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(2026) - FULL ENGSUB | Reelshort Hot HD
Full Chinese Movie EngSub
Chinese Drama English Sub Full HD
#shortdrama #bestdrama #actionmovie #Drama #Film #Show #Anime #Movie #cdrama #Movies #BILLIONAIRE #shortdrama #dramashort #shortfilmdrama #minidrama #shortstorydrama #webdrama #indiedrama #shortfilmseries #shortdramaseries #dramashorts #englishmovie #cdrama #drama #movieshortfull
#BillionaireObsession #VirginAuction #MrDelaney #AlphaRomance #DarkDesire #SoldToHim #DailymotionDrama
#goodfilms romance #bestfilmromance #romance #filmromance #drama romance
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Short filmTranscript
00:00I was a maid, but every night I took my lady's place in my Dawn's bed.
00:03On the bed, I begged him to give me a title as one of his mistresses.
00:07But he doesn't even look up.
00:08What are you thinking? You're nothing but a debt slave.
00:11I close my eyes against the despair.
00:13Everyone knows how Dante Moretti worships his wife.
00:16The next morning, I kneel before the matriarch and make my offer.
00:19I'll marry the dying heir, Simus, Dante's elder brother.
00:23The old woman's eyes go wet.
00:25After the ceremony, you'll be a widow forever.
00:28Child, are you certain?
00:30No regrets.
00:31In my peripheral vision, Dante and Bianca go white as corpses.
00:37Dante comes to Bianca's room again tonight.
00:39They curl together by the fireplace, all whispered promises and silk robes.
00:44Bianca's cheeks flush pink as she slips away to the bathroom.
00:47Before she goes, she kills every light, the usual routine.
00:50One cigarette's worth of time later, I push through the door.
00:53Took you long enough.
00:55He pulls me into his lap, then frowns.
00:58Christ, you're freezing.
00:59I was outside, watching the snow.
01:02I say it quietly.
01:03The truth.
01:04I've been standing in the hallway in my slip dress, waiting for my cue to replace her.
01:08By dawn, I'm wrecked.
01:10I slip out before the sun breaks, muscles screaming.
01:13Bianca waits for me in the adjoining room.
01:14I kneel, ignoring the ache in my spine, and repeat everything Dante said during the night.
01:19Word for word, Bianca's eyes drop to the bruises on my throat.
01:23Her expression goes dark.
01:25She pads silently back to the bed, sliding in beside her husband.
01:29Sneaking off to meet some other man?
01:31Playful.
01:31Teasing.
01:32Bianca hits his chest, mock offended.
01:34I back out of the room before they notice.
01:36Bianca is beautiful, but her body is fragile, breakable.
01:39That's why no one proposed to her when she was younger.
01:42At the spring gala, Dante saw her across the garden and fell like a man shot.
01:46He married her with his family name, full honors, a queen.
01:50They were perfect together.
01:51A fairy tale.
01:52I was her insurance policy, the debt slave who came with the dowry.
01:56I was happy for her, really.
01:58But on their wedding night, Bianca collapsed.
02:00Dante's a soldier, a killer, built for violence, not gentleness.
02:04Three nights in a row, they couldn't finish.
02:06Overnight, Bianca became a joke in the Moretti compound.
02:10Everyone whispered that she couldn't satisfy him, that the mistresses would bury her.
02:14And maybe they were right.
02:15Dante's in his prime, all testosterone and hunger.
02:18Even if he loves her, how long can a man go without?
02:21Desperate, Bianca found a solution.
02:25Every night, kill the lights, send in a substitute.
02:28In the dark, Dante can't see the face beneath him.
02:31Of all her servants, I'm the only one who matches her build and voice.
02:35She promised me three years, just three years to fix her body, get stronger.
02:40After that, she'd pay me off and let me go.
02:42I'm a debt slave.
02:43My whole family's lives are in her hands.
02:45I never had a choice.
02:46An hour later, Bianca and Dante finally get up.
02:49I rest briefly in my room, then return to set out breakfast.
02:53Dante stares at me.
02:54Why are you dressed like that?
02:55I don't know how to answer.
02:56My lips press together, nervous.
02:58Dante's rough in bed.
02:59He leaves marks, everywhere.
03:01I have to wear high collars to hide them.
03:03Bianca pushes him lightly.
03:05Don't you remember?
03:06Alada's mute.
03:07She can't speak.
03:08I nod quickly.
