If the flames were to consume me…

My lifelong companion, my shield and sword: Daniel Corman.

The man I desire but who loves another woman: Cain Mortens.

The dangerous and alluring man who will lead me to a higher world: Jeremy Ryles.

One man offered me absolute devotion, a mix of love and submission.

Another man despised me, yet ultimately couldn’t resist his carnal desires.

The last man treated me like a plaything, yet showed a relentless possessiveness.

Now, you tell me—why must I choose just one, when I want them all?

A woman who has swallowed the flames of desire and the three men surrounding her.

.

Chapter 01.

―Prolog―

There’s so much I lack.

That’s why I need so much.

I want love.

I need protection and stability.

I need money and a warm home.

What everyone else has, even if it’s just half of it.

What everyone else has, just that much.

What everyone else has, far more than that.

Who will fill the emptiness in me?

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

『To my Daniel, whose fate remains unknown.

Daniel, if you’re reading this, please, come save me. Mother and my brother are planning to sell me off.

Please, Daniel. If by any chance you’re alive and can return, promise me you’ll come find me.

I….』

The hurried pen slipped from her grasp the moment a rough hand yanked her by the hair. Velita’s lips trembled as though she was about to scream, but years of being conditioned to endure familiar violence held her silent. All she could manage was a choked sob, knowing that any outburst would only bring harsher punishment.

Dragged helplessly by her brother’s hand, Velita caught a glimpse of her mother ripping up her letter and tossing the pieces into the trash.

Unable to bear the sight of her own family pushing her life off a cliff, Velita squeezed her eyes shut.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

At the break of dawn, the streets were desolate and cold. Though her belongings were light, they felt burdensome to Velita, who was already exhausted from the long journey.

Last night, Velita had been forced to leave for the countryside with her elderly groom.

Because, in the end, she had been sold.

｢Where else would we find such a good match for you?｣

Her mother, swayed by the substantial sum offered by the aging nobleman, pushed her daughter into the carriage. The reasons Velita had to be sold were simple:

First, her family was so poor they were barely scraping by.

Second, her older brother, Killian, needed a massive dowry to secure his own marriage.

The only person Velita could think to ask for help was her childhood friend, Daniel Corman, who was away at war. Though Daniel was just as poor, having grown up in the slums alongside her, he was the one person Velita believed would run to her aid—even barefoot—if she reached out to him.

But there was no way to know whether Daniel was even alive on the battlefield. And even if he was, it was unlikely he could drop everything to rescue her.

Instead, Velita had tried to leave behind a letter so he could find her when he returned, no matter how many years it might take. That attempt, too, had been thwarted by her brother, Killian.

Had she not been sold as a bride to an elderly nobleman, she was certain she would have been beaten mercilessly until her body was covered in bruises.

The forced ride in the carriage to an unfamiliar region was agonizingly long. Velita might have resigned herself to her misfortune if not for one flicker of hope she had realized along the way. It was the only thing preventing her from succumbing to despair and giving up entirely.

Before reaching her elderly groom’s estate, they stopped to spend the night in a village. There, Velita racked her brain, desperate to devise a way to escape this misery. But no matter how much she thought, she had nothing and no one to turn to. Then, a sudden memory surfaced—of a certain woman she had encountered not long ago.

It had only been a few days earlier.

In the capital, where the stark divide between rich and poor was most apparent, stepping just outside the central districts led to neighborhoods teeming with those crushed by poverty. Amid this destitution had appeared a young lady who seemed almost eager to make herself a target.

Despite her attempts to hide her identity in shabby clothes, her refined air was impossible to conceal. And there was no way the street dogs of the slums wouldn’t notice such an innocent-looking “outsider.”

They tried to approach the woman. Sensing the strange stares from those around her, the woman began stepping back cautiously.

Velita, who had been watching the scene from the shadows of an alley, took a deep breath and shouted loud enough to echo:

｢Armed outsiders have entered!｣

Though it was still the capital, those living in the slums referred to the people from the central district as “outsiders.”

If the term “armed outsiders” was mentioned in such a context, it could only mean knights searching for the naive young lady. The men, who had intended to prey on her, scattered in all directions. Taking advantage of their confusion, Velita crept up to the bewildered woman, grabbed her hand, and began to run.

