There’s no more on Catherine. I suppose her realization that she will no longer be able to participate in society is her comeuppance. Her marriage prospects also dropped. I really wanted to hear a confirmation of her consequences but there’s nothing. Chloe also never thinks about her. Regarding Ash’s children, I have no idea what to think. I don’t think his parents’ marriage was incestuous so maybe his child with Chloe will suffer the same issue as him. Spoiler: Epilogue Chloe reflects on how nice it is to wake up peacefully. She feels Ash’s warm bare skin as he sleeps. She hugs him and he whispers that it’s okay to sleep longer. He thinks she’s far too diligent. He kisses her nose and lips with his eyes closed. Chloe explains that she’s excited because it’s her first trip. They are at one of his villas and the climate and environment are different to the capital. She tells Ash that her husband is very rich because she didn’t expect the villa to be this nice. Ash cuddles her back and she asks if he fell in love with her again. He responds that he falls in love with her every time. As his touch became more discreet, Chloe feels ashamed and wants to close the curtains completely. Then she sees a cat looking through the curtains at the window. She’s talking about the cat but Ash calls her attention to him. Chloe starts to kiss him all over his face while complimenting him. Ash hugs her tightly and they never leave their room until noon. It’s been a year now since the wives sale law was abolished. The sales in the capital stopped but in rural areas, they still continued. Currently in parliament they is a bill to introduce cheaper divorce fees for commoners. Chloe thinks it will take time for this important issue to be universally accepted. Ash and Chloe goes out to visit a festival in a village near the villa. They come across the cat that was looking through their window earlier that day. It’s a wild cat. Chloe wants to keep it but Ash at first protests because it’s male. Chloe asks him if he’s jealous of a cat. She kisses him on the lips as she holds the cat between them. Ash gives in and agrees that she can raise it. She kisses him again and thinks that one day it will be their child that she’s holding in between them. She thinks of her happiness with him and a peaceful future.
Unfortunately, no. This one only have an epilogue. There are only three volumes for the Ridibooks version.
Thank you so much for all the spoilers. I love how this story is more than just a run-of-the-mill historical fantasy story. It has this perfect mix of drama, romance, and politics. Completely in love with this!
So, I promised that I would share the relationship progress and development between Ash and Chloe. I will stick only to the relationship and how they perceptions of each other change. I will also provide context like, for example, when Chloe does her comeuppance and how Ash supports her from a relationship perspective. Spoiler: Ash and Chloe’s relationship development: Part 1 Chloe wakes up in Ash’s place and is disoriented. She remembers she was sold and she tries to search her memories of noble families since she used to like to memorize the names of families from a world she didn’t know. She thinks to herself that anywhere is better than where she was. She thinks a lot about her marriage with scumbag that wasn’t even a true marriage because it was never registered. Since the first day of living with scumbag, her life has been deeply miserable to the point that her facial expression became expressionless to protect herself. Starving, beatings, overwork, imprisonments, sexual assault, false accusations...just a life of hell from day to day. Now she wakes up in luxurious comfort. There’s only peace. No sound. No shouting. No threats. Chloe is wary about why a handsome man like a fairytale bought her. Is he going to do the same as scumbag? She thinks there is nothing she can do about it, however. She observes all the luxury around her. She’s restless with the unfamiliar good environment. She’s nervous that there’s no way she can protect herself by being useful. That’s because she thinks everything comes with a price. She doesn’t know what the blonde shining man wants. Chloe gets out of the luxurious bed and searches the room for a hidden corner/place. She finds a place under the curtain. She sits there and falls asleep. That’s the only way she feels safe. It gives her stability. Bessie, the maid that Ash assigned to Chloe, is very excited to meet her new master. Apparently Ash has never brought a woman home before so she’s eager to meet Chloe. When she gets in the bedroom, the bed is empty. She searches the room and finds Chloe asleep in a corner like a child. She notices Chloe is malnourished. She wakes Chloe who reflexively defends herself as though she would be hit. Bessie tells Chloe the floor is cold and to come sit more comfortably. Chloe automatically obeys Bessie. Bessie explains that she’s her maid but if she isn’t there immediately, she can pull the rope and any other maid will come. They are all there to serve her. Bessie suggests that Chloe get a bath. Chloe obeys. The baths in the mansion doesn’t need fetched water. The mansion is equipped with hot water that flows to the bath. Bessie undresses Chloe and sees her beautiful body covered with bruises and some faint scars. Bessie is shocked but acts professionally. She realizes that Chloe has been carefully and calculatedly beaten. She deduced that the person who beat Chloe was fully aware of what he was doing. Bessie is angrily cursing the unknown scumbag in her mind. She feels the injustice against Chloe quite strongly. Bessie notices that Chloe is just standing there naked in the cold air and wonders why she doesn’t go towards the hot water bath. To her it seems like Chloe is waiting for instructions. It’s only then she realized that Chloe has been obeying everything she said. Meanwhile, Chloe is suffering from fair of the steamy bath filled with water. It’s because scumbag had tried to drown her previously and the bath looks like a pool. Scumbag did this to her after accusing her of visiting the next door neighbor to seduce him. He dragged her to a lake in the middle of the night and kept her face under water. Lots of memories of what happened that night flood her mind. Begging for her life, the terrible pain in her lungs, hardly breathing, the accusations, etc. Bessie interrupts Chloe’s thoughts and tells her she’ll catch a cold so she should get into the bath. Chloe thinks she needs to listen to Bessie because she only makes wrong choices on her own. She can’t even trust anyone and she can’t trust herself. She tries to suppress her fear of water and steps towards the bath with a blue face like death. She’s reliving the past incident as she heads to the bath. When she’s about to dip her feet in the bath, she faints and Bessie, fortunately, catches her before she hit the ground. Ash is in his room waiting in front of the fireplace and lost in his thoughts. While he looks like a charming fairytale prince, the reality was different. He didn’t have the innocence of not knowing he was attractive nor the naivety of not knowing how to use the power of his appearance or background. Nevertheless, he never showed all his cards. He never lets his guard down. Ash thinks of Chloe. Just from looking at her, the fact that the three years of her marriage was terrible was easily known to him. Ash picks up the gutter and stoke the fire in the fireplace. He thinks of scumbag and wants to kill him but he thinks killing him would be too easy compared to the pain Chloe suffered. He’s been waiting for Chloe for a long time. He yearned for her a long time. There’s a knock on the door and it’s Bessie. She came to report to ash who is smiling courteously. His smile makes Bessie stiffen because she felt it was scary. Bessie reports that Chloe slept well last night but this morning she hid in a corner. She believes Chloe did this because of anxiety. She also reports on the bath incident and bruises on Chloe’s body. Ash is surprised that Chloe collapsed. Ash ponders if Chloe fainted because of shock from the sudden change of environment or from some other cause. He’s very angry when he thinks of this and the bruises on her body. Bessie also reports that the doctor tended to Chloe and she’s sleeping now. He and Bessie go to see Chloe. Ash looks at sleeping Chloe. The face was shining brightly with its unabated beauty. He didn’t know if that beauty was poison or beneficial to her. The doctor is there and he reports to Ash that although there are bruises, there’s no abnormality like fractures or cerebral hemorrhage. The reason why she fainted seem to be mental. He suggests that maybe Chloe is afraid of water or the unfamiliar surroundings or maybe it’s anxiety. However, there is also chronic malnutrition and they cannot overlook anemia. The doctor says Chloe needs rest, meals and exercise. None of that is to be neglected. Ash decides to wake up Chloe for her meal. She hasn’t eaten yet for the day. He quietly calls her several times. He doesn’t touch or shake her. Chloe opens her eyes very quietly. Her eyes grow slightly surprised to see Ash looking at her but that was it. Ash speaks softly and fondly to her. He tells her she has to eat. He acts familiarly with her like an old family member but Chloe says nothing. Her hair is touching her face and Ash asks her if he can move her hair. Chloe remains still like a