The following series is a work of fiction. It explores potentially controversial themes such as Domestic Abuse. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. Reader discretion is advised.

Just Leave Me Be

Chapter 1

Clip-clop.

The luxurious carriage raced along smoothly despite the torrential rain. It had undoubtedly been built with the utmost care, as it bore the duke’s coat of arms. Yet for such a lavish carriage, the lack of escorts was noticeable. The entourage was pathetically small for that of a duke’s daughter.

Adele was a bright girl, so naturally, she had already figured out what was going on. But the duke claimed to have handpicked the most elite knights for her entourage, which meant she couldn’t even complain. Nobody even saw her off. That was when she realized that she had been dispensable all along, a pawn to be used and discarded.

Her golden eyes stared ahead, dull and lifeless.

“Disgusting, filthy girl.”

She could still vividly recall the voice from a week ago. The duchess had always looked at Adele with disdain and abhorrence, but Adele had assumed it was simply because she didn’t want the noble family tainted by an adopted child, especially a nobody from the slums.

The duchess may have grudgingly taken Adele in to cover up her own flaws, but her aristocratic pride was perhaps still too great to wholeheartedly accept the orphaned girl.

“I never stopped wishing you’d die.”

The duchess had spoken calmly without looking even the least bit fazed. Her words, on the other hand, had been as sharp as daggers.

“Why did it have to... Why...”

Adele could recall how the duchess’s face twisted as she glared at her.

“Bastard child or not, there’s nothing you can take from this household. Thank goodness you found someone on your level.”

“Bastard... child?” Adele had repeated in confusion.

The duchess had merely glowered at her without answering.

“Don’t ever step foot in this house again.”

“Bastard child? What does that mean? Mother!”

Adele had called out to the duchess, urgently grasping at her sleeve.

Smack!

The duchess slapped her hand away in disgust.

“I’m not your mother!” she shrieked, her face contorted into a hateful mask.

Adele clutched her shaking hands together and looked up at the duchess, tears welling in her eyes.

“Even with the duke’s blood in you, you’re still nothing but a mutt. Don’t you dare even think of taking my daughter’s place.”

“I...”

“I’m so glad I can finally rid my house of filth like you.”

Those had been her last words. The duchess had then turned away and left. She hadn’t even spared a final glance toward Adele, who had sunken to the floor when her legs gave way.

I guess my life was nothing after all.

Adele leaned back against her seat, lost in her thoughts. She was wearing an exquisite dress, her ears and neck adorned with jewels much too heavy, but none of it could do anything to soothe the emptiness in her heart.

“I’m sending you off to marry Grand Duke Hexion Millatrio. Go get ready.”

Adele had tried to refuse, but her opinion held no weight whatsoever against orders from the duke. Despite having been picked up from the slums, adopted into the Viphta family, deprived of her own name, and made to live as a replacement for the duke's late daughter, Adele had never given up hope.

With an oddly sorrowful air about him, the duke had told Adele she could have whatever she wanted. But that was only as long as she could play the role of their dead daughter. Desperate to please him, Adele had tried her best. Over time, she could not help but grow attached to those with whom she lived. Before she knew it, she started to crave their love. She yearned for their affection—something she had never received in her entire life. But after the birth of Selena, the duke and duchess’s real daughter, Adele was soon entirely forsaken by the duke.

And now I hear I’m an illegitimate child?

“Hah,” a dry chuckle escaped Adele’s lips.

The duke had kept it hidden all this time, of course. Even she had always thought the resemblance was uncanny; and for some strange reason, she had sensed a sort of heartache from the duke.

Adele placed her hand over her eyes. This is even wilder than a penny novel.

Duke Viphta had offered Adele everything she wanted, but in reality, she never actually received anything. Everyone treated her with contempt and Adele had no say in anything. If she was sick, she could only call for the physician with the duke’s permission, which sometimes took days if the duke happened to be busy. More than once, she had simply waited—suffering all the while—until her body healed on its own.

That had been just the beginning. Adele wasn’t free to enter any of the rooms as she pleased, and her stepsiblings often bullied her. Looking back, she found it was ridiculous that she was foolish enough to struggle so hard for their attention and affection.

How amusing it must have been for them.

The bastard child who didn’t even realize it, desperate for love. Adele had forced herself to smile through it all. She reminded herself that she was different, she wasn’t family, and nothing could be done about it.

“And now I’m being married off to the terminally ill grand duke,” Adele muttered as she hung her head in resignation.

She had attended all the high society gatherings and accepted every single tea party invitation she received. This meant she was exceptionally well informed when it came to gossip. So, of course, she had heard that her husband-to-be, the grand duke, was in grave health. She’d been told that his face was so horribly scarred that there were rumors he’d been cursed by a demon. She also knew that this marriage had been arranged only to strengthen the duke’s alliances with the imperial family.

