The World Has Become Kinder to Her

“Ugh…”

Marquis, who had now become Lotus, groaned inwardly from the relentless torment, pain, and hardship. The number of groans she swallowed was far fewer than those the Marquis possessed within her.

“You insolent girl! Who gave you permission to call anyone ‘Father’ or ‘Brother’?”

“Mo-Mother…”

“You really don’t understand, do you? No one in this house is unaware of your birth, so at least here, don’t use those distasteful titles. I don’t want to hear it.”

It was after being struck twice by the Marchioness that Lotus stopped calling the Marquis, the Marchioness, and Hession “Father,” “Mother,” and “Brother” within the mansion. A thin switch left red welts on Lotus’ pale legs. 

Since they couldn’t leave scars on the body of a noble lady, the Marchioness’ maids regularly applied ointment to Lotus’ legs, so the physical wounds disappeared, but the emotional scars did not. 

The Marquis in the dream had heard about this but chose to ignore it. Behind his thoughts of leaving family matters to his wife was a cowardly desire not to further disturb her, as well as the resentment and hatred he held for Lotus.

“Lady Estelle, this is a popular tea these days. Does it suit your taste? Those who aren’t knowledgeable about tea often can’t appreciate its flavor.”

“Oh, Lady Serenity. Lady Estelle is from the Marquis family. She must have experienced far more varieties of tea than us. Surely, she wouldn’t be unfamiliar with something like this?”

“Now that you mention it, you’re right. How silly of me to say such a thing.”

Lotus had accepted being treated with contempt and disregard within the family. After all, she was the illegitimate child who had disrupted the family’s peace. But after her debut in society, she never imagined that she would be so openly disregarded by girls her own age. It was because she had been ignorant of the world of women.

‘I expected subtle disdain due to my birth…’

Even so, as the young lady of the Marquis family, she had believed she would receive some level of protection. The Marquis of Estelle was a prestigious family, one that no one would dare openly disrespect. But that was the Marquis’ misconception. 

No matter how noble her lineage, no aristocrat would respect a young lady who was not loved by her own family.

“It’s been quite hot lately, hasn’t it? I imagine the price of linen will rise.”

“What do you mean, Lady?”

“Linen’s main ingredient, flax, is sensitive to heat and humidity. Judging by the current heat, it looks like this summer will be scorching. As demand increases, supply will likely be insufficient, and the price will inevitably go up.”

“Oh my, Lady, you seem to know a lot of tidbits from here and there. Well, given your situation, it’s probably best to build up knowledge where you can.”

“Lady Estelle, I’m surprised you have such an interest in these matters. How impressive.”

Though Lotus endured all kinds of insults and mistreatment within the Marquis family, she grew into a beautiful and intelligent young woman. The Marquis had no idea that Lotus could converse with young noblemen on a wide range of topics. 

Many of the young ladies envied her for this. She was marked as an illegitimate child who dared to overstep her place.

The young noblemen, entranced by Lotus’ beauty, pretended to be impressed by her intelligence. Perhaps for this reason, Lotus seemed to feel more at ease with the young men than with the women.

“Do you really think being a little smart will change anything? There have always been women like you, relying on fleeting beauty and shallow knowledge. How do you think they’re living now?”

The young ladies painted a grim future for Lotus. As an illegitimate child, they told her the best she could hope for was to become the second wife of an old, wealthy nobleman. In fact, most young women in circumstances similar to hers had ended up that way.

Thus, Lotus began meeting many men. She smiled through tears and shared her bed with them, all with the thought that she would use them before they could exploit her.

‘Everyone says it’s a stroke of luck that I was taken into the Marquis family, but it’s not! It really isn’t! I would have been happier living as a commoner Lotus.’

The Marquis, feeling the wretchedness and despair she had experienced, unknowingly clutched at his chest. He hadn’t realized that Lotus had thought this way, that her life was so hellish that she believed being a commoner would have been better.

However, the Marquis in the dream did not understand why Lotus had begun meeting so many men. No, he hadn’t even bothered to try to understand.

He was simply furious, thinking only of how her vulgar actions were tarnishing the honor and reputation of the Marquis of Estelle.

To avoid the worst outcome, Lotus chose the lesser evil. Could anyone blame her for the decision she made when there was no one in this world she could trust or rely on? Even though she had been so deeply disappointed by her family and the world, one might expect her to grow bitter. Yet, the foolish daughter remained kind to the very end.

Even though she had intended to end her own life, when she saw a child drowning, she jumped into the river without hesitation to save them. After rescuing the child, she lost her life. In her final moments, she passed away quietly, unloved by her family or anyone else.

“Ugh…”

The Marquis awoke from a long nightmare, his eyes drenched in tears. His back was also soaked with cold sweat. Even after waking, the tears did not stop, leaving him in a pitiful state.

Only after experiencing a part of Lotus’ cruel life, through her eyes, did he realize how much his selfishness and cowardice had destroyed his daughter. 

“Ah, Lotus…”

As he was caught up in regret and self-reflection, a scream sounded beside him.

“Kyah!”

It was the voice of his wife, Inere, who had been asleep. The startled Marquis finally turned to look at her. Her eyes, too, were wet with tears.

“Dear…”

As soon as the Marchioness saw the Marquis, she began to cry even harder.

