TDWO Chapter 1
by xxsienna
- The fateful carriage accident
Thud.
The old carriage suddenly soared.
Following the recoil, the hips of the four women in full dress rose into the air and crashed down with a thud.
No emotion flickered on Anri’s face; this was nothing new.
Already used to it, Anri bounced gracefully with her hands clasped in her lap. She didn’t even flinch as she landed on the cushion.
“Argh!”
However, the three women, besides Anri, lost their balance and floundered.
When the brief shaking ceased, Viscountess Catherine Wentworth adjusted her disheveled clothes. She glared at Anri, who sat diagonally across from her.
“This carriage is useless, just like your father.”
“Still better than having nothing, Mother.”
The corners of Anri’s mouth lifted gracefully at the word ‘mother.’ Her nonchalant demeanor irritated Catherine, as expected.
“Yes, as you say. It’s better than having nothing. You’ll understand as you age. Even a husband who lacks virility is better than nothing at night…, ugh!”
Catherine couldn’t finish her sentence as the carriage jolted again.
Catherine’s daughters, fraternal twins Candice and Eunice, clung to the cushions, trying to keep from falling, but it was no use. The cushions slid in all directions. It was a terrible carriage to ride in.
Anri remembered when they first acquired this carriage.
Just a decade ago, at eleven years old, it was a luxury among luxuries, a sought-after item requiring reservations six months in advance.
However, Anri’s father, Viscount Wentworth, purchased it in just two months by paying a hefty sum at the carriage shop. It was to coincide with her mother’s birthday.
She remembered how pleased her beautiful mother, now in heaven, had been with her radiant smile. It was a pure white, luxurious carriage that matched her silver hair so well. It was as if it had been made just for her.
But that smile and the luster of the carriage had long since faded. The carriage was the prized possession of Viscount Wentworth, who could no longer afford a new one.
“This damned carriage; someday I’ll turn it into firewood.”
Catherine clicked her tongue and unfolded her fan.
Eunice discreetly observed the silent exchange between Anri and Catherine. In fact, she was secretly looking forward to seeing Anri’s witty retort.
As expected, Anri didn’t even bat an eye.
“Mother, with all the necklaces you buy and never wear, you could have afforded at least one second-hand carriage by now.”
Anri spoke softly and gently, not forgetting to add a slight smile at the end. Catherine, accustomed to Anri’s cheeky remarks, grumbled,
“Tsk, tsk. This household is lacking both in carriages and daughters.”
“Leave it, Mother; she’ll only make your mouth hurt, ugh!”
Candice, who was glaring at Anri, and Catherine, who was flapping her fan, accidentally hit their heads on the ceiling.
“Coachman!”
Catherine yelled outside, barely holding on to the handle. It wouldn’t have been heard anyway.
‘Anyway, well done, Lily.’
A satisfied smile appeared on Anri’s lips. She and her mother gave the carriage the name Lily.
She was proud of Lily for tormenting her stepmother and sisters.
Catherine was her stepmother, having married her father three years ago; Candice and Eunice were her daughters from her ex-husband.
The three women looked like blood relatives, with their brown hair curled in the same way.
In contrast, Anri’s hair color was distinctly different, making her look like a complete stranger to them.
Her silky pink hair cascaded down her bonnet in wide, curving waves.
Given her circumstances, one might have thought she was some kind of Cinderella, but she wasn’t quite as fortunate as Cinderella.
If Candice coveted something of Anri’s, Anri retaliated equally. When her mother tried to boss her around, Anri always countered with a retort.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the second sister, Eunice, seemed only envious of Anri rather than harmful.
Her long, slender neck and limbs; her doll-like, unrealistically mysterious pink hair…
Even now, Eunice stole envious glances at Anri, while Candice glared at her.
Of course, Anri didn’t care about either of them.
“We’re going to have to make the dresses smaller this time around, especially you, Eunice.”
Eunice winced at Catherine’s sudden remark. Her chubby hand, which she had just been put into the biscuit basket, quickly withdrew.
“Aren’t we getting ready for the grand ball that the Duke of Briston is hosting? You don’t plan to attend with that figure, do you?”
Catherine’s eyes flashed coldly.
She was hell-bent on making one of the twins the bride of the Duke of Briston.
But who was the Duke of Briston?
Edwin Askar, Duke of Briston, was a highly well-known heir even before he took over the dukedom three years ago.
This was due to the fact that he was the youngest and richest man in the kingdom and came from one of the most prestigious families.
However, despite reaching adulthood four years ago, he remained unmarried.
