Roberto watched as the women boarded the boat, feeling a pang of regret for not having been able to engage with the charming lady. It wasn't until a servant pulled on his sleeve and reminded him, "Count, the general is waiting for us on the boat…" that he snapped out of his reverie. With a sudden change in demeanor, he smiled and quickened his pace towards the large boat prepared for the Count's family.The scenery on the lake was so breathtaking that it elicited exclamations of joy. The clear, emerald green water, rippled by the wind, danced under the sun's rays. A small boat swayed gently on the surface, and the lush green hills seemed almost within arm's reach. It was a pity that this wasn't the countryside where one could dip their feet in the water, otherwise, it would have been even more enjoyable."Mariana," Selena said, taking a small bag of shrimp and rice grains from her sleeve, "there are many small fish in the lake." As she scattered the food into the water, the fish eagerl
A few days later, a maid in uniform came to the door. The servant heard that she was the housekeeper of the count's mansion and quickly invited Jose back. The housekeeper said she was sent by the countess to invite Miss Selena to attend a banquet, praising the products from Selena's shop and expressing the countess's desire to meet Selena in person."Surely, Roberto, the count, has discovered my true identity! Otherwise, how could it be a coincidence that the countess started ordering products from my shop two years ago and now suddenly wants to meet me after the spring outing?"As she was pondering what to do, another visitor arrived. It was none other than Lucio, who had disappeared for several months and now suddenly sent a matchmaker to propose marriage.In contrast to his previous black suit, Lucio now wore a purple robe embroidered with silver threads. His green stubble had been groomed, and even his hair was tied back. Though scars marred his face, they were less prominent now.
She returned to the room, and Mariana looked at her with shiny eyes, different from usual. Mariana shrank back slightly, then said, "The water is ready. It's time for your bath…"But instead of heading to the screen as usual, Selena sat at the table, looking radiant as she stared ahead. After a moment, she suppressed her voice and said, "Mariana, are you my most trusted person?""Of course, Miss…""If I were to leave here, would you come with me?""Of course, Miss. I'm your maid…""Good! Pack your clothes and gather the money we have. See what we need for our journey to the capital. Get ready. Once everything is prepared, we'll leave…"With their own shop in the capital, they would never expect Selena to dare to go to the capital, where Lucio worked. After avoiding the wedding in the capital, they could go to a small place to hide for a few years…On the road, a carriage was moving, with two "men" sitting inside. One had his hair tied back simply and his face painted black, but looking
Selena didn't know how much time had passed, but she felt as if her body weighed a ton, with clothes clinging damply to her skin. Her forehead and arms throbbed with pain. As her mind cleared, she noticed the smell of damp earth and the sound of rain dripping onto the ground. Has it started raining outside? When did this happen? She let out a soft moan and instinctively called out, "Mariana…"The moment the words left her lips, she jolted awake. Remembering the chase by those people, Selena scrambled to her feet in a panic. As she rose, she felt a sharp pain in her hand, realizing she had scraped her wrist against the ground. Though it wasn't bleeding much, it stung fiercely. Her knees also throbbed with dull pain, likely bruised from the fall.But she couldn't dwell on her injuries now. Frantically, she looked around. The sky was dimly lit, and she could see raindrops falling outside, yet she seemed to be sheltered from the rain by something above her head. She hurriedly looked up and
Two days later, in the middle of the night in the mountains, a woman cautiously held her clothes, glancing back every few steps until she heard no sound, then she breathed a sigh of relief and hastened her pace. She remembered seeing a shallow forest pool nearby during the day, and after two days without bathing, she felt uncomfortable all over and sticky. The man had been around her all the time, so she had no time to clean herself until she could sneak away while he slept at midnight.The mountain path was difficult to navigate during the day, let alone at night, but luckily the moon was bright that night, so she could see clearly. When she saw the reflection of the lake, Selena's eyes lit up, and she quickened her pace. She regretted her decision to come here instead of hiding in a nearby town. She couldn't believe that after rescuing Mariana, the man had simply sent her away without bringing her along or finding someone to take care of her. She had to travel through the mountains
"Do you think all men are so easily deceived?" His voice was cold and somewhat hoarse as it echoed in her ear. "Why were you rummaging through your clothes, your belt, that day? And why were you secretly hiding the money from me? Huh? Were you planning to run away as soon as we left the mountains? Or did you think I was unaware of your every move?""No, no, no, it's not like that! I can give you money, all of it, I'll go back to Beerspa city with you, just take me back…"Selena felt like a cornered rabbit with no way to escape. No matter how she hunched her shoulders and hugged her chest, she inevitably touched the chest of the person behind her. The man's strong and forceful presence, combined with the shivering sensation of their skin touching, made her heart tremble slightly, and she was almost too scared to speak."No need." The man behind her coldly chuckled, "I suddenly realized another type of guarantee could work too. Today happens to be the day we planned our wedding. Spending
After descending the mountain and crossing two ridges, there were more carriages on the road. Not far from the town, there was a village known for its simple folk. Since it was a route commonly used by merchants entering the capital, many villagers were willing to provide accommodation and food for a f*e.Selena and Lucio temporarily stayed at the home of a widow named Alice. Lucio carefully cradled the sleeping Selena. Alice hurriedly ushered them into the house, which, although a rural dwelling, was surprisingly clean and tidy.Treating the woman as if she were a precious treasure, Lucio laid her gently on the soft bedding, despite being covered in mud himself after spending half a day taking care of her. He hastily left after giving Alice some money and a few instructions.Alice naturally agreed to his requests one by one, feeling quite satisfied with the money she received. However, when she opened the pouch later, she was startled. Oh my goodness, she had never seen gold coins in
In the afternoon, a carriage hurriedly arrived at Alice's doorstep. Jose, with an anxious expression, and Thomas jumped off the carriage. Seeing his daughter standing at the door, Jose finally breathed a sigh of relief. These days, he and Maria had been frantically searching for her. Thankfully, Lucio had sent a message back, and after days of sleepless travel, they finally arrived here.Seeing his daughter pulling on his arm like she did when she was a child, her tears seemed to be on the verge of falling, what could a father say? Eventually, all the worries and hardships of the past few days were condensed into a deep sigh.After leaving Alice's house, despite urging the horse on, it still took six days to return to Beerspa City. From afar, he saw Maria, who was almost seven months pregnant, standing at the door, anxiously looking out. Seeing the carriage, her face became nervous.Upon seeing Selena, Maria's expression changed several times, but eventually she turned and went inside