doll who couldn’t make any decisions on her own. Ash didn’t press her. He remained gently considerate of her. He tells her if she doesn’t speak, he doesn’t know what she wants. He asks if she can’t answer him. He tells her if she doesn’t like it, she can say no. Chloe looks at Ash with confused eyes for a moment. She didn’t know what to say. There are still no words. Ash didn’t press her. It was just a friendly explanation that he gave her. Ash tells Chloe that the answer is not difficult. She only has to choose between the two. It’s her heart that chooses. It’s her idea or will. He will respect her answer either way. He asks her again if he can take the hair off her face. Chloe stared at him and nodded. However, her eyes still had a mixture of anxiety. Ash smiles at her and reaches out and touches Chloe’s cheek lightly. It was a small contact yet Chloe flinches and trembles badly. A man’s hand gives her bad sensations but this time was different. Her shaking was overshadowed by his soft touch that removed the hair from her face and arranged it. The touch reminds her of her father’s touch from long ago. She felt the kindness of caring for herself for the first time in a long time. However, Ash’s kindness was only a little imprinted. Ash tells her that she said it was okay to touch her but please let him know if she feels bad about his touch. He encourages her to communicate with him by speaking. He thanks her for allowing him to arrange her hair. Permission. This principle shakes Chloe to the core. It means she has full control of her body. Is that even possible? Chloe reflects on her long abuse. It was so endless that it eroded her mind. She couldn’t do anything without anyone’s permission or command. She feared men because the first man she experienced was trash. Therefore, Chloe was scared of Ash. At the same time, Ash who approached her differently, was strange. Still, scumbag who hit her mercilessly, also tried to be nice at first until they had intimate relations. Since this is her trauma, Chloe couldn’t abandon her vigilance and anxiety about Ash. Nothing hurts more than trusting people easily. Presently, Ash asks her to have a meal together. Chloe who is not used to being asked permission, is confused. She wonders why Ash keeps asking her what she wants to do. He bought her so he can just decide on his own. She remains silent but Ash tells her that if she doesn’t want to have a meal now, she can say “no”. Ash encourages her to express her will. He won’t know what she wants to do if she doesn’t speak. Chloe wonders if her opinion matters. She looks at Ash even more confused. He’s still waiting on her answer. Therefore, Chloe asks herself if she’s hungry. She starts to realize she is indeed very hungry. After a long time, she nods to give her approval for taking the meal. Ash smiles brightly and laughs. He tells her he’s quite proud of their chef. He asks if she has any food she dislikes. She doesn’t answer for a long time. Ash doesn’t give up and affectionately tells her if she doesn’t tell him, he wouldn’t know. A long silence ensues. Finally Chloe tells him “no”. There aren’t any foods she dislikes. Ash grins broadly as if her answer satisfied him. He didn’t actually expect to hear her answer today. No matter how long it takes, he intended to help her carry out her daily life. He knew very well that trust will not happen in a matter of hours or days. He took it as a good sign that Chloe spoke her answer. He compliments Chloe on her voice. He thinks it’s pretty. He tells her he hopes to hear it more often. Bessie goes to prepare the meal and Ash is very happy even though his heart hurts so much. It was painful to see Chloe fall apart but he was pleased that she’s next to him. He thinks it’s fortunate that she doesn’t have any physical disability from living with scumbag. This is because he knows it’s harder to recover with healthy arms and legs. He’s been looking forward to meeting her again for a long time now. Her being next to him was enough. From Chloe’s perspective, she thinks Ash is strange. She thought he brought her for sexual or other purposes. She once believed in the goodwill of men but that belief was shattered by scumbag. She then thinks about all the things scumbag did to deprive her of hope, joy and many other emotions. Somewhere during all that suffering, she began to shut off her emotions to reduce the pain of injustice. That’s why her face is so expressionless. Chloe looks at the food in front of her. It’s hot and healthy. She looks at the utensils and she’s clearly knowledgeable about these things from the days of her parents. She wonders why Ash is treating her so well. He’s kind and gentle but what is his true intention? She has no choice but to be wary of this attractive man. Ash encourages her to eat and so she starts eating and enjoying the food. She thinks that although she’s wary of Ash, she’s comfortable because at least she can eat in peace. During the meal, her weak hand drops the fork and Chloe immediately pales and says she’s sorry. She thinks she’ll be scolded even if there’s no physical violence. She berates herself in her thoughts for dropping the utensil. She thinks she shouldn’t be fooled for a second because Ash acted sweetly. However, Ash’s nonchalant voice penetrates the air. With a bright voice and cheery atmosphere, Ash allays her fears. He tells her that she doesn’t have to apologize. She made a mistake. He assures her that he’s the owner of this house so she doesn’t have to worry about making mistakes. She doesn’t have to be scared. Chloe is devastated inside. It wasn’t a big deal? She remembers that any mistake she made, scumbag beat and punished her. There’s a small stir in her heart. She reflects on what Ash said and asks herself if it’s truly nothing. Is it really not her fault? Is that possible? Ash orders the head maid to bring them clean food utensils. He introduces the maid to Chloe and tells her if she’s unhappy with any maid, report it to the head maid. The head maid greets Chloe and calls her “madam”. Chloe wonders about that title. Ash tells Chloe that she can continue to eat or if she’s full, she can stop. She has the freedom to do whatever she wishes. Chloe reflects on the word “freedom”. Freedom to choose. She was deprived of such a thing over the last three years. Chloe debated on this issue in her mind for a bit and then decided to continue her meal. When she was full she stopped. Ash asks if she’s done and she nods. The dishes were removed and dessert was laid out. While Chloe ate dessert, Ash tells her he has something to say. He tells her that she became his wife legally. He purchased her from scumbag but clearly she and scumbag weren’t legally married because he didn’t register the marriage. He made her aware of the situation just in case. He asks Chloe if she understands and she says yes. Ash practically glowed when Chloe answered “yes” so Chloe wonders why he looks delighted every time she answers. She begins to grow curious because it feels like Ash is like someone who has been looking forward to bringing her here. Ash thanks Chloe for her answer. He says under the circumstances, even if it’s against her will to marry him, it cannot be helped. She’s now the marchioness Brinicle. Now she’s married to him and she’s a noble. Chloe thinks it’s ridiculous for her to be nobility. Just yesterday she was living in hell with scumbag. Ash tells Chloe that his wife’s position has become a choice and he’ll let her choose what she have to do in the future. He gives Chloe two choices. She can choose to do nothing including her wifely duties. She can just enjoy the good clothes, good environment, etc. Chloe wonders if it’s good to do nothing. She again reflects on her harsh life with scumbag. She realizes that in comparison, Ash is giving her a choice. It’s a fresh experience. Chloe wisely recognizes in hind sight that the people whom she interacted with after her parents died pretended to give her a choice when in reality, everything was set. This time with Ash, felt different. She asks Ash about the second choice. Ash happily thanks her for being curious and Chloe thinks he’s strange. Ash answers Chloe and tells her that the second choice isn’t an easy one. She can learn how to be the marchioness. This will mean learning various fields from tutors, meeting all kinds of people who can be genuine, hostile or manipulators. Ash asks her what will she choose. Chloe thinks she doesn’t know Ash’s motives. There were guys who flirted with her before because they fell for her looks. She gives up thinking about his motives because she has to choose. She thinks the second option will get her life moving little by little. Chloe tells Ash that he said that they were married so she wants to fulfill her responsibilities but she doesn’t want to be swayed by things she doesn’t want to do so she chooses a mix of both options. She wants to take advantage of both options. In her thoughts, she doubts Ash since she didn’t strictly choose either option. However, she wanted to say her true opinion. Ash bursts into laughter. He says his wife is more greedy than he thought. He says but that’s good because she deserves it as the marchioness. He tells her he will call in some tutors. Chloe is surprised by Ash. He’s a person above her (as her husband) but he listens to her. She wonders what kind of person is this? Ash is still laughing as Chloe takes her fork and begins to eat her sweet dessert.