The Duke of Briston’s every move has always been a point of interest to those who follow the happenings of the upper class.
People were always thirsty for the latest news about him.
As a result, the chimney of the Duke’s mansion was filled with unanswered flirtations from numerous young ladies.
(TN: They probably burned the letters sent by those young ladies.)
While the nobles anticipated who would become the Duchess of Briston, they also wondered why he had not married anyone yet.
They hoped their daughters would fill that position.
Then came the news that the Duke of Briston was holding a ball to find a bride. Mistresses couldn’t contain their excitement, fantasizing about the possibility of their daughters catching the Duke’s eye.
Even now, Catherine was scrimping and saving to get a new dress for her daughters.
‘It’s all futile.’
But Anri shook her head inwardly.
He was not going to marry any noble lady; Anri knew that much for sure. She had already seen the contents of the yet-to-unfold future—the pages yet to be turned.
“Anri, don’t even dream about it. There’s no way I’ll marry you off before your sisters.”
“Of course, Mother.”
Anri gave her a gentle smile, and Eunice could only marvel inwardly at the willfulness of her behavior.
How could one not want to be married to the Duke of Briston? She would be the envy of all.
“Ughh!”
The carriage jolted again, and Catherine, who hit the wall, bit her tongue.
This time, it was a freak accident.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
‘What’s going on…?’
Anri pulled back the curtain a little and peered out of the opaque carriage window.
She could vaguely see the silhouettes of the coachman and people gathering.
It seemed like something was happening outside.
Although the carriage often shook and bounced, it had never come to a complete stop like this before.
“It looks like this stupid carriage has finally reached its end.”
Listening to Catherine’s grumbling, Anri let the curtain fall.
The sound of boisterous voices pierced through the walls.
However, if she waited, the coachman would surely come and explain the situation. But despite waiting for quite some time, the carriage remained still. Eventually, Anri got up from her seat. Catherine and her sisters seemed indifferent, showing no signs of moving.
“What’s going on, Hendel?”
Anri posed this question as she stepped out of the carriage and approached the coachman. Looking around, there were no signs of damage or impact on the carriage.
The horses, seemingly startled, whinnied and tossed their heads. Anri raised her hand to calm the brown horse, which was particularly agitated and neighing loudly. As she did so, Anri’s eyes widened with unease.
“……!”
A carriage pulled up directly in front of Anri’s carriage.
It was a jet-black carriage, very tall and heavy. It was equipped with four black horses, all of whom looked to be of excellent breed. It was a stark contrast in size to Anri’s carriage, which only had two horses pulling it.
Anri remembered the era of cars rolling around.
It was a memory as faded as the twenty-one years of her life, but the sleek, elegant form of a luxury sedan was clear in her mind.
The carriage in front of her reminded her of a foreign import—a luxury car that could cost as much as an apartment in the metropolitan area.
It was a sleek and noble carriage, the kind that only a young and powerful CEO or stylish and noble figures could use.
She wondered, ‘Who rides in a carriage like this?’
It was adorned with gold trim around its edges.
“Miss.”
Hendel approached Anri.
Hendel had been an old coachman working at the Wentworth Mansion since Anri’s mother was alive.
“Well, I, uh, um…”
But Hendel stuttered and fumbled for words. Anri looked back at him, puzzled.
Meanwhile, the brown mare Anri was petting continued to neigh sharply, making her ears ring.
Hendel glanced in the other direction, and Anri followed his gaze. The figure presumed to be the coachman of the opposite carriage also seemed puzzled.
The coachman was dressed in a uniform like any other coachman, but the quality and formality were different.
‘They don’t seem like ordinary nobles.’
“Behind the coachman, a tall man was partially obscured, with only his forehead visible.”
He must be the owner……….
“…….”
At first glance, he was a man with a deceivingly handsome appearance, just with his exposed forehead and thick eyebrows.
His neatly groomed black hair, styled to reveal one side of his forehead, looked particularly refined and elegant, with the smooth and flat forehead beyond the slightly fluttering bangs appearing exceptionally bright and sophisticated.
Suddenly, the coachman on the opposite side seemed perplexed, coughed awkwardly, and stepped aside.
“……!”
Anri was suddenly face-to-face with the man. She was speechless.
It was a strikingly handsome man.
His face appeared abruptly, making it impossible to look away. His appearance almost had Anri spellbound. He was a man whose appearance reached the pinnacle of luxury carriage proportions.
It was as if the appearance of a high-end carriage with a glossy black shine had been transformed into a human form.
‘My goodness. Who are you?’
