The unwanted child

I was born as the young daughter of Duke Tillberry, known as the emperor's strongest aid and watchman. I was the first daughter, but my mother died shortly after my birth, leaving me to be the cause of her demise. My father always despised me, turning a blind eye to my existence. I tried everything to gain his attention, even risking my life by jumping from a staircase, but to no avail. The maids treated me poorly, beating me and starving me, leaving scars all over my body. The head maid even stole my monthly budget for her own pleasure. I longed for someone in that house to acknowledge me, tired of living in such a hellish environment.

One day, I made the decision to run away. It was better to live as a commoner than to endure another moment in that dreadful place. I wrote a final letter to the man who called himself my father.

Dear Father,

I know I have caused you great pain since I was a child. I have only brought misfortune to this family. I may not have been the daughter you desired, but I want you to know that you have too many traitors among your so-called allies. The butler, whom you consider a friend and aide, has been stealing from the house expenses to gamble. If you doubt my words, check how much the expenses have decreased. I have lived a quiet life, trying desperately to gain your attention, but I am nothing but an eyesore to you. Today, I will put your worries to rest as I leave and never return, living a quiet life without the burden of the Tillberry name.

I apologize for all the sorrow I have brought upon you.

Your daughter (no longer),

Luna Tillberry

With determination in my heart, I placed the letter on his desk and gathered my few belongings, along with some food and money, to start a new life. It was my own expenses, after all. Putting on a maid uniform, I quietly slipped out the back door and headed on a long journey to the village.

Standing for what felt like hours, I prayed for someone to offer me assistance. Finally, a carriage man noticed me and inquired about my destination. With a heavy heart, I requested that I be taken far away from my current despair to a place where hope for a better life existed.

The carriage man observed the emptiness in her eyes, a reflection of the lifelessness within her. He then suggested a neighboring land ruled by an archduke who offered work and housing to commoners. It was rumored to be a place of warmth and opportunity under the new heir's rule. Without hesitation, I agreed to go anywhere but here.

As I boarded the carriage, leaving behind the hell I had known, I set off towards Arkan land with a glimmer of hope in my heart.

As we embarked on our journey towards the elusive Arkan kingdom, we found ourselves still far from reaching our destination. The cold nights seemed to linger, but perhaps the torture the maids had provided me with during our time now served as a blessing, granting me the strength to endure the harsh conditions.

Just as we were on the brink of entering the borders of the kingdom, a ruthless group of traffickers attacked our carriage, taking of all our possessions. They left me and the kind carriage man with nothing, forcing me to accept that misfortune is something that seemed to follow me.

For days on end, we were held captive by our merciless captors, barely given enough to survive. As I plotted my escape from the living nightmare that had become my reality, I unwittingly stumbled into an even darker end. My will to carry on was waning, my strength got smaller with each passing moment.

Before long, Luna Tillberry met her tragic end, a soul who had lived in the shadows unnoticed, her purity only recognized in her absence. The world had lost a ray of light, extinguished before its brilliance could truly be appreciated.

Not long after her disappearance, the man who was once called her father, upon reading her letter, noticed the unforgivable mistake he had made. He realized how he had brought his family to a dead end. He had promised his deceased wife that he would take care of their daughter, but he had been so focused on pitying himself that he had led his beloved daughter astray, only to try and escape from the consequences.

He later organized a search party to look for her, posting flyers with her beautiful face that reflected both his and his late wife's beauty. He had never felt so useless in his life. He had failed as a father. An old lady approached him and informed him that the girl in the flyer had headed to the Arkan kingdom and had been killed by traffickers. The lady had been in a carriage behind them and managed to escape when the traffickers attacked the first carriage.

In that moment, his whole world collapsed. For the first time in a while, he cried. Upon returning to the mansion, he vowed to punish everyone involved in his daughter's misery and held a funeral in her name to ease his guilt.

It is only when we lose what is precious to us that we realize its true importance. This is what happened to Luna's father. He lived each day filled with regret for his actions.

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Hey there, lovely readers! I truly hope you find delight in this little tale I'm about to share with you.