《Duchess of the Glass House》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1: Prologue: Where did it all go wrong? Reina Vinoscht faced the dark enmity of her husband, who was looking at her with those cold eyes of his. In the eyes of her heartless husband, Reina felt the last bit of any expectations she had left, fade. She glanced at the people standing behind her husband. The light blonde-haired child, who so closely resembled her husband, was grasping onto the hem of the woman¡¯s dress next to him with a pale complexion. The woman reached out sadly and hugged the child by his shoulder. Reina, watching this series of events with an unfocused gaze, found that the woman¡¯s gaze was laced with contempt. ¡°Why?¡± That¡¯s what Reina really wanted to ask. Why are you standing there, taking everything for granted? What-how did everything go wrong, and now you¡¯re taking away my baby¡­ This is the child I gave birth to myself, and yet you- There were so many things she wanted to say, but Reina, having already lost the will to live, ended this life of hers without uttering a word. I love you. In the end, I couldn¡¯t even tell that to my child. The dry tear mark down her pale cheek was the last thing she felt. Chapter 1: Reina Vinoscht Reina Vinoscht was born the granddaughter of Duke Vinoscht, a nobleman of the Soriese Empire. Everyone would say to her, ¡°How wonderful must it be to live such a blessed life!¡± They were right. Her father was the only son of Duke Vinoscht, meaning that he was the prime successor who would take over the Vinoscht family, while her mother was the third daughter of Duke Rowal. Born in the Empire as a noble second to only the Imperial family, Reina lived a happy childhood until she was six years old. She had a loving father, and a kind and warm mother. Six year old Reina loved her parents. But this happiness, as she soon found, was fragile like glass. ¡°Come here, Linst, come play with Sister.¡± Reina loved her baby brother, Linst, who was born when she was five years old. Although Linst couldn¡¯t walk properly yet, he still followed his sister around. Then, he said in a small voice, ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°Sister, sister! What are you doing?¡± ¡°I¡¯m threading some glass beads for father¡¯s birthday gift.¡± That day, Reina, Linst, and their mother were on their way to the Rowal Duchy to meet their grandfather. While carefully threading the glass beads one by one onto a gold cord, the carriage shook and the beads tumbled to the ground. ¡°Oh¡­sister, your glass beads fell.¡± Roll, roll¡­ Linst bent down to pick up the glass beads that¡¯d fallen under his feet. It was then. At that very moment, the carriage wheel hit a large stone. A gust of ferocious wind blew. And of all things, the carriage door hadn¡¯t been properly locked. ¡°No, Linst!¡± The luck was terribly bad that day. The moment the carriage started again, everything tilted, and Linst, who¡¯d bent down, rolled out. Their mother, who was next to him, screamed and leapt to protect her son. ¡°Mother! Linst!¡± Everything happened so quickly in a flash, but Reina watched it as if time had slowed down. The sound of carriages halting with a screech. The screams of people. The earth stained a deep red with blood. Linst lying unconscious on the bed. Her mother¡¯s body. Everything was faint, dark, and distant. ****** And just like that, Reina lost her mother. ¡°Her neck broke as she fell off the wagon. They say she died instantly.¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s terrible. At least she didn¡¯t feel any pain¡­¡± Fortunately, Linst was lucky enough to have survived, but was informed that he would have trouble using his left arm for the rest of his life. As soon as Reina returned, she was summoned by her father. ¡°Oh¡­father.¡± Her father who¡¯d been ignoring Reina this whole time, suddenly shouted at her. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Everything! It¡¯s all because of you! Linst almost lost his left arm and my wife-¡° He was holding her shoulder tightly and shaking her. It was as if her father had become a completely different person. There was no sign of his usual kindness. As Reina looked away from from her father¡¯s bloodshot, red eyes, she saw the cold blue veins on her hand. ¡°Because of me? Mother died because of me?