It's strange since although the FL herself is from a mixed "commoner/noble" household (her father seems to be one of the few decent "commoner" men in this novel) but from what I gathered from the novel on the information we have about "commoners" based on those Chloe encountered in her life and the premise of the "wife selling law" - which is exclusively practiced by commoners. I understand Empress Dowager's prejudice towards commoners. I mean they aren't really perceived in a positive light in this novel. They are among the worse Characters depicted in any novel within this genre. How they behave, their actions, and how they treat others is shocking. 1. wife selling is custom only commoner men partake in either to richen their pockets or as a cheaper alternative to divorce. Most of them see no problem with it. Empress Dowager's daughter the late princess almost suffered that fate when her husband tried to "sell" her and died not long after while the scumbag she gave up everything for buried her in a ditch with the auction rope still on her neck and ran away. 2. Thomas - Chloe's husband an illiterate narrow-minded brute who can only communicate with Chloe through his fists because he has an inferiority complex due to the huge gulf in difference between his and Chloe's looks, intelligence, knowledge etc. 3. The Orphanage Director - A bitter jealous woman who made Chloe's life in the orphanage hell and plotted her ruin by marrying her off to the lowliest man she could think of, tricking Chloe into thinking that the only way to save a child she cared for was to make that sacrifice - which was a lie and waste since the child died anyway. The OD puts on a false pretense of being a "saintly figure" when in reality she is a cunning spiteful woman who treats the children poorly and steals from the orphanage to enrich herself. Like many of the "commoners" in this novel, she has no conscience or any moral character but is still desperate to social climb and sees the naturally beautiful and kind Chloe as a "threat", 4. The greedy couple lied and stole from Chloe - No morals, no shame, and no scruples they stole from a sickly child that trusted them not only of her entire inheritance but even her home they sold and profited from. Whats even more disgusting is that they made sure to leave her with NOTHING. If that wasn't enough, the first time they see her in 10 years rather than feel shame or remorse for what they did and what it meant Chloe had to go through thanks to their selfish greed, they still think of how they could use Chloe again to enrich and socially uplift themselves assuming she is still the same "naive" girl they deceived 10 years. Another pair of pathetic wannabe social climbers even used Chloe's money to buy themselves a lowly rank noble title. I think besides Ash's and Chloe's relationship and the "revenge" part. There is also an evident display of a clash/contrasts of cultures between two echelons of society. The "commoners" and "nobles". Who both universally share completely different "values" and traits. Even Catherine for all her talk of "commoner this , commoner that" against Chloe, its revealed her family's rank is not that high and their debut into society is fairly recent (but more likely their house will decline in status thanks to her spiteful stupidity). Even her level of education isn't that high as would be expected for a "noble" lady especially one who is supposed to be a tutor for a marchioness. But she arrogantly thinks that will be enough to get what she wants. And like many of the "commoners" depicted in this novel she desperately wants to climb socially in rank be of someone with a title regardless of what she thinks she has to do to get it. She arrogantly thinks that bullying and sabotaging Catherine will suffice - again a recurring theme of another lower rank person that is willing to harm/ruin another person for materialistic gains. Just like the Orphanage Director, Chloe's Ex-husband, and that Greedy couple. There is a pattern. Her family of more or less "nouveau riche" or parvenu. I don't know that's just my 2 cents.
Thank you all for the awesome spoilers!!! one small question! What was the ending of that scheming woman the fl’s ex got with him?!
Good question. She was a prostitute anyway so she’s probably still doing her business. She wasn’t around the scumbag when he was skulking around MC and ML. They probably went their separate ways. Spoiler: Ash and Chloe’s relationship development, Part 2 For the next five days following her choice, Chloe rested in bed. Her abused and malnourished body required rest. During those days, Ash visited Chloe every day. He would talk with Chloe about this and that with a sunny expression. Chloe realizes that she’s grown somehow comfortable with his visits but she can’t express that fact. He’s kind and sweet to her on a daily basis but she can’t believe he’s a kind person just because he’s kind to her. She draws this conclusion from watching the way he treats his employees with a bright smile but the employees still stay on their toes. That means there is more to him. Chloe has yet to realize she’s an exception. It’s because she doesn’t recognize she’s worth it. Nevertheless, Chloe appreciates that Ash is her benefactor. She dreads thinking of the alternative situation if he hadn’t bought her. She wouldn’t have been treated any better than she is now. Now she can confidently think of tomorrow or the future. She couldn’t think of these things when she lived with scumbag because she survived from day to day. Now she can think of a warm meal to greet her in the morning and there were more things to enjoy. At that moment, Bessie enters her room with many gifts sent by Ash. She always addresses her as “madam” and Chloe is getting used to it. Chloe thinks of Bessie who expresses herself freely even though she’s a maid. Chloe realizes she’s abnormal to shudder just to express herself. Bessie encourages Chloe to open the gifts. She helps her and the first gift is a teddy bear. It reminds her of a teddy bear she had in her childhood. She used to exchange notes with a friend using a secret pocket behind the teddy bear’s ear. Memories of she and her friend come flooding back in her mind. It was a happy time in the past. Chloe loves the teddy bear and hugs it for a long time. On the other hand, Bessie is disappointed with the gift because she knows Ash had it custom made but there’s nothing like jewels or diamonds. It’s just a plain teddy bear. Bessie asks Chloe if she wants to tour the house. It seems that Chloe has been mostly confined to her room while recovering her strength and health. It’s never entered her mind to leave the room because she was always locked up in the old shack where she lived with scumbag. Bessie gets Chloe dressed and they leave to tour the numerous rooms in the mansion. As they go, Chloe begins to get excited as they tour each room. On the second floor, there’s Ash’s room and the secret room at the end of the hallway. Bessie informs Chloe that the secret room is forbidden. Chloe thinks it’s like the Blue Beard fairytale. Chloe has no desire to defy the strict order that the room is forbidden. She doesn’t want to ruin Ash’s trust with her own hands. He gave her freedom. He is a man with great power and position and he gives her a lot. He’s a mysterious man. She doesn’t want to lose her freedom. Chloe thinks Ash wouldn’t hit her because there are a lot of people watching here. However, despite that, she doesn’t want him to hit her. She wonders if she wants him to be a good person. Was it good to receive favor after a long time? Or is it that she was influenced by his eye-catching smile? It completely escapes her considerations that Ash treats her that way because of attraction or favoritism. An instinctive fear prevents her from changing her way of thinking. Chloe toured the grounds outside and it takes an hour to do by carriage. There are forests and lakes. When she returns to her room after a simple dinner, she feels refreshed. She’s enjoying the new feeling of freedom. She hugs the teddy bear that Ash gifted her and feels comforted. Ash, who is standing by the door, tells her that he guesses that she likes the present. He laughs as Chloe shyly greets him. Ash is happy about Chloe expressing herself freely and so Chloe has already recognized that he likes it and she makes an effort each time. She