I’ve Become a S*ave Bride - Chapter 1

Ten years ago, Lenette brought the traitor into her family.

“Please don’t go there…”

She stopped in her tracks at the thin, wisp-like voice.

At the time, Lenette was passing through the slums, so she assumed it was just another street child and glanced down.

“Are you talking to me right now?”

Crouched on the ground was a dirty, frail body, covered in mud. It was a child, a year or two younger than Lenette.

“If you go there… you’ll get hurt. And… from now on, you’ll really, really have a hard time.”

Honestly, it was something she could have ignored.

But perhaps because the child’s voice was so earnest, Lenette squatted down to meet the child’s gaze.

“Get hurt? Me?”

“…Yes. Anyway, your mother… is going to die. It’s not a curable disease.”

“…What?”

An utterly bizarre and even somewhat unpleasant statement. The moment she fully registered the words—

Bang!!

Bang!!

“Aaah!!”

“Uuuh!”

The sound of something exploding echoed, followed by screams in all directions. The source of the sound was the herb shop she was heading to.

“…You, did you know about this?”

The child didn’t answer. Lenette looked down at the child quietly.

Was it a coincidence, or was it inevitable?

Was the child’s action out of kindness, or was it a prank?

Who knows? At that moment, Lenette couldn’t grasp anything.

So she didn’t delve into the reasons. Instead, she made a proposal to the child.

“If you don’t have a place to stay, would you like to come with me?”

“…Is that okay?”

“Nothing is impossible for me.”

The hesitant child took Lenette’s hand. Despite being covered in grime, as if she hadn’t washed for months, the child’s skin was surprisingly soft.

“What’s your name?”

“…Ophelia.”

“Ophelia. That’s a unique name. Nice to meet you; I’m Lenette.”

And so, Ophelia entered the Clérmont family.

Before long, Ophelia became practically like Lenette’s younger sister.

But nothing in this world is eternal, they say.

Ten years later.

“Please, I really did try to push His Highness away… Sniff, I really did…”

Ophelia became pregnant with Lenette’s fiancé’s child.

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

Two days ago.

Lenette had no female siblings capable of bearing children. Her only family was her older brother, Berat, who was unmarried, and her father.

“Ugh…”

By principle, Lenette, Berat, and their father should have dismissed the sound as just a minor stomachache and not given it much thought.

“Ugh…!”

As soon as the goose dish was placed on the table, Ophelia clamped her mouth shut again. Surprised by the involuntary retching sound, she opened her eyes wide.

However, the retching, as if she was about to vomit up the cheese she had eaten in the morning, did not stop.

“Ugh, ugh…!”

Silence fell over the dining room.

Even if no one in the household was knowledgeable about pregnancy, how could they not notice the symptoms that had been recurring for days? In the end, Lenette, Berat, and their father could not help but realize the truth.

Ophelia, a virgin, was pregnant.

“Everyone, leave us.”

At the head of the Clérmont family’s command, the maids bowed and exited the room.

In the dining room, now occupied by only four people, the sound of Ophelia’s uncontrollable retching echoed like a reverberation.

“Ugh…”

Amid the cold, heavy atmosphere, Ophelia, unsure of what to do, forced herself to speak.

“It’s just that my stomach isn’t feeling well… Ugh, that’s why….”

Though not her biological sister, Berat cared for Ophelia as much as Lenette did. He tried to speak as gently as possible to reassure her.

“Ophelia, we’re not blaming you. We need you to be honest so we can help you.”

But it was no use. Ophelia, pale and trembling, continued to deny it even as she retched.

“Really, it’s just that my stomach isn’t feeling well…”

Finally, Lenette, who had been listening silently, closed her eyes and sighed.

“Ophelia, this is the third time now.”

Referring to the retching.

“It’s just that my body hasn’t been feeling well lately…”

“Should I also reveal here that the housekeeper has reported changes in your body to me?”

Ophelia, who had not had her period for three months.

At first, it was thought that she had simply skipped it due to poor health. Lenette herself sometimes experienced irregular periods during stressful times.

But as one month passed, then two, and now three, it became impossible to ignore. It couldn’t be simply dismissed as “my body isn’t feeling well.”

“I know everything, so please be honest.”

With no place to run and no way to avoid the situation, their father shook his head.