¡± Reina shook her father¡¯s hand like a sheet of paper, trying to sort her thoughts. But only her father¡¯s sharp, accusatory voice rang in her head. It drove her into an endless abyss. *** After her mother¡¯s death, Reina was treated as if she didn¡¯t exist. It was because her father didn¡¯t want his daugther to stand out. ¡°Haa¡­I¡¯m so sorry, they are still young and sometimes, they can be a little too much.¡± TL/N: This is Reina¡¯s father speaking, they=his kids, he¡¯s talking about them ¡°You lost your wife and your heir was injured. I understand how you feel.¡± Despite the rumors surrounding her, Reina mastered the art of silence in order to live. She no longer ran around the Duchy, exploring, did not sing, and did not open her mouth. She was still given warm soup and delicious steak, but she could enter restaurants only after her father and Linst had eaten. After a while, her room was moved to a separate building. The maid brought Reina¡¯s meal to her on a tray. ¡°Why did you bring my meal into my room?¡± ¡°The lord said that you no longer have to come down to the dining room.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± And my Lord ordered you to do everything you can in your room, not just your meals.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± At first, Reina spent the days crying into her pillow, but eventually, everything faded away. Her life before the accident was dismissed as just a dream that she¡¯d enjoyed for granted. She was still the granddaughter of the Duke of Rowal and the granddaughter of the Duke of Vinoscht, but she no longer had a father. As time went by, Reina¡¯s father still treated her as a stranger. After that day, Linst lived in and out of temples across the empire for treatment, so Reina couldn¡¯t even see him. She was well-aware of the gazes of pity and sympathy that followed her. Reina¡¯s grandfather, who would occasionally come down to visit, felt sorry for his granddaughter. ¡°Your situation has grown worse, Reina. I cannot even rest properly at night thinking about you. Why don¡¯t you come with me and enroll at the academy?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­I want to stay here¡­with my father.¡± Nonetheless, she knew that her grandfather cared for her and was doing her a small favor by giving her some attention. Not long after that, Reina¡¯s grandfather passed away, and her father became the next Duke of Vinoscht. A year went by, and then two. As the years passed, Reina became more and more broken. As she grew older, she became increasingly beautiful, but the darkness, the abyss within her still remained. Whenever she tried to sleep, the memories of that day haunted her over and over again. ¡°No, Linst!¡± ¡°Mother! Linst!¡± At that time, Reina relied heavily on medicine to fall asleep. However, the sleep induced by drugs wasn¡¯t deep enough. ¡°It¡¯s because of you! It¡¯s all because of you!!¡± Her father¡¯s shouts and curses as he shook her deeply distressed her. She would often wake up suddenly, covered in cold sweat. As the days of sleepless nights went on, her face, which had been blooming, began to grow pale and thin. She felt like she was going to die. At the young age of sixteen. *** Tired of the constant darkness that controlled her, she finally sought the courage and went to see her father, who¡¯d just returned to the Duchy after a long time. There was something she wanted to ask him. ¡°Father, this is Reina. I just wanted to say¡­¡± But before she could say it, she had no choice but to turn around. It was because of the inkwell that tore her forehead the instant she opened the door. ¡°How dare you!¡± Reina felt the blood from her forehead trickling down to her lips. How¡­when will I ever be forgiven¡­ She felt pathetic and foolish for thinking that there was even the slightest chance she could be forgiven. I don¡¯t deserve any forgiveness¡­ Pale moonlight shone on her as she spent her days in this endless darkness and solitude. By pure coincidence, Reina met Edhart Heathville. It was at a banquet to celebrate Linst¡¯s formal status as a lord at the age of fifteen. Chapter 2 It was the day when the Vinoscht estate, which had been tightly closed since the disaster, was opened to the public. Numerous nobles came from the empire, subordinate states and neighboring countries. The usually dark mansion was filled with bright lights and loud laughter. But Reina knew that the sparkling lights were not meant for her. Instead she was spending time reading books on her bed. She was forced to go out when her maid didn¡¯t come, even though her meal time had passed. ¡®I don¡¯t want to, but I have no choice but to go directly to the kitchen.