“Y-you… Lotus…”

Did you also dream about Lotus?

The Marquis wanted to ask, but suddenly felt as though his throat was constricted, as if someone was preventing him from saying those words. The Marchioness, too, was unable to say anything more. Their gazes met.

Though there was no love between them, perhaps due to the bond they had formed from living together for so long, they could roughly sense what the other was thinking.

“C-could it be that you too…?”

“…Surprisingly, yes.”

It was strange, but when they spoke indirectly, the words came easily. Stranger still was the fact that they had both experienced the same dream on the same night.

The couple rose from bed and checked the invitation on the table to confirm the date. It was September 28, 672 of the Imperial Calendar.

“That vivid experience… was it really just a dream?” 

The Marchioness muttered weakly. It seemed more realistic to think that they had been shown a vision of their disastrous future, rather than believing they had returned to the past.

“I… I didn’t think what I did was wrong. I thought it was something I was perfectly justified in doing.”

The Marchioness murmured, her eyes still unfocused. Her voice was tinged with sobs.

“You promised me before we married. That even if you didn’t love me, you would respect me and never betray me. But… that child was proof of your broken promise, evidence of your betrayal. Every time I saw her face, which resembled you so much, I felt sick and utterly devastated. It made me feel like you were mocking me, disregarding me. The child was innocent, but I took my anger out on her because she was an easy target. I was so wicked… Perhaps that’s why God has punished me.”

“No, my lady. How could it be your fault? It was my mistake, my failure, and I pushed the consequences onto you and Lotus. God must be planning to punish me further.”

“Do you think… do you think we still have a chance?”

The Marchioness asked with a tear-streaked face. The Marquis bit his lip and answered.

“I’d like to believe that having such a dream means we still have a chance.”

It was late, but not completely too late. Unlike the events in the dream, Lotus had not yet made her debut, nor had she begun selling her smiles or giving her body to men.

There was still time to correct their twisted relationships and the situation. 

The Marquis and Marchioness spent the rest of the night talking about Lotus. It was the first time they had ever spoken about her so freely, without the usual tension and bitterness hanging in the air.

*Knock, knock, knock.*

At the crack of dawn, unable to suppress their anxious hearts, the Marquis and Marchioness headed to Lotus’s bedroom. When there was no response to their knock, their unease grew, and they opened the door. 

Inside, Lotus appeared as though she had forced herself to rise. In that instant, they regretted their intrusion, but before they could retreat, Lotus, already awake, spoke in a flat voice.

“What brings you here?”

There was a hint of wariness behind her seemingly ordinary words, and both the Marquis and Marchioness sensed it. As they carefully chose their words, they saw an image of Lotus pale and lifeless, as if she had drowned.

A terrifying hallucination. The Marchioness was about to scream, but the Marquis grasped her hand, allowing her to regain her composure. The Marquis asked cautiously.

“Are… are you all right?”

“I don’t understand why you would ask that,” Lotus replied curtly, unaware of their situation. From her perspective, their sudden visit and strange question must have seemed odd and confusing.

‘Or maybe it’s even painful for her?’ the Marquis wondered. His chest tightened, just as Lotus’s expression twisted slightly with discomfort. In the end, all they could do was suggest meeting in the dining room before leaving.

The Marquis and Marchioness arrived at the dining room before Lotus and asked the head chef what her favorite foods were and what was planned for breakfast. The chef confidently listed the breakfast menu but had no idea what Lotus liked to eat.

It wasn’t just the chef. Among the many maids working in the kitchen, not one of them knew what the young lady of the house preferred.

“Uhm… I’m not entirely sure, but it seemed to me that Lady Lotus liked tomato-based shrimp soup and cream sauce pasta,” one maid, Jane, offered cautiously. The Marquis instructed the kitchen to prepare the soup Jane mentioned, at least. The kitchen staff bustled with activity.

By the time Lotus, guided by Jane, arrived at the dining room, the hastily prepared but delicious-looking soup was already on the table. As Lotus began to eat, the Marquis and Marchioness felt a sudden sense of pride.

But the amount she ate was absurdly small—far less than even a child would consume. Was the hurriedly prepared food not to her taste? Concerned, the Marquis asked.

“Do you always eat so little… or does the food not agree with you?”

“I just don’t have much of an appetite,” Lotus responded.

It was true that the family rarely dined together. The only times they ate as a group were when preparing for official events or when esteemed guests visited, requiring them to present the image of a harmonious household. It was only natural that Lotus would feel uncomfortable in such a situation, and a lack of appetite in these circumstances was understandable.

A cold silence hung over the dining room. Unable to bear the oppressive quiet, the Marchioness finally spoke up.

“…What are your plans for the dress?”

“Pardon?”

“The dress for the ball. I heard you’ve already purchased something…”

The Marchioness’s words trailed off as she recalled the debutante ball from her dream. Lotus blinked a few times before replying.

“Yes, I’ve picked something suitable.”

Her tone carried a sense of resignation, and just from her expression, the state of her debutante preparations became clear.

As they had discussed in the early hours of the morning, the Marquis and Marchioness decided to put their full effort into helping Lotus prepare for her debutante ball. 

Though there was little time, the wealth and resources of the Marquis family would surely be able to resolve many of the problems.