03:09When I'm serving Bianca, I always cross paths with Dante.
03:12She's terrified of being exposed, so she forbids me from talking.
03:16Everyone in the compound thinks I'm mute.
03:18Your little mute's actually pretty.
03:20Shame.
03:21Bianca's smile turns sharp.
03:23What's that supposed to mean, husband?
03:24You interested in her?
03:26She looks at me with cold, barely concealed violence.
03:29Dante laughs.
03:30Don't blame me.
03:31Blame yourself.
03:32He rolls up his sleeve, showing off his arm.
03:34The bite mark.
03:35My body goes rigid.
03:36Last night, Dante pushed too hard.
03:38I cried myself hoarse, then bit him in desperation and fury.
03:42He's a made man, covered in scars from wars and interrogations.
03:45A bite is nothing to him.
03:47But now he's using it as foreplay.
03:49A joke between spouses.
03:51I kneel on the floor, hands ice cold.
03:53I don't know how long I stay there.
03:54Then scalding tea splashes across my skin.
03:57You bitch!
03:58How dare you bite the Don?
03:59Are you trying to humiliate me?
04:03I don't get a chance to explain.
04:05Bianca has me bound and dragged to the storage basement.
04:08No food.
04:09No water.
04:09Dante's gone to inspect the territories outside the city.
04:12He'll be gone three, maybe five days.
04:14However long he's away, that's how long I'm locked up.
04:17When I'm barely conscious, my sister Poppy bribes the guard and brings me soup.
04:21She's my sister.
04:22Came with me as part of Bianca's dowry.
04:24She doesn't know about the substitution arrangement.
04:26Allura, what did you do to make her this angry?
04:28I shake my head.
04:30I just ask when Dante's coming back.
04:32I heard the housekeeper's talking.
04:33The Don's returning tonight.
04:35He's going to Bianca's room.
04:36I exhale in relief.
04:37Then I ask what else is happening outside.
04:40The eldest Maradi, his condition's gotten worse.
04:43The doctors say there's nothing they can do.
04:44They're preparing for the end.
04:45Dante has an older brother.
04:47Silas was born with a terminal genetic condition, the family curse.
04:51He's been dying his whole life, which is why Dante inherited the position.
04:55The eldest has never married.
04:56Poppy sighs softly.
04:57The matriarch doesn't want him going to the Drev alone, so she's looking for someone
05:01to marry his corpse.
05:03A ghost marriage.
05:04The bride follows the groom into death.
05:06Silas has days left, maybe hours.
05:08Marry him, and you're a widow for life.
05:11No society woman would agree.
05:12Not even the servants or cleaners are willing.
05:15I'm released.
05:16Allura, I was impulsive.
05:18Bianca has food brought to me.
05:19I meant to let you out after a few hours, but things got busy and I forgot.
05:24Don't hold it against me.
05:25I murmur that I wouldn't dare.
05:27Bianca nods graciously.
05:29I want to leave.
05:31You want to leave?
05:32Bianca's face changes instantly.
05:34Yes.
05:35My body isn't recovered yet.
05:37Dante still needs you.
05:38I look up, shocked.
05:40Bianca laughs lightly.
05:41If you insist on leaving, I'll just have Poppy replace you.
05:44Your sisters.
05:45Same build, same voice.
05:47How old is she?
05:48Thirteen?
05:49Or is it fourteen?
05:52After a long moment, I hear my own teeth chattering.
05:55Then, could you give me a title?
05:57Let Dante acknowledge me?
05:59You want to be mistress?
06:01If I wanted to give Dante a mistress, I have a hundred options.
06:05You wouldn't even make the list.
06:07And don't try going to him directly.
06:09He thinks you're a toy.
06:11Even if you became his bedwarper, I could crush you with one finger.
06:14I can barely breathe.
06:16But slaves are supposed to be married off eventually.
06:20Am I supposed to be her body double forever?
06:23The gatekeeper's son is your age.
06:25When you turn sixteen next year, I'll let you marry him.
06:28When Dante returns, I'm still kneeling on the floor, dazed.
06:32Bianca stands, smiling.
06:33You're back.
06:35These past few days must have been exhausting.
06:37This girl brought of the Persian crystal glasses.
06:40I'm having her kneel for fifteen minutes.
06:42Dante didn't even glance at me.
06:43How's the situation with my brother?
06:45Bianca sighs.
06:46I've asked every woman in the compound, but honestly, a ghost marriage is terrifying.
