Prologue
"How did it end up like this?" Penny glanced at the lifeless body in front of her, wet from rain and covered in mud and blood.
She was at a loss for what to do as rain splattered across her face and body muddying her gorgeous dress. She worried that if she didn't make it to the wedding hall on time, her uncle would be angry with her or, worse, send her to the asylum.
"Hehehe"
A mocking laugh left her mouth. She was still thinking about herself when a man was dying in front of her. But when she looked at his calm but shrewd face, only one word left her heart.. You deserved it!
She was certain she would not say the same thing about any other human being alive that they deserved to die. But with this one, she truly felt that he should die.
She rose to her feet, and her body felt heavier and her feet felt numb and cramped as she had squatted on the ground. The dress was heavier than before as it was drenched with rain and part of it was covered in mud.
She looked back at the man who had a dagger stabbed in his heart. She had checked, and he was not breathing anymore. Yet.. what if he is alive?
Even if there is a one percent chance that he is still alive, she does not want to be labeled as the reason for his death.
She closed her eyes, as she already knew that she was going to regret it. Yet she crouched on the ground again and put her arms under his shoulders and tried to pull him.
He was much heavier than she had thought. She would not be able to drag him.
Pursing her lips, she placed her hands inside his pocket, only to find them…Empty?
"Tsk! When have you fulfilled any of my expectations?" She was crushed as she took out her wedding ring, the only precious thing she owned, and dashed to the middle of the road when she noticed another carriage approaching.
"Wait! HELP, HELP!!"
She shouted as she stood in the middle of the road, her body trembling. She did not know it was more of a feeling of fear or cold when she stood in front of the carriage, putting her life in danger for the man who ruined her life.
The carriage came to a halt just a few feet away from her as the coachmen pulled on its reins. He glared at the woman, ready to lash out at her but then his eyes narrowed as he looked closely at her.
"Is there any trouble, my lady?" he asked with concern when he noticed that she was a noble as she was wearing a regal wedding gown.
Penny ran towards the coachman and placed the wedding ring in his hands. Confusion spread across his face as he took a look at the ring, and his eyes widened like saucers when he noticed it was a pink gemstone ring.
"Pink dia..diamond?"
The coachman stammered to call it out because he knew the ring had to be worth a fortune he could never imagine spending in this life.
"Please listen to my request sir, it is very urgent."
"I and my husband were attacked on our way back from our wedding; we didn't bring our knights because we wanted some private time, but my husband is dying. I don't know what to do. Please help me." Her shoulders shook from the cold, and the coachmen mistook it for sobbing and being fearful for her husband's life.
The rain had already blurred everything, but her tragic story and the diamond in his hands were more than enough to encourage the coachman to help her.
"Right away, my lady."
The coachmen rushed to the scene and assisted the man from the ground before picking him up and loading him back into the carriage.
"My lady, I will not lie to you. The pulse of your husband is very weak."
'oh! So there is still a pulse! She had thought he was already dead..' She shook her head in sadness.
It was really true! The devils could not be killed easily. She looked at the man and sighed.
She did not realize that her facial expressions were misunderstood again.
The coachman sighed. Seeing such a young girl in such distress, and he was announcing that the man she had just married might die! Such a cruel thing to do.
His eyes burned with determination and he stood straighter with a solemn look.
"Do not worry, my lady. I will find a way," he said loudly, like a knight's oath, causing Penny to flinch and nod her head in fear.
The man placed her husband in the carriage and started riding it.
She already had a plan in her mind now. She paused when the carriage stopped abruptly, bringing a frown on her face.
It stopped much earlier. She was sure the nearest physician should be miles away.
She looked out of the window and was stunned to see that instead of going to a physician, the man had brought her to an old abandoned house.
Could it be that she had trusted the wrong man?
Her heart sank at that thought when the door opened,
"My lady, this is the house of the shaman of our village. He is better than those physicians who know nothing about medicine. I am sure he will save your husband." He had a face full of confidence that caused Penny to blink.
'A shaman!' She stifled her laughter which looked like she was choking on tears.
"Alright, then I will entrust my husband to you. But I need to go back and inform my family what happened to him. Please, will you wait for me until I bring the money for his treatment and my family too?" She pleaded with the man, who was embarrassed because he had already charged the young girl a fortune, and nodded hurriedly.
"Yes, I understand. If you know how to ride, I have a spare horse for you to take."