The Lazy Life Of Raine

Happiness (2)

Elise Sweeny, was engaged a man she never met.  Her grandfather betrothed her to the grandson of his friends.  Her parents died young, so she was raised by her grandfather until he died of old age and because of an old illness.

However before he died, he made sure she married her husband and received a promise from the Devereux’s family that they would take care of her once she is married to Axel.  And would only recognize Elise as their daughter-in-law.

Axel Devereux was against the marriage from the start.  He did not want anything to do with Elise and believed that his marriage should be his right to choose who he wants to be his wife.

On the day of Elise's marriage to Axel, he did not show up to the wedding. Which caused the Sweeny and the Devereux family great embarrassment.  Instead he ran away to join the army, leaving a note behind letting his parents know of his decision.

This huge scene cause her grandfather to fall even more sick and soon afterwards, he passed away, leaving Elise to live with the Devereux's.  Elise was warmly welcomed by the Devereux family and lived as Axel’s betrothed for 10 years.

In those 10 years, Axel became a General and never came back home.  He refused to do so as long as Elise was still there. Elise felt bad that because of her, Axel stayed away from his family and home.  She tried to break up their marriage, however the Devereux’s would not hear of it.  

In the 11th year, Axel became missing in action and that is when he met his savior, Sabine, and fell in love with her.  Axel brought Sabine home to introduce to his family, however all he received in return was lectures and the denial of Sabine as his wife.  

In a fit of rage, Axel took Sabine away and the Devereux’s disinherted him from the family.  Elise didn’t want his family to fall apart, so ran after Axel and Sabine to try to stop them and talk with them.  However Axel blamed Elise for everything and did not listen to her.

As their carriage left the Devereux’s estate, Elise was not watching where she was going and was hit by a runaway carriage.  

Her eyes stayed open as she laid dying wishing that she could find her happiness in her own life and let Axel find his own happiness.  She didn’t want Axel to have a bad relationship with his family.

The time that Raine transmigrated into Elise’s body is just after her grandfather passed away, which means she is still engaged to Axel.  Raine has 10 years to make herself complete as many hidden side missions as possible. It was time to rake up Soul Force Points without any distraction.  As for her succubus, she could always find ways to feed it until she met Lui Wei again.

The carriage stopped and the door was opened by a maid wearing a bonnet.  Her blonde hair was braided and stuffed inside of the bonnet, however wisps of hair was peaking through.  

“Thank you, Odette.”  Raine said as Odette helped her down.  

The house in front of her was more like a castle.  The sandstone walls, large windows, and four towers loomed over her head as she looked around her.  Where the carriage stopped, was inside of the castle courtyard. The four towers connected to one another, while there was two gatehouses for entering and exiting the courtyard.  The castle itself had four different wings, and three levels on each wing.  

The west wing, housed the Devereux’s family.  It had 30 bedrooms, each with its own bathing room, a dining room, a receiving room, and a music room.  

The north wing had a ballroom, a dining hall, a music room, a large kitchen, a library and Duke Brice’s personal study.   The East wing, held the armory, blacksmith, dining hall, a kitchen, and 20 bedrooms for the high ranking guards. The south wing had 30 rooms that were for the servants and lower ranking guards, that was shared 2 to a room.  

On the east gatehouse was a stable that housed 30 horses and 5 carriages.  The south gatehouse road connected to the main road 200 yards away.

“Elise?”  Rose said as she looked back at Elise.  Rose had caught Elise twirling around as if she couldn’t believe that she would be living on the Devereux’s Castle from now on.  “Come, lets go inside.”

Elise turned back and nodded her head to her mother-in-law.  Rose took Elise’s arm and hooked their arms together. Rose lead them to the east wing and into the receiving room, where freshly brewed tea and snacks were already placed on the small table in front of the couch and the side chairs.  

Two men, one older than the other, but both with silver hair, sat across one another as they grimly stare at their tea with a frown on their face.  Rose and Elise sat down on the couch as tea was poured into a clean cup and handed to the both of them.

Elise took the tea and held it as she looked between her father-in-law, Brice, and her grandfather-in-law, Derek Devereux.  The silence in the room was quickly filled with the crackling from the fire that was reawakened with new logs of wood.

Derek and Brice’s heart felt heavy.  Especially Derek because it was Derek who suggested that their grandchildren be betrothed when they were just newly born.  

Elise’s family was a family of doctors who have saved the Devereux’s family more than once.  The friendship between the Devereux’s and Sweeny’s was one that lasted over several decades and Derek had wanted to tie the two families together. However his stubborn, thick head of a grandson, ran away to join the army without even telling them.  What was especially embarrassing was that he left on his wedding day, hurting the young Elise’s feelings and stepping all over her reputation.

Now with Elise all alone, they could only try to give her the best life possible by giving her a love of a family and the respect of their only recognized daughter-in-law.

In Axel’s letter he left, he repeatedly was adamant that he didn’t recognize the betrothal and will not recognize Elise as his wife.  He would rather live the rest of his life in the army than be married to Elise. And that he would not come back home until Elise is no longer living at Devereux’s Castle.  

Elise took a sip of her tea before she cleared her throat, drawing the attention of everyone there.  

“I would like to request something from you guys and I hope you can grant this request for me.”  Elise said as she placed her teacup down and looked at Derek then at Brice.