06:51No young woman will agree.
06:52What's there to disagree about?
06:54Find someone.
06:55Leverage her family.
06:56It's done.
06:57That kind of coercion?
06:58It could anger the matriarch.
07:00Offer enough money, someone will bite.
07:02Apply enough pressure, someone will break.
07:04Mother doesn't like you.
07:05If you handle this cleanly, she'll change her mind.
07:08Bianca murmurs agreement.
07:09Every time Dante returns from patrol, he's insatiable.
07:13Tonight, I give him everything I have.
07:15It makes him lose control more than once.
07:17What's gotten into you?
07:18You miss me or something?
07:19I don't answer.
07:20I just push myself up, trembling, and kiss his cheek.
07:24I'm never this forward.
07:26Dante exhales softly.
07:28Good girl.
07:31As dawn approaches, I try to leave.
07:33He catches me, pulling me back.
07:35Where do you think you're going?
07:36I freeze.
07:39Dante nuzzles my face, almost affectionate.
07:42I can smell the difference, you know?
07:44I've known about you and Bianca's little game for a while now.
07:47No wonder he's gotten rougher each time.
07:49He knew all along it wasn't his wife beneath him, so he didn't have to hold back.
07:53I whisper,
07:54When will you give me a title?
07:55Dante laughs.
07:56A title?
07:57You're Bianca's servant.
08:00Only she can grant you that.
08:03If I did it myself, it'd hurt our marriage.
08:05Tell me your name.
08:06I'll have jewelry sent to you.
08:08When Bianca's recovered, I'll make you a bed warmer.
08:10I close my eyes, bitter.
08:13Why bother granting status to someone you can have without commitment?
08:17Bianca was right.
08:18Sex doesn't earn love.
08:20It earns scraps.
08:21When I don't respond, Dante smiles.
08:24What, speechless with joy?
08:26I laugh, tears streaming down my face.
08:29Thank you for your generosity, Don Morelli.
08:33But I don't think I'll live long enough to enjoy it.
08:36He hates greedy women.
08:37Don't get greedy just because I've fucked you a few times.
08:39A bed warmer isn't enough?
08:40You want to be a mistress?
08:41You should consider your mistress dignity.
08:45Dante keeps mistresses in the compound, gifts from allied families, all from respectable backgrounds.
08:51Someone like me, a debt slave, doesn't qualify.
08:55Since marrying Bianca, he hasn't touched any of them.
08:58People praise him for his restraint, his devotion.
09:01Dante loves hearing it.
09:03Bianca's father is a powerful senator.
09:05He's helped Dante behind the scenes more than once.
09:07If Dante took the senator's daughter's servant as a mistress, it would destroy his reputation.
09:13The more I think about it, the clearer it becomes.
09:16Tonight's promises are just post-sex sentimentality.
09:18When he's clear-headed, he'll regret it.
09:21He's planning to be Bianca's devoted husband for life.
09:24I say quietly.
09:25I'm nothing.
09:26I don't deserve a title or your bed.
09:29I just hope you and Bianca live happily ever after.
09:32Poppy hears about Bianca's plan to marry me to the gatekeeper's son.
09:36After everything we've done for her, how can she be so cruel?
09:40The gatekeeper's son is mentally disabled, functions like a toddler, and violently unstable.
09:45He loves hurting people.
09:47Only by marrying me to him can I continue sleeping with Dante without threatening Bianca.
09:52I made my mind now.
09:53The next morning, I went straight to the matriarch.
09:56My lady, I volunteer to be Simas' widow.
10:01The matriarch is shocked and delighted.
10:03She asks my name, birthdate, hometown.
10:06The fortune teller calculates, nodding repeatedly.
10:08This girl's chart matches Silas perfectly.
10:11She was born into hardship.
10:12She carries good karma.
10:14The marriage will help him in the next life.
10:15Dante and Bianca arrive quickly.
10:17As they enter, I'm kneeling beside the matriarch, massaging her legs.
10:21Dante's laugh echoes.
10:22This is the girl willing to marry my brother?
10:24Bianca smiles sweetly.
10:25I wonder which household she's from.
10:27Such a kind heart.
10:28Mother should reward her generously.
10:30I turn and bow to them.
10:31It's me, Don Moretti.
10:33Signora.
10:33Dante stares.
10:34You're not mute.
10:35I shake my head.
10:36I can speak.
10:37Bianca just doesn't like my voice.
10:38She forbade me from talking.
