A powerful full drama movie filled with love, secrets, and unexpected twists.
Follow a powerful story where relationships are tested, hidden truths are revealed, and lives change forever. From romantic moments to shocking surprises, this drama keeps you engaged from beginning to end.
Featuring stories about CEO, billionaire lifestyles, family connections, and life-changing decisions, this movie delivers strong emotions and unforgettable scenes.
Watch the full movie and discover what happens in the end.
New full drama movies uploaded regularly. Stay tuned for more captivating and trending stories.
#drama #fullmovie #lovestory #dramatic #billionaire #ceo #family #relationships #movie #story
Follow a powerful story where relationships are tested, hidden truths are revealed, and lives change forever. From romantic moments to shocking surprises, this drama keeps you engaged from beginning to end.
Featuring stories about CEO, billionaire lifestyles, family connections, and life-changing decisions, this movie delivers strong emotions and unforgettable scenes.
Watch the full movie and discover what happens in the end.
New full drama movies uploaded regularly. Stay tuned for more captivating and trending stories.
#drama #fullmovie #lovestory #dramatic #billionaire #ceo #family #relationships #movie #story
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AmusantTranscription
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, Simas, 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.
00:56He 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?
01:30Playful.
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, a fairy tale.
01:52I was her insurance policy, the debt slave who came with the dowry.
01:56I was happy for her, really.
01:57But 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, Dante's in his prime.
02:16All 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.
02:37Just 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.
02:52Dante 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.
03:29Don'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.
03:46A bite is nothing to him.
03:47But now he's using it as foreplay.
03:49A joke between spouses.
03:50I 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?
04:00Are 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, no 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.
04:42The 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.
04:54The 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 to
05:01marry 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.
05:10No society woman would agree.
05:12Not even the servants or cleaners are willing.
05:14I'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.
05:26I 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.
06:34You'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, it 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.
07:14It 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?
07:43I'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.
07:57A title?
07:58You're Bianca's servant.
08:01Only 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.
08:19It 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.
08:48Gifts from allied families.
08:49All 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.
09:00His devotion, Dante 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,
09:10it would destroy his reputation.
09:12The 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.
09:35She sobs.
09:36After everything we've done for her, how can she be so cruel?
09:40The gatekeeper's son is mentally disabled,
09:42functions like a toddler, and violently unstable.
09:45He loves hurting people.
09:47Only by marrying me to him can I continue sleeping with Dante
09:50without 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 Simus' 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,
10:19massaging her legs.
10:20Dante'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, Poppy.
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.
11:41Poppy 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 have.
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 traitors 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
12:21mountains.
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.
12:33As 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.
12:53The 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.
13:0027 now.
13:01The brothers look nothing alike.
13:02Dante's a soldier.
13:04Tan, muscular, hard.
13:05Silas is delicate, pale, almost beautiful if you ignore the gender.
13:09I ask the doctor about Silas' preferences.
13:12Temperament, things 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.
13:21I 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.
13:40I 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.
14:34But 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.
15:26His skin is cold.
15:27The moment our breath mingles, I shiver.
15:29Silas leans back slightly.
15:31His throat, pale and sharp.
15:33Looking 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.
15:50I feel a flicker of guilt.
15:51But 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.
16:21I 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,
16:29Medicine 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's 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's condition to the matriarch.
17:03He's genuinely improved.
17:05He's not teetering on the edge anymore.
17:06The matriarch asks cautiously,
17:08How 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 compliments 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,
17:30How 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.
17:39Alara used to serve my husband quite well, too.
17:43The air goes still.
17:45I try to stay calm.
17:46But my hands shake uncontrollably.
17:48Silas looks at her, expression unreadable.
17:51He says evenly,
17:52Is that how you speak to your future sister-in-law?
17:54The matriarch's warm expression hardens.
17:57She says slowly,
17:58You're young, daughter-in-law.
17:59But 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.
18:07Hurt, 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,
18:21with a voice and build identical to hers.
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,
18:33and threw her at Bianca's feet.
18:34Bianca fainted.
18:35And then, Dante said since she won't share his bed,
18:38he won't go to her rooms anymore.
18:40They're sleeping separately now.
18:42I murmur acknowledgement.
18:43She's still up there.
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.
18:59So why, when she switched to someone else,
19:01did 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,
19:06filled with fat coin.
19:07Silas sits with the matriarch,
19:09feeding the fish,
19:10making 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,
19:17someone slams me against a pillar.
19:19A hand covers my mouth.
19:20I open my eyes wide, helpless.
19:22And in the dark,
19:23Dante's face looms close.
19:25His eyes are sharp,
19:27almost violent,
19:28as he demands,
19:29is 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,
19:45and I'll have my answer.
19:46I stare at him,
19:47shocked.
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,
19:57and now you're actually going to marry my elder 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,
20:11Bianca would have married me to an imbecile.
20:13By then,
20:14I'd be another man's wife.
20:15Even if Dante wanted to give me a title,
20:17he couldn't.
20:18I'd be trapped forever,
20:19an invisible shadow beneath him,
20:21satisfying his needs,
20:23never a threat to Bianca.
20:24That was her plan.
20:25Dante clearly didn't know.
20:27While he's stunned,
20:28I stomp on his foot and run.
20:30Stumbling,
20:30gasping,
20:31I 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.
20:41The 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.
20:59On 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,
21:09I 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,
21:15I 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,
21:29he 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,
21:37it 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.
21:48Even after Silas dies,
21:49the 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,
22:04my responsibilities increase.
22:06I have to help Silas dress and 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
22:26during his baths.
22:27He treats us like cats or dogs.
22:28He doesn't care.
22:29Silas grits his teeth.
22:30Have you no shame?
22:31I 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,
22:48staring blankly.
22:49Someone 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 highborn 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 highborn 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, passionate, bold.
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, asking if I want to go.
24:44I sigh quietly.
24:45If you go, I'll wait outside.
24:47In front of outsiders, I have to remember my place.
24:49The lady doesn't wait for an answer.
24:51She steps past me, delighted,
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 highborn 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,
25:12today 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, when 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.
25:54I 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 highborn,
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,
26:18then 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
26:36and 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, do 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
27:34ended on the way back from the festival.
27:38He asked if I was happy.
27:40I wiped my nose.
27:41Yes, Silas looked at me.
27:42Happy about the festival?
27:43I thought about it, then lied.
27:44No, I 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, expressionless.
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
28:00might 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, you really are heartless.
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