Chapter 2
Marion came out to turn off the small light she had left on outside the front door before going to bed. Her steps were slow, even for someone well into her seventies.
“Oh my god!”
Marion was startled to see a small, sleeping black figure curled up next to the front door. It was dark under the lamp, but Marion immediately recognized Jade by the hood. Jade opened her eyes quickly as Marion gently shook her shoulder.
“Hello!”
“Honey, what are you doing here? Why didn’t you call for me if you were sitting here all this time?”
“I was wondering how you’re doing……”
Jade hesitated and mumbled her words. Jade, who had never once expressed regret to anyone, had difficulty asking Marion for help.
“I missed you. So thank you for asking…”
Marion reached out to Jade first. She knew quite a bit about Jade. There was no child in the slums who had not been touched by Marion.
As a midwife, she had been present when Jade was born. When Marion saw that the blood clot between Sylvia’s legs was black, she sighed deeply inwardly. The child’s fate was too cruel.
When Jade’s father saw the black-haired child and blamed his wife for his infidelity, I told him that if one’s distant ancestors had noble blood, they could have black hair.
Jade was not immediately abandoned when I told her that Marion’s great-grandmother, who was a commoner’s child, also had black hair.
Jade did not receive love from her parents, but she was able to live thanks to Marion.
“Let’s go in. I’ll bring you a cup of warm tea.”
Marion grabbed Jade’s two hands, which were squirming helplessly. They were too hard and rough for a twenty-year-old girl.
Jade was a grateful child who often visited Marion’s house to help her with chores when she was too weak to take care of all the housework on her own. Marion brought Jade into the house and sat her down at the table in the kitchen.
“What kind of tea would you like?”
“Anything is fine……”
Before Jade could finish speaking, a loud gurgling sound echoed through the quiet kitchen. Jade’s face turned bright red, and Marion laughed heartily.
“I guess I should give you something to fill your stomach with.”
She knew it was shameless, but Jade was too hungry to refuse. As Marion busily moved around the kitchen, Jade jumped up.
“I’ll do it for you.”
“You came to work today. So now, just enjoy your meal.”
Marion, who had raised and married off her three very affectionate sons, quickly brought a hot meal in front of Jade. Jade swallowed hard. Marion motioned for her to eat quickly.
“Thank you for this food.”
Jade ate her steaming white meat stew and vegetable-filled omelet in a hurry. Marion watched Jade finish her meal. Unlike her siblings who were quite tall for their age, Jade was very small and dwarfed. Marion felt even more sorry for Jade because she knew what that meant.
“What’s going on?”
“He told me to become a member of the Morgan family and become the bride of the Black Dragon……”
Marion tilted her head. She had heard that there were many nobles who wanted their daughters to be the brides of the Black Dragon, but she was a little surprised that Duke Morgan would insist on adopting Jade.
“Why you?”
“The Black Dragon’s bride is actually a sacrifice to be eaten, so isn’t it possible that he doesn’t want to send his own daughter?”
“I’ve heard that the family that produced the Black Dragon’s bride lives in luxury that even the emperor would envy.”
“Nobody has ever seen it.”
“Well… if the Black Dragon’s bride was the sacrifice, the nobles wouldn’t have sent their daughters.”
Marion was the smartest woman in the neighborhood. Jade wanted to believe Marion, but she kept having doubts.
People said so. There were many poor nobles who wanted to sell their daughters and live comfortably.
“Then why would the Duke of Morgan adopt me? He already enjoys enough wealth and honor.”
Jade’s bright green eyes, large and hollow because her face was so thin, were filled with curiosity. Marion smiled slightly at her expression.
“People’s greed is endless. Even the emperor who has everything tries to take over neighboring countries through war. The greed of people who already have something is even scarier.”
This was something that Jade, who lived her life thinking that it would be nice to eat just three full meals a day, found difficult to understand.
“What if you don’t become the bride of the black dragon?”
“Then I’ll be kicked out of the duke’s house right away.”
“But wouldn’t that be an opportunity to change your life? Maybe leaving home would be a good idea.”
“What about my family? How will my mom raise my younger siblings by herself?”
