
It was hard to believe that this gentle-looking young man had broken those people severely.
The young man spoke as the young lady blinked.
“I saw you in the square and followed after. You can’t follow the guards blindly, it’s dangerous.”
The young man said calmly and reached out to the still-stiff young lady.
“I’ll accompany you.”
“Huh?”
“Not until your house. Just somewhere nearby.”
“… We are not from this city.”
The young lady replied in a breezy voice.
“We only stop by here for a while, we’re heading to the capital.”
“Just the two of you?”
As the young lady nodded, doubts aroused within the eyes of the young man.
“There’s my father in the Imperial Palace.”
Under the young man’s gaze, the young lady confessed with a beautiful but uncertain face.
“My name is Rena Ruber. His Grace, the northern Marquess, Cardo Ruber, is my father.”
Rena Ruber, the young lady who had just spoken, looked not that much different from 6 years ago. She was just as fragile and pitiful as when she had been abandoned by her father.
