NOVEL WEB Chapter 25: Motherly Love
When Ruth brought me into the house I was taken aback by how luxurious the place was. Compared to a prominent family like the Ronstines, the Baron's estate was nothing in comparison. Ruth held my hand as we walked through the house. "Rei, I had always wanted a daughter. Now my son brings me such a beautiful daughter in law, you have no idea how happy I was when I found out. Your father… If you can even call that man a father, was willing to sell you for money without even discussing how much. He signed the engagement agreement and even signed a contract saying that you could live with us from now on giving up his rights as a parent. He must be very angry right now."
I was confused by what Ruth meant. Why would that good for nothing be angry? Wouldn't he be happy to receive money for the daughter he sold off without a second thought? Seeing my questioning look Ruth let out a laugh and hugged me as she said: "I was so mad when I heard about how you were treated there that the amount we sent over was only thirteen coppers and a note saying 'The amount given for the dowry is for the years that our little Rei has lived. If you wish to make a fuss remember you were the one who sold us our new gem! She no longer has any relations to you.'"
I actually had no idea what my father for this world looked like but I am sure he was probably red in the face when reading that letter. I physically gave Ruth a thumbs up and smiled brightly. But one thing she did say made me realize that I was basically trapped in this engagement. It was a good thing I was willing to accept it and hope for a good outcome. If the Ronstines were not such good people and brought me in to be a slave, I would be stuck in a Cinderella kind of state until the day I turned of age. "I must thank you then for expressing some of my anger."
"Ah, why are you being so formal. I am your family, relax, and be yourself. Try it, call me mom." Ruth said, her eyes glowing with anticipation.
This of course made me blush as I responded in a hushed voice: "Mom..."
"Good! Good girl! Mom is very happy! Your room is right next to Able's and it is even connected." Ruth suddenly dropped a bombshell on to me.
I wondered if Ruth knew how old the two of us were or if this was just how this world worked. But as far as I knew marriage was not legal until one turned eighteen so why would she seemingly be showing me such expectant eyes as if she was hoping something would happen early between me and Able. "Ummm…. Is there a reason why it is connected?"
Ruth gave me a sly smile but spoke honestly."It's so Able can get to you if anything happens. Dear, I do not want to scare you but the side family is very... How should I put it? Scheming, I guess is the best word for it. That cousin of his has been aiming for him since she was little and she is a devil incarnate. I have seen what she has done to some of the maids that even remotely glance at Able. She of course was punished for it but she does not care. I think there is something wrong with her head."
I was a bit surprised to hear this but it was to be expected. From what I know of Sara, she was indeed cruel in her ways. There were a few times in Magical Love where Alissa was almost stripped of her clothes and her purity taken from her by the men Sara sent after her. Of course, Able always showed up in the nick of time to save her, but I was sure it was a scary experience to go through. I, myself, did not want to ever go through such a thing. I would rather kill myself than be touched by a man I did not love. Luckily I was not as easy a target as Alissa was in the game.
[Ding!]
[Mandatory Event Started!]
[Completion Guidelines: Show your dominance as the Young Miss of the Ronstine estate within the two years you are living there!]
[Rewards: Main Event: 10,000 System Points, Ten Save Tokens]
[Failure: Death!]
I looked at the event that sprung up on my screen and quickly closed it. I did not need to worry about such an event. If someone tried to mess with me, I already had Able's permission to deal with it as I see fit. And as it seems, Ruth also would not mind if I got a little rough with Sara if need be. So this event, I was not worried about passing. "System, will there be any more events with a main event going?"
"While a main event is running only bonus events can be given. Although some bonus events are mandatory the failure punishment is always light." The system replied.
"Alright thank you." Although it said death was the result of failure, I was confident I wouldn't fail.
"Rei this is your room." Ruth pushed open a double arched door that led into a large room that was the size of an apartment. This room had a large lounge area with a bedroom and even a small kitchen. A large heated bath the size of a swimming pool resided in the bathroom I really did not know what to say. Compared to my house on Earth and the dusty room I lived in at the Baron's estate, this was like leveling up millions of times. "What do you think? I spent a good amount of time choosing the colors."
I looked around and to be honest I was in shock. But I did have to hand it to Ruth. Her idea of a girl's room matched mine well. It was very subtle with light blue hues and white allowing for a bright but low key atmosphere. To be honest I fell in love with the place as soon as I walked in. "Mom I love it!"
These words flowed out of my mouth naturally and the smile on my face was also very natural. I was not a materialistic kind of person but I could feel the thought and motherly love that went into redecorating this room. I was very touched. So touched that I hugged Ruth tightly without even thinking.