Even if Jade left home and her father returned, there was no guarantee that she would make a living.
Even now, Jade’s father would come to the house and make a fuss about money when he ran out. If her mother raised her younger siblings alone, they would not graduate from the school that they were attending and would start working odd jobs.
“What do you want to do?”
Jade couldn’t answer Marion’s question right away.
Living day to day was so burdensome that she had never thought about the future in detail. Marion held Jade’s hand affectionately, who was confused.
“Why don’t you live the way you want now? Your siblings aren’t your children.”
“……”
“Looking back, I realized that I should do whatever I wanted when I didn’t have a husband or children. You’re a good and honest child. You’ll do well wherever you go. So don’t worry and do what you want.”
“Thank you.”
No matter how much her family did for her, to Jade, her family was the last thing that held her together. To her, even a family that persecuted her was essential.
“Get some rest.”
Marion gave Jade a bed without asking. She told her to rest as much as she wanted.
Jade spent three days with her while helping with the housework at Marion’s house. As Marion said, she thought about what she wanted to do, but Jade, who only did what others told her to do, had a harder time finding what she wanted to do.
However, after living comfortably with Marion, her desire to not become the bride of the black dragon grew stronger. Even if the black dragon was not a beast, and even if it brought her wealth and honor, she did not want to become the bride of a man she had never met before.
“I’ll go home and pack my bags. I also need to talk to my mom.”
Marion allowed Jade to continue living here with her until the Black Dragon’s bride was chosen.
While staying at Marion’s house, Jade was anxious about whether someone would come to Marion’s house, but no one came.
Maybe it’s because Jade had run away because she didn’t want to become the Black Dragon’s bride, and thus they had given up her adoption.
“It so late at night, is it okay to go now?”
Marion, who was knitting in her rocking chair, looked at Jade with anxious eyes. Even on a small mountain, the night was dangerous.
“The moon is bright. I can go there with my eyes closed.”
“hmm……”
“People might come by during the day. I’ll go and be back soon.”
Jade smiled brightly to reassure Marion, but Marion was anxious.
It was natural for people to worry more as they got older.
“Take care on your way back.”
Marion couldn’t stop her any longer and sent Jade off. She had been eating and sleeping well for a few days, so she had gained some weight and looked good.
Jade’s face was starting to look a little better, but she kept thinking that she would go home and not come back.
Marion put the small lamp in Jade’s hand while standing at the doorstep.
“Take this light with you. You might fall.”
“Thank you.”
Marion called out to Jade again as she was about to leave after bowing. Jade returned to Marion, wondering what was going on, and Marion hugged her tightly.
“Do what you want to do. Okay?”
“Yes.”
Marion followed Jade until she was out of her sight while she held her lantern, and looked back. She didn’t know why she was shedding tears.
“Caak!”
Jade screamed involuntarily, startled by the wet branches brushing her ankles.
She had walked so many times that she thought she could close her eyes and come back, but the dark mountain was scary. If it weren’t for the light Marion gave her, she would have gone back home to Marion again. She wanted to go home quickly, so she picked up her pace even though she was out of breath.
As she passed the mountain and reached the downhill road, she could see her house in the distance.
Even though it was a house that had never done anything for me, the light in the window seemed to welcome me. Jade muttered the words Marion had said to her like a song.
“Do what you want to do.”
Jade repeated what Marion had said. Jade, who didn’t have many opportunities to learn, would think about and memorize the good words of those around her so that she wouldn’t forget them.
“After…”
Jade reached the front of the house and turned off the light. She kept moving and stopped, and it seemed like she was sweating even more.
Jade took a deep breath and carefully opened the front door.
Her mother was probably still working, and her siblings who went to bed early might be asleep. Jade entered the house quietly, worried that she might wake her family, and was surprised. The house was a mess with all the stuff scattered around, and her family, who should have been visible at a glance, were nowhere to be seen.
“No way…….”
Jade looked around the house in disbelief. The stuff that was still useful was just thrown away. The family, who had nowhere to go, always gathered in this small house in the evening. Mom, who was a neat person, was not the type to let the house become a mess.
“Mom, Bill, Calvin, Lodge…….”