10:40A few words, and Bianca's face drains of color.
10:43The matriarch grips my hand, her weathered face full of warmth.
10:46I had no idea you had such a treasure in your household.
10:48What loyalty.
10:49She wipes her eyes.
10:50But once you marry him, you'll be a widow for life.
10:53Are you sure?
10:54I bow low.
10:54No regrets.
10:55In my periphery, Dante's hand clenches at his side.
10:58He stares at me, disbelief written across his face.
11:01The matriarch pats my hand.
11:03Child, what do you want?
11:04Money?
11:04Jewels?
11:05Anything I can give?
11:06I will.
11:07I turn to Bianca.
11:08My gaze is cold.
11:09She forces a smile, unconsciously stepping back.
11:12After a long pause, I lower my eyes.
11:14I have a sister.
11:15Poppy.
11:16Please let her serve you, matri...
11:18Of course.
11:18Any servant in this house, I can reassign.
11:21With your devotion, I'll protect her for life.
11:23Bianca's smile strains.
11:25Mother, Poppy is my servant.
11:26Part of my dowry.
11:27I don't mean to be selfish, but...
11:29Dante cuts her off.
11:30Voice hard.
11:30She's just a servant.
11:31If mother wants her, give her.
11:33What's there to discuss?
11:34The matriarch's expression sours as she stares at Bianca.
11:37Bianca bites her lip and orders someone to fetch mine and Poppy's contracts.
11:42Poppy becomes the matriarch's personal attendant.
11:46The matriarch tells me that before she dies, she'll arrange a secure future for Poppy.
11:50I only wanted to free Poppy from Bianca's control.
11:53I didn't expect the matriarch to plan her entire life.
11:56Grateful, I promised to care for Silas with everything I had.
11:59At the mention of her cursed eldest son, the matriarch's eyes fill with tears.
12:03She tells me the story.
12:04When she was pregnant with Silas, there was an uprising.
12:07Insurgents and traders working together.
12:09The old dawn went to war.
12:10The battle was brutal.
12:11He nearly died.
12:12The matriarch, sick with worry, went into early labor.
12:15Silas was born without breath.
12:17By chance, the dawn returned victorious that night, bringing with him a doctor from the remote mountains.
12:22The doctor practiced strange, ancient medicine.
12:24He brought Silas back from death.
12:26It should have been a blessing, but the doctor warned.
12:28This was against nature.
12:30Silas would only live 30 years.
12:32And it was true.
12:32As a boy, Silas was too weak to train as a soldier, but his mind was sharp.
12:37He studied, took exams, excelled.
12:39But the older he got, the sicker he became.
12:42Eventually, he stopped leaving the compound.
12:44Now he lives in a cabin by the lake.
12:45Since I've agreed to marry him, I should stay by his side.
12:48He doesn't like being attended to, so only the doctor stays with him.
12:52The same mountain doctor from years ago.
12:54The doctor leads me into the inner room.
12:55Silas is still asleep.
12:57My eyes fall on his trembling lashes.
12:59He's two years older than Dante, 27 now.
13:01The brothers look nothing alike.
13:02Dante's a soldier.
13:04Tan, muscular, hard.
13:05Silas is delicate, pale.
13:07Almost beautiful if you ignore the gender.
13:09I ask the doctor about Silas' preferences.
13:12Temperament.
13:12Things to avoid.
13:13By sunset, Silas finally wakes.
13:17It's time for his medicine.
13:19I've spent all afternoon learning to brew it from the doctor.
13:22I kneel in front of him, holding the bowl above my head.
13:25You're the woman who's going to marry my corpse?
13:28Yes.
13:29He glances at me.
13:30Stand up.
13:31I rise obediently.
13:33Please drink your medicine, signore.
13:35He takes the bowl calmly, then tilts it, pouring the black liquid into a potted plant.
13:41I don't want to.
13:42What are you going to do about it?
13:44I stare at him in silence.
13:45The doctor told me Silas is deeply principled, emotional.
13:49I asked what that meant.
13:50The doctor stroked his beard and told me an old story.
13:53At 13, Silas passed the civil exams.
13:56At 15, he ranked third in the nation.
13:59His name was everywhere.
14:00A brilliant political career waited for him.
14:02But the night before his appointment, he went to the lake with Dante.
14:05He fell in.
14:06His condition flared.
14:07He was unconscious for days.
14:09The matriarch, enraged, had every servant near him beaten, crippled, sold off.
