Husband Wanted! - Chapter 2

Despite Portward being a bustling resort city, there was a place where neither tourists nor locals ventured. This area, known as Gargoyle, was a notorious slum. Filled with crumbling shacks and decrepit temples, the streets and fields were littered with various kinds of trash and abandoned carriages.

The most hideous sight, however, was a mansion perched atop a hill—a house that seemed haunted. The roof was collapsing in places, and the walls were marked with blackened scorch marks.

Rumor has it that at night, the eerie sound of a woman’s laughter could be heard coming from the mansion. But this rumor was deliberately spread by someone.

“Phew.”

Evelyn, having successfully overcome the earlier confrontation, arrived at the mansion and opened the front door with a weary expression.

The interior was shockingly luxurious and comfortable. Passing through a corridor adorned with numerous chandeliers, she walked past a sitting room filled with various types of tea cups and sweet confections, and saw a study with a grand desk and plush sofas that invited sleep just by looking at them. But her destination was not the study.

As she opened another door, the subtle scent of roses greeted her. The bedroom, adorned with elegant embroidered curtains and plush wool bedding, welcomed her.

“So tired.”

Evelyn casually threw her clothes onto the floor and leapt onto the silk-canopied bed crafted by an artisan. The familiar comfort embraced her.

Perhaps it was the intense kicking earlier that had left her feeling slightly hungry.

She closed her eyes and pondered. Images of the rare wines stored in the basement flitted through her mind.

‘Should I call Sara to bring up some wine and the finest ham I ordered recently?’

Just thinking about it made her mouth water.

This comfort was the result of Evelyn’s relentless effort. The incident that morning was nothing compared to the numerous hardships and adversities she had endured and overcome.

When she was very young, she scavenged coins from the streets just to avoid starving. As she grew older, she realized that money could be a means of protection. Collecting money from whatever odd jobs she could find eventually provided her with the capital to start something of her own.

Her first business venture, fittingly, was in self-defense products. Growing up exposed to constant threats and intimidation, it was a natural choice. The innovative weapons she created, which could be easily used by even the weakest person to fend off attackers, became an instant success.

Although her financial situation improved, her circumstances did not. She still had to live like a rat, always hiding, and even when discovered, faced threats and scorn. Just like today.

“But finally, the opportunity has come!”

A chance to change her life!

Evelyn clenched her fists tightly. She had braved the scorn and dangers to go down to the square because she needed to see with her own eyes.

“I have to seize this opportunity, even if it kills me. Otherwise, I have no reason to go on living…!” she murmured.

“Goodness, I can’t take it anymore!” At that moment, the door swung open, and a hysterical voice filled the room. “You’ve thrown your clothes all over the place again!”

A woman with wheat-colored brown hair and bright orange eyes stomped into the room. She was at that ambiguous age between middle-aged and young, but she couldn’t be called youthful.

“You’ve shed them like a snake sheds its skin. Were you a snake in your past life or something?”

“……”

She is Sara, the only maid and housekeeper in this mansion. The only person in the world who calls Evelyn “Miss.”

“And get up! I don’t expect you to wash up as soon as you come home, but at least put your clothes away properly before getting into bed!”

And the person who would nag her endlessly the moment she opened her mouth.

“Oh, come on!” Evelyn mumbled as she wrapped herself in the blanket. “I had a tiring day.”

“Tiring? Did you get attacked again?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my, really?” Sara, who had been tidying up Evelyn’s discarded clothes with irritation, finally stopped and asked. “Where?”

“In the alley behind the square.”

“And they started with the usual ‘traitor’s descendant’ nonsense?”

“They did.” Evelyn pounded her pillow furiously.

“But seeing that you returned safely, you must have dealt with them.”

“Of course. Did you think I’d let them get the better of me?”

“Ha, what is the world coming to?” Sara sat down on the edge of the bed and let out a deep sigh. “It’s just awful how the brave heroes who stand up against villains keep getting targeted.”

Evelyn’s hand froze mid-air.

“…Hey.”

“Oh, my bad.”

She pretended not to notice and apologized, but Evelyn had already sprung up from her seat and was looking around. Her darting eyes landed on the vase on the table.

“Alright, this is it. Today is the day…”

“Are you trying to kill me?”

“You got that right!”

“You’d be inconvenienced without me!”

“I’d rather be inconvenienced!” Evelyn reached for the vase.

Sara’s eyes twitched nervously, and suddenly she lifted her skirt, revealing a long scar on her shin.

