Chapter 3
Ellen gazed out the window. She didn’t know how long she would continue to see this view, but it was a landscape she would have to grow used to from now on.
Beyond the wide window stretched a vast city, magnificently developed and seemingly endless.
“Is that a village?”
The priest seemed relieved to shift the conversation away from the heavy topic. With his mood lightened, his explanation became more relaxed and detailed.
“Ah, it seems Your Grace hasn’t been to this region before. That area is the Free Market Zone—Teckram. You may have heard of it. Since it doesn’t belong to any particular nation, it can be dangerous in some places, but this area has developed quite a bit as a tourist destination, so it’s fairly safe.”
Of course, she couldn’t truly understand what he meant. Still, the words market and free stirred something in her.
“May I go out and see it?”
“Of course. You’re not a hostage, after all.”
Not a hostage. Just a slave to fate.
- The Free Market Zone, Teckram
Apparently no one believed she would run away, even with the body chosen by the oracle. Going out turned out to be surprisingly simple. She could leave with only May accompanying her, without any restrictions.
Later she learned that May wasn’t a maid from the Sizborn ducal house at all—she had been hired by Ellen personally before her marriage.
As expected of a maid who had served her for years, May was competent. Even with a master suffering from amnesia, she handled everything smoothly.
“What if I just don’t come back?”
“I don’t think Your Ladyship has any reason to do that.”
“No reason? I’m supposed to have a child with some random man.”
“If he’s the man from the oracle, then he’s someone chosen by the gods. I doubt he’ll be just anyone.”
“That would be nice.”
But reality rarely worked that way. She didn’t expect that kind of luck to come to her.
Teckram was far larger than it had appeared from afar.
On both sides of the broad carriage roads stood enormous buildings dozens of stories tall. Cafés and restaurants of every kind lined the streets.
The roads stretched endlessly like a vast grid.
“My lady, they say that once you get lost in Teckram, you could wander out into another country. We should be careful.”
Ellen didn’t like crowded places, but it had been so long that she couldn’t even remember the last time she had wandered through bright, lively streets like this.
Just a few days ago, she had thought that simply surviving would be enough.
But walking among the dazzling, vibrant streets lifted her mood.
No matter how broke she was supposed to become, she had still technically been a Duchess. She still had enough small funds to spend.
And since the temple would now provide for her anyway, there was no reason to save money.
She began buying whatever caught her eye.
“This is pretty.”
Even though she had never been good at mathematics, she quickly figured out the currency. Her arms grew heavy in no time.
“May, hold this too—… huh?”
May wasn’t where she was supposed to be.
“May?”
Without realizing when it had happened, Ellen had wandered deep into Teckram alone.
She tried retracing her steps, but the streets were so complicated and the shops so similar that everything blurred together. Instead, she found herself even more lost.
Before she knew it, the sun had set. Lights began appearing one by one in the shops.
The roads had grown narrower. There were no carriages in sight.
Without realizing it, she had wandered into unfamiliar alleys where even the number of people had dwindled.
Tall walls surrounded clusters of mansions—so high she couldn’t even see inside.
There were no signs anywhere. So it probably wasn’t a shop.
Ellen peeked around several entrances before finally gathering the courage to step inside one.
Across the garden stood a building with lights on in every room. Yet the wide, beautiful garden itself was empty.
Then, a rustling sound came from the bushes.
“Is someone there?”
“Mm…!”
Instead of an answer, she heard a muffled moan.
Ellen froze.
There was no mistaking it. It was the unmistakable sound of people in the middle of s*x.
She had no business being here in the first place. She turned to leave, only to notice strange shadows among the trees behind her.
They looked unmistakably like a man and woman entwined together.
“Ah—…!”
So she hadn’t imagined it.
She hadn’t noticed when she entered, but now that she realized, she couldn’t simply walk past them as if nothing were happening.
The garden was large. She tried to circle around and leave from another direction, but the path between the trees only led her deeper inside.
After wandering for quite some time, she finally realized something was wrong.
Only when she tried to retrace her steps did she understand—the paths formed a maze. And the moans echoing everywhere?
Apparently the owner of this mansion was hosting some kind of decadent party.
A lady who had wandered alone into such a party. Men approached her with flushed faces, their hands already fumbling at their clothes.
“I’m not here for that.”
But the men had no intention of letting her go so easily.
“You came all the way here—why act shy now? Come on, Lady. What, afraid of enjoying four at once?”
Behind her was a cliff. It wasn’t very high, but if she fell badly, she could die.
‘Die…?’
Ellen glanced behind her.
Just like how a nightmare still wakes you up even after dreaming it hundreds of times, death was always terrifying no matter how often it happened.
But a life where she had to bear the child of a man she didn’t even know… And the threat of being assaulted right before her eyes.
Was it really worth living?
She didn’t need to think any longer.
Ellen turned around without hesitation.
Could this finally end it?
If she was unlucky, she might survive and be forced to keep living.
But if she fell well enough, she might die.
Death only took a moment. That much she knew.
Normally, when faced with death, the body resisted—held back by the instinct to survive.
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