Substitute Marriage: Taming The Disabled Dragon Lord

Aislinn POV:

I returned to my room, a space as unremarkable and neglected as I was. The walls were peeling, the furniture old and scarred. It was a stark contrast to the lavishness of the rest of the Sterling estate.

My maid, Danette, hurried to my side. I had rescued her from a slave market a year ago, and she had been fiercely loyal to me ever since. She was clever and quick-witted, but lacked confidence, always timid, her eyes like those of a startled deer.

"My lady," she whispered, twisting her apron in her hands. "Did Lord and Lady Sterling... did they hurt you?"

"Hurt me?" I shook my head and poured myself a glass of cold water, drinking it all in one go. "They'll be too busy to bother with me soon enough."

I pulled a piece of parchment from my sleeve. I picked up a quill and quickly drafted a document, drawing on the little knowledge of contract law I had learned in my other world. Not much, but practical. The clauses regarding the two hundred thousand gold marks were precise, airtight, and absolutely binding.

Danette watched, her brow furrowed in confusion because she could not read.

I blew on the ink to dry it, then folded the parchment. "Danette, I need you to do something very important for me."

I leaned in and lowered my voice. I instructed her to go to the Golden Lion bank in the city, deliver this contract directly to the head manager, and bring back the legally binding voucher.

"Be sure to tell him," I added, "that this is a request from 'Gideon Carlisle's bride.' He will understand the weight of those words."

I wielded the title with practiced ease, as if I already owned the power it carried.

Danette's eyes widened with fear, but she saw the resolve in my gaze. "My lady, are you truly going to marry... that one?" she asked, her voice trembling. "The rumors..."

"Rumors can be false, but money can't, Danette. Money is always true. Go now. Quickly."

She nodded, tucked the parchment securely into her skirt, and slipped out through the back door like a shadow.

Alone now, I walked over to the mirror. I studied the face looking back—black hair, violet eyes. Beautiful, but sad. It wouldn't stay that way for long, though. Once I had the Sterlings' money in my hands, I was sure that sadness would disappear.

I even wondered if I should have asked for more. The way the Sterlings treated me, the shock on their faces when I demanded money, only confirmed what I had long suspected.

I wasn't their daughter. Maybe I wasn't even their adopted child. Perhaps I was just a replacement, a stand-in, a tool.

Since Danette was gone, I had to change into my nightgown myself. As I pulled down the collar, I noticed that strange tattoo on my left shoulder again. A red spider lily, so intricately detailed. It had been there as long as I could remember. I never understood why I had it. I'd never found out what it meant, but I was about to become the Regent's wife, and I could use his power and connections to uncover the truth.

An hour later, Danette returned breathless, clutching a sealed parchment scroll tightly in her hands. It bore the magical seal of the Golden Lion.

I took it, my fingers tracing the glowing runes. It was real. Two hundred thousand gold marks. A fortune. The foundation of my survival in this cruel and unfamiliar world.

And with the Golden Lion's magical seal protecting it, the money could not be reclaimed. Ha. My adoptive father was probably still scheming about how to get this money back from his weak little adopted daughter. Dream on.

I carefully stored the voucher away. A wave of satisfaction washed over me. I picked a grape from a small bowl and ate it slowly.

The first step of my plan for revenge was complete. But the wedding, and the monster I was about to marry, still lay ahead.