If there is one most powerful country in the eastern continent, it would be the Empire of Abbas.
However, Cassie was not from Abbas, but from the Kingdom of Roheim, a country next to Abbas.
The Claudel family was a venerable County, but when it reached Cassie's father's generation, it began to go downhill and ended up going bankrupt due to excessive business failure. And because of that, her father suffered from shock and pain, and passed away.
At the time, Cassie was only twelve years old. Her mother, who was a small barony in her native, appealed to her parents for help, but what came back was a cold refusal. Her mother could not afford the mansion alone while trying to take care of her at all costs.
But, the reality was not easy…
Claudel County owed a huge debt, and the debtors rushed to her. Although she was falling apart, Cassie's mother had considerable beauty. So, even though she was from a small family, there was only one thing a woman who was a noble could do to earn money in a short period of time.
The poor noblewoman was brought into prostitution in the brothel, where she was taken by the lowly hands of the debtors. It happened less than a year after the loss of her husband.
She was of noble origin and was quite beautiful, so she could become a high-class prostitute.
Her mother made a lot of money, but with the added interest, she couldn't afford to pay the debt. In the end, she couldn't even rest and had to take the men. Still, she didn't want to show that to her one remaining daughter.
For Cassie, her mother was not a prostitute, but a proud and elegant noblewoman.
As night fell, Cassie saw the ugliest men in the brothel. The sounds of gasping beast-like breaths, the shrieks, the cries of women and the laughter of men. Among the screams were the screams of her mother, who had always been proud.
Her mother was quite popular. Men wanted to break down her mother's unique nobility. As they rode on top of the noblewoman, they felt euphoric. Cassie wept every morning as she heard her mother cry.
Nonetheless, even in those circumstances, the world could be more cruel to Cassie.
Her remaining mother also died in an accident. Even if they said it was an accident, she was actually murdered—
Running away from a man who used violence to discipline her mother's attitude, she hit her head against the corner of the furniture.
Her mother's white body, who had collapsed naked with her eyes wide open, was full of blood…
Her mother, who was a beautiful lady, was so trampled upon.
Unable to touch her bloody body, she could only shed tears.
Because of that, Cassie was left alone in the brothel all of a sudden.
The pimp, hoping for a reward, took her to her mother's home, but the Baron did not forgive her own daughter for selling her body in the brothel.
So, again Cassie was kicked out. The pimp, mad at her for not getting him anything, beat her very hard.
A cruel smile appeared on his lips as she lifted her head and glared at him, who had always bowed her head.
"Yes, okay, I'm sorry. There are a lot of people who would pay a lot for a kid like you."
She then tried to escape for the first time, but Cassie was caught again and sent back to the brothel.
At twelve years old, she was suddenly forced to receive her first guest as soon as her wounds healed. As if pitying her, the prostitutes clicked their tongues and taught her how to accept men, though it didn't really help.
Her first guest was a tall, burley middle-aged man.
He stared at Cassie, who was sitting on the bed.
"Is it this kid?"
"That's right. As you can see, it's a virgin."
The pimp groveled. Olivie felt the middle-aged man glanced at her.
"Take off your clothes, Cassie."
"…."
Cassie closed her tight eyes and tried to undress with trembling hands. Even if she lived in a brothel, her shame still remained.
Suddenly, the middle-aged man kicked the pimp who was standing next to her.
She was startled by the sudden action and tried to run away, screaming, but the man was faster. He grabbed Cassie and hugged her. Trying her hardest to get away, she still couldn't fight his strength.
"Cassie!"
"…."
"I'm sorry, I'm too late."
"…."
The man she thought would attack her, tenderly hugged her.
"I came to pick you up. Would you like to go with me?"
The man was Edgar Deorc, the Duke of the House of Deorc.
And so, another world opened up to her.
According to the Duke of Deorc, and her father, Count Claudel, were friends who studied at the academy together.
It is said that his father saved him from nearly losing his life during a hunting contest, and the Duke of Deorc swore an oath to him.
However, since the Empire of Abbas where the duke lived and the Kingdom of Roheim where she lives were in a tense situation, the letter from her father asking for help could not arrive, and the letter went round and round, and two years later, it only arrived.