thanks him for the gift. Ash tells her that her childhood must have been happy. Chloe says yes. Ash touches the head of the teddy bear and kind of hints about the part where the notes would be hidden with his hand direction. Chloe asks him if he had a teddy bear in his childhood. He said no because he was a boy. Chloe reminisces on long forgotten memories of her happy childhood. She never thought about the past during recent years because it was too painful. However, now Ash has given her the chance to remember her childhood fondly. Ash and Chloe then discuss her lessons. He asks her when she wants to start. She decides tomorrow. Ash tells her he will call tutors but Chloe insists that they must be women. Ash asks her why but Chloe hesitates to answer because she’s afraid that Ash will change his attitude with her. However, Ash tells her that it’s alright. He won’t say anything bad to her. Chloe barely opens her mouth but manages to tell him that she’s scared. Chloe is also scared of Ash’s response. She’s afraid he’ll change. She’s afraid it’ll hurt even more if she let down her guard because of his kindness. Ash asks Chloe to raise her head. She’s gripping the teddy bear with fear. Her face is also pale. Ash tells her he understands. He will call only female teachers first. He points out that fortunately she seems okay with the male servants in the mansion and okay with him. Chloe thinks Ash is fine and the male servants are fine because Ash will control them. She wonders why is she fine and comfortable with this person. She wonders if it’s because he’s been kind to her and provided her with food, shelter, etc. Strangely, she feels it’s more than that. She feels an unknown comfort beyond all that. The comfort of a familiar person although she’s never met him before now. Still, her vigilance could not be completely lifted. Ash tells Chloe it’s okay but he just wants to remind her of one thing. He tells her that just as women have various tendencies, men also have various tendencies. If there’s a bad person, there is also a good person. He wants her to remember that. He then takes his leave and promises Chloe that he will see her tomorrow. Chloe listens to his fading footsteps and ponders the questions she wanted to ask him but couldn’t. She wanted to ask him if he’s trustworthy and what kind of person he is but she couldn’t bring herself to ask. Next day Chloe’s teachers were selected. Later in the evening Bessie tells Chloe that Ash selected very good tutors for her and she tells Chloe of the fame of her tutors. Bessie also informs Chloe that Ash bought her more clothes. Chloe can tell they are high end clothes. Then she thinks that she always found it weird that Ash bought her spontaneously and yet he had all kinds of wardrobe, accessories and fragrances ready for her. Then she thinks maybe it’s just how aristocrats are. Still, she can’t help being suspicious of this so-called fairytale. She thinks maybe she was chosen because of her looks. After all, even scumbag didn’t touch her face. She doesn’t want to think this way about Ash but she couldn’t completely trust him. Chloe is pleasantly surprised by all the clothes, shoes, jewelry, etc. that Ash bought her. Since her parents were wealthy, she did have high quality clothes, jewels and accessories but looking at the quality of each item, they were all very expensive. Chloe thinks all this could convey a sense of stability or should she be nervous that it’s all a dream. Bessie encourages Chloe to try on the dresses. Usually Chloe would let Bessie choose but this time she asserts her opinion to try a yellow dress. She’s stunning in the dress and then she remembers that the last dress her mother picked out for her before she died was yellow. Ash is always busy with work at the imperial palace but he makes sure to see Chloe for a short time more than once per day. Chloe thinks she’s grown more conscious of him. She doesn’t have a good opinion of men because she knows how single women without a guardian can become their prey. She starts to descend into negative thoughts about all the people who used her like the orphanage director, scumbag and the neighborhood couple. She looks at her current surroundings with high end dresses, comfortable chairs, etc. and thinks it all feels strange. She curls up and buries her face between her arms in her old habit. Her negative thoughts begin to overwhelm her. In the darkness of her mind, Ash passes briefly and she wishes he would call to her. She thinks she’s such a fool to still have feelings for people. She’s only just met Ash and she keeps thinking about his kindness and consideration. Just then she hears his voice like a lie calling her name. She opens her eyes and Ash is really standing there asking her if she’s sleeping because she’s tired. She thinks it’s a sweet voice. It doesn’t shake violently and it doesn’t force her to raise her head. Instead, he calls her affectionately and waits for her. Chloe looks at him. Blue smiling eyes and a smile as bright as his golden hair. Although he is handsome, there is the impression that he can look sharp when he’s serious which changes his innocent boyish feeling. Chloe wonders why a man who can greet a bride from a good background sweet to her. Is there something he wants like all the other people she’s experienced? Still, even with such doubts, when he calls her, she looks at him without hesitation. It was because deep inside Chloe, there was a longing that she herself had not yet recognized. Ash asks her what was she thinking about with her head down. Chloe tells him nothing much. Ash accepts her answer. Chloe thinks scumbag would have already hit her for not saying more. Ash observes Chloe is wearing one of the new dresses. He talks in details about the dress and how it compliments her eyes. Chloe shyly says thank you. Ash smiles and apologizes because he has a habit of assessing clothes in depth when he sees them. He asks her if she likes the clothes he chose. She says yes and Ash suggests that next time she should go to the boutique to take a look of the clothes there. Then she can make choices and have the designers come to the mansion instead. He tells her he’s not forcing her though. Chloe thinks that he always gives her a choice and respects her will. Chloe asks Ash if she can do that. Ash says yes because she’s his precious wife. He tells her if she wants to spend a lot of money on clothes, she can do that. Chloe thinks it’s strange for her to have money. Even when she worked hard at the orphanage, she didn’t have her own money. She asks Ash if she has a budget allocated to her. Ash says yes and their family is quite rich so she can use the money to her heart’s content. Chloe remembers she had a lot of money in the past when her parents were alive but she always spent money using her budget and keeping account of her expenses. She never frittered money away. Ash asks her if she has any questions. She wants to ask him why did he bring her here. Is his sincerity in all this consideration of her? But she couldn’t ask because she was afraid of the answer. She couldn’t figure out why she found it scary. It was enough to close the door of her heart and remain wary of his kindness. At the same time, she didn’t want to let go of this warmth that has come to her after a long time. That’s why she tries to remain indifferent but her heart wants to hold on to the time she spends with Ash. Chloe begins to feel uncomfortable with these emotions. Just then, she’s grateful for Bessie’s interruption. She jumps to her feet to shake off the emotions and she suddenly feels dizzy. She stumbles but Ash reaches out and holds her. Ash tells her to be careful because she’s still weak. The close contact, body temperature and close mellow voice bewilders Chloe. Ash encourages her to rest if she’s not feeling well. He’ll come visit her another time. He affectionately sits Chloe down and walks away. Chloe strokes her arm where Ash had touched her. The sensation was hot and thrilling. She thinks it’s too bad. She wanted him to keep holding her. As the thought crosses her mind, her face slowly blushes. Chloe starts her classes with her tutors. Ash is usually busy. He’s very diligent to keep his share and always wary after the incident regarding his ascension. These days, however, he always tries to make time on purpose. It’s because of the woman he sees in the