The Emperor's decree soon came to the Villden mansion, and those who had daughters of suitable ages for marriage breathed in relief knowing their daughters were safe from being chosen to marry the ugly general.
Nonetheless, the people of Birhhan couldn't help but talk about the Duke's loyalty to the Emperor for him to give away his daughter to a ruthless man. But when they found out it was Rhea who would be marrying the general...
"Did you hear, the ugly general will be coming to take his wife to be."
"Really? I'll finally get to see his hideous face!"
"Yes, and I heard his wife to be is none other than the little devil of the Villden mansion! Our city will eventually be free of that troublesome girl!"
"Good heavens! I'm really happy she'd be gone, my poor son still hasn't recovered from the beating she gave him a week ago."
People were rejoicing when they knew that Rhea would soon be out of their city, apart from the fact that her own family termed her as bad luck due to the anomaly that had happened at her birth causing her mother's death, the whole city saw her as utter chaos, there always seemed to be trouble everywhere she went.
If she wasn't beating up some son of a noble who she found arrogant, she'd be chased by imperial soldiers for causing some sort of trouble in the city. Everyone was relieved to finally have her be married off.
On the date the ugly general was supposed to come pick his wife, the capital was buzzing with activity. Many noble ladies from big families went out to stand on the streets just to catch a glimpse of the general's hideous appearance, as none of them had ever seen him in person but had only heard rumors. They were all curious to the extent they didn't mind the harsh sun descending it's blazing heat on them.
However, in contrast to the buzzing city, in the Villden mansion it was as quiet as ever, because they'd received a letter of apology from the general saying he wouldn't be able to come and pick his wife up as something had happened in the borders that needed his presence.
Even the Emperor was fine with this, after all it was for the safety of their borders, lest war breaks out on them unprepared. Thus, he made arrangements for Rhea to be taken to her groom instead. However, when Rhea heard that the general wouldn't come in person to pick her up, she was overjoyed, as it would make her escape plan more easier.
As the wedding would be taking place in the general's house, there was no celebration in the Villden mansion, but the preparation to send the evil out of their household. None of her family members came to say goodbye to her, but her foster mother who was crying a river at the entrance of the mansion.
"Mother, please don't cry, I will be fine. I promise." Rhea assured as she hugged the woman who she'd considered her only family for the past twenty years of her life in the Duke's mansion. She was happy about leaving, but then it broke her heart to leave her mother behind.
Irene moved away from the hug and held Rhea's hands, she then said, "Rhea, I know this marriage is not your choosing, but the future is still yours to make, wheather your days will be good or bad, it's still your own to make now... you've always wanted to be a free bird, this is your chance to fly high. Take good care of yourself my child."
Rhea left the capital in a carriage with the Emperor's guards, then transferred to a waterway trip, before changing to a carriage again. The whole trip would take around two weeks as the general lived in a town close to the borders. Rhea couldn't help but also be curious about this general, however her curiosity wasn't that big enough to make her go and marry him.
She had no desire of being anybody's wife, her only dream was to become a rich woman, and to take her mother out of that house. That general could go and die for all she cared, she wasn't his chosen wife to begin with, Hmph!
Rhea's trip with the Emperor's guards was only to the nearest village close to the borders where she'd be picked up by the general's men, and that was also where she planned to execute her escape plan.
Rhea couldn't help but grin as she got into the carriage brought by the general's men. Now that the Emperor's men were gone, it was time for her to leave as well, she raised her hand and knocked on the carriage for them to stop.
"Nature call! I need to go, stop the carriage." She yelled and the carriage immediately halted making her head jerk forward. Couldn't they be more careful! She thought as she rubbed her forehead.
Rhea hurriedly came down from the carriage and was about to walk towards the bushes, but stopped when she noticed two guards were also about to follow her. "You don't plan on following me, do you?" She demanded with her hands on her waist.
The guards blushed as they realized their mistakes, "No my lady, we will wait here."
"Good, I will be done in fifteen minutes, and none of you should look towards this direction, understand?" She gave the guards a pointed look when they seemed to be wondering what she'd be doing for that long. However, seeing her look they replied,
"...Yes." then turned away from the direction.
Rhea smiled in satisfaction as she made her way towards the bushes, fifteen minutes was enough time for her to slip away.
And so, it was! She made it to the small village next to the place they'd stopped without any of them noticing.
After arriving at the village, there were only two things that troubled her the most. First, from now on she would never be able to eat her foster mother's food. Second was the poverty waiting to hit her before she'd eventually become rich. From when she was little, she knew the pain of poverty and having nothing to eat.
Even though she was the second daughter of the Duke, she would be left to starve. But now that she'd decided to be a free bird, it would be worst. When she was planning to escape, she hadn't even thought about taking a few jewelries with her, and now she possessed nothing but herself.
She didn't even have any money to buy something to eat. "I think I will be dead before I become rich...!" She angrily kicked a rock out of her way.
Why was it so hard to make money?! Couldn't it just rain gold!
As Rhea was walking around in frustration to who knows where, she noticed a big announcement board hung on the market wall of the village. Her eyes immediately brightened up.
Heavens had finally showed her mercy! She'd found a way to make money!