A Woman That is Dania (1)
I was a special existence.
I was supposed to be a being happier than anyone else.
Yet, I was born as the daughter of a Viscount, and my father was an unsuccessful man.
My mother, despite being a noblewoman, was plain, unremarkable, and immoral.
In the aristocratic society, political marriages were obligations.
If you were a nobleman's wife, it was common to have lovers outside of your marriage.
However, my mother never once cheated.
The commoners praised her for her chastity, but in reality, it was just because no gentlemen were interested in her.
With no charm and no prospects, she was an idiotic woman who rejected advances even in social gatherings.
Rather than a rigid and earnest man with no other qualities, she should have surrendered herself to a wealthy, powerful, and well-dressed man.
Despite being a noblewoman, she assisted in managing the estate.
Women should indulge in luxury and be pampered by gentlemen with their beauty and charm.
But it was always the same.
"Dania, you are the daughter of a Feudal lord. You need to study properly."
"Become an independent woman for the sake of society..."
It was always like this whenever she opened her mouth.
I didn't want to become like my mother.
I didn't want to stagnate in this countryside.
Someday, I would make a grand debut in the Capital's social scene and live an elegant life.
The prince would come to fetch me.
That's what I thought until, at the age of 15, a severe famine struck our territory.
As a result, many nobles with estates worked tirelessly to protect the lives of their subjects.
Our family was no exception.
"If we continue like this, the commoners will die of hunger."
"Dear, please don't worry about us."
"Father, please..."
My foolish mother and sister sold the estate to protect the commoners' lives, prioritizing that over our own well-being.
As a result, we temporarily faltered by reducing the commoners' taxes.
I couldn't get new dresses.
Days without being able to attend balls irritated me.
Yet, despite our impoverished life, my mother seemed happy.
"Welcome back. Thank you for your hard work."
"Yeah."
"Father, look. The harvest was plentiful."
The number of servants had to be reduced, and Anita willingly engaged in farming to make ends meet.
She even took on additional work to help with living expenses.
Unbelievable...
A noble’s daughter working.
And yet, she seemed happier than before we became poor.
I couldn't understand it.
During that, we reached the age to attend school...
However, due to our financial situation, we were told we couldn't afford to attend the academy in the Capital.
But when my mother became ill, I was told that even if I could attend a school, it would be a low tuition school that both commoners and nobles could attend.
That was the beginning of it all.
The reason I started to despise my mother.
I didn't want to become like that woman.
That's what I thought.
What do you think about this chapter?