distance on the trail ahead. She’s walking slowly and gracefully with her innocent and slender appearance. Even the shape of her hair fluttering in the wind adds to her beauty. If he stays still, he wonders if she would run towards him with a bright smile in her purple eyes. However, he knows better. As he approaches her, she turns her eyes in his direction. Her face has no hint of laughter in the indifferent face. The lively purple eyes are covered with a calm light disguised as composure. However, Ash already knows that look means vigilance. Ash greets her with a smile. He asks her if she’s on a walk. She answers yes and he asks her if they can walk together. Ash wonders how can he unlock Chloe’s heart. He’s determined to unlock her heart no matter how long it takes but he wonders if at the end of it all, will her heart be directed at him? He thinks there would be nothing more painful to him than if he didn’t win her heart. He has no intention of giving up even if he has to try until old age. The couple begins to walk together. Ash inquires how Chloe’s classes are going. After a while, she answers that they’re very good. Ash recognizes that her eyes will shake weakly when she expresses her intentions or feelings. He looks forward to seeing her intention intensify. He knows that originally she was a bright friendly person who could jab the opinions of others with pleasure. He also knows it must have been a painful process for such a person to change to this extent. He thinks how painful it must have been that feelings that were originally wide and free were crumpled up and put into a small frame. He wants to uncover them little by little so that they can spread as wide and as free as before. That’s because she’s precious to him. He was furious with the people who made her this way but he didn’t show any of this to her. Ash tells Chloe he’s glad she likes her classes. He was worried that she might be burdened. Chloe thanks him for his consideration. Ash tells her that he likes to see her do what she wants. Chloe’s eyes widen in surprise and then calms down again. Ash asks her if she often walk this trail. She says yes. It’s a walkway through the garden. There are many green trees and small animals like squirrels. Ash wants Chloe to have a peace of mind in a peaceful atmosphere. He makes the decision to fix the trail since it’s her favorite path. He likes that she walks because the activities will continue to improve her health and complexion. From Chloe’s perspective, as she’s walking side by side with Ash, she tries to focus on maintaining her composure because she’s actually nervous. It’s a distinctly different feeling from tension caused by fear. It’s a nervousness that tickles her heart. Chloe is embarrassed because it’s the first time she feels this way about a man. She notices that they first walked at a reasonable distance but now that distance has narrowed between them. Chloe feels like a useless person because even though it’s a casual conversation, she couldn’t speak up like a fool. She doesn’t want to be a useless person to him. The desire gets stronger as she looks up at him. She hopes he continues to look at her. Not long ago she was living in fear of her life but now that she feels a little comfortable, she feels greedy. She can’t stay calm with this man. She doesn’t know how to handle this unfamiliar feeling. Perhaps because of that thought, she draws closer to Ash without realizing it. The back of her hand lightly touches Ash’s hand and she immediately apologizes. Ash’s blue eyes look at her and he tells her there’s no need to apologize. They’re a married couple. He smiles and holds out his hand to her and suggests that they hold hands so that they could get used to it bit by bit. Chloe stares at the hand he holds out. After a long hesitation, she holds out her hand and he takes it. The touching hands convey comfort, warmth and unidentified tremors. As they start walking again, the warmth from the hands feels special to her.
Spoiler: Ash and Chloe’s relationship development, Part 3 Chloe enjoys her classes except the class with Catherine. The tutor gave her a crude bouquet of wild flowers and it reminds her of scumbag, who, after he beats her, brings her similar flowers as a peace offering. While she’s in her bedroom pondering on her emotional response to the bouquet, there’s a knock on the door. It’s Ash. Chloe must not have heard him knock initially because he enters and remarks that he doesn’t know what she thinking about. As he comes near and stands in front of Chloe, she remembers them walking hand in hand. Strangely, she’s become more conscious of him now. The closer he stands near her and the closer their eyes meet, the bigger and bigger her consciousness of him grows. All she can do is try her best to not show her feelings. Ash looks at the book she was reading and tells her that she’s a good student but she can play hooky sometimes. Chloe protests. She can’t do that because she’s the one who said she wanted to learn. It’s clear that she’s no longer awkward in her conversation with him. She thinks it’s probably because he’s been very patient with her when she stuttered, remained silent or was slow to speak. He doesn’t get angry with her or curse at her. His repeated daily visits became like a habit to the point that she feels empty if he doesn’t come by. To her it’s such a scary idea that she’s affected in this way. To get used to someone and feel the emptiness. That’s because she doesn’t want to get hurt anymore. Ash looks and sees the crude bouquet of flowers. Curiously, he asks Chloe about it. She answers that she received it from Catherine Laviran. Ash inquires about her true feelings on the bouquet. He assures her that the most important thing is how she feels. She hesitates for a bit and reflects that without judging the intentions of the giver, she doesn’t like what she doesn’t like. She believes she can be honest with him. Chloe finally tells Ash that she doesn’t like the bouquet because it reminds her of bad memories. Ash asks her if she’s ever sold flowers on the street. Chloe thinks that would have been a better memory since earning a living doing the right thing is good. Chloe denies Ash’s question. She hesitates to tell him the reason for her bad memories. She wonders if he would think she’s to blame or she’s at fault. Ash gently tells her that she can tell him anything. He adds that he wants to know everything about her. Chloe feels moved by his words. She feels he’s thinking about her. She thinks she shouldn’t have said anything about bad memories but at the same time, she wants to release her frustration. Chloe simply says that after scumbag beat her, he would bring her these kinds of flowers. Ash takes the bouquet of flowers, crushes it, opens the window and flings it outside. He calls to the workers below and asks them to clean up the trash he threw outside. Ash clicks his tongue. He tells Chloe, no matter how expensive or good something is, it’s not good to be reminded of bad memories. He tells her that it’s okay to refuse before she receives a gift. Her feelings are the most important. It’s okay to express that. Ash comes near her and sits down. Chloe lowers her eyes to the floor. Ash begins to ask her in detail about what she’s suffered. He asks how often the abuse occurred. Chloe answers that she doesn’t remember clearly. It was a repetition of being beaten, sleeping and working. She remembers there were days when she thought that she’d lose her mind because her life was so painful. Ash asks her if it was like that ever since she first lived with scumbag. Chloe grips her skirt and admits that almost from the beginning, she was beaten. She won’t look at Ash as they’re talking. In her mind she wonders if he’s disappointed or if he despises her. She’s bombarded by a lot of negative thoughts about how Ash will react to this revelation. She starts to admit to herself that she doesn’t want to lose him. She starts to tremble in fear thinking that she will lose him. Ash’s warm voice breaks into her sea of negative thoughts. He apologizes for asking her about her painful memories but he knows so little about her that he had no choice but to ask these questions. Chloe raises her head very slowly. Before she realizes it, Ash drew closer. His friendly face looks sad. Ash tells her that she can tell him anything. It’s okay for her to scream