The Lady and the Stableman

“At this point, she should have already regained consciousness, Lady Sophia. I followed your orders well.”

A voice was heard in a distant place.

More precisely, several people were gradually approaching, while talking quietly.

“Well done. She’s a woman who can be useful, so she needs special care.” 

The door swung open, revealing the individuals behind the voices.

Among them was a man resembling a doctor, accompanied by two attendants.

One of the women’s presents was addressed as ‘Lady Sophia.’

“Edith Lowell, is it?” 

“…” 

“It’s good not to open your mouth hastily. If you open your mouth, you will always give the opponent advantageous information.” 

The woman declared, elegantly sweeping her dark hair aside. Her cold, reddish eyes scrutinized Edith from head to toe.

“I am Sophia, the first wife of Nicholas Fortrion. However… as you are aware, my beloved husband suffered a severe injury and fell into a coma early this morning.”

Despite the furrowed eyebrows, a faint smile lingered at the corners of her mouth. 

It was not the face of someone grieving the loss of a loved one.

Edith quickly grasped the dual nature of her demeanor and understood why.

“Lady Sophia, if you let me go, I won’t say a word to anyone about what happened these past few days. I have no interest in inheritances or any title.”

“It’s good to be quick to judge the situation. But…” 

Sophia looked into Edith’s eyes, which were shining with earnestness, and continued. 

“You’ve heard of that, haven’t you? Due to the murder of his older brother, he no longer trusts women. He pays money to bring people and enjoys watching them play with each other.” 

With grace, Sophia approached and firmly grasped Edith’s chin.

“Ugh…”

“The problem is that his preferences have become so famous that everyone knows that the family has no heirs. Do you know how many people are after the fortune of Nicholas Fortrion, who is about to die without an heir?” 

Working at a bustling clinic where people frequently came and went, Edith couldn’t help but hear various stories and rumors, thereby gaining knowledge of the social circle.

Thanks to that, Edith was able to roughly guess what would happen if the Viscount died.

『 Rumors circulated that if Fortrion’s lineage were severed, there would be no one qualified to inherit the title.』

As Sophia had mentioned, many individuals might not have given much consideration to the possibility that the Fortrion’s lineage could come to an end in this generation.

Despite the decline in Nicholas Fortrion’s fortune over the past 13 years, he still retained the status of being a Fortrion.

“Some evil individuals anxiously await his death, shedding crocodile tears.” 

“…” 

“But fortunately, the Viscount acted capriciously at the last moment. He declared that he would take you as his fourth wife and came to your house. Thanks to that, the Fortrion Family found a way to survive.”

“What does that…?” 

Edith, speechless, immediately retorted.

“I didn’t even know the Viscount bought me, so they caught me when I was trying to escape. There’s no way I’m going to have the Viscount’s child.”

“Why does that matter, Edith? Your beauty alone is enough to captivate anyone, and you have the marks of Nicholas Fortrion on your body.” 

Sophia replied, gracefully entwining her fingers in Edith’s hair.

“Nicholas has been searching for you for several years, and he has finally found and claimed you. Despite impulsively taking in three wives, you were the one he searched for a long time.” 

『 Why the hell does the Viscount want me?』

However, before Edith could voice her doubts, Sophia spoke again.

“People already perceive the Viscount’s actions as capricious, claiming you as his own.”

Sophia asked the others to move away.

She then whispered, gently caressing Edith’s flat abdomen.

“Edith, if you wish to survive, bear any man’s child. Deceive everyone into believing it’s the Viscount’s bloodline.”

Edith couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“As the fourth wife of Nicholas, within a month I will declare that the child, whether it is the viscount’s or not, is the Fortrion’s heir.” 

Sophia controlled her temper as she observed Edith gazing at her with cloudy eyes.

“If that occurs, while you carry the child for the next ten months, I will handle those who covet the fortune. We will collaborate as equal wives.” 

Of course, they will also have to deal with the other wives who are after the fortune.

Sophia smiled and continued.

“When the child is born, I will thank you with enough money, so that you can take the money and run away with the child. Easy, right?” 

Any man’s son will serve, as long as it is necessary for her plan.

『 Crazy woman……』

Edith trembled.