14:14After that, the young master refused to let anyone serve him.
14:17I understand what the doctor's really saying.
14:19Silas isn't the type to see servants as objects.
14:22He was raised on philosophy and ethics.
14:24He has principles, boundaries.
14:26He's different from Dante.
14:27The doctors stayed with him all these years without complaint.
14:30That says something about Silas's character.
14:32And Silas knows I'm going to marry him, but he's still lashing out at me.
14:36A strange, absurd thought forms in my mind.
14:38Seeing me stare, Silas's smile fades for a moment.
14:41Why do you keep looking at me?
14:42I quietly brew another bowl of medicine and return, my tone even.
14:46Signore, I can't force you to do anything.
14:49But since I'm marrying you eventually, I might as well.
14:52I stir the liquid slowly.
14:53I might as well exercise my wifely authority now.
14:58Silas looks genuinely shocked, as if he can't believe I'd say something so audacious.
15:02Either you drink the medicine now, or he almost laughs.
15:06Or what?
15:06I press my lips together.
15:08The doctor told me Silas hasn't taken his medicine in six months.
15:11That's why he's so close to death.
15:12If this continues, he really won't last much longer.
15:15I hesitate for only a second.
15:17Then I move quickly.
15:18I gulped a big mouth of the medicine.
15:20I gripped his jaw.
15:21I lean down and feed him the medicine mouth to mouth.
15:24Soft.
15:25Brief.
15:25His skin is cold.
15:27The moment our breath mingles, I shiver.
15:29Silas leans back slightly.
15:31His throat, pale and sharp, looking like it might break through his skin.
15:35A few seconds later, when I pull back, his face has flushed deep red, like mountain mist,
15:40at dawn.
15:41Those lashes flutter with indignation.
15:43Dante once flirted with a nun at a chapel.
15:45The nun's tear-streaked, humiliated face looked disturbingly like Silas's does now.
15:49I feel a flicker of guilt, but I promised the matriarch I'd take care of him.
15:53I suppress my racing heartbeat and force myself to stay calm.
15:57If you don't drink, I'll...
16:00I'll do it again.
16:03Silas glares at me, furious.
16:05After a long moment, he snatches the bowl from my hands and drains it in one gulp.
16:09The doctor, seeing Silas finally taking his medicine, is overjoyed.
16:13I lean forward to wipe the residue from his lips.
16:16The proximity makes him tense.
16:17In my periphery, that pale, skeletal hand grips the blanket tightly.
16:22I speak gently.
16:23Signore, you've improved these past few days.
16:25You're not as cold anymore.
16:27It's because of the medicine.
16:28Silas says coldly, medicine is useless.
16:30I coax him patiently.
16:32The doctor works so hard brewing it for you.
16:34If you refuse every time, he'll be heartbroken.
16:36I hold out my hands, fingers spread.
16:38Look, brewing medicine requires constant temperature checks to preserve the potency.
16:42I've only been doing this a few days, and my hands already look like this.
16:46He's been doing it for years.
16:47My once smooth fingers are now covered in burns and blisters.
16:51Silas' gaze lingers on them.
16:52He presses his lips together, then irritably drinks the dregs at the bottom of the bowl.
16:57After that, he takes his medicine without argument.
17:00Half a month later, the doctor reports Silas' condition to the matriarch.
17:03He's genuinely improved.
17:05He's not teetering on the edge anymore.
17:07The matriarch asks cautiously, how did he recover so quickly?
17:10Is it a rally before the end?
17:12The doctor smiles, gesturing to me.
17:14Don't worry, matriarch.
17:15The young master is truly better.
17:17It's thanks to this girl.
17:19As I told you before, her life force is strong.
17:21It complements his perfectly.
17:23In the sitting room, all eyes turn to me.
17:25The matriarch's expression softens.
17:27She beckons me to sit beside her.
17:29She asks Silas, how has Alara been treating you?
17:31Silas is quiet for a second.
17:33She takes good care of me.
17:34The matriarch nods, pleased.
17:36Her gaze growing warmer.
17:38Silas doesn't know.
17:40Alara used to serve my husband quite well too.
17:44The air goes still.
17:45I try to stay calm, but my hands shake uncontrollably.
17:48Silas looks at her, expression unreadable.
17:51He says evenly, is that how you speak to your future sister-in-law?
17:54The matriarch's warm expression hardens.
17:57She says slowly, you're young, daughter-in-law, but that's no excuse for disrespect.