｢Wh-who are you…?!｣

｢Shh, stay quiet.｣

｢…｣

｢I’ll lead you somewhere safe.｣

Once they escaped the winding maze of alleyways, Velita guided the woman to the path leading back to the central district.

｢Don’t ever come to a place like this again. It’s far too dangerous for someone like you.｣

Even in the slums, children and women were often abducted. For someone as beautiful as this woman, her fate would have been far worse. Kidnappers could exploit her for ransom or sell her into a brothel at a high price by advertising her noble lineage.

Velita wasn’t sure why someone like her had wandered into such a place, but it was clear she wouldn’t have escaped unscathed without Velita’s intervention.

After bowing to the woman, whom she instinctively knew was far more important than herself, Velita turned to leave without hesitation.

｢W-wait a moment…!｣

｢…｣

｢Could you tell me your name…?｣

｢It’s not a name someone as noble as you needs to know.｣

｢Still… I want to know.｣

After a brief hesitation, Velita sighed and reluctantly answered.

｢My name is Velita Grandel.｣

｢I’m Selina Ryles.｣

At the mention of “Ryles,” Velita’s indifferent expression momentarily shifted in surprise.

The Ryles family was known as one of the emperor’s most trusted noble houses. Rumors abounded that when Jeremy Ryles, the eldest son and heir, inherited the title, the imperial family might bestow an even grander rank upon him. Although Velita lacked the education to understand why their family was so esteemed, she had heard enough to know they were extraordinary.

｢If you ever need help, come to the Ryles estate. I’ll repay this debt without fail.｣

Though Selina’s promise seemed earnest at the time, Velita doubted that a noble would keep such a pledge to someone of low status. She dismissed the offer and moved on.

But when Velita found herself sold as a bride to an 80-year-old noble, Selina Ryles’ promise no longer seemed trivial.

That night, while her elderly groom was preoccupied preparing for their wedding night, Velita escaped the inn.

Stealing some money to aid her escape, she fled barefoot, her soles bloodied from running as far and as fast as she could without daring to look back.

Using the stolen funds, she hired a carriage to take her back to the capital, arriving exhausted and disheveled. Clinging to her last hope, Velita set out for the Ryles estate. Though unfamiliar with its location, she asked passersby until she finally found it.

Her appearance raised suspicion. The once-fine clothes her elderly groom had bought her were now tattered and filthy, and her bare feet made her look all the more questionable. Limping on her scraped soles, Velita gripped the iron bars of the estate’s towering gate.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As dawn broke, Velita shook the gate with all her strength, desperate to enter the estate that felt like paradise compared to where she had come from.

The melodic chirping of birds, the fresh breeze swaying the grass, the large, solid house that wouldn’t leak when it rained—it all seemed otherworldly to her.

Summoning her courage, she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Miss Selina! Lady Selina!”

At last, a figure appeared in the distance. A man, likely a servant, was running toward her, his shirt unbuttoned as though he had rushed out after hearing the commotion.

“Who are you to cause such a ruckus here at this hour?” he demanded.

Velita’s voice trembled as she responded.

“I’ve come to see Lady Selina. Please, let me in.”

“And who are you to demand an audience with our lady?”

“Velita Grandel. Just tell her my name, and she’ll understand.”

Though she spoke confidently, Velita’s heart pounded as the servant left to deliver her message.

What if Lady Selina doesn’t remember me? What if she does, but the count forbids it?

I have nowhere else to go…

If they don’t take me in, I’m finished…

Velita was biting her nails, unaware of how dirty her hands had become, when she noticed people approaching the gate. This time, it wasn’t just one servant; several were coming, accompanied by someone who appeared to be the butler.

The gate creaked open, and the butler stepped forward with a formal demeanor.

“Welcome, Miss Velita.”

For the first time, Velita stepped into paradise.

Tl/N: Hello! New readers. I hope you will enjoy this story, if there is any mistake feel free to let me know so I can edit it. The story is very interesting and the tags said: # Villainess Protagonist | Reverse Harem | Love and Betrayal | Dark Romance. Hope you enjoy!