“Who was it that carried a dying young lady from the streets to Father Bremen despite having a leg in this condition?!”

“Hey.” Evelyn chuckled in disbelief. “You got that scar from falling down the stairs while drunk a year ago.”

“What a load of nonsense!”

“You were bleeding all over, insisting on drinking more. Do you know how hard it was for me to fetch a doctor that night?!”

“Was that what happened? I must have mixed things up.”

But this was Sara she was dealing with.

“But it’s true I carried you that night. I saved your life!”

That… was true.

“Fine, let’s say that’s true. But why are you still here, huh?” Evelyn snarled, glaring daggers at her. “Why haven’t you left and why do you keep annoying me?!”

“Well, that’s life. Gotta make a living somehow.”

“……”

At this point, all her anger seemed to drain away. If making people angry were a source of power, Sara would undoubtedly rule over the human world, heaven, and hell alike.

“Now, change your clothes quickly. You’re not planning to sleep just yet, right?” Sara pushed Evelyn away from the vase and handed her a well-ironed, comfortable dress.

“You haven’t had breakfast, so you must be hungry. And after such an ordeal, you’ll surely want a drink. I’ll prepare the finest ham and wine.”

Before Evelyn could react, Sara had left the room like a bolt of lightning.

Grinding her teeth and trying to calm down, Evelyn sighed deeply and began to change her clothes.

Ten years had passed since that irritating woman had attached herself to her, claiming to be a maid. After seeing her every day, Sara had become an expert at reading Evelyn’s desires just by looking at her.

Even finding an all-around housekeeper who could split logs well, cook excellently, and clean perfectly was nearly impossible, especially for someone like Evelyn Revelbrite, whom even poor commoners seeking jobs would avoid.

“If I don’t get rid of her someday, I’ll die of a stress-induced illness first,” Evelyn muttered to herself, furrowing her brow as she dragged her feet toward the sitting room.

“Evelyn!” someone called out from down the hall.

She heard someone shouting her name and running. Soon, an old man with gray-streaked white hair came rushing in, his priestly robe fluttering around his knees.

“Father Bremen? What brings you here?” Evelyn asked, surprised.

“The pawnshop owner who came to pray at the temple just told me that three men were found collapsed in an alley near the square, and the guards were dispatched. The moment I heard it, I thought of you. You said you were going to check the auction notice in the square this morning!” Father Bremen panted, sweat dripping from his forehead.

Father Bremen was a stubborn old man who clung to the almost collapsing temple in the slums. He had known Evelyn since she was a child and was one of the few people who treated her as a human being.

“Are you alright? You must have been attacked again!”

“You didn’t need to rush here; it was nothing serious,” Evelyn said, linking her arm affectionately with the old man’s as they walked to the sitting room. They looked like a close-knit father and daughter.

“Nothing? A woman walking alone and meeting thugs is always serious. But I’m glad you’re not hurt. The world is such a dangerous place these days,” Father Bremen sighed.

Sara, who had just entered the sitting room, laughed as she replied, “The ones in trouble were the so-called heroes… no, those guys.”

Father Bremen frowned as he sat down on the sofa. “Sara, that’s not something to joke about. Still, I worry about what might happen next. Sometimes, I can’t sleep at night. We need to find a solution.”

“Come on, Father. That’s why we’ve installed multiple alarm systems, right?” Sara said nonchalantly.

“Sara, alarm systems can’t guarantee complete safety,” he replied, looking seriously at Evelyn, who was quietly sipping her wine. “How long must you endure such danger because of foolish, ignorant people?”

Evelyn set her glass down on the table. “Father, you’re right. We can’t live like this forever,” she said calmly. “So… I’m planning to find a solution.”

All eyes turned to her.

“What do you mean, a solution?” Father Bremen asked.

“Do you have a plan?” Sara inquired.

“The estate that’s up for auction,” Evelyn replied, her beautiful golden eyes burning with resolve. “I’m going to take it.”

“…What?”

“And the title of Count that comes with it. I’ll claim that too.”

“W-what did you say?” Father Bremen stammered.

Evelyn slowly stood up, smiling softly as she approached the two of them. Her short bobbed hair swung lightly by her ears.

“Everyone gets an opportunity at least once in their life—a chance to change their fate and destiny,” she continued, her voice firm and unwavering. “Finally, my chance has come. I’m going to seize it with everything I’ve got, even if it means risking my life.”