and get angry. He’s sure she’s upset about all she went through. He thanks her for telling him about her past. Chloe realizes he empathizes with her and she’s confused. This leads to her airing her feelings. She tells Ash that it wasn’t unfair. She got hit because she deserved it. Ash’s expression immediately changed. Embarrassment, surprise and then a flash of anger. However, his anger was not directed at Chloe. He asks Chloe why was she normally hit. There are so many reasons that Chloe couldn’t explain them all. Some include being hit because she was slow, for not buying bread, for falling asleep while sewing, and so on. Chloe’s mind couldn’t accept that she got hit for no reason so she believed she really did something wrong. Listening to her, Ash was compelled to get up from his seat and kneel in front of her where she sat. He gently tells her that normal people don’t hit people for things like that. He asks her if she would hit a child for things like those. She says no. However, she still protests that she must have done something really wrong. This belief persists because it would be too much to handle if she endured all that for no reason. Ash explains to her that in a relationship, one can make mistakes. That scumbag tried to justify himself with excuses. Ash’s words sinks deeply into Chloe’s heart. Since her parents died, there were few people who stood up for her. There were only people who pointed fingers at her and exploited her. Her firm feelings are shaken little by little. Ash assures her again that it wasn’t her fault. Chloe starts to think of the first night scumbag beat her. She thinks of how hard it has been to live through all the pain. She had to suppress her feelings in the never ending abuse. If she didn’t, she couldn’t handle the darkness. Now that she’s with Ash, she realizes that deep down inside she’s always wanted to cry out. She’s always wanted to live happily but she couldn’t bear to hope like that. She’s wanted to be loved like long time ago. Before she realizes it, tears start falling from her eyes. She’s startled at first but then she realizes that for a long time now she’s wanted to cry. She’s wanted to live happily away from a man who bullies her. In her tearful view, she sees clear blue eyes where tears were also gathering. There’s a man who is devoted to her although she doesn’t know why. But there’s at least tenderness in his heart and that feeling is real. She reaches out and surprises Ash as she wipes his tears. She knows this man is crying for her. Ash takes her hand and tells her she can cry as much as she wants. The words of permission melts away the sorrow and anger that Chloe holds in her heart. Her tears that started falling doesn’t stop as she begins to cry her eyes out. There are many tears that fall as Ash hugs her affectionately and she cries out loud in his arms. Spoiler: Ash and Chloe’s relationship development, Part 4 After that day when Chloe cried in Ash’s arms, something changed within her. Her self-esteem begins to rise. The self-esteem that she remembered having when she was raised by her parents as a child. Chloe begins to change and her classes with her tutors went smoother than before. The only problem was Catherine. Since she was a tutor that Ash chose, however, Chloe didn’t want to have a dim view of her. Since the day Chloe cried in Ash’s arms, the man was growing bigger and bigger inside her. Now she wanted to do more for him. She didn’t want to hurt him. She wanted to be an asset to him and therefore she wanted to become a good marchioness. She decided to work harder. One evening, Chloe falls asleep with a book. As she sleeps, Bessie admires Chloe’s beauty which has increased since she’s become healthier. She doesn’t want to wake Chloe but she can’t exactly lift her up herself. When she’s about to shake Chloe awake, Ash arrives and stops her. He says he will take Chloe to her room. Ash hugs Chloe. She open her eyes momentarily but Ash whispers to her to sleep more. Chloe sleepily closes her eyes, raises her hand to his shoulder and buries her face in his chest. Ash’s blue eyes widen in surprise and then they grow soaked with emotion. He smiles complicatedly. It’s a lovely smile of sadness and affection. Ash looks at sleeping Chloe who is hanging like a baby in his arms. He reflects on how he came to bring her to the mansion. At first he was just happy to bring her to the mansion. He had searched for her a long time. That night at the bar, he was waiting for her. When he saw her, she was still beautiful but the gaunt complexion and miserable treatment was terrible. If only he had found her sooner, she would not have been in this state of collapse. The pretty smile she had in the past had disappeared. The friendly attitude towards people had evaporated like a dry desert. The source of laughter and tender language of hers were lost. Ash lays Chloe on the bed and tucks her in. He wants to hold her hands and kiss her hair but now wasn’t the time to fill his heart. He wants to bring back her smile. That’s exactly what he intends to do now. That night, Chloe dreams of her childhood and her friend Aerin who had a pretty face and a pretty voice. Her friend tells her that her secondary characteristics haven’t occurred yet. She thinks about how much she’s missed her friend as she hugs her in her dreams. On another day, Chloe is having class with her history teacher and Catherine comes early to make herself a nuisance to Ash. She even falls thinking he will catch her but he lets her fall flat on the ground. lol He gets a servant to help her up and admonishes her to be careful since she’s falling everywhere. After that, Chloe attends Catherine’s class. She actually hates attending this class. Needless to say Catherine mocks Chloe and Ash overhears it all. Originally he was supposed to have left the estate for work but he was probably suspicious of Catherine and came to observe the class for himself. After Catherine was kicked out, Chloe comes to many realizations. She sees the orphanage director in Catherine. She now believes that just like Catherine was trying to destroy her self-esteem, the orphanage director did the same. An indescribable anger rises in the middle of her heart. She’s frustrated with herself for being stupid. Unlike everyone else, Ash believes in her. He’s a person who expresses frosty anger over anything she’s suffered. Now she knows it’s foolish not to open her mouth for fear of being hated and breaking up her relationship with Ash. She looks down at her trembling hand. She hasn’t really spoken in more than a decade. The people around her had silenced her and forced her to sacrifice herself. It’s been a long time since she’s spoken her opinion so clearly as she just did with Catherine. Ash approaches her and holds her trembling hand. It was the first time he’s touched her without asking permission first but she didn’t feel bad about it at all. As his body temperature is felt, she begins to feel unknown tremors. She’s very nervous when she touches him but she doesn’t want to let go of his hand. It’s scary but the reality is that she’s fallen for him. Anxiety comes in waves but so does feelings of love. She doesn’t know all his motives but she can’t continue not trusting others. Chloe thanks Ash for his help. Ash tells her he’s so happy that she spoke up. He encourages her to continue to express herself. Chloe realizes that Ash has a chilly side. The side he just showed Catherine. She didn’t want to naively believe that he favored her. Nevertheless, she couldn’t deny all his consideration for her. Ash warns Chloe that now that she’s entering the social world, there will be people like Catherine. He apologizes for it. Chloe thinks there are people like that in her past too. All the people she met after her parents died. Chloe asks Ash if he’s been betrayed by someone he trusted too. Chloe steps closer to him and asks if he was hurt. Ash is caught off guard momentarily. He gives a wry smile and tells Chloe that’s she’s so sweet. She’s trying to understand other people’s minds even after going through a hard time. Chloe tells him it’s because he’s her benefactor. He saved her. She hopes he doesn’t get sick. He’s always kind to her. Ash laughs despondently and tells her that she’s still too sweet. Ash opens his arms wide and asks her if she will hug him if he’s sick. Chloe’s eyes grow bigger. Ash adds