¡¯ Because it had been a long time since the last banquet, she knew that the employees were busy, so she had endured her hunger until this late hour. However, it seemed like it would be difficult to eat tomorrow as well. She left her room and carefully walked down the hallway. ¡°That kid is the¡­.¡± ¡°She looks very much like her mother.¡± ¡°Oh my God!¡± ¡°A black dress on this happy day¡­.¡± As she passed by, wearing a dusty black dress, she heard people whispering. It was familiar. However, the words that came out of other people¡¯s mouths became a dagger in her heart. Reina gave up on going to the dining room and headed back to the annex where her room was located. Because she wanted to rest more than to eat. She couldn¡¯t go back without receiving people¡¯s attention because the hallway to her room was crowded with guests. She no longer wanted to be noticed. Inevitably, she headed to the glass greenhouse behind the Duke¡¯s residence, where she often walked. ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s quiet here.¡± The greenhouse that her mother carefully tended to. It was left unattended after losing its owner, but Reina would still stop by because few people would go there. ¡°Sigh.¡± She could only relax when no light and sound reached her. ¡®This place suits me.¡¯ A forgotten place where dust and dirt piled up. This was the only place where she was comfortable being. Reina, sitting in front of the tea table, looked up at the moon through the ceiling of the greenhouse as she always did. ¡®It would be nice if the moon wasn¡¯t so bright.¡¯ But contrary to her wishes, it was a bright moon. For some reason she felt lonely, so she sat on a chair and hugged her legs. ¡°¡­I would rather die.¡± In that instant, her true feelings came out. Immediately after that, a strange voice was heard in Reina¡¯s ear. ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t know there were other people here.¡± His pale blonde hair shone brightly under the moonlight. His eyes were as red as a ruby. ¡®I wonder if he heard what I said.¡¯ As she crouched down at the intrusion of a stranger, he introduced himself. ¡°I am Edhar Hisvillian, the second son of the Duke of Hisvillian.¡± Reina didn¡¯t know what to say so she remained silent. She didn¡¯t know how many years it had been since she heard someone else¡¯s voice talking to her. Edhar looked at Reina¡¯s pale face and black dress for a long time, and said in a dull voice. ¡°Anyone who has already died can¡¯t come back, so it¡¯s better to forget it even if it¡¯s unfair.¡± At first glance, he seemed to be worried. As she carefully looked at the man in front of her, he opened his mouth. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to tell you this, but¡­ the value of your life is yours, and you are the master of your own life.¡± Reina¡¯s heart pounded when she saw someone facing her without avoiding her after a long time. She thought while listening to Edhar. The master of my life. ¡®My life belongs to my father. If father doesn¡¯t forgive me¡­¡¯ Edhar, without waiting for an answer, left the greenhouse with his parting words. ¡°I hope your value is not trivial enough to think that it fits with such a place.¡± It was at that moment. She recalled the words of her mother, which she had forgotten all this time. ¡®My dear daughter, Reina. You are more precious than anyone else.¡¯ ¡®Why did I forget this?¡® Her worth was more than this.. After being left alone, Reina thought of the words he had left behind over and over again. She was not her father¡¯s daughter, but she was still the daughter of the Duke of Vinoscht and the sister of the heir of Vinoscht. However, she knew that such a status did not dictate the value of her life. Reina wanted to find the value of her own life and her purpose. Soon she found her light, the only glimmer in her dark life. Reina wanted Edhar. ¡®If he stays by my side, I think I can be complete.¡¯ At some point, standing by his side became the purpose of her life. She thought that if he were to be by her side, she would be recognized as well. The opportunity came right away. When the Duke of Hisvillian began fighting for succession, Reina asked her father to marry Edhar. ¡°You stupid thing! You don¡¯t even know what you are talking about!