Chapter 3
High society had a cruel nickname for Tulia Frazier ever since the Marquis dumped her and headed for the border: the “discarded lady.” It was a label that constantly made the rounds in the capital, and of all the insults thrown her way, it was the one that truly incensed her.
To be honest, I shared her outrage.
The situation was grim enough without the constant reminder that my own kin had washed their hands of me. It was a bitter pill to swallow.
When I reached out and gripped the fork resting on the table, Tedrick visibly flinched. He had good reason to be wary; in the past, Tulia had actually driven those same tines into his hand. That outburst had prompted his father, Viscount Lilius, to confine her to the estate as a penalty.
Desperation makes the mind go to dark places, and for a fleeting second, I contemplated giving him a repeat performance. However, Tulia was currently on the brink of starvation. Picking a fight that might result in losing my next meal seemed like a tactical error.
Tedrick was a man fueled by a deep-seated resentment toward Tulia. Despite her current poverty, she remained a marquis’s daughter by law—a status he could never touch as the mere son of a viscount. Unless he performed some miraculous feat or secured a high-profile marriage, his rank was stagnant.
He had no talent for the former and no prospects for the latter.
To cope with his inadequacy, Tedrick made a habit of visiting just to torment her. He was a coward at heart, though, never appearing without backup. I knew it wouldn’t be long before Viscount Lilius—the man currently funding Tulia’s existence through loans—showed his face.
Seeing that I remained still with the fork, Tedrick’s fear evaporated, replaced by a sneering laugh. He clearly mistook my restraint for submission, assuming I had finally learned my place.
“Everyone knows the truth about your mother and that foreign priest,” he spat, his arrogance swelling. “A bastard like you has no business looking down on me—”
“Tedrick Frazier!”
A thunderous voice cut through the air from the doorway.
“How dare you speak to your own cousin in such a manner!”
Tedrick jumped, spinning around in a panic, but his fear instantly turned to relief when he saw the newcomer.
“Father!”
Viscount Lilius Frazier stepped into the room, looking livid. He was Tulia’s uncle and the man who effectively managed the internal business of the Grand Ducal House.
Everything was unfolding exactly as I anticipated.
“But Father!” Tedrick whined, pointing a finger at me. “She was going to stab me again! She’s a savage. My mother raised me with such care, and yet this girl—”
Smack!
The sound of the slap echoed as Lilius struck his son across the mouth. Tedrick stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief. This was a boy who had been coddled his entire life; physical discipline, or even a harsh word, was entirely foreign to him.
Lilius, looking uncharacteristically frayed and tense, barked at his son. “Tedrick Frazier!”
“Y-yes?”
“Your grandfather, Grand Duke Frazier, is nearly here! If he hears you spouting such filth, he’ll have the heads of this entire family. Keep your mouth shut!”
Tedrick’s bravado vanished instantly. He began to shake at the mere mention of the Grand Duke. “Grandfather is coming here? To this… this crumbling castle? Why so suddenly?”
I was just as stunned as he was. Looking through Tulia’s memories, the Grand Duke had never once set foot on this property.
“Is it because of the Frazier gala?” Tedrick stammered. “Is he coming to this dump for that?”
“Precisely,” Lilius snapped. “So behave yourself. Do you understand?”
“But you told me the gala wasn’t happening for months…”
Looking like he’d seen a ghost, Tedrick turned tail and fled the room. Once he was gone, Lilius shifted his demeanor, adopting a soft, coaxing tone as he addressed me.
“Tulia, dear. I’ve just received word of the Grand Duke’s arrival. My, you seem remarkably… calm? Is everything alright?”
I realized I wasn’t acting the part. According to Tulia’s past, the very thought of the Grand Duke should have sent me into a spiral of terror. I quickly lowered my gaze, trying to look appropriately submissive. Even though the man was a legend, he didn’t feel real to me yet.
My performance must have been convincing enough, because Lilius relaxed and signaled to someone behind him. “Now, I’ve brought a little something for you. Butler?”
The butler, who had been lingering in the hall, stepped inside. This was the same man who usually ignored my existence, despite the fact that I was the rightful Lady of this castle. He knew where the power resided, and it wasn’t with a penniless girl.
Tulia’s only income was a meager allowance from the main estate, which she usually squandered immediately. As a result, the servants’ salaries were paid through ‘loans’ provided by Lilius.
“A gift for you, Lady Tulia,” the butler said, presenting a box.
“What is this?”
“The Viscount had this custom-made at Madam Ricella’s specifically for you, my lady.”
I opened the lid to find a stunning pink gown. It was adorned with intricate beadwork and delicate ribbons; it was obviously an expensive piece of craftsmanship. Lilius watched me, misinterpreting my silence for being overwhelmed with gratitude.
“The Grand Duke cannot stand slovenliness,” Lilius explained with a thin smile. “Wear this to the banquet. Don’t worry about the cost; your father will settle the debt eventually.”
The old Tulia would have swallowed that lie whole. She would have taken the dress and the false hope, desperate to believe her father still cared for her. She would have done anything to escape the reality of her poverty.
But I knew better. Lilius knew it, too. Marquis Frazier didn’t give a damn about Tulia. In fact, he’d probably prefer she didn’t exist at all.
Lilius cleared his throat, shifting to the real reason for his visit. “However, my own finances are a bit strained lately. Regarding the collateral… you still hold the deed to the Elron lands, don’t you? If you hand that over, I can extend your budget for another two years.”
You absolute vulture, I thought.
The butler chimed in, rubbing his hands together. “It’s a blessing, my lady. The pantry is bare—we haven’t even enough flour for your morning bread. You won’t find a more generous soul than the Viscount.”
And you’re just his lapdog.
Tulia had been blind to the truth: whenever Lilius took her land deeds to the capital’s pawnshops, he walked away with forty times the amount he actually ‘lent’ her. I only knew this because I’d spent so many hours playing the game. I remembered a specific line of dialogue from a worried family advisor.
“It’s a relief I secured those deeds from Tulia Frazier,” Lilius had said in the game. “God knows what trouble she’d have caused with that kind of wealth.”
Back then, I thought he was being a responsible uncle. Now I saw him for what he was: a thief dressed as a saint, robbing his orphaned niece blind. Even Tedrick probably knew the score, which explained why he treated me like a pathetic debtor.
You’re going to regret this, I promised silently.
“Tulia,” Lilius said, his voice dropping to a warning. “Be careful not to say anything foolish to the Grand Duke. You know his temper. You’re already under his shadow with that house arrest sentence. You understand me, don’t you?”
I simply nodded, keeping my thoughts to myself. The semi-transparent quest window was still hovering in my vision, a constant reminder of my dire situation.
Main Quest: Settling the Debt of Karma
Status: Social Outcast
Resources: Zero
Reputation: Hated by all (save for one)
Objective: Reach A-Rank before the ‘True Protagonist’ arrives.
Penalty for Failure: Death.
If I wanted to survive this, there was only one thing I needed to secure immediately.
Wealth.
