A False Salvation For Lady

Chapter 3

3. The Fallen Rose and the Savior of Gold

Once, Cordelia was the only daughter of a prestigious family representing the southern region of the Hardrian Empire.

Everyone said she was born with a blessed life. Not only did her family boast a history spanning 300 years, but their wealth, supported by vast hills and fertile agricultural lands, allowed Cordelia to live a life as luxurious as any princess.

And Cordelia’s natural beauty was the most important part of that perfection.

With her creamy white skin, elegant and slender face, and well-proportioned features, her figure was both slim and curvaceous. Her violet eyes, which the people of the Hardrian Empire praised endlessly, created an even more refined air due to her long, thick lashes. Her beautiful hair, colored like the rich earth of her homeland, appeared warm and inviting.

She was truly the epitome of beauty in the Empire, often referred to as the ‘Hardrian Rose’—a name that everyone admired.

Sadly, her father passed away when she was young, but since there were no male heirs in the family, she became the sole heiress. Whoever married her would inherit the vast countship, making her a living golden rose.

Thus, Cordelia knew early on that her life was considered ‘perfect’ by everyone else. Because of that, she also realized that she could never complain about her circumstances.

Even when her mother harshly punished her with a switch, saying, “You must be even more perfect,” Cordelia accepted it as the price to pay for living the life of a flawless woman.

However, that perfection began to unravel when she turned eighteen.

It started when she went for a late-night walk and ended up seriously injured, unable to move for an entire year. It left her mentally unstable, and perhaps this was the beginning of her downfall.

No, the true cause was her mother’s decision to invest all the family’s wealth into one venture.

Because of that, even her long-time fiancé, Duke Clement Buckley, discarded her like a useless thing.

“I’m sorry, Cordelia. Even though we were engaged for so long, it’s best that we end it here.”

After that, her mother took her own life, and every day, people chased her, tormenting her with relentless debt collectors. She had already given up all her wealth, but it was only then that she realized how quickly the interest could accumulate.

Thus, people who had never even spoken to her before began eyeing her like a rare porcelain vase with a crack in it, ready to buy her for a pittance.

They spoke kindly, calling her their lover, but the pressure to become their mistress was endless.

All she wanted was to repay her debts, but the world kept offering her dishonorable ways.

Then, when she was twenty-three, struggling to pay off the debts by working as a tutor, disaster struck. The owner of the place where she worked began to harass her, and eventually, he made a direct demand.

“How long are you going to act so high and mighty, Cordelia Hastings? Huh? Come be my wife.”

“Let go of me! I am the caretaker of Mr. Kai’s children.”

The man was at least ten years older than her late father, and his eldest son was the same age as Cordelia. If she became his second wife, the gossip would be unbearable. However, when Cordelia refused, the owner’s eyes gleamed with greed.

“Don’t want to? Then leave this house right now. And I’ll spread rumors so you can never work as a tutor again. I’ll say you’re the dirty woman who seduced me in my own bedroom.”

“…!”

“If your family has fallen, you should snap out of it and obey.”

The fall of her family—Cordelia would come to fully understand how terrible a punishment it was for an unmarried woman with no blood relatives.

At that point, Cordelia had only two choices: either become the man’s second wife and live in shame or succumb to the unbearable debt collectors and take her own life.

But just as she was cornered, an unexpected third choice appeared.

The son of the great new-world tycoon, the ‘DuCaine Family,’ came to the city near where Cordelia was struggling.

Lucas DuCaine held a series of golden feasts, attracting people of her age group from all over. And Cordelia received an invitation as well.

‘Should I go?’

What would it even mean to go? Who would care about a woman burdened with debt?

However, as the pressure gradually intensified, Cordelia could no longer endure. Desperate for an escape, she decided to attend the party Lucas had organized. She hoped that, at the very least, she might find someone who could hire her as a tutor or a lady’s maid, someone who seemed “decent” enough.

She never wanted to recall how miserable she felt inside at that time.

She couldn’t forget how ridiculous she looked in the dress she borrowed from the child she was tutoring. The dress, with its delicate ribbon on the shoulder, looked pure and lovely on the girl, but when Cordelia wore it, she felt like nothing more than a woman pretending to be modest.

And all of this took place in front of Lucas DuCaine, who was shining with wealth, confidence, and success—someone who seemed like a living golden savior.

Lucas, however, reached out a hand to her, who was on the verge of becoming a wallflower due to her shame.

“Would you care to dance with me, Lady Hastings?”

The man, illuminated by the dazzling chandelier lights, was breathtakingly beautiful. After that ball, he even invited her out a few more times.

In the Empire, an invitation from a man of the opposite sex was nearly the same as a proposal.

As Cordelia met him again and again, she became more and more captivated by his confidence, his devilishly charming smile, and his witty remarks.

She knew full well that if this man seriously considered her as a marriage prospect… she would have to thank the heavens and kneel on the ground, even if it meant the end of her pride.

But when he actually proposed, the guilt of going to such a man empty-handed was overwhelming. Even though she had fallen so far, her modest morality still lingered.

“Mr. DuCaine, I’m ashamed, but I have no assets to bring as a dowry.”

As she spoke, Cordelia kept her gaze fixed on the ground. She wore the shoes her student had discarded, and her everyday clothes were patched to hide their wear.

She had believed that at least she was repaying her debts in an honorable way. But in that moment, standing before Lucas, everything felt so bleak that her fingertips seemed to ache.

“I still have debts to repay… Marrying me would be a loss for you, Mr. DuCaine, except for my family name.”

“Lady Hastings, please, lift your head.”

When Cordelia hesitated but finally looked up, Lucas gently took her hand. He gripped her trembling hand firmly and softly kissed the back of it. Even though his lips barely touched her skin, the mere sensation of his lips brushing against her made her whole body tingle.

“Do you think I’m the kind of man who would haggle over dowries when I’ve fallen in love with a woman?”

At that time, he smiled dazzlingly. That radiant, boyish smile was impossible not to fall for.

“Just come as you are, Cordelia. As you are, to me.”

After that, Lucas easily paid off the remaining debts of her family, took her out of the household where she worked as a governess, and even arranged for her to move to the New World.

Cordelia crossed the ocean for the first time on a luxurious passenger ship with Lucas. Even as the old continent faded behind her, she never looked back.

Wasn’t she scared of leaving everything she knew behind?

Of course, she was scared. It was tough even after they arrived. The upper class in the New World was glamorous and wealthy, but because she had no title, they looked down on her as a noble from the old continent.

Strange places, unfamiliar accents, the local prejudices in the eastern New World… All of it was overwhelming at times, but Cordelia found the courage to face it.

Because she loved her husband.

And that wasn’t just because he had saved her from a greater fall.

… The good memories were beautiful, like a carousel with soft, translucent lights. But when those memories reached their end, only the cold reality greeted Cordelia once again.

Her beloved husband had deceived her. The fall of her family, their marriage—everything had been part of his plan.

“You think I’m the kind of man who would haggle over dowries when I’ve fallen in love with a woman?”

You said that… you said you had fallen for me. I, too, have just now found the courage to say I love you for the first time. How could you deceive me like this and act as if nothing is wrong?

Her gaze naturally fell to her wedding ring, which only made her heart sink further. If only it weren’t so dazzling. The pink diamond glittered too brightly, almost as if it were mocking her.

Only then did the tears, frozen by the numbness of confusion, start to fall down her cheeks. She couldn’t bring herself to cry out loud, afraid someone might hear her.

After forcing the painfully brilliant wedding ring off her finger, she curled up and silently wept.