Episode 26
After Riella’s first engagement was broken off, Lord Mollet subjected her to a parade of horrible suitors.
It was only natural. The engagement had been arranged and later dissolved by Lord Mollet himself. At the time, her first fiancé had been a young man from a respectable family, but as the Mollett family rose in status due to the war, the fiancé’s family had faltered and fallen behind.
Instead of pursuing a proper match, the marriage candidates Lord Mollet brought forward were either too old or far too young. He presented suitors to Riella whom Mrs. Mollet would obviously oppose in advance, forcing Riella to make a choice.
If Riella approved of someone, Mrs. Mollet wouldn’t object.
Naturally, Riella remained indifferent to all the marriage proposals that Lord Mollet presented. There was always an excuse to reject them. Mrs. Mollet assumed that Riella still had feelings for her first fiancé and pitied on her. In truth, if not for Mrs. Mollet’s intervention, Riella would have been sold into an undesirable marriage long ago.
Thanks to Mrs. Mollet’s kindness, Riella was able to maintain the guise of a heartbroken noble maiden for years.
The suitors, however, were displeased. They openly or subtly expressed their dissatisfaction with Riella’s attitude to Lord Mollet.
Each time Riella faced Lord Mollet’s cold gaze, she felt her heart tighten with uneasiness.
Meanwhile, rumors swirled through high society. People mocked the Sullivan family’s second son, Enrique, declaring he would never find a bride.
Enrique Sullivan became the subject of wildly exaggerated gossip even before he made his public debut.
Speculations ran rampant. People whispered about his deeds on the battlefield—how ruthlessly he fought, how his arrogance created constant conflicts within his unit, and how he even got into a fistfight with the son of a noble family, losing both the match and his dignity.
The rumors surrounding Enrique Sullivan painted him as a man to avoid.
But Lord Mollet warned Riella: there would be no second chance.
No matter how unsavory Enrique Sullivan seemed, Riella had to approach him and ensure that he chose her.
So, on the evening of the first grand banquet of the year in La Spezia, Riella arrived late, her eyes still swollen from crying all night.
The moment Enrique Sullivan appeared, however, he captivated everyone.
He was strikingly handsome, exuding a dignified and commanding presence. He had the natural charisma to dominate a room without uttering a word.
Unlike other gentlemen, who eagerly boasted about even their smallest accomplishments, Enrique showed no interest in explaining himself.
His private life remained a mystery, which only made him more intriguing.
It was clear, however, that he sought a woman who could complement his ambitions. Enrique only danced with women who brought substantial dowries to the table.
Riella was grateful to be one of them.
Although Enrique often stood with a stern expression, he occasionally gifted Riella a faint smile.
Since the Sullivan family had previously rejected the Mollett family, Riella hadn’t dared to hope. But Enrique danced with her at every banquet she attended and even visited her, as gentlemen often did when considering a proposal.
Her heart raced whenever he approached. Enrique Sullivan seemed like the savior she had longed for—the one who could finally rescue her from the oppressive grip of the Mollett family.
So it was only natural that Riella developed feelings for Enrique Sullivan.
But as summer approached, Enrique had yet to propose. As the days grew hotter, he began missing more and more social events.
Riella’s anxiety grew. What if he proposed to another woman before the autumn ended?
And then, Monica Offen reappeared.
Riella felt like her world was collapsing.
Most of La Spezia’s elite were unaware that Riella had been adopted by Lord Mollet.
Mrs. Mollet had introduced Riella as her biological daughter, claiming, “She was frail as a child, so we sent her to the countryside to recover her health. Now that she’s stronger, we’ve brought her back.”
Society accepted the story on the surface but whispered behind closed doors that Riella was likely Lord Mollet’s illegitimate child.
Oddly, Riella felt a sense of relief at this assumption. Being thought of as illegitimate was far better than her true origins being exposed.
But Monica Offen’s return threatened to shatter Riella’s carefully constructed facade.
Ten years had passed, but Monica hadn’t changed. She still had those bright, determined eyes, impeccable posture, and an ease about her that endeared her to everyone.
Riella grew anxious, fearing that Monica might reveal the truth about her orphaned past.
Monica swore she would never expose Riella, but Riella didn’t believe her.
Her anxiety only deepened when she noticed Enrique speaking to Monica at Countess Valentina’s birthday banquet.
That evening, Enrique danced with Riella three times, and whispers spread through the crowd. People speculated that Enrique Sullivan was on the verge of proposing to Riella.
But Riella wasn’t sure. Enrique’s gaze, distant and distracted as they danced, betrayed his true thoughts.
When Riella followed Enrique after the banquet, she begged him to take her as his bride. But instead of reassuring her, Enrique scolded her for her improper behavior.
Desperate, Riella confessed her love for him, and blurting her words of love in a rush, though embarrassed, she believed his troubled expression confirmed he was a good man—a man who would save her from her miserable life with the Mollett family.
But then Monica Offen appeared again, this time in an even more compromising situation.
As the tension between Riella, Enrique, and Monica grew, Riella couldn’t shake the feeling that her carefully laid plans were unraveling.
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