The Pearl Grudge

A young woman from a poor southern village is sold into servitude to a wealthy, abusive man. Before her forced marriage, she meets a nobleman on the beach, who is captivated by her beauty and buys her freedom with a large sum of pearls. The nobleman is later revealed to be one of the country's wealthiest individuals. However, a powerful usurper, who has taken the throne, becomes obsessed with her and threatens to start a conflict to claim her. The story explores whether she will be reduced to a possession of the elite or find a way to avoid this fate, and whether her beauty will ultimately bring her and those she cares for misfortune.