that she doesn’t have to hug him if she doesn’t feel like it. Chloe looks hesitantly at him. She thinks Ash is different from scumbag. She recalls the moment she touched Ash and she didn’t hate it or feel bad. He was always considerate of her. Consequently, Chloe slowly approaches Ash. She acknowledges that she can’t live forever afraid of men. She opens her arms and hugs him. It’s cozy. Her feeling of fear subsides. She thinks this person is different. As her fear wears off, a different kind of palpitations follow. A ticklish, fluttering and heightening sensation. Ash’s voice from above says that human warmth is a great comfort. Unlike the calm sound, Chloe can hear his heartbeat beating faster. She also feels a different kind of tension. An exciting, hot and mysterious tension. She wonders what is this feeling. She’s confused and tries to move away to free herself but Ash whispers, gently hugging her, that he wants to hug her some more. She hugs him again. She realizes that she likes being in his arms. Her heart keeps beating fast but she likes it. Ash thinks about Chloe. He’s beginning to see bits of the old Chloe from her. He thinks it must have been heartbreaking to be ignored and emotionally attacked by Catherine but Chloe sympathized more with his pain of betrayal. He wonders if she knows how painful that good heart is to approach. He knows that people in the world won’t leave that good heart alone. He thought it would have taken longer for her to open up to him but was pleasantly surprised. When he found out she was married, he thought he would never find out if she was happy. He thought he wouldn’t reveal his existence even if he only helped her secretly. However, her marriage wasn’t even a basic respect as a human being. He thinks he wants to get rid of all the people involved in her misfortune. Still, Chloe would have to be given the choice. He only wants to do what she wants to do. And he acknowledges that there will be more hostile people in the future. They can’t deal with all of them by crushing them. Chloe will have to overcome on her own and that’s why he’s given her the authority of a marchioness. It’s to empower her. If she can’t overcome the hostility of others, she can also choose to live peacefully in the mansion. Spoiler: Ash and Chloe’s relationship development, Part 5 Chloe begins to prepare for entering society. Rather than attending an imperial ball or a high profile social gathering, Ash suggests to her that she attend a small tea party to get a feel for the atmosphere. As such, Bessie and her have been preparing for her social debut at the tea party. Chloe also begins to think of her responsibility as a wife. She thinks that marriage means a relationship. Since she’s not a virgin, she knows what that means but for her that kind of relationship was painful, one-sided and a bad memory. She likes children but she was grateful when her period stopped due to malnutrition. Now that she’s married to Ash, there’s the issue of succession. She thinks of the moments she’s touched Ash. There were times it felt incredibly good to reach out to him. She thinks maybe they can build a relationship without being uncomfortable. Chloe visits the library to learn more of the family history since she’s now the marchioness of the Brinicle family. On the way back from the library, she meets Ash on the path from the library. He’s dressed very nicely and his clothes matches her attire. Lately he’s been very busy so it was rare to see him in the daytime. She recalls he was there to witness Catherine’s class that time but now that she thinks about it, it seemed like he was there on purpose. Chloe tells Ash that he’s early today. He says that he really wanted to say something to her and added that he also missed her. Chloe admires his charming smile and appearance. Although he’s clearly a man, she often thinks he’s pretty. Ash invites her to walk together with him as he gracefully stretches his hand towards her. She carefully takes it and admits to herself that now she looks forward to taking his hand. The couple leaves the garden and walks towards the edge of the forest where a large tree is located. Walking into the path, they find a vacant space. Holding Chloe’s hand, Ash tells her a story of his childhood when he used to run to that spot upset. The place is full of memories for him. Chloe looks at Ash’s profile. She imagines him getting younger and younger and he seems familiar to her. There’s one thing though. He’s a man but it’s a girl who used to live with her in their mansion. She was a couple years older than her. They used to bath together. Unlike her, who was growing into a woman bit by bit, her friend’s secondary characteristics (maybe puberty?) happened late so she had no chest (breasts?) but if there was a symbol of a man, she would have remembered. Their time together remains a good memory but one day her friend suddenly disappeared. Chloe tells Ash he must have been pretty when he was young. He brings her into the forest space. He kneels before her, opens a case with a ring and asks her to marry him. Chloe is surprised and embarrassed. She tells Ash that they’re already married. Ash grins. He says yes they’re already legally married but he never formally proposed to her. She didn’t choose him either. Ash, who’s still kneeling, glows like a boy before her. He continues and says that he wanted to propose to her at least once. When he has someone precious to him, he really wants the person to choose him. Chloe stands still. There’s still an indifferent look on her face but her heart is different. An excitement like spring breeze slowly shakes her heart. She thought all the romance in her heart had disappeared but at least once she wants to receive it. Confessing her love, getting proposed to and saying to someone that they’re precious. Chloe looks at the ring and asks Ash if she wants to leave, will he let her leave. His expression dims for a moment but the smile on his face remains unchanged. He tells her if she wants to leave, he will. Nevertheless, Chloe reads his strong will apparent in his blue eyes and she was happy to respect it. She thinks she might be attracted to him. Her varied wary feelings kept getting swept away by him. Chloe tells Ash that she’ll be his wife. Ash gets up and asks her if he could put the ring on her finger. Chloe assents. He takes her hand carefully and she thinks that he’s always careful when he touches her. Ash tells her that the ring is a heirloom that’s passed down in his family. It’s hers now. Chloe thinks that she never imagined she would have a wedding. Ash announces that he’s thinking of having the wedding soon. He asks for her opinion. Should they have a simple wedding? Chloe’s afraid of being too greedy so she doesn’t want to expect too much only to get disappointed. Ash notices and asks her what’s wrong. She honestly responds that she’s wondering if she can enjoy this. She knows it’s not a dream. It’s reality. She doesn’t want to let this go. She wants to be happy, even a little bit, if she’s allowed. The whisper in her heart is desperate. Ash assures her that she deserves happiness. She’s very precious and she can enjoy this. Chloe asks him why does he cherish her. Is it because of her appearance? Is it because he feels sorry for her? Is it because of responsibility? In her thoughts she wonders if it’s love or compassion. Even if it’s compassion, she intends to accept it. After all, he’s her savior. Ash remarks, is that what she’s thinking. He reaches out and slowly hugs her. Chloe looks surprised but comes into his arms. He tells her he loves her beauty but it’s not the only thing. He feels pity for her but it’s not the only thing. He feels a strong sense of responsibility for her but it’s not the only thing. She asks him, then why? Ash says he knows her kindness. He knows how lovely her heart is. Most of all, he loves her. Chloe thinks she hasn’t heard “I love you” in a very long time. She closes her eyes tightly because she feels the urge to cry. Ash asks her if there’s a place she wants to visit before their wedding. She’s only been confined to the mansion so he wants to take her outside. Chloe thinks about it and tells Ash she wants to visit the orphanage. She feels that to love properly, she wants to dig into her inability to trust others. She thinks only after sincerely facing her past she could move forward.