¡± She was beaten a couple of times and had a blue bruise on her cheek, but she was happy. Her father told Edhar that he would support him on condition that he married his daughter Reina. The fact that Edhar already had a fiancee was ignored. Edhar, who was forced into a situation he couldn¡¯t escape, accepted the conditions of the Duke Vinoscht. For the first time Reina was grateful for being the daughter of the Duke of Vinoscht. Although she met him again, he was different from the first time. ¡°It¡¯s really like father like daughter.¡± His cold words did not have the same respect as at their first meeting. It was still nice. Because she could stand by his side. On their first night, he didn¡¯t care for Reina, but she was still satisfied. Even if he looked down at her with contempt, she had a greater sense of satisfaction that she finally found someone to save her. ¡®It¡¯s alright, It¡¯s enough just to be with him.¡¯ I didn¡¯t expect to receive a single warm gaze from the beginning. After a year of fighting over the Duke¡¯s seat, Edhar took the place of succession. When he became the Duke, she naturally became the Duchess. He was obligated to visit her once a month. It was because his promise with the Duke of Vinoscht had a clause that Reina¡¯s child had to be his successor. It was an obligatory relationship, but Reina waited countlessly for that night every month. Edhar, who looked down at her coldly, reminded her of her father, but she laughed hard as she remembered the day she met him at the glass greenhouse. ¡®The value of your life is yours, and you are the master of your own life.¡¯ ¡®Will you worry about me someday?¡¯ ¡®Wouldn¡¯t I be warmly scolded¡­¡¯ Reina waited patiently for the day her little wish would be realized. *** The year changed, and Reina had Edhar¡¯s child. When Reina became pregnant, Edhar stopped coming as if he had been waiting. ¡°Even though the madam is pregnant, the master did not look for her even once.¡± ¡°Did you not know? In fact¡­¡­..¡± She heard from the employees that he was meeting a woman. Reina led her heavy pregnant body and went to see the woman he was meeting with. ¡°Good to see you, Duchess.¡± She was an elegant black haired woman. She couldn¡¯t be called a beautiful woman, but she was born loved and had been raised with care. It was unbearably enviable, and she felt infinitely shabby, but Reina managed to speak to her. ¡°Please don¡¯t meet Edhar anymore. He¡¯s¡­¡­¡± ¡°Duchess, do you think that position belongs to you?¡± ¡°What¡­¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It was me who was first engaged to Ed. It¡¯s was my engagement that you broke.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s not me who stole Ed, it¡¯s you.¡± It was Edhar¡¯s anger that welcomed Reina, who returned to her mansion without a proper rebuttal. ¡°Why did you visit her? How dare you do that!¡± It was the first time that his dull eyes, which always knew how to ignore and despise her, were filled with emotions. Reina fell in shock after Edhar left, and she suffered from labor pain. Feeling a distant spirit, Reina remembered the day her mother died. *** It wasn¡¯t until she had suffered for twelve hours of pain that her child came into the world. It was born two months earlier than the expected date. But even after her child was born, Edhar still didn¡¯t visit her. She thought she might go crazy. The kid who looked exactly like Edhar was lovely, but she didn¡¯t know how to give him love. ¡°Madam, would you like to hold the child once?¡± ¡°¡­I will hug him later.¡± She wanted to cherish and hold him, but for some reason she couldn¡¯t bear doing that to the child. Reina, who reached out her hand to soothe her crying child, realized something. ¡®Something inside me died. Something very, very important¡­¡¯ The child was neglected but Reina watched her child all day. ¡°You are my one and only child.¡± The spark of life revealed by a small life was fascinatingly beautiful and she could not take her eyes off. She couldn¡¯t touch the child with my dirty hands, so she did it through the nanny to nurture, wash and feed the child. Nevertheless, she loved the child. Reina was grateful to Edhar for bringing this child to her. ¡®Maybe I met Edhar to meet this child.¡¯ She thought that she found her new purpose in life. Then, by the time the child had grown, the mansion became noisy. ¡°Nice to see you again, Duchess. Have you been well in the meantime?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Edhar invited a dark-haired woman into the house. Chapter 3 Reina was determined to face Edhar and she went to him. She said quietly, while trying to hide her cold and sweaty palms. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you take her as your concubine. But¡­ but the next Duke of Hiseuvillian must be my child.