This is your retribution! You must atone for your actions! What right do you have to resist?” Effie spat the words, her voice cold and unforgiving.


    Valerie listened silently, realizing that resisting now would only lead to more suffering.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    Reluctantly, she ceased struggling, allowing Effie to lead her out of the room and throw her into the yard.


    Under the watchful eye of Rickey, Valerie began her daunting task of writing down the first sentence of Prajna Sutra.


    Her lips were pale, and her face disyed traces of exhaustion.


    Each stroke of the pen felt like a heavy burden, and as the roosters announced the arrival of dawn, she had barelypleted a tenth of the text.


    In the distance, Effie’s son, Den, returned home.


    He was a young man with tan skin and a strong figure, known for his honesty and sincerity.


    As he caught sight of the unfamiliar girl kneeling in the yard, diligently writing something, he was taken aback.


    Valerie’s natural beauty radiated without a trace of makeup, and her vulnerability tugged at Den’s heartstrings.


    Despite her frailty, she exuded an aura of purity that stirred an overwhelming desire within him to protect her.


    Feeling his gaze, Valerie looked up from her task and met his eyes.


    Her bright, watery eyes glistened with a hint of sorrow, leaving him feeling captivated by her innocence.


    The two held each other’s gaze for a moment, an unspoken connection forming between them.


    Den found himself drawn to the mysterious girl, captivated by her beauty and the enigma that surrounded her.


    “Ahem! Hurry up.


    It’s almost time for breakfast.


    ”


    Before the silence could linger any longer, Leon, ever the interrupter, cleared his throat to remind them of the time.


    Startled, they broke their gaze, and Den swiftly made his way past Leon, eager to find his mother, Effie.


    As Effie got up from bed, Den couldn’t contain his curiosity and whispered into her ear, seeking answers about the charming girl in their courtyard.


    He was genuinely intrigued and couldn’t help but wonder why she was being treated so harshly.


    “Mom, who is that girl in the courtyard? She’s charming.


    She looks very young.


    What did she do?”


    “Do you have a crush on her?” Effie, knowing her son all too well, yfully teased him.


    Embarrassed, Den scratched his head and confessed his admiration for Valerie’s beauty.


    “She’s pretty.


    If only she could be my wife!”


    However, Effie was quick to dismiss such thoughts, revealing Valerie’s identity as the daughter of Mr.


    Simmons.


    “Useless thing! Don’t think about it! She’s a monster! A sinister woman! And she is the daughter of Mr.


    Simmons! She’ll never be suitable for you!”


    “Arlight, I got it! I won’t think about her again!” Embarrassed and obedient, Den nodded in understanding, epting his mother’s decision.


    Yet, as he left the room, he couldn’t help but steal a few more nces at Valerie.