I didn’t know that they had kicked out my family because I refused to become the Duke’s adopted daughter.
No, I didn’t know that I had killed them all. Tears quickly welled up in Jade’s large eyes. At that moment, the front door, which had been left open behind Jade, who was sitting down and crying, slammed shut. Jade was startled and turned around.
“Welcome back, miss.”
Right now, it was the voice of the man that Jade wanted to avoid the most.
***^***
Jade couldn’t sleep because the bed was so soft and smooth that it was hard to sink into, and it was big enough for three or four people to lie down comfortably. Even the moon in the distant sky outside the window that took up one side of the large wall seemed unfamiliar.
“What is this?”
Jade clutched the soft, light blanket that was warmly wrapping around her body. Right now, this moment didn’t feel real.
The family she thought would be waiting for her were not dead. They had taken the money from the Duke’s house and disappeared.
Erwin handed over the letter to Jade, who said she couldn’t believe his words.
[Jade, become the bride of the Black Dragon. That is the only way to save our family. Please. – Sylvia]
Jade recognized her mother’s handwriting at a glance. It was a messy childish handwriting, as she had not written much.
Tears fell from Jade’s eyes, while soaking the paper. Her mother, who had continued to regard her black-haired daughter as a stigma, eventually abandoned her.
“If you come with me, your family won’t have to worry.”
Jade, who was sobbing, looked at Erwin with resentful eyes. Erwin couldn’t understand Jade’s sad crying. Even if he only listened to a little of the stories about her around him, he could easily see how much her family had neglected her.
Erwin, who thought Jade’s family was nothing more than a heavy burden, didn’t know Jade would be this sad. He was embarrassed, but anyway, taking Jade to the duke’s house was the priority.
Rather than comforting her as she cried, Erwin chose to make her understand the situation quickly.
“What if I hadn’t come today?”
After Jade left, Erwin continued to wait for her at this house. He believed that she would return.
Jade, who had received the sudden offer, would also need time to cool her head at Marion’s house.
“It’s not that I left you alone because I didn’t know where you were. I gave you some time to gather your thoughts.”
Jade thought that she had hidden herself away, but it seemed he already knew the etymology. Jade needed some more time to calm her confused mind.
“I still…….”
“You don’t think the Duke just paid for your family’s moving expenses, do you?”
“……”
“Oh, and what if your family is unhappy about your rejection? They might have to return everything back, you know?”
Erwin closed his eyes and smiled, speaking kindly, but to Jade, that was no greater than a threat.
If Jade did not follow Erwin’s words, he would surely cling to her family’s safety. They were a family that could not hope for anything more, but at least Jade did not want them to be unhappy. It seemed like it was really time to let them go. Jade knew she had no choice.
“Okay. I’ll pack my bags.”
“Is there anything in this house worth bringing along?”
Of course, there was nothing like that. The few belongings Jade had were all necessities. Even now, I was just thinking of taking my usual hood and a change of clothes.
“There is no such thing.”
“Then, lets just go. I’ve prepared everything you need.”
Jade was confused. She didn’t know what was already prepared for her. Erwin walked briskly to the front door and opened it for her.
“Let’s go.”
At Erwin’s gesture, Jade followed him. Erwin moved naturally as if it were his own home. He went to the shiny black horse hidden behind the house. Erwin stroked the black horse once as if he loved it, and released the leash. Jade watched Erwin breathlessly. He led the horse and came in front of Jade.
“Have you ever ridden a horse?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t prepare a carriage for you. Well, excuse me.”
Erwin carefully lifted Jade up and sat her down on the horse. Jade was so surprised by Erwin’s actions that she couldn’t even open her mouth. Jade was flustered because it was the first time someone had treated her so kindly.
The well-trained horse didn’t move even with Jade on board, but Erwin grabbed Jade’s arm, who was shaking and was unable to keep her balance because she was scared.
“Stay still. I’ll get in behind you.”
Erwin held Jade, stepped on the stirrup, and lightly climbed onto the horse, while sitting behind Jade. Jade stiffened between Erwin’s arms, who was holding the reins. Jade was uncomfortable with the horse she was riding for the first time and with Erwin standing so close behind her.
