Vulgar Marriage - Chapter 12

Chapter 6.2

There had been a lot of snow that day. From what she remembered, it was the snowiest day the East had ever seen. Outside the window, snowflakes fell in intricate crystal patterns, and the snow had piled up like a mountain in front of the door. Several servants had to work together early that morning just to get the door open.

Ten-year-old Livi, peeking out from behind the servants, had sneaked into the back garden while everyone was distracted. Her parents would have never allowed it, so she had to go in secret. Her heart pounded with fear of being caught, but as soon as her feet hit the snow, she forgot all about it.

She played outside until her face turned blue from the cold.

She even built a snowman with a servant boy her age. They played without gloves, and her hands became so frozen they turned a different color.

Because of it, Livi’s mother scolded her harshly, and her father whipped her calves. She ended up bedridden for ten full days.

‘After that, I never played outside during the winter again.’

Most winters, she spent vacationing at their warm villa in the South. Even when she was at home, there were few reasons to venture out into the cold, aside from the occasional errand.

Livi glanced out the window briefly before quickly washing herself, not wanting the water to get colder. She paid little attention to the bruises—they wouldn’t wash away—so she focused on cleaning between her legs.

“Ugh, hng…”

Just touching the area made her wince in pain. She had no idea how to clean the mix of blood and sticky fluids. No one had ever taught her about such things.

After a moment of hesitation, Livi inserted her longest finger into her channel and began wiping inside. The feeling of it oozing out made her stomach turn. Gritting her teeth, she held back a groan and continued cleaning until the stickiness was gone.

By the time she finished bathing, nearly an hour had passed. Exhausted, Livi let down her golden hair and rummaged through the wardrobe for a dress. It was her first time dressing without help, but it was far easier than getting through the bath.

As she slipped on the cheap dress with its flimsy bodice, her thoughts wandered.

Accusing the House of Marquis Joseph of conspiring with the enemy was completely absurd.

Livi knew better than anyone how much her father had devoted himself to Sevarium. Though he couldn’t fight as a soldier on the battlefield, he handled all the administrative work. Whenever there was a delay in supplies, he’d use his own money to hire carts and ensure everything arrived on time.

‘And to think his reward was to be branded a traitor and suffer a dishonorable death.’

She couldn’t accept it. Livi stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes burning with rage. Her pale, colorless face and frail body looked nothing like the person she had been just days ago, before everything fell apart.

Dying was one thing. But dying without honor? That, she could never accept.

If there was even the slightest chance to reclaim her family’s honor, she wouldn’t back down. Even if that meant sharing a bed with a murderer who despised her.

“Um, uh… your meal is ready outside.”

The door creaked open slightly, and a young maid poked her head in. Livi noticed the girl trembling and assured her she’d be out shortly. The maid lingered for a moment, worry evident in her eyes.

“P-please be careful when you come out…”

Be careful? The way the maid said it made Livi pause. It didn’t sound like a simple courtesy. Livi turned the doorknob and stepped outside.

There, several knights were milling around the hall. The moment they saw her, they split into two groups. One group cheered while the other scowled, begrudgingly pulling money from their pockets.

“Didn’t think she’d actually come out. Damn…”

“You’d expect a noblewoman like her to jump out the window instead of walking out. F*cking hell, losing to a bet like this—I can’t catch a break^[1].”

The losing group closed in on her, their large figures casting shadows over her. Although she was a bit startled, Livi didn’t back away. Instead, she lifted her chin. The man standing at the front let out a scoff as he looked down at her.

“What? Got a problem?”

Livi turned her head, acting as though she hadn’t heard him. He wasn’t worth her time.

They had clearly made a bet on whether or not she’d leave the room. Their lack of manners and blatant rudeness left her speechless, but she saw no reason to let them take out their frustrations on her.

Without a word, Livi turned and walked toward the stairs. She had barely made it halfway down the hall when someone grabbed her arm from behind. She turned to see a large, bulky man gripping her wrist tightly.

“Let go,” Livi commanded softly.

“Wow, so she speaks?”

“…”

“How did our duke manage to tame such a stiff woman? I thought they’d have to keep you tied up the whole way here, but look at you, walking around on your own.”

Still holding her wrist, the man looked her up and down. His gaze was anything but friendly. Livi stood tall and looked him straight in the eyes.

He was still holding her wrist as he looked her up and down. His gaze was anything but friendly. Livi stood tall and looked him directly in the eye.

“Is your disrespect the duke’s command?”

Translator’s Note:

1. I changed the literal translation for the sake of localization, but the Korean idiom, (뒤로 넘어져도 코가 깨지겠군) literally means, “Even if you fall backward, you’ll break your nose.” It expresses the idea that someone is so unlucky or in such a bad situation that even an event that should have no consequences (falling backward) still results in injury (breaking the nose). It’s an exaggeration of bad luck. ↩