“Looks don’t matter,” Adele murmured anxiously to herself, trying to calm her pounding heart. “Having a decent personality is enough.”

And maybe now she would finally be able to live her own life. But she had already wasted 10 years... Would it be too late?

“I just hope he’s a good pers—”

Boom!

Creeeaaak!

“Neeiiigghh!”

The carriage, which had been steadily gliding along the rainy roads up until now, suddenly tipped over. The momentum carried the carriage forward a few more feet before an enormous tree stopped it entirely. At the abrupt stop, Adele’s head slammed hard into the corner of her seat.

“Ungh...” Something trickled from her forehead down her face. Adele clenched her teeth and gingerly touched her forehead. Blood dripped from her hand and onto the floor.

Her heart now racing, Adele hurriedly felt around the carriage, looking for a way out. Thankfully, the door wasn’t facing the ground. At the exact moment she stretched out her hand to grab the handle, it opened. Adele knew she wasn’t the one who opened it. Clutching her forehead, she raised her head.

“Here she is!”

“What on earth do you... Aaah!” Adele screamed in pain.

One of the duke’s knights had grabbed Adele by her hair. His thick, callused fingers tangled and tousled her soft tresses.

It was too quiet outside, almost as if an accident hadn’t just occurred. A few of the duke’s knights lay dead, slain by a sword.

What’s going on...? Fear flashed across Adele’s eyes. She frantically thrashed in place, ignoring the hand holding her by the hair.

“Let go! Who do you think I am!”

“For an imposter you sure talk a lot,” the man sneered. “You still want to run that mouth after coming from the gutters? Did you have fun pretending to be a lady?”

“How did you...” Adele couldn’t think straight.

“You were adopted into such a good family and yet you couldn’t even leech off of them properly. What did you do to make them cut you out?”

The man’s speech was crude and vulgar. His voice was unlike anything she had heard in her 10 years at the duke’s household. It was the kind of talk Adele often encountered when she was living in the slums a long time ago.

The man began to drag her across the ground and Adele clenched her teeth, pulling her head back with all her might in a desperate attempt to free herself. A rock grazed her knee and it began to bleed. It was painful and horrific, but the more pressing matter was the inside of her head, which throbbed like it had been beaten senseless with a metal club.

“Who... are you?” she asked. “You’re not one of the duke’s knights.”

“You’re smarter than I thought. But what does it matter? You’ll be dead soon anyways.”

Adele balled her hands into fists. No, he can’t be serious. The only reason her marriage had been arranged was because of the birth of her sister Selena. Now that a real daughter had been born, Adele figured the duke and duchess would no longer need her. They probably arranged the marriage so that they could get her out of their sight.

They wouldn’t go so far as to kill me...Whatever bad influence she might’ve had on Selena, it wouldn’t warrant her death, would it?

“A message from His Grace the Duke.”

Anxiety crept up Adele’s spine.

“Your services have been appreciated.” The man flashed a sinister grin at her, baring his teeth.

No, it can’t be. She wanted to believe it wasn’t true, but she couldn’t ignore the pain in her head and leg or the sword in front of her face, still wet and dripping blood.

“How could I have been so blind?” she said to herself.

Shluk!

A chilling sound rang in her ears. After a second, Adele realized a tingling pain was coming from her chest and looked down. The bloody, silver sword had pierced her straight through the heart.

Why me...?

She had only done her best to live as promised. All she had wanted in return was the tiniest bit of love. Even if it was wishful thinking, it wasn’t like she had done anybody any sort of harm. She had simply wanted to go the extra mile, to help them in whatever way she could...

Her body sank to the ground. Blood spurted out her mouth, making it harder and harder to breathe. She felt herself growing cold as her vision became blurry. Then she collapsed completely. Adele trembled with fear. At the same time, her head turned cool with icy fury.

Through the drizzling rain and her cloudy vision, she could make out something tall sticking out from the forest in the distance.

What is that...?

The moment the thought passed through her head, the thing began to emit light. Adele slowly closed her eyes.

I wish I could go back to the beginning...

She wanted to take it all back—her feelings, affections, duties. She wanted to burn it all and pour the ashes into the sea, where they would sink and never see the light of day again.

“I’m warning you. Don’t expect a single thing from us. All you need to do is keep quiet and stand in for Karena without a word. If you can do that, you’ll be able to live the rest of your days without going hungry, and you won’t have to return to that pathetic life of yours.”

Her breathing grew slow and faint.

“Adele!”

She could hear a strange and unfamiliar voice.

Who could it be?

With that last thought, endless darkness washed over her. And as it did, a blinding pillar of light shot up from deep within the forest.