I Sold My Misfortune To A Strange Duke - Episode 1

Elena’s life has always been the same, like a spinning wheel.

Her father, who died while working, and her vanity-ridden mother.

Elena was the only sane person in this shabby house.

“Elena!! Come over and get my hair done.”

It was such a small house that if her mother yelled at her from her room, even Elena in her own room could hear it. Her mother’s vanity, which required her to wear an expensive dress that was out of place even in a place like this, and to wear jewels in her hair, was one of the things that ate Elena from inside.

Elena put down her glasses and organized the book that she was looking at.

She did not forget to close the inkwell either. It would be a big loss if the ink dried even a little in such poor living conditions. Right now, Elena was the only one earning money in this house, but there were three people to spend that money. She had to save on even small and trivial things so that they could last a day or a day.

“Elena!!! Don’t you want me to come here?”

The floor rang with her mother’s voice. It was also clear that she was stamping her feet because it wasn’t going her way. Elena sighed softly.

“I’m coming, I’m coming!”

Elena opened the door of the room that Cecile was using. It was a room less than ten steps from her room. Even at the moment when she was kicked out of the huge mansion, which always smelled sweet, luxury items that she couldn’t let go of were scattered in the room.

‘It doesn’t suit at all.’

In a time when the floor was not rotting right away, such a luxury item would be suitable for this house.

Selling those items… this month, no. It seemed like they could live comfortably for three months, but Cecile was someone who didn’t care about that. The most important thing for Cecile was to satisfy her vanity.

Elena glanced at the things on the bed and touched Cecile’s hair.

“Why are you so slow? You should come as soon as I call you!”

“I’m sorry, mother.”

Anyway, no matter what she spoke, Elena always grew tired of the conversations with her mother. It had been years since she chose to just keep her mouth shut.

It had already been five years since her mother came here as if she were being chased after her father’s death. In other words, it took only a year for her mother to spend all the wealth on herself.

That was amazing. Part of the family fortune went to feed their mother’s family, part to buy luxury goods, and part to throw parties. While Elena, who had bracken hands, grew up to be a 20-year-old lady, her mother remained unchanged.

Cecile still thought she was a lady living in a huge mansion. Cecile puffed and patted her cheeks.

“Don’t you have any money? Look at my face being messed up with cheap cosmetics. I need to buy new cosmetics…”

Even now, she used expensive cosmetics. Did she know that the money to buy the cosmetics was for a year’s worth of Leana’s medicine?

Cecile looked at Elena’s countenance.

Elena and Cecile’s eyes met through the mirror. Elena said quickly.

“I have no money, mother. Let’s eat the soup tomorrow.”

“Is it really important to eat? It’s more important that I am invited to Countess Presto’s party a week later!! How long are we going to stay like this? Are you saying you like all of this? I do not like this! Leana’s not getting married, so we should move to a nice house! How long are you going to hold onto that piece of paper and live in distress?”

Cecile’s voice rose higher and higher.

Cecile’s selfishness to buy cosmetics gnawed at Elena because a week-long ball was more important than the soup she would eat tomorrow.

“But, Mother… I don’t even have enough money for Leana’s medication. So, the cosmetics next time-“

Slap!

Cecile, who stood up from the dressing table, slapped Elena on the cheek.

“You, you! Don’t you know how embarrassed and upset I am right now? Is that why you’re talking back?”

Elena wanted to cry, but Cecile dropped tears first. Black water flowed down her face,  which was wearing makeup beautifully. Elena looked at it blankly.

“Last month and the month after! There was not a single invitation to invite me! I barely got one! But are you going to do this at a time when I’m terribly embarrassed that I have to wear an out-of-date dress? I don’t want you to buy me a dress, I don’t want you to buy me jewellery! I just want a cosmetic product!”

Cecile huffed and ran out of the room with her messy hair.

“No way!”

Elena followed suit, but the body, which had starved for two days, was unable to use its strength and was pushed by Cecile’s strength. She pushed Elena violently and searched her room.

Cecile crawled out of Elena’s room and found a small bag containing the money.

“You piteous thing. You’re hiding your money like this and cheating on my mother?”

Elena trembled with despair.

“Not that money, Mother! Without that money, I can’t even buy Leana’s medicine!”

Elena clung to Cecile in a fit of evil. Cecile pushed Elena once more. Elena’s thin body was thrown to the ground.

“Leana won’t die just if she doesn’t take medicine for a month.”

“Wait, I’ll get you a nice marriage for you. You just have to do as I say! Where can you find a mother like me? I am doing this for my daughter.”

Elena burst into laughter.

‘Please, if there’s a God, please!!’

‘I wish someone would save me from this hell.’

‘A rope would have been good.’

She thought it would be nice to drive herself to hell.

If only she could get out of here right now! She wanted to breathe comfortably for once.

Elena dashed out of the house. She ran down the street, where the sun was setting, barefoot, as she couldn’t even put on her shoes properly.

‘Father… I miss you.’

Said Elena in a mournful whisper.

* * *

Maxim closed his eyes slowly and opened them.

If it had not been for the invitation of Countess Presto, he wouldn’t have even set foot here.

It was the first time in nearly five years that Maxim had come down to Rebunto.

Thanks to his aunt, who was considered one of the most unusual species, he rode a carriage for several hours to get here. The Countess of Presto liked to get people together and mingle. He had been avoiding it with excuse after excuse, but couldn’t refuse any more because of her 60th birthday.

The elders of the family also pushed Maxim’s back and he eventually came this far.

[How much your aunt cared for you. Can’t you grant her a wish?]

[Aunt is right. Why don’t you take this opportunity to cool your head?]

Repeated words like a song on loop made him unable to stand the urge.

‘If you want to be filial like that, do it yourself. Why are you using me?’

Maxim coldly clicked his tongue. It was the moment when he desperately remembered the cigarette he quit the moment when discharged from the army, which he left as if running away.

Aunt Presto was a strange superstitious person. When she looked at the tarot shop, the fortune-teller said that Maxim’s relationship would be from Rebunto region. Thanks to that, the entire Count Presto family came to Rebunto’s villa.

To find Maxim’s wife themselves.

‘I just want to know who that fortune teller is.’

‘I won’t let you go, Sir.’

Maxim pressed down his tired eyes. He had no time to waste in a place like this. There was a thing or two waiting for his approval. Countess Presto had to see the faces of her aides stamping their feet.

The Countess of Presto had to know that Maxim was no longer the frail boy of childhood. Maxim rubbed his rough lips with his fingers.

“I don’t know what kind of useless waste of time and manpower this is.”

Mumbling so discontentedly, he leaned back in the carriage. He could not wait to finish all this bother, prove that Aunt Presto’s wishes were futile, and then return to the system. A new land had been purchased on Kengusi Island, a new resort that was just popping up.

These days, he was busy building a Rothstein department store chain there. Even having two bodies would not be enough.

“What marriage?”

He had no interest in women, much less in marriage. Maxim did not trust any woman. He didn’t know why everyone was so anxious to push him, a marriage agnostic, into marriage.

“The remote areas are broad.”

Maxim chewed out the swear words and leaned his head against the chair until it clicked.

***