Spoiler: Ash and Chloe’s relationship development, Part 6 Chloe wakes up in the middle of the night. She had a nightmare about her horrid past with scumbag. Her physical condition has improved but there’s still a lot of healing needed for her mental condition. She’s afraid of staying in the dark alone but she doesn’t think of calling Ash even though she doesn’t think his words of love were false. Instead she hugs the blanket and tries to overcome her fear of the deep night. She wants to tell Ash everything yet she wants to hide everything. She looks at the ring that he gave her when he proposed. It’s sparkling in the moonlight. She never thought that she would have ever received a proposal. Chloe gets out of bed and puts on a gown. She goes out into the silent hallway and goes up to the second floor where Ash’s room is situated. She looks at the forbidden room at the end of the hallway. As though possessed by something, she heads to the room. She stands outside the door with her hand on the door knob. She reflects that if she opens the door, she might find the secret to Ash Brinicle. She wonders if he would forgive her since he forbade anyone from entering the room. Her desire to test his love was intense. She vacillates between opening the door and not opening the door. In the end she decides against it. She considers the violation of his order an act of violence. She considers that he allows her everything but this room. She releases the door knob and turns around to go back down the hallway. She suddenly feels pathetic and laughs despondently. Suddenly, Ash calls her name in the dark hallway. Chloe looks at him as he approaches in the light of the moonlight. The way he smiles with his eyes looks intimate. Chloe thinks this is why she’s scared of being so close to someone who looks so beautiful. It’s proof that he’s becoming more precious to her. Ash asks her if she can’t sleep. She answers yes. He comes close and warmly wraps something around her gown. He asks her if she has a lot of nightmares. He says she should see the doctor since not sleeping well isn’t good for her health. Chloe asks if he was up. Ash confesses that he doesn’t sleep much and he’s also sensitive. Ash also subtly whispers to her that he doesn’t know if he will sleep well with someone he likes next to him. He hasn’t spent the night with anyone yet. Chloe immediately stiffens. It’s because the meaning of the words were heavy. One day she will have to do her duty. Her duty as his wife. Chloe thinks descendants are important for a noble family. It’s nice and lovely to touch Ash but she has never thought pass that, positively, because she can only think through her experience. While gripping the skirt of her gown, Chloe tells Ash that she’s always thinking of her responsibilities. Ash tells her to relax her hands. She thinks she likes him but it’s still scary to think of intimate relations together. Ash makes it clear to her that he wants to be with her not because he needs a successor. He can also bring in a successor. She doesn’t have to force herself to do anything that scares her. Ash carefully loosens Chloe’s fingers that were clenching her gown and this action unfastens her mind. Ash tells her that she’s precious and lovely and he’s always on her side. He assures her that if she’s not ready (intimacy), she doesn’t have to do anything. Chloe asks him if that’s alright to do. Ash nods and gently takes her hair and kiss it. He reassured her that she’s more precious to him than she thinks. He holds out his hand to her and she takes it. He’s going to stay with her until she falls asleep. As she holds Ash’s hand, Chloe tightens her clasp on his hand. She doesn’t want to let go of this hand. She wants him to always be by her side. A greed to monopolize him rises in her heart. From Ash’s perspective of that night, he was sleeping shallowly when he heard Chloe in the hallway. He wonders what happened to her. He gets out of bed and quietly goes into the hallway. He sees her lovely figure in the moonlight. Again he’s bombarded by all these thoughts of what ifs. What if he had found her sooner. What if he had hurried up his succession battle. What if..what if. All meaningless hypotheses that hovered in his heart full of regrets. When the time comes, he’ll have to be honest with her and hope that she doesn’t leave him. He won’t let her go. No matter what happens. As he watches Chloe stand before the forbidden room, he wonders if she will open the door and if she does, how will she react. Surprised? Fear? Disdain? Nothing was expected to be favorable. However, he did not stop her. If that’s her choice, he won’t stop her. Chloe did not open the door. Instead, after standing there for a while, she turned around to head back. Ash couldn’t help calling out to her as she walked away in silence. In his thoughts, Ash laments that she doesn’t know how just looking at her makes his heart beat. He covers her flowing gown. Since she’s gained some weight, her soft curves are more apparent so he covered is eyes of desire. He asks her if she had a nightmare. She responds yes, a little. He thinks she’s trying to rely on herself as she always does. He reflects on how much he searched for her almost like an obsession until he found her. Chloe asks him if he can’t sleep either and he responds that he doesn’t usually sleep well. He also says he’s never spent the night with anyone yet. In his thoughts he acknowledges he has never hugged a woman before. He admits to himself that the only woman he’s ever wanted to hug is her. In fact, he wants her badly. If she’d let him, he would like to do something bold instead of touching her cautiously. It was natural that the feeling of love dominates the mind and burns the body. When Ash mentioned that he hasn’t slept with anyone yet, he saw how Chloe froze up and gripped her night gown. He momentarily felt a surge of rage. He wonders how much has that s.o.b. destroyed his woman. He doesn’t even want to know what he did but he has a strong desire to repay the s.o.b. for all he did. Nevertheless, he couldn’t express his anger in front of Chloe who was already frightened. Ash tenderly informs Chloe that he’s not with her out of need for a successor. In his thoughts he thinks that her mind is more important than his own desire. If she could not accept a man for the rest of her life, he will accept her choice. It would be bone-cutting painful but her heart is the most important. Returning to her room, Ash puts Chloe to bed and holds her hand as she falls asleep. He thinks on Chloe’s upcoming visit to the orphanage. He already has a rough idea about the issue since he had investigated the place previously. However, he intends to leave everything to Chloe’s decision. As he watches her sleep, he softly whispers that he loves her very much. Even if he wants her every night. Even if he wants to make every strand of her hair his. If she’ll cry, he won’t lift a hand. All he wants is her happiness.
I think they are a neutral entity. If you read the spoilers the Dowager Empress isn't as "bad" as we think, there is a really tragic backstory involving her daughter who gave up everything for her "commoner" husband who then tried to sell her for money but she died before the auction. The princess was buried in a shallow ditch by her scumbag husband who ran away like a rat with the auction rope attached to her neck. The Dowager Empress had to see her daughter who she loved and was raised a princess, body laying a dirty ditch with a rope latched onto her neck because the lowlife who tricked her into marrying him tried to sell her off. This is her root of hatred of "commoners", which she projects unfortunately on Chloe - she doesn't know the full backstory of Chloe's past until the scumbag ex-husband crashes her wedding. As I explained in earlier comments based on the "commoners" we are introduced to in this novel I can't really blame her for having such a low opinion of them. Nearly all the "commoner" characters we see in the novel are mainly scummy people - especially the ones who tormented/betrayed Chloe. It's worth noting, wife selling is strictly a custom performed by commoners, not nobles. Also, keep in mind without the Dowager Empress's tie-breaker vote wife selling would not have been outlawed.
Ohh thank youu,, if I were in her shoes, I would also feel the same But i hope soon they will accept Chloe as she is and know that she's not like other commoners
Thank you so much for all the spoilers! I'm so happy I found this thread and the spoilers are awesome, written with a lot of care.
You’re welcome. Guys, I will continue Ash/Chloe development in maybe a week or so. I did volume 1 so far. At least the other events were already spoiled. Just not the relationship in terms of first kiss, etc.
The fucking bastard crashed their wedding??? Please tell me the ml beat him to death what a fucking cockroach
Someone answer it already. The ex-husband's name is Joseph so that's why it would be hard to notice. (Edit, oops. Ex-husband's name is Thomas. However, he was in Catherine's plans so I am guessing Joseph is her father)
Omg thank u so much for the spoiler. So far, he is the best male lead (?) i have ever encountered. He ask for consent (which is a must!!!), respect her boundaries, helps her with her trauma, and treats her nicely. I am so in love with this man