“What should I hold onto?”
It was Jade’s first time riding a horse, so it was difficult for her to keep her balance. It would be difficult to sit still like this when the horse was moving.
“Oh, I’ll hold it for you.”
It happened in an instant when Erwin lightly wrapped his long arms around Jade’s waist and the horse moved. As Erwin spurred on, the horse easily gained speed. Jade, who had been trying to keep her balance by straightening her waist, lost her balance as the horse gained speed and fell into Erwin’s arms. As she tried to straighten her body again, Erwin’s sweet voice came to her ear.
“Just sit back and relax. It’s still a long way to go.”
Leaning back wasn’t really comfortable. Jade didn’t know what to do with Erwin’s strong arms that held her tighter every time her body shook, and Erwin’s firm chest that shook tightly behind her every time he spoke. She felt the overwhelming force, warmth, and solidity of the man’s embrace with her whole body.
“Is it hard? We are almost there.”
The black horse ran for a long time past the downtown area of Gretna. The forest road along the moonlit lake was wide enough for two carriages to travel together, and it was flat and well-paved.
“That is the Duke of Morgan’s mansion.”
Erwin said as he saw a light twinkling in the distance. The lights were the lanterns lit on both sides of the Duke’s main gate. As Erwin and Jade’s horse approached the gate, the two gatekeepers hurriedly opened the heavy gate on both sides.
“Welcome.”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
After a brief exchange of greetings, and entering the gate, Erwin slowly rode his horse.
Thanks to this, Jade was able to leisurely look around the duke’s mansion. Even in the dark of the night, it was so impressive that it was easy to see.
The wide lawn, the large fountain, the sculptures placed here and there, and the garden filled with well-kept flowers and trees were so harmonious and beautiful that she couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
“It’s so pretty.”
“It would be better to see it during the day. I’ll show you tomorrow.”
Erwin stopped his horse in front of an imposing building whose end was not clearly visible. The central building was four stories tall, and the buildings on either side were three stories tall. All the walls were filled with large windows. Jade had worked in a few noble houses, but she had never imagined that there would be a mansion this large.
“This is the main building.”
Erwin got off the horse first and stretched out his arms to Jade. Jade let herself be carried by Erwin’s strong arms and got off the horse. Her legs were sore from riding it too hard.
“Are you here?”
One of the servants guarding the front of the main building ran towards Erwin. Erwin spoke to the servant in a low voice. After a brief conversation with Erwin, the servant took the horse to the stable.
“Come on in.”
As he opened the door to the mansion, she saw a lobby that was hard to capture at a glance. Even in the dim lights, Jade’s eyes widened at the grandeur of everything she saw: Tall pillars wrapped in gold, staircases that curved up on both sides, carpets with ornate patterns, and large statues. She wondered if this was really a house where people lived.
“What on earth is in such a huge mansion?”
“There is a lobby, a banquet hall, a reception room, a study, a sauna, a dining room, a dressing room, etc. I’m not sure how many bedrooms there are, but it’s probably more than twenty.”
Jade followed behind Erwin as she climbed the stairs, busy looking around the house. The paintings hanging in the long hallway and the luxurious flower pots placed here and there caught Jade’s eyes. Erwin stopped in front of the room in the middle of the third floor.
“This is the room where you will be staying, young lady.”
As Erwin opened the door, Jade took a quick look into the brightly lit room. It was called a room, but it was much larger than the house that Jade lived in. There was a canopy bed with white cloth hanging down, a gorgeous tapestry covering one wall, and heavy, antique furniture all harmoniously placed. Erwin smiled slightly at Jade, who was lost in his gaze, and waved to her.
“This is the bathroom.”
Erwin opened the bathroom door, taking Jade, who was looking around the room.
It was smaller than the room, but the bathroom was also quite large. There was a small fireplace on one wall, and next to a large bathtub that could easily fit two or three people, there was a round window that allowed them to look outside. Jade was constantly surprised.
“Do you like it?”
It was so nice, I wondered if there was anyone who could say they didn’t like it. Jade nodded her head vigorously.
She now understood why Duke Morgan had put her to death. It seemed that in order to maintain this mansion without any shortcomings, he really needed the help of the Black Dragon.
