I Became the Villain’s Wife - Chapter 57

Translator: Lioness

Editor: Lioness

It was then when Ikshid, who always takes care of Selena like a silly rip-off, realized that there was a serious moment when he looked solemn about his feelings for Selena.

At the same time, Eun-woo felt a pain as if something was tightening around her heart. A feeling of indescribable guilt seemed to bind her body and drag her down to the ground.

Eun-woo turned her gaze to a distant place in order to escape from the pressure that she was interfering with their love.

Then there was a humming noise. A group of people was approaching the hall from a place where there was a larger crowd than the other places in the distance.

Eun-woo narrowed her eyes to recognize the woman in the center of the crowd, rolling her eyes with a lot of difficulty as she was with the tall three men.

She was a woman with an appearance she had seen somewhere. She was a woman with a tall nose, with her tall, slender body, and had reddish-brown hair.

Calista was approaching the hall with a group of followers.

She was the most notable celebrity in Cremons. The buzz of people grew louder as she approached.

“It really looks like Calista is running.”

Eun-woo muttered with a genuinely surprised expression. She murmured as Ikshid didn’t uncross his arms.

“I don’t understand her intentions… …what can she covet when she’s already sitting in the prima donna seat of Cremons. If she does something wrong, all the hardships she has gone through will be all in vain.”

“What do you mean?”

“His Highness is talking about the case where one participated in the Flora Festival and climbed up to the last three candidates and then didn’t get to be the winner.”

Sir Ouns explained.

“As the Flora festival usually places its significance on participation, the first and second judging stages give rewards and are very considerate to those who failed at those stages. It provides a very good opportunity for young women, such as being able to make a name for themselves to be high-ranking people and arranging a good marriage seat. But the problem is when you get to the last three spots.”

“These three women are usually called three pearls. As it is the final stage of appointing the Saint Flora, the candidates who failed at that time are treated more harshly than the women who failed in the first and second stages. It is literally a pearl on a pig’s neck.”

(TN: PEARL ON A PIG’S NECK; One must live within one’s means, and, This proverb shows the difference between a human and an animal and that they have different values for objects. While a human might admire expensive cars and jewelry, an animal would not value those objects but would rather value a good meal. This hints at humor by comparing two unlikely matters; an expensive pearl necklace and a pig, which is an animal that is usually perceived to be dirty.)

He continued to explain.

“She might become one of the pearls of three, and indeed quite a few of the candidates who were not honored as saints became nuns in the Black Church; Either give up the marriage altogether, or get married in a hurry to a partner of a relatively low ranking man, or both.”

Hearing that, Eun-woo muttered with an uncomfortable heart.

“That is unfair? One barely got there.”

She frowned. Who the hell makes such a stupid custom?

Ikshid murmured bitterly as well.

“No matter how nationally we try to change the perception and protect the last three candidates, deep-rooted customs are hard to pull out. They were afraid of the people around them and decided to become a nun…”

Then, suddenly, the crowd swarmed in waves. In the sudden tightness of the space, Eun-woo withdrew her body to the fullest and lifted her head to see what had happened.

There was a roar, the sound of glass breaking and someone shouting loudly.

“It looks like there is a fight.”

Tashian wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Without a moment to be surprised by his sudden action, Eun-woo was pushed by the crowd again and had to move two or three more steps.

Had it not been for Tashian to hold her up tight and support her, she would have already been shoved back and forth and pushed to the end of the procession.

Tashian frowned and stared at the side of the fight.

“It seems to be a common street fight. It must be the work of drunkards.”

He tightened his arms around Eun-woo’s shoulder and said.

“But just in case we don’t know what will happen, hold on tight.”

“Wait a minute, Selena will be coming out of the entrance soon after her candidacy…”

Eun-woo said, worried that Selena would get caught up in this crowd. But Tashian reassured her.

“His Majesty went there with Geral. You need not worry about Miss Selena. More than that, hold my arm tighter.”

Eun-woo quickly turned to the side. Suddenly, the place where Ikshid had been was empty. In the distance, she could notice Ikshid, who was rushing to somewhere, and the back of Sir Ouns, who was escorting him and strengthening his vigilance.

Although it was not clearly visible, the dozens of knights of the imperial palace protecting him must have been moving with them.

Then, from somewhere, she heard a crying child. In the midst of the crowd, they were drawn into a young boy crying and looking for her mother. It was not far from the direction they were being swept away.

Eun-woo looked worriedly in that direction, looking where the child’s mother might be. No matter how she looked at him, the child seemed to be alone.

‘It would be a big deal if he got hit by the wheel of a wagon…’

The direction the child was crying was near a major road lined with wagons and horses running mercilessly. Eun-woo was conflicted as she saw the boy pushed out by the crowd and headed towards the road where the horses were running.

Tashian, noticing her like that, whispered in her ear a little.

“I will find a way. First, I’ll take you to a quiet place.”

But it was then. Eun-woo let out a scream at the terrible pain inflicted on one of his arms. While she was looking at the child, someone had separated her from Tashian.

In an instant, the arm that Tashian was holding fell off, and her figure moved away from his eyes.

In a moment, I saw a vagrant-looking man running through the gap of the dug-out men who had pushed them away. The man’s large sleeves were full of stuff. It looked like a pickpocket.