18:01Dante snaps his head toward Bianca.
18:03Mother and my brother are here.
18:05Know your place.
18:05Bianca lowered her head, hurt, her eyes glistening.
18:08Days pass.
18:09Poppy rushes to find me, bursting with news.
18:12From her, I learn.
18:13Bianca found another replacement.
18:15This time, she didn't choose from the household servants.
18:18She bought a woman from outside, trained and prepared, with a voice and build identical to
18:23hers.
18:23I'm confused.
18:24How do you know about this?
18:26Poppy says.
18:27That night, Dante suddenly lit every lamp in the room.
18:30Then he went insane, beat the woman half to death, and threw her at Bianca's feet.
18:34Bianca fainted.
18:36And then, Dante said since she won't share his bed, he won't go to her rooms anymore.
18:40They're sleeping separately now.
18:42I murmur acknowledgement.
18:43She's still hungry.
18:44Separate bedroom.
18:44It's freezing.
18:44That tells the whole compound their marriage is broken.
18:47No favor from her husband.
18:49No love from her mother-in-law.
18:50No children.
18:51No wonder Bianca looks so haggard.
18:53But Dante tolerated my substitution for years.
18:56He clearly didn't care about her using a replacement.
18:58So why, when she switched to someone else, did he turn on her?
19:02I don't know.
19:02And I don't want to know.
19:04The lake pavilion is surrounded by water, filled with fat koi.
19:07Silas sits with the matriarch, feeding the fish, making her laugh.
19:11His thin frame looks fragile in the night wind.
19:13I go back inside to fetch a shawl.
19:15On my way through the winding corridor, someone slams me against a pillar.
19:19A hand covers my mouth.
19:20I open my eyes wide, helpless.
19:22And in the dark, Dante's face looms close.
19:25His eyes are sharp, almost violent, as he demands, is it you or not?
19:32My heart sinks.
19:33I struggle.
19:34Speak.
19:35Or are you going to play mute again?
19:37His hand feels like a snake coiling around my face.
19:39You think staying quiet will save you?
19:41His voice drops.
19:42I don't need your voice to know.
19:44One night in bed, and I'll have my answer.
19:46I stare at him, shocked.
19:48Is he insane?
19:49I'm about to marry his brother.
19:50I'm his brother's woman now.
19:52How dare he?
19:53Dante studies me.
19:54Voice ice cold.
19:55You've been my bed partner for three years, and now you're actually going to marry my
19:59elder brother.
20:00How dare you play us both?
20:02Especially me.
20:03Wouldn't being my bed warmer be better than being a widow?
20:06You really want to marry a dead man?
20:07I finally shove him off.
20:09I just wanted to survive.
20:10If I didn't do this, Bianca would have married me to an imbecile.
20:13By then, I'd be another man's wife.
20:15Even if Dante wanted to give me a title, he couldn't.
20:18I'd be trapped forever.
20:19An invisible shadow beneath him, satisfying his needs.
20:22Never a threat to Bianca.
20:24That was her plan.
20:25Dante clearly didn't know.
20:27While he's stunned, I stomp on his foot and run.
20:30Stumbling, gasping, I reach the light.
20:32Silas' silhouette appears suddenly at the end of the corridor.
20:35He's frowning.
20:36What took you so long?
20:39My heartbeat slows.
20:40The doctor chuckles.
20:42The young master was worried.
20:43He insisted on coming to find you.
20:45Silas makes a soft, dismissive sound.
20:48I was worried she'd fall in the lake and disturb the fish.
20:50I build Silas a wheelchair.
20:52Pushing him around is better than having him bedridden all day.
20:55There's a small grove along the corridor.
20:57On the left, the lake.
20:58On the right, a spring trickling down from a rock formation.
21:02Silas likes sitting there.
21:03He collects spring water for tea and reads in the shade.
21:06I lean against the rock to rest.
21:08Half asleep, I hear Silas' voice.
21:10Why did you want to marry me?
21:12I jolt awake.
21:13I lean against the rock to rest.
21:14I say, I didn't want to marry an imbecile.
21:17Silas lowers his gaze.
21:18I thought as much.
21:19He stops talking to me after that.
21:21I lean against the rock to rest.
21:23Silas' condition stabilizes.
21:25The doctor needs to gather rare herbs just in case.
21:28To prepare for emergencies, he gives me a small wooden box
21:31with a thumb-sized insect inside.
