Bridal Lessons - Chapter 7
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Rosen was left alone in the world when she was six years old.
“Poor young lady, becoming an orphan overnight.”
“I heard it was a carriage accident? And during a family trip, no less…”
Three coffins laid side by side. A small girl, dressed in a black satin dress, stood alone in front of them. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying so much, and no more tears would come. At just six years old, people expressed sympathy for Dana, the late Count’s youngest daughter.
Misfortune struck in an instant. During a family trip to celebrate their youngest daughter’s birthday, a tragic accident occurred when the carriage wheel came off while passing a steep coastal cliff, claiming the lives of her entire family. Her kind father, gentle mother, and her older brother, newly knighted and nine years older than her…
Rosen survived miraculously because her mother instinctively shielded her as the carriage tumbled down the cliff.
The Dana family was one that cherished its children. With the death of Rosen’s brother, the family’s sole heir, and the Count being an only child, there was no one to inherit the title. According to Kylon law, women couldn’t inherit titles.
At that time, the laws were even more rigid than now. Upon the head of the family’s death, inheritance priority went jointly to the spouse and the eldest son, followed by other sons.
Unmarried daughters were at the most disadvantageous position in terms of inheritance. They were entirely excluded from the succession order, receiving only a minimal amount as a dowry.
Therefore, it was common for parents to make pre-emptive gifts to their daughters or for the remaining family members to allocate a portion of their inheritance to them. It was rare for an entire family to perish simultaneously, leaving only a young daughter behind, making Rosen’s case one of the worst scenarios.
Eventually, the title and estate of the Countdom were decided to be transferred entirely to a distant relative living in the provinces, someone Rosen had never even met.
“They say he didn’t even attend the funeral? He didn’t recognize the Countdom’s young lady at first because they had never interacted.”
“I heard the young lady is being sent to a convent. Even if he has no obligation to take her in, it would be proper to care for her until she gets married…”
The relative who unexpectedly inherited the fortune was greedy. Financially troubled due to consecutive business failures and gambling debts, he wasn’t satisfied with the windfall and even coveted Rosen’s small dowry.
Young Rosen, frequently ill due to the accident’s aftermath and the shock of losing her family, had a doctor bribed by the relative to falsely declare she had a contagious disease. Using this as an excuse, he planned to confine her in a remote convent for quarantine and recovery.
Even if she recovered, it would be attributed to divine intervention, forcing her to remain in the convent. Becoming a nun meant she couldn’t marry, and no dowry would be needed, which was his aim.
“Hm, I would like to take her in, but they say she has a contagious disease. I can’t risk my children.”
“Please, sir! Have mercy on poor Miss Rosen. Her previous doctor said it wasn’t contagious and that she would recover soon!”
“What does a nanny know about decisions that have already been made? The girl will leave tomorrow. Pack only the necessary items for living in the convent.”
The nanny, who had cared for Rosen since she was a baby, wept endlessly. She hoped someone might help, but the family, having few children, had no close relatives. Those who visited the house were only there to see if they could benefit in any way.
“Rosen, come here.”
“Uwaahhh, Brother, hiic, Iscaaa!”
If Iscarion hadn’t shown up that day, Rosen would have been sent to the remote convent, never to be seen again.
Iscarion was only fifteen when he took Rosen in. Having lost his own parents, the previous Grand Duke and Grand Duchess, early, he inherited the title at the age of ten and was already used to handling the responsibilities of the Grand Duchy of Lutèce.
Despite being extraordinarily calm and never showing much emotion, the mature boy was respected by the senior servants and the family elders alike.
But no matter how perfectly he performed his duties, bringing in a fiancée without any consultation was not proper procedure.
Even in a lesser noble family, such a significant matter required a family council for advice, yet he had unilaterally decided on the head of the family’s marriage.
Moreover, the chosen partner was an orphan with no inherited wealth, no father or brother supporting her—just a six-year-old little girl.