When Duke Deorc tried to find him, the family had already been destroyed, and all that remained was an empty mansion. So, he traced the whereabouts of the rest of the family and eventually found Cassie.
No matter what procedure he went through, Cassie had successfully crossed the borders and lived in the Duchy of Deorc, the Capital of the Empire of Abbas.
In that picturesque and gorgeous mansion, she was able to turn into a noble lady again.
Of course, the process was not easy for her—because she was a girl brought from a brothel, a girl from a small country, and she didn't even know the basics, she was ignored by the employees.
Still, it didn't matter. She was just grateful she got out of that hell.
The Duke of Deorc had two sons, Ace and Jack.
Ace was the eldest son, but to be precise, he was a child born outside the wedlock of Princess Deorc, who was taken up and adopted by the Duke. While the second son, Jack, was the heir to the Duchy and was the Duke's legitimate son.
Ace spoke to her and played with her sometimes, but Jack was different. He was always busy and seldom conversed with her.
It wasn't easy for her, but a calm time passed.
If the Duke had not died, she would have lived in peace to the end, though obviously, the world didn't work out the way she wanted it to.
When she was sixteen, a war broke with the Kingdom of Roheim.
Jack, who had just turned twenty, enlisted as a commander and headed to the battlefield. And, a few months after his son went to war, the Duke suddenly fell ill and died. That's how her peaceful days came to an end.
After all, she was a guest, and her position was unstable and vague. Even though the Duke brought her, that's all. He left no will for her.
In the meantime, the war intensified. It is said that Jack was knighted on the battlefield where guns and swords went back and forth without being able to return home.
In a subsequent letter, Jack did not mention her in any way. Of course, in a situation where he risked his life in war, it was only natural that he did not even think about the disposition of the insignificant girl in the Duchy.
It was less than a month after the Duke's death, due to the Lord's absence, her precarious position and the employees continuing to ignore her. Cassie was afraid. She knew what it would be like.
As the lavish meals became more modest, as she had been at the County, she rekindled the horrors of the downfall of her former home.
Then, one evening, hell began.
She had always thought it was strange. She felt a hand caressing her several times as she fell asleep. But, she thought it was a useless worry.
However, when the hand, which had dug into her front, gripped her chest, she couldn't help but open her eyes.
There, she saw Ace sitting on top of her.
"Brother Ace?"
She opened her eyes wide. Ace rolled his eyes and kissed her smooth cheek.
"Did you sleep well, Cassie?"
"What are you doing…?"
In fact, she knew what he was going to do. Still, she didn't want to believe it, so she asked.
For five years, she's been sleeping with Ace until she turned twenty-one.
During those five years, the war was still escalating, and it seemed as though Jack would never come back. She even thought that maybe he could be killed on the battlefield. However, today, Ace said he's coming back…
Jack.
It was still vivid. The young man who approached her, who first came to her mansion.
At the time, Cassie was crying when she saw that the hat she was wearing was blown away by the wind and caught in a tree. She thought that she would be greatly scolded if she neglected everything the Duke had to offer.
At that moment, Leon approached her, and he quietly retrieved the hat for her.
He was the nicest person she had ever met.
The young man with a young face left without answering her thanks even once. Even though it was her first meeting, she couldn't take her eyes off him.
The young man's name was Jack Deorc.
His nickname was Leon.
Unlike the friendly Duke, Leon was always silent. She would often sneak in and watch him practice shooting or practice his sword.
For Cassie, he was the perfect person.
She liked him. She just admired everything about him. Cassie liked his seriousness, low voice that she occasionally heard, and she liked that his large body seemed to protect her.
She didn't mix words with him very often, but he was seldom friendly to her.
But, Leon had no interest in Cassie. The great heir of a great family was bound to marry a woman from another great family. The moment she saw Leon talking with the woman of the family who had visited the house, she felt despair.
Cassie knew from the beginning that her heart would only be an unrequited love. She was such an undeserved person that she had to hide her own heart from him.
Shortly after that, he went to war. The day he left, she was sobbing and crying in her room, but couldn't say anything.
He, the man who seemed to never return, was coming back to the Capital…
Her heart was pounding with excitement.
"I missed you. I missed you so much."