THE GRAND DUCHESS ESCAPE

THE MARRIAGE WAS DECIDED

The marriage was decided!

It was exactly one day after the arrival of the Grand Duke Benvito that the Duke and eldest daughter of Marquis Chartus, Asella, were in an engagement.

The quick decision wasn't out of her family's considerations for her. Instead it,was to preserve the family dignity and establish a prestigious rank.

Asella had been summoned early in the morning by her stepfather, Philip. She reached his office only to be informed of her marriage without prior notice.

She roughly clutched the hem of her skirt in order to gather up her courage to look Philip directly in the eye. She barely managed to control her trembling and finally opened her mouth.

"But... I'm not ready to get ma-"

"That's not for you to decide."

She spoke with a faint and desperate voice.

"Perhaps... we could look into other suitors..."

But Philip interrupted her harshly.

"The only proposal you received came from the Benvito family."

"..."

When she lost the right as the direct heir of to her family and was pushed down in the line of succession, the only path left for her was to be used in a political marriage.

Sons and daughters of noble families who wanted Asella when she was the direct heir to the Chartus family. Until Anthony, whom her stepfather adopted as his son, came. He had yet to inherit the family formally or marry.

Despite the dishonourable words that followed her name, Asella was still the first-born daughter to Adele, the former Marchioness of Chartus.

It had been a few years, but the nobles still questioned the reason causing Asella to lose her status as the direct heir to the Chartus family.

In addition to that, opinions were divided regarding Anthony, who was distant blood of the family, and whether he could become the successor of the family. And due to that, the position of the family heir was still unfilled.

And although they weren't yet ten years old, the Chartus family had another child, Mariel Chartus.

Philip, who went out of his way to adopt Anthony, was filled with rage every time he heard such rumours regarding Anthony. Because of this, he would always vent his anger on Asella by shouting and throwing random objects at her.

But at that time, the young Asella couldn't escape and had to endure her stepfather abusing her with brutal violence.

Since she had no power or backing, there was no one to help her.

When Philip gained status, the servants would hide themselves in places where his gaze wouldn't reach them, and some of them even participated in violent behaviour toward Asella.

Philip's harassment was brutally persistent. His abusive language and violence continued for a whopping seven years, during which Asella lost her natural brightness and liveliness.

Her blue eyes, which had none brighter than anyone else's, somehow became full of desperation. The once freely-spirited child, who wandered all over the mansion, grew up to became a quite and docile lady according to Philip's will.

It all began with the death of Asella's mother, Adele Chartus when she was around eleven years old.

Philip showed his true colours as soon as Adele died. When the mask of the gentle, good man peeled off, the only thing left was a man full of malicious desires, self-righteousness and a fierce sense of inferiority.