NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 5. My Love Will Never Be for Free
After arriving with the carriage in front of her house, Kara refused Klaus' suggestion to help her enter the house, claiming that if her neighbors were to see men leaving her house while her father was away, her reputation would be ruined. Klaus had no choice but to follow her with concern from the carriage as Kara limped into the house.
Once inside the house, Kara miraculously stopped limping. The blow to her knees looked truly terrifying on the training ground, but it wasn't that serious. Only her skin was injured. That's right! It was all just a performance.
'I hope you like my gift, Alice. That's what you deserve for treating me like a dog. Through my little theatrical act, I achieved all my goals. From now on, Klaus won't dare to challenge me in a fight for fear of hurting me again and because he believes he's stronger than me, and your image in front of Klaus is at its lowest point. Perhaps Klaus is arrogant and impulsive, but he is still a nobleman who has seen much more in life than you. Do you think Klaus hasn't seen what lies beneath your saintly mask? The only reason he played along with you is that you were a perfect tool to influence me. Let's see what you'll do now that you've lost your value. Do you think Klaus hasn't seen beautiful girls before he saw you? Or do you think that your class gives you any advantage? Wake up if you're dreaming about that! This country is full of beautiful and talented girls! This small town surrounded by forests is not the whole world!'
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Kara slept very well that night. Punishing Alice worked wonders for her state of mind. If Alice had been honest and told her that she couldn't have a romantic relationship with her and that she liked Klaus, Kara would have accepted it. Maybe she would try not to be as close to Alice anymore, but they could remain friends.
But Alice didn't do that. Kara was too important of a resource for her. She continued to give Kara hope, and Kara, being someone who always believed that if you fought with all your might for what you wanted, you would succeed in obtaining it, kept trying to win Alice's heart.
But now it's all over. All the cards have been laid on the table.
Kara learned two important things from her relationship with Alice. The first thing is that you need to recognize early on which battles cannot be won in order to retreat as soon as possible. Throughout her life, Kara had not experienced any significant failures. During hunting trips, she was always in control. She was never caught off guard or put in danger. Everything always went according to plan. This made Kara overly confident, and now she realized that too much self-assurance can lead you to difficulty.
The second thing she learned from her relationship with Alice is that you shouldn't let affection for someone become a weapon that can be used against you, even by your loved one. But what is the solution? How can you defend yourself against such a thing?
'To be strong, that is the solution. A dragon could roam without a care, even if everyone knew the location of his reverse scale. Who would dare to challenge it? In this world, three things give you power: money, the nobility of your bloodline, and your competence in battle. Someone with a lot of money can obtain a noble title, and a noble can take money from others through the power of his connections. But no matter how much money you have or how blue your blood is, in front of a true warrior, everything you do is futile. In conclusion, competence in battle is absolute. Only those capable of the highest degree of violence can declare themselves the strongest. But what can I do? No matter how hard I try, the limitations of my class will catch up to me soon. No! There must be a solution... Yes! For example, the Hero class. It doesn't appear like the others, does it? It is bestowed by the leadership of the Sun God's church. I believe that's where we should start our investigation. When Father returns, I will ask him to tell me everything he knows. Until then, I can search for information in the library next to the temple of the Sun God.'
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Kara didn't waste any time, and immediately after breakfast, she headed towards the library. Unfortunately, after four hours of searching through books and manuscripts, she found nothing that could help her in the given situation. Tired of swallowing the dust from books that contained nothing useful, she decided to go home.
'So many books and nothing useful. Just praises to the heroes and exaggerations of their deeds to the sky. If they were so perfect, after defeating the Demon Lord, they wouldn't have rested on their laurels. There are so many problems in the world: exploited people, corrupt nobles, and natural disasters. What have they done to solve all these? Nothing! And it's clear why. Because all those who received the Hero class were sons of nobles capable of politics and skilled in battle. What do they care about the rest of the world? Once they obtain the title of Duke and marry some princess, they secure their lives. What reason would they have to continue fighting? Yes! It's all a scam! A scam in which everyone participates, even the gods! And then...'
"Excuse me, miss. Can you please follow me to the carriage? My mistress, Countess Bronhill, would like to speak with you."
Kara, whose thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the words of an older man dressed like a carriage driver, looked surprised at him. Initially, she thought the driver was talking to someone next to her, but his gaze was fixed on her, so she was the person in question. But why?
"I think there's a mistake. I don't know the countess. I believe you're looking for someone else."
"You are Miss Kara, aren't you? I'm sure my mistress invited you."
Upon hearing this response, Kara had no choice but to follow the driver, who led her to a carriage parked 50 meters away from where she initially was. Refusing a noble without a valid reason was not a wise thing to do.
'Maybe it has something to do with Klaus? He's the only mutual acquaintance between me and the countess...', Kara thought as she headed towards the carriage.
Once inside the carriage, Kara was left breathless. In front of her stood by far the most beautiful woman she had ever seen in her life. She was flawless, with her sapphire blue eyes and long golden hair, she was a walking treasure. And her sexy body, with a large and voluptuous chest, and her soft and rosy lips perfect for kissing, made Kara feel a warmth in her core, a warmth that engulfed her entire body within seconds.
Seeing Kara standing there like a statue, Countess Bronhill assumed she was scared or nervous.
'That's to be expected from a simple girl. She probably has never encountered someone of my status before. Hmmm. She truly is a beauty, although I can confidently say she has never made an effort in that regard. It's evident from her simply arranged hair and unremarkable clothes that she doesn't care about appearances. She's a wild beauty. A danger that seduces you, makes you approach even though you know you'll suffer. No wonder Klaus lost his mind because of her.'
Noticing that Kara was still looking at her as if she were some fantastical creature, Countess Bronhill had no choice but to break the awkward situation by speaking first.
"Errr, hello Kara. I am Countess Bronhill. Nice to meet you..."
These words brought Kara back to reality, realizing that the beauty in front of her was none other than Klaus's mother.
'Come on, Kara, snap out of it. Though she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, she's not someone I can dream about. But damn it! Earlier, I was mocking Alice in my mind, I was laughing at the fact that she hasn't seen enough of the world. But what can be said about me now? It's the first time I am experiencing something like this, the first time I'm getting stuck. Come on, Kara, say something. Speak! Speak!...'
"It's my pleasure to meet you, Countess. Please tell me how I can assist you."
With great effort, Kara managed to form a few sentences, although her words came out too flattering, not matching her usual expressionless face when communicating with someone she didn't know well.
"Oh, no, no! Don't be so formal, Kara. I called you here just to get to know you. After all, you'll soon become my future daughter-in-law."
"Huh, daughter-in-what?"