¡± Edhar laughed when he heard that. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know how brothers have dog fights for succession?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± In the first place, he was able to marry her because he fought for it. ¡°If so, then there is no need for explanation. Moreover, I have no intention of bringing in another woman or having another child.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you.¡± Her anxiety seemed to subside. And three days later, Reina was robbed of her child. She looked at her child¡¯s empty cradle and cried. ¡°It¡¯s my child. It¡¯s my child!¡± ¡°Your child-¡± Edhar, who came after hearing the news that the Duchess wasn¡¯t in control, said quietly to Reina who couldn¡¯t calm down. ¡°You can¡¯t even hold your child.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t leave the responsibilities of my child to a mother like you.¡± Edhar already found out that she couldn¡¯t touch her child. Reina begged Edhar to give her child back. ¡°I don¡¯t need anything. So, please give me back Elman. Then I¡¯ll live as if I¡¯m dead.¡± Because Reina came to his study on a daily basis, Edhar locked her up in the outbuilding. ¡°For the time being, you¡¯d better cool yourself there.¡± Reina used to stay in the outbuilding when she lived in the Duke of Vinoscht¡¯s manor, and now she has to live in the outbuilding of the Duke of Hiseuvillian. Once again she is trapped in the outbuilding, Reina was completely barred from the outside world. She kept herself alive only with the meals brought by the old maid. She tried to give up on life, but she couldn¡¯t. It was because of her child¡¯s light blond hair that flickered in front of her eyes. ¡°E, my son.¡± The solitude that came this time was more painful than when she was in Vinoscht. She began to see things. She saw her mother appearing in blood. She saw her brother with an arm bent bizarrely. She couldn¡¯t forget the things she saw and ended up crying. She was terrified of being alone, Reina screamed and begged them to let her leave the outbuilding. ¡®I don¡¯t care who it is. Anyone is good, so please, save me¡­¡­.¡¯ Maybe Edhar, the only one who faced her directly, would save her. But she was completely abandoned. * * * Time passed without receiving any help. Trapped in the outbuilding, Reina decided to die several times, but at the last minute she couldn¡¯t do it. It was because she wanted to see her child before dying. ¡®I wish I could hold him in my arms once¡¯ Although her hands were dirty, she thought she could at least hug him before dying. And finally, Reina fell ill. It was in winter, two months after the firewood was cut off. Edhar sent a doctor to her, but her illness was already irreversible, like her life. ¡°You won¡¯t live long¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The doctor said that you are going to die soon.¡± She saw Edhar¡¯s face, who looked very tired with a blurred vision. ¡°If you have anything you want tell me before I leave.¡± Reina¡¯s dying eyes shone brightly for a moment. ¡°I want to see my child El.¡± That afternoon, the warmth came for the first time after the door of the outbuilding was closed. The child clung to a dark-haired woman. Reina shed tears as she saw her child, afraid of her and reluctant to come by her side. She cried for the first time since she abandoned her life, a long time ago. ¡®El¡­¡® The moment of her death finally came. Reina was left with the regret of not being able to call the name of her child. ¡®If I was given another chance, no matter what I go through, I won¡¯t run away.¡¯ Having memorized these same words over and over again, she gently opened her closed eyes. A dazzling light poured into her vision. It was her second chance. Chapter 2: Change The Sorci Empire was a vast empire, the beginning and end of the continent, the chariot of fire and the tower of ice. There were many nobles with territories in the Sorsi Empire. This is because there were vast territories that could be granted as a feudal land. However, only two families have the title of duke. The Duke of Vinoscht, called the Chariot of Fire, and the Duke of Hiseuvillian, called the Tower of Ice. The two dukedoms had a manor as large as their prestige. Their power was so great that even the emperor couldn¡¯t speak down to the Duke who succeeded his title. Donovan, who served as a butler for generations in the Duke of Hisvillian Territory, was proud that his master was the only duke in the Empire. Just one thing, he had a new concern these days. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Reina Vinoscht. he is the daughter of the Duke of Vinoscht and the woman who married the Duke of Hieusvillian to become the Duchess of Hesvillian. However, that woman was famous for the notoriety of ¡®cursed vinoscht¡¯ more than any other modifier. A girl who ate her mother and her little brother. It was really unpleasant that such a woman became the hostess of Hiseuvillian. Because of this, the Hiseuvillian vassals did not hesitate to reproach her. Donovan imagined a woman standing next to his master with long pale pink hair. ¡®It would have been fine even if they didn¡¯t match, but they didn¡¯t match too much.¡¯ Abandoning his useless imagination, he headed toward the restaurant. He had to make sure that the fruit requested by the woman was ready. Not long ago, a woman who was very ill had opened her mouth, which was closed like a clam, and asked for a thing after another. ¡®I want to eat fresh fruit, so bring seasonal fruits.¡¯ ¡®You are telling me to eat this watery taste? Prepare again with grilled deer.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s free, so please bring me some books or cross-stitch tools to read.¡¯ After all, it was undeniable that she was the hostess of Hiseuvillian. So Donovan faithfully fulfilled the woman¡¯s demands. ¡®I heard that she didn¡¯t open her mouth even in Vinoscht. For what reason did she open her mouth now.¡¯ ¡®I was curious, but I couldn¡¯t disobey my master who ordered me to comply with any of that woman¡¯s demands.¡¯ At the time Donovan was busy walking around the mansion. Reina was buried all day in the finest blanket and lying down. It looked embarrassing as she wrapped her body tightly in a blanket, but she didn¡¯t care. ¡®No matter how others see it, it doesn¡¯t matter.¡¯ She had no one to enter her room without permission anyway. She gently stroked the flat belly under the fluffy blanket. ¡°El are you sleeping? How are you feeling today?¡± Reina spoke in a very small voice to the life in her stomach. The fact that such luck came was still like a dream. She didn¡¯t know by any means or for what reason she came back in time. However, the moment Reina realized that she had returned to the time she was pregnant with El, she didn¡¯t care about anything else. Because she felt like everything was going to disappear like a bubble if she doubted it. ¡®Congratulations. You are pregnant.¡¯ A week ago, when Reina opened her eyes, she heard a doctor affirming her pregnancy. She cried, while laughing out loud like a mad person. Her overwhelming joy engulfed her more than any other feeling in her life. Her moment of joy passed and she quickly regained her composure. ¡®I can¡¯t tell Edhar about my pregnancy right now.¡¯ She thought she had to notify him as late as possible. Because she didn¡¯t want to lose the child twice. Reina threatened the doctor to buy time. ¡®Keep your mouth shut for a while.¡¯ ¡®What? How could I¡­?¡¯ ¡®Doctor. Do you think I am asking you for a favor?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡­¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m commanding now as a ¡®Vinoscht¡¯.¡¯ She still felt it difficult to speak out loud to others, but at that time threats came out of her mouth. ¡®I still don¡¯t understand how it was possible.¡¯ That was the first time I had threatened another person. It was half a gamble, but it was possible because I was convinced the doctor would listen to me. As Reina expected, the doctor gave in easily. The pregnant belly will be brought to the point where it is impossible to hide, so it will be discovered soon. ¡°El..¡­¡± Reina subconsciously raised her hand and placed it on her belly. Reina swept her belly gently, recalling her child. She couldn¡¯t even touch him, but now that he¡¯s in her stomach she can pat him like this again and again. In her previous life she had never done anything prenatal. Ordinary pregnant women worked hard on prenatal education by reading liberal arts books and listening to orchestras. But Reina whispered a word to her child over and over again. ¡®Don¡¯t resemble me, resemble Edhar¡­¡¯ Even now, that thought has not changed. But, maybe she could have told El a little more¡­ That¡¯s what I thought. Soon, Reina shook her head. ¡®What am I thinking about?¡¯ The past timeline is irreversible anyway. After a short time, Reina thought of what would happen in the future.