“Lenette, stop. It’s not right to be so harsh on a troubled child.”

“……”

Realizing her emotions had become too intense, Lenette tightly closed her mouth.

Honestly, she was angry.

How could some scoundrel have deceived this innocent child, and why was this fool trying to bear the burden alone? She couldn’t understand it.

No, she did understand, but it made her feel hurt. Why didn’t you tell me? To the person who is closer to you than anyone else?

“I’m sorry, Ophelia. I’m only trying to help you, as Berat said. I’m not blaming you.”

She thought she was speaking in a gentle and warm voice to comfort Ophelia.

But Ophelia’s face only contorted more. Soon, large tears welled up in her big eyes and began to roll down her pale cheeks.

With her head bowed deeply, Ophelia mumbled.

“Really, really, it’s not like that. I swear…”

In the end, a look of pity and frustration settled on the faces of the three of them. They could only help if the person in question reached out for help.

Before she could even wipe away her tears, Ophelia abruptly stood up.

“I, I… my stomach isn’t feeling well… I’ll go up now.”

The chair scraped loudly against the floor as she pushed it back carelessly, the sound echoing unpleasantly through the dining room.

“…Go and rest, then.”

Their father sent Ophelia upstairs. Then, he quietly shook his head at Lenette, who was about to follow.

Lenette stared blankly at the empty chair.

‘She’s planning… to have the baby.’

Ophelia had occupied a place at the table for ten years. Even though she didn’t bear the Clérmont name, she was now a full-fledged member of the Clérmont family, not just a guest.

“But why won’t she ask us for help…?”

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

Two days had passed since the inconclusive meeting in the dining room.

Without warning, the king’s messenger visited the Clérmont family.

“What is the meaning of this!”

Not long after the messenger entered Father’s study, a loud shout echoed through the house. The scream was so loud that it even reached Lenette, who was playing the piano in another room.

Maren, the maid who had been accompanying Lenette while Ophelia was locked in her room, blinked in surprise.

“Something must have happened, Miss.”

“Seems so.”

Maren tilted her head, surprised by Lenette’s unusually calm reaction.

“Aren’t you curious? It’s a messenger from the royal family. It could be about the formal wedding between you and His Highness, the Crown Prince.”

“Hmm.”

Lenette’s fiancé, Crown Prince Dawes, who was set to become the next sun of the kingdom, was not only her longtime friend but also her political ally. Though they hadn’t seen each other in a couple of months, their relationship was unbreakable.

So, the reason for Father’s intense anger must be something else.

“It’s probably an issue with the reforms he’s been pushing forward.”

“Really?”

“Yes. My engagement is solid, and the wedding next year is all set. There’s no reason for him to be this angry over it.”

“Hmm… That’s true.”

Maren quickly agreed with Lenette’s explanation, acknowledging the absolute certainty of the Crown Prince and Lenette’s union.

Just as Lenette was about to dismiss it and return to her playing,

Knock knock.

“Miss, the head of the house is looking for you.”

Lenette’s hands froze on the piano keys.

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, tell him I’ll be there soon.”

“It’s urgent, so he said to stop what you’re doing and come immediately.”

“Is that so?”

Surprised by the uncharacteristic urgency in her father’s request, Lenette raised an eyebrow and removed her hands from the piano keys.

“Alright, I’ll go now.”

Lenette stood up, and the butler led the way. Maren, who was following closely behind, kept asking the butler questions.

“Sir, what’s going on? You should at least give Miss Lenette a heads-up so she can prepare herself.”

It was a reasonable point, but the butter, who usually liked to joke around within limits, was unusually quiet today.

Both Maren and Lenette became more serious. Maren leaned in close to Lenette and whispered,

“Something doesn’t seem right, does it?”

“Seems so.”

“What could be so serious that it would make everyone this tense…? Oh? Isn’t that Miss Ophelia over there?”

Maren’s gaze was drawn to Ophelia, who was just coming down the stairs.

But then,

“Those people…”

Standing beside Ophelia were familiar yet unfamiliar figures.

“Are those the knights of His Highness, the Crown Prince?”

Three knights, adorned with the royal emblem, were standing guard around Ophelia as if she were a hidden princess, vigilantly watching all around.

“Why are the knights here?”