I don't know how long I stayed in my room after that night.
Days blurred together, lost in the hollow silence of my world. My body ached from the wounds my stepmother inflicted, but they were nothing compared to the emptiness inside me.
I had lost everything.
My love. My dignity. My future.
The servants whispered about me. My name became a hushed topic of gossip, a tragic tale to be pitied or mocked. Even the maids who once served me avoided my eyes, as if my misfortune was contagious.
I stopped eating. I stopped speaking.
There was nothing left for me in this house.
But even in my silence, fate was not done with me.
Time lost its meaning.
Days passed in silence, broken only by the occasional knock on my door. I did not answer. The servants left food at my bedside, but I barely touched it. Sleep came in short, restless intervals, filled with nightmares of whispers and laughter—his laughter.
Even when I was awake, it felt like I was floating through a dream. No, not a dream—a nightmare that refused to end.
I had nothing left.
I was nothing.
And yet, the world refused to leave me in peace.
On the third day, my door was thrown open without warning.
"Get up," the maid ordered stiffly. "The Baron has summoned you."
I didn't move. I didn't care.
A sharp pain erupted in my scalp as the maid grabbed my hair and yanked me up. "Are you deaf? I said get up!"
My body was weak from hunger, my knees barely supporting my weight. But I obeyed. I had no choice.
The air in my father's study was different this time.
The usual suffocating tension was there, but something else lingered beneath it—anticipation. My father sat stiffly behind his desk, his fingers tapping impatiently on the wood. The Baroness stood beside him, her arms crossed, her lips curled in a smirk.
Rose was there, too, pretending to be concerned. I didn't spare her a glance.
But the real stranger in the room was the tall, elderly man standing near the window.
Dressed in a dark, well-tailored coat with silver embroidery, he carried himself with quiet authority. His hair was graying, but his sharp eyes missed nothing. He held a polished cane, though he did not seem to need it.
"This is Lord Edric, the head butler of Duke Alden Valdrak," Baron Ruan announced.
The name barely registered.
I was too tired to care.
Lord Edric took a step forward and inclined his head slightly. "Lady Luana, I come bearing a proposal on behalf of my master, His Grace, the Duke of Valdrak."
"Proposal?" I repeated, my voice hollow.
The butler nodded. "His Grace wishes to take you as his wife."
For a moment, the words felt unreal. Then the Baroness let out a satisfied hum. "It seems you still have some use after all."
I slowly turned to my father. "You arranged this?"
Baron Ruan exhaled sharply, clearly impatient. "The Duke made an offer, and I accepted. You should be grateful."
Grateful.
I had been nothing but an unwanted burden in this house. Now that they had a chance to discard me, they took it without hesitation.
"Why would a man like the Duke of Valdrak want me?" I asked, my voice dull.
Lord Edric remained composed. "His Grace has his reasons."
His reasons.
Did it even matter?
This house would never be my home. My father would never defend me. My stepmother and sister would never stop tormenting me.
And Ronal…
I would rather walk into the arms of a cold, distant stranger than remain here a second longer.
I lifted my head, forcing my voice to remain steady. "Fine," I whispered. "I accept."
Not because I wanted to.
I had no other choice.