21:34It's an old technique from his homeland.
21:36If I crush the box, it sends a signal across any distance.
21:39Before leaving, the doctor teases.
21:42Should I start calling you senora now?
21:44Please don't joke like that, doctor.
21:45A ghost marriage is not a real marriage.
21:47Even after Silas dies, the title of the eldest Moretti son's wife
21:52will never belong to a debt slave.
21:54My final destination is a convent,
21:56where I'll spend the rest of my life
21:58praying for Silas' soul in the next world.
22:00It's the unspoken deal I made with the matriarch.
22:03With the doctor gone, my responsibilities increase.
22:06I have to help Silas dress.
22:08And bathe.
22:09The first time I try to wash him,
22:11his ears turn red, and he struggles,
22:14insisting he'll do it himself.
22:16Staring at his flushed earlobes,
22:18I wonder,
22:18has he never let a servant bathe him?
22:23Even after marriage,
22:24Dante has seven or eight attendants during his baths.
22:27He treats us like cats or dogs.
22:28He doesn't care.
22:29Silas grits his teeth.
22:31Have you no shame?
22:32I smile bitterly where he can't see.
22:33If I were an innocent girl,
22:35I'd be too embarrassed.
22:36But I'm not anymore.
22:37There's a term for women like me.
22:39I thought about it for a long time,
22:40until I finally saw it in a book.
22:42Damaged goods.
22:43The storybooks say women who've lost their virtue
22:46are damaged goods.
22:47I rest my chin in my hand,
22:49staring blankly.
22:50Someone drapes a coat over my shoulders.
22:52I turn.
22:52Silas' hand presses down on the book's cover.
22:55What are you reading now?
22:56I hide it behind my back,
22:57embarrassed.
22:58Silas has an enormous library.
23:00He treasures every book,
23:01but lets me read whatever I want.
23:02When he's in a good mood,
23:03he'll even teach me,
23:04pointing out which books are worth studying.
23:06I recite a memorized poem to show off.
23:08Wow,
23:09our Alara is so talented.
23:10His tone is teasing.
23:12I'm annoyed.
23:12You're talking to me like I'm a child.
23:14How old are you?
23:1518.
23:15I'm almost 10 years older than you.
23:17To me,
23:17you are a child.
23:18It makes a strange kind of sense.
23:20I zone out for a moment.
23:21Without realizing it,
23:22I've been with Silas for nearly two years.
23:24In that time,
23:25his body has been weak but stable.
23:27The doctor brews new medicines
23:29and performs strange rituals in the room,
23:31praying for Silas' longevity.
23:33Before the candles one night,
23:34the doctor tells Silas to make a wish.
23:37You make it for me.
23:38I freeze.
23:39A thousand thoughts flash through my mind.
23:41I say sincerely,
23:42I hope you're happy.
23:43What does that look like?
23:44I think for a moment.
23:46Healthy.
23:46Married to a high-born woman.
23:48Children.
23:49A successful career.
23:50Something like that.
23:51The candlelight flickers.
23:53Do you mean it?
23:53Our eyes meet.
23:54I look away.
23:55Does it matter if I mean it?
23:56What matters is that the doctor's prayers seem to work.
23:59Silas suddenly wants to leave the compound.
24:03I ask excitedly where we're going.
24:05He looks at me for a long time,
24:07then says,
24:07Today is a special day.
24:08I heard there's a lantern festival in the city.
24:10Lantern festivals happen all the time.
24:13Nothing special about that.
24:14But I haven't been to one
24:15since I was sold to Bianca's household.
24:17I want to see it.
24:17To avoid alerting anyone,
24:19I push Silas out through the back gate of the lake pavilion.
24:22That day,
24:22a high-born lady is also touring the city with her entourage.
24:26In the sea of lanterns and people,
24:28she spots Silas immediately.
24:29The lady is young,
24:30passionate,
24:31bold.
24:32She walks right up and challenges him to a riddle contest.
24:34I don't remember who won.
24:36I only remember her eyes shining as she said,
24:38I lost Barron Square.
24:39Let me buy you dinner at the best restaurant in the city.
24:42Silas glances at me,
24:43asking if I want to go.
24:44I sigh quietly.
24:45If you go,
24:46I'll wait outside.
24:47In front of outsiders,
24:48I have to remember my place.
24:50The lady doesn't wait for an answer.
24:51She steps past me,
24:52delighted,
24:53and pushes Silas' wheelchair herself.