Knock knock…
Jade was startled by the knock on the bathroom door. But Erwin answered as if he already knew.
“Come in.”
An older woman wearing a maid outfit came into the bathroom. She had a kind expression and smiled brightly as she bowed to
Jade and Eowon. Jade bowed even deeper and greeted them.
“Hello. I am Alan, your servant starting today.”
“Ah… I’m Jade Mulling. Please take care of me.”
Jade, who had never even dreamed of having a maid to serve her, was at a loss and her voice was crawling out. Erwin responded softly to Jade’s greeting.
“Now you are Jade Morgan. You don’t have to bow to the maid.”
“Ah… yes.”
“While Alan prepares for your bath, let’s eat first.”
“I had my dinner.”
Even though Jade had already eaten dinner, Erwin took her to the restaurant on the first floor.
The food prepared for two people was already steaming hot at the long table that could easily seat twenty people. It was food Jade had never heard of or seen before.
Furthermore, the smell of the meat, roasted whole, was so delicious that it made even a full stomach ache. The food was beautifully decorated, and she couldn’t even imagine what it would taste like.
“Eat plenty.”
Erwin cut the meat into bite-size pieces and placed it on Jade’s plate. Jade glanced at Erwin. Erwin handed her a warm, prepared towel.
“Wash your hands first.”
Jade wiped her hands thoroughly and kept an eye on Erwin. She didn’t know if she could eat the freshly baked bread, salad, and warm soup in front of her as she had been eating them. Erwin handed the fork to Jade, who was looking at him.
“Should we just eat today without worrying about manners? I’m really hungry too.”
“Yes.”
Jade quickly realized that Erwin’s smiling words were her consideration for her.
However, Jade ate exactly as Erwin ate, fearing that she would be embarrassed if she ate rudely. Erwin was also very elegant in his eating.
He said he was hungry, but he never hurriedly ate any food. Erwin seemed like someone who enjoyed the taste of food leisurely.
“You need to eat well from now on. I will take good care of your meals and snacks.”
“Yes.”
Jade felt ashamed of her hand holding the fork. Her hand, with no flesh and bulging joints, looked like a dry branch. When she saw Erwin’s large, smooth, white hand, she wanted to put down the fork and hide her hand.
Erwin, oblivious to her feelings, cut the food into bite-size pieces and placed it on her plate. The food melted in her mouth. Jade was full, but she didn’t refuse and ate everything Erwin gave her.
“It’s nice to see you eating well.”
Erwin, who had finished his meal neatly, was happily watching Jade eat her food. Because of Erwin’s gaze, Jade didn’t even know where the food went.
“If you’re done eating, shall we go?”
After finishing the meal, Jade walked closely behind Erwin. In this large mansion, Erwin was the only person on whom she could rely on. Erwin walked elegantly and led Jade to her room.
“I hope you rest well.”
Erwin reached out to Jade’s head. Jade flinched involuntarily as his large hand came into view, recalling her father’s hand hitting her.
“Don’t be afraid.”
Erwin carefully took off the hood that tightly covered her black hair.
Jade was embarrassed and covered her head with both hands when the hood, which she had never taken off even in front of her family, was taken off.
She had never exposed her head like this in front of others, so she felt ashamed as if she were naked. Jade almost cried and stamped her feet.
“Please give it back.”
“You won’t have to wear a hood anymore.”
Jade couldn’t believe Erwin’s firm words. Erwin even untied Jade’s hair tie. Jade’s black hair fell down over her shoulders.
“Now you can show off your black hair to your heart’s content.”
Jade stared blankly at Erwin, who was smiling kindly. He was proud of her black hair. Jade was confused.
“Why is it?”
“Because your name is Jade Morgan.”
After Erwin disappeared, Jade took a milk bath under Alan’s care, put on tight pajamas, and went to bed.
Jade, curled up in a fluffy blanket, still couldn’t believe the reality that had come to her. Although Erwin was a great man to anyone, it was unclear whether he was a man she could trust.
Jade, who couldn’t sleep, tossed and turned for a long time, retracing Erwin’s actions one by one, and finally fell asleep.
