A Young Lady Who Has Had Everything Exploited By Her Sickly Younger Sister Will Not Let Anyone Take Anything From Her Anymore - Chapter 14

The jolting wagon ride left her body aching, and by the time it stopped at its destination, the sun already had begun to set.

With the darkness came a deepening chill.

After arriving at what seemed to be the destination, Colette handed the driver some money and parted ways.
She found herself in an unfamiliar place, wandering through a town she’d never seen before.
Unlike Milliact County, this place didn’t seem very safe.

Still, she forced her feet to move, pushing down the fear in her chest.

Her father’s words echoed in her mind: “You’ll just die like a stray dog anyway.”

Raised as a noble lady, Colette might have had some worth in high society, but out here, she was painfully aware of just how powerless she really was. She shook her head hard, as if to drive out her doubts.

(Even if I die out here, it’s still better than rotting away in that house.)

She could feel eyes that were looking at her and made her shiver. That was enough to convince her she couldn’t stay in the town.

So, she walked down the empty roads, farther and farther, into the darkness.

The cold pierced her skin, and her whole body trembled.
She hugged herself for warmth, but she could hardly feel her fingers or toes.

She didn’t even know where she was anymore.

She wondered if it was some kind of miracle she hadn’t been attacked by thieves, kidnappers, or wild animals.
Or maybe, in this kind of cold, no one else dared to be out at all.

(I feel like I could collapse at any moment… but if I stop here, I’ll freeze to death.)

After two weeks of being locked away or cooped up in her room, Colette had barely eaten.
Her body had already reached its limit, causing her vision to swivel and blur.

So far, anger and sorrow had somehow kept her moving, but even those feelings were beginning to fade.
Her legs grew heavier with each step.
And still, there was only the road ahead. No towns. No lights.

She started to wonder if maybe that stifling life she’d hated so much—at least the warmth, the food, the shelter—had been a kind of happiness after all.

(No. I made this decision. I don’t regret it.)

She scolded her own weakening heart.

But real life wasn’t like a fairy tale. There was no prince coming to save her.
Accepting that the end might be near, Colette blew into her hands for warmth and looked ahead.

(Even if I still have money, maybe it’s pointless now… But if I could just reach an orphanage or church and donate it to those who need it—then I’d have no regrets.) That’s what she told herself.
And yet, the faces that came to her mind were her friends—Alexia and Elsa.
She regretted not being able to thank them.

And then, surprisingly, she remembered Van’s gentle smile.
They’d only met a few times at royal parties when she was little.
But even now, that kindness stood out.

They were the only ones who had ever been on her side.

(I wish… I could have seen Van one more time. Just to talk.)

Her hands trembled as she clutched her bag and stopped walking.

Tears welled up and fell onto the dark-colored shawl wrapped around her shoulders.

She didn’t know how long she stood there like that.

As the sun began to rise through a break in the clouds, Colette just stood there crying quietly.
The sun felt closer than usual—but her breath was still white, and her shivering hadn’t stopped.

Her dizziness worsened, and she sank onto a large rock by the side of the road.

(If I can just find a church or orphanage in the next town and give away this money… then I don’t care what happens to me. Just one more town… I have to make it… But I’m so tired.)

Was it the cold?
The exhaustion?

Her eyelids grew heavier.
She knew that falling asleep in a place like this would mean death—but she couldn’t fight the overwhelming drowsiness.

Still clutching her bag, Colette closed her eyes.