24:55She doesn't care that he's in a wheelchair.
24:57She doesn't care about his health.
24:59So many high-born women rejected Silas because of his condition.
25:02Watching them disappear into the crowd,
25:04I feel inexplicably hollow.
25:06I never had him.
25:06So why does losing him hurt this much?
25:08I stand in the cold wind for a long time.
25:11Then I remember,
25:11today is my birthday.
25:14The lady is the regent's only daughter,
25:17adored beyond measure.
25:18When the regent and his wife come to propose the match,
25:20the matriarch is more shocked than pleased.
25:23That's when I learned the truth.
25:24The lady didn't fall for Silas at first sight at the festival.
25:26Years ago,
25:27when Silas was still a brilliant young man,
25:29she'd already lost her heart to him.
25:31After he fell ill,
25:32she refused every suitor,
25:34waiting for this day.
25:35Silas' marriage becomes the talk of the compound.
25:37Even the news that Dante's mistress is pregnant gets buried.
25:40If this match succeeds,
25:42the matriarch will be overjoyed.
25:43But Silas already agreed to a ghost marriage.
25:46To marry properly now,
25:47that arrangement has to be dissolved.
25:49So I know what I have to do.
25:50Just like when I knelt before the matriarch
25:52and said I'd marry Silas in the first place.
25:53I go to the matriarch and say calmly,
25:56I'm willing to leave.
25:57Let Silas have his happiness.
25:58I had the doctor check Silas and the lady's charts.
26:01They're a perfect match.
26:02The lady is high-born,
26:03accomplished in every art,
26:05and devoted to Silas.
26:06Even if he dies,
26:07she's willing to be his widow.
26:09There's no reason for me to stay.
26:10The matriarch,
26:11moved by my understanding,
26:13holds my hand and asks what I want.
26:15I hand over all the money I've saved over the years,
26:17then kneel.
26:18Please release me from servitude.
26:20The matriarch sighs.
26:21Child, you could ask me for so much more.
26:23I stay in the bowing position,
26:25unmoving.
26:26Tears roll down my cheeks,
26:27pooling on the stone floor.
26:28Poppy wants to come with me.
26:30I refuse.
26:30Life outside is hard.
26:32Staying here is easier.
26:33I tell her,
26:34as long as she serves the matriarch well
26:35and stays out of trouble,
26:37she'll have security and happiness as her sister.
26:40This is the best future I can give her.
26:42Poppy nods through tears,
26:43shoving money into my bag.
26:44On my last day,
26:46many people come to see me off.
26:47Old friends,
26:48fellow servants.
26:50Unexpectedly,
26:50Dante is among them.
26:53He looks down at me.
26:54If you want,
26:55I'll make you my mistress right now.
26:57Serve me the way you used to,
26:58and I'll favor only you.
26:59I stare at him for a long time,
27:01then laugh bitterly.
27:02Dante's expression hardens.
27:03Don't give me that look.
27:04What,
27:05you think you're too good for me?
27:06You waiting for Silas to come beg you to stay?
27:08He sneers.
27:09You don't know,
27:09do you?
27:10The moment you leave,
27:11the lady moves into the lake pavilion.
27:13That's devotion.
27:13You took care of Silas so carefully,
27:15and for what?
27:16The second he's healthy,
27:17he doesn't need you.
27:18You did all that work for someone else's happy ending.
27:21In a few years,
27:22do you think Silas will even remember you?
27:23He's not even here to say goodbye.
27:25That's how little you mean to him.
27:26My heart clenches painfully.
27:28Under his triumphant gaze,
27:29my smile fades.
27:31Silas has been cold to me for a long time now.
27:33Our last real conversation ended on the way back from the festival.
27:38He asked if I was happy.
27:40I wiped my nose.
27:41Yes,
27:41Silas looked at me.
27:42Happy about the festival?
27:43I thought about it,
27:44then lied.
27:44No,
27:45I was happy seeing you with that lady.
27:47You looked perfect together.
27:48My wish is coming true.
27:49Silas's smile vanished instantly.
27:51His face went bloodless,
27:53expressionless.
27:53As he stared at me,
27:54you're happy seeing me with another woman?
27:56I rubbed my frozen hands,
27:58forcing cheer into my voice.
28:00A woman that beautiful might become the family's first lady.
28:02Of course I'm happy.
28:03Silas stared at me for a long time.
28:05He said,
28:06Alara,
28:06you really are heartless.
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