Sophia snatched the dagger from the attending doctor’s hand and plunged it into Edith’s neck.

As the cold metal made contact, Edith flinched.

“Being by my side will bring numerous benefits. Nicholas’s second and third wives are very wicked. I won’t spare any woman with a chance of inheriting the fortune.” 

“…” 

“Nicholas paid Miss Edith’s family debt. Shouldn’t you return the favor?” 

Edith bit her lip. If she didn’t, she felt like throwing up.

The woman standing before her, commanding her to conceive a child with any man for the sake of survival, filled her with revulsion. She cursed her maternal uncle for casting her into this abyss.

But the most disheartening reality was her firm belief that no one would come to help her.

Not her deceased mother and father.

Not even her colleagues at the clinic.

Even her cruel first love, who had once promised her marriage but eventually abandoned her and cut off all contact.

She believed that since no one would come to rescue her, she had no choice but to save herself.

Edith, struggling to suppress her growing anger and shame, spoke in the calmest tone she could muster.

“I understand what you’re saying, so please put away that dagger.”

“What are you suggesting now…” 

“You claimed we were equal wives. Furthermore, you admitted that speaking would always give our opponents an advantage.” 

“So what?”

“That means you have no legitimate heir to carry on your family lineage. It appears that the only way for you to sever ties with everyone, both inside and outside your family, and claim the inheritance is to use me to fake an heir.” 

“…” 

“If you continue treating me this way, I would rather die than cooperate with you.” 

Edith had overheard patients gossip about Nicholas Fortrion’s first wife. Despite her downfall, she hailed from a noble background, possessed sophistication and intelligence, and took charge of family affairs in place of the Viscount.

『 Sophisticated? Even a stray dog would scoff at that.』

It seemed that Sophia was quite greedy, given her intention to exploit Edith in order to monopolize the inheritance.

“Well… since you understood my words, I won’t make any further threats. However, be prepared for the consequences if you decide to rebel.” 

Sophia spoke with more emphasis and put away the dagger.

Though she tried to conceal her irritation and feigned indifference, her twisted nature was evident.

To conceal her sneer, Edith nodded slightly as if in agreement.

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“There appears to be no major issue aside from some bruises from the carriage incident.” 

The doctor Sophia had brought examined Edith, speaking in a calm and detached tone, as if assessing the quality of a newly acquired item.

“Thank you for applying the medicine.” 

Edith smiled bitterly and expressed her gratitude to the doctor.

He showed no reaction as if he was fiercely loyal to Sophia.

“Well then, remain calm here until Lady Sophia prepares a place for you.” 

The doctor left.

After ensuring that the sound of footsteps had completely faded away, Edith discreetly held the tweezers she had taken from his medical bag.

Her intention was to appear cooperative and lower their guard, and they accepted it with no more suspicion than she had expected.

It seemed they had no other alternatives.

『 They must either be stupid or hiding something.』

But regardless of the truth, her only chance for escape was now.

If she continued to be docile like this, she would surely be taken advantage of and she would probably meet her death.

『 If I take the night carriage, I can head straight to the capital. I’ll go to the academy and do whatever they ask of me, whether it’s paperwork or cleaning. I’ll pretend to listen if I have to negotiate with them and request admission. If that fails, I’ll approach influential families and seek sponsorship. They say those families value talent.』

If she remained confined to the academy until graduation, they would eventually give up since they couldn’t do anything about it.

The capital academy was a place where talented individuals would assume important roles in the country, making it unlikely for provincial nobles to cause trouble there.

Crack—

Using the sharp edges of the tweezers, Edith skillfully tore the cloth that bound her ankles.

Without wasting a moment to examine her sore ankles, she immediately approached the door.

Her body, bruised and tired, was consumed not only with exhaustion but also with fear.

『 No one’s here. I have to escape now.』

After confirming that there was no one in the vicinity, Edith inserted the tweezers into the gaps in the door.

For her, picking a lock with a tweezer was a familiar task. Her upbringing in a fallen noble family had taught her the skills to repair dilapidated houses.

『  Please… If I end up being pregnant in a situation like this, nothing will work.』

At that moment, Edith’s hands moved with an earnest desire, unlike any other time.

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