I accidentally fell into the lake while boating and was rescued by a fisherman. My parents were furious, claiming I had lost my purity and demanding I marry him. My sister, standing by, smirked with triumph. "The title of Lady Sterling is mine now!" But inside, I was overjoyed. "That bisexual psychopath? Whoever wants him can have him! I'm off to live a normal life!" 1 I first realized Julian Sterling was a monster after a banquet at the Sterling estate. I waited by the side entrance for a long time until the servant boy who had accompanied me was carried out. His face was ghostly pale, his breathing faint, hanging on by a thread. Blood trickled down his legs from under his trousers. Lifting his shirt revealed a body covered in scratches and bite marks. Around his neck was a shocking, purple bruise from strangulation. I stumbled back in horror. "What... what happened?" The servants who carried him averted their eyes, hesitant to speak. I understood instantly. In the dignified Sterling estate, during a banquet, the only person who could commit such atrocities was their master. The servant boy was delicate and handsome. My parents, knowing I was visiting my future in-laws, had specially chosen the most presentable servant to accompany me. Little did they know he would become prey for a demon. Julian dared to act so brazenly before we were even married. If I actually married him... The thought sent a shiver down my spine. No wonder the prestigious Sterling family chose a daughter from a modest official's family like mine. Other noble families probably wouldn't be so easily manipulated. When my parents found out, they simply paid off the servant and his family with a few silver coins and instructed me and the servants present that day to keep quiet. "Every noble heir has their quirks, Clara. Don't make a fuss." I knew my parents had worked hard to secure this marriage. In their eyes, nothing mattered more than the immense wealth and status it brought. They would never agree to break the engagement. So, on the day my sister, Bianca, arranged for someone to kick me off the boat, what I felt wasn't fear, but relief. 2 When I was born, my father was just a poor county clerk, so he left me with my grandmother in the countryside. Later, his career flourished, and he became an official in the capital. Bianca was born then and raised by their side. It wasn't until the Sterling family proposed a marriage alliance that my parents remembered me, the daughter forgotten in the countryside for years. I was the eldest legitimate daughter, and the matriarch of the Sterling family had an old friendship with my grandmother, specifically requesting the granddaughter raised by her. Bianca cried for days when she found out. She had always been the apple of our parents' eyes, the only young lady of the Miller household for years. But such a prestigious marriage fell to the sister far away in the country, long forgotten. How could she accept that? In my opinion, Bianca was spoiled rotten by our parents and had no brains. Such a mismatched marriage clearly had something fishy about it. But Bianca stubbornly believed I was blocking her path. "If only you didn't exist!" She often looked at me with resentment in her eyes. I knew she wouldn't let it go. Until that day, when Bianca pestered me to take her along to Julian's boating invitation. Seeing the flicker of calculation in her eyes, I knew she was about to make her move. On the pleasure boat, Bianca's voice was soft and sweet, her smile charming. She cast flirtatious glances at Julian frequently, causing the young lord to look her way more than once. I sneered internally. She really had no idea what she was getting into. Just then, a breeze kicked up small waves, rocking the boat. It was just ordinary movement, but the servants around me suddenly surged toward me. "Miss Clara, be careful!" I felt a kick to my waist, and I tumbled into the water. The moment I surfaced, I saw Bianca throw herself into Julian's arms with a look of terrified panic. "Lord Sterling, I... I'm scared!" 3 Fortunately, growing up in the countryside, I learned to swim early, so my life wasn't in danger. But amidst the chaos, I saw a particularly wretched-looking servant jump into the water and swim toward me. "Miss Clara, I'm coming to save you!" He wore a lewd grin, looking like he was about to succeed in some dirty scheme. My heart sank. This must be Bianca's arrangement. If I were "saved" by him, I would be forced to marry him due to the compromise of my reputation. I turned and swam desperately in the opposite direction. The servant didn't expect me to swim and paused. "Miss Clara, don't run! I'm here to save you!" He shouted as he swam. I ignored him, intent on getting as far away as possible. Suddenly, a fishing net covered my head, and a voice said: "Miss, grab the net! I'll pull you up!" I wiped the water from my face and looked up. A young fisherman stood at the bow of a small fishing boat. His trousers were rolled up high, revealing strong calves. His bronze skin gleamed healthily in the sun. "Brother, are you married?" I shouted from the water. He wasn't prepared for such a question in a life-or-death situation and stammered: "N-no." "Do you have someone in your heart?" "No, no one. Miss, you..." I glanced back at the servant swimming closer and said: "Alright, you'll do!" Then, I grabbed the net tight. The moment the fisherman pulled me up, I threw myself into his arms. 4 The capital was abuzz with the scandal. The fiancée of the Sterling heir, the eldest Miss Miller, fell into the water and was saved by a fisherman. In front of Lord Sterling and hundreds of onlookers, Miss Miller, soaking wet, was embraced by a fisherman. Shameless. When my parents found out, instead of caring about my safety, they were furious. "You should have died to protect your virtue rather than let another man touch you!" They were more worried that the engagement with the Sterling family would be annulled. Bianca stood by, smirking. Although things hadn't gone exactly to plan, my reputation was ruined all the same. My parents locked me in the ancestral hall, waiting anxiously for days. Finally, word came from the Sterling family. The eldest Miss's virtue was compromised; she could not marry into the Sterling house. However, the young lord stated he wished to maintain the alliance with the Miller family. If the elder sister wouldn't do, the younger sister would suffice. It seemed Bianca's throw-herself-in-his-arms tactic worked that day. My parents were overjoyed. They had always favored the younger daughter raised by their side. It was only the Sterling matriarch's preference that forced their hand before. Now, the Miller family could keep the alliance, and with their favorite daughter no less. How could they not be happy? Bianca came to the ancestral hall to gloat. "Sister, now the position of Lady Sterling is mine. What a pity for you!" I looked at her calmly. "Then I congratulate you, sister. May you get what you wish for and live happily ever after with the young lord." Seeing I wasn't disappointed or angry, Bianca became annoyed. "Are you content to rot in a nunnery for the rest of your life?" I looked at her in surprise. "Why would I go to a nunnery?" Her eyes widened. "Don't tell me you're actually going to marry that lowly fisherman?"
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