The grand hall was filled to the brim, every seat occupied. Today was Julius Lander’s great day of celebration – his appointment as Chancellor.

Compliments and cheers buzzed in my ears.

I raised my goblet, smiling gracefully, and downed my drink in one go. A drop of wine slipped from the corner of my mouth.

My half-sister, Charlotte, reached out to wipe it away with an ingratiating smile. “Congratulations, sister. It seems you’ve finally reached the end of your long hardships.”

I picked up my goblet once more and, without hesitation, threw the entire cup of wine into her face, washing away the layers of makeup she had so carefully applied.

My smile didn’t falter. “I never forget, dear sister, how you schemed against my mother during my coming-of-age ceremony.”

Charlotte’s face turned pale, then red, but just as she was about to retaliate, her eyes caught sight of Julius approaching. She bit back her anger, swallowing the humiliation.

“Sister, I have no idea what you’re talking about. If I’ve done anything to upset you, please accept my apologies,” she said, her voice trembling.

I looked at her with disdain and hurled the goblet at her forehead. Blood began to trickle down from the cut, staining her perfect face.

Behind me, I heard hurried footsteps. The crowd was buzzing with excitement, anticipating Charlotte’s downfall.

Everyone knew Julius adored me, respected me, even. A mere scholar, he had once taken up a blade to cut off the hands of a noble who dared lay a finger on me.

But what happened next was beyond anyone’s expectation. Julius grabbed Charlotte and pulled her into his arms, then slapped me across the face with such force that I fell to the ground, half of my face swelling almost instantly.

“How could you be so cruel, Cleo? Charlotte is your sister!” Julius spat out, his voice full of anger.

The hall fell silent, gasps echoing in the stunned silence. No one knew how to react to this sudden turn of events.

Charlotte’s sobs filled the hall, mingling with Julius’s soothing whispers.

“It’s alright, Charlotte. I’m here. You’re safe with me.”

I lowered my gaze, saying nothing.

How laughable. The man I had painstakingly raised to greatness – the man I called my husband – had always been hopelessly in love with another.

I lay on the ground, crimson blood dripping from the corner of my mouth.

The murmurs of the crowd buzzed in my ears, and I was transported back to that humiliating night, the evening of my coming-of-age ceremony.

My mother had been the most esteemed daughter of the James family, a woman of high status and noble birth. Yet, she defied her family’s wishes to marry my father, who at the time had nothing to his name.

It wasn’t until she was pregnant that she discovered my father already had a mistress – and even a daughter.

On the day I reached womanhood, my mother was falsely accused of adultery by my half-sister’s mother, slandered in front of all the guests. Overcome with grief and despair, she threw herself into the lake, ending her life.

My grandfather, stricken with anger and heartbreak, soon followed, coughing up blood before he passed.

In an instant, I went from being the girl everyone envied to the one they scorned as disgraceful.

Everyone mocked me, everyone except for one person who stepped forward to defend me.

It took just one look, and I never forgot him.

I sought him out, asking around, only to discover he was the young master of the Lander family.

I went to the gates of their estate, where a servant – his pockets lined with the silver I’d given him – smirked and assured me that there was only one young master in their house, and I had found him.

I knew I had little power or influence, so I used my dowry to pressure my father into arranging a marriage with the Landers, hoping to use this connection to seek my revenge.

Once the engagement was set, Julius and I began exchanging letters, and in those dark days, it became one of my few sources of joy.

The sound of the herald outside rang loud and clear, “An imperial decree–”

Everyone rushed past me to greet the announcement, and I slowly stood, dusting off my gown.

There, at the front, a space had been reserved for me.

After all, Julius had mentioned that he would be asking the king to grant a noble title for his betrothed.

Though Julius and I hadn’t married yet, we had been through thick and thin together, and the tale of our loyalty had spread across the kingdom, a story of devotion and love.

I stood still as the herald’s clear voice rang out, “By order of His Majesty, Lady Charlotte Gilbert is to be wed to Julius Lander, the Chancellor. Upon their marriage, she shall be granted the noble title of Marchioness. Let all bear witness and give their acknowledgment.”

Expressions shifted all around us.

In a flash, people swarmed around Charlotte, congratulating her, making the emptiness around me all the more glaring.

Charlotte cast a taunting glance in my direction, even taking my hand to feign comfort.

I pressed my lips together, then heard Julius’s cold, detached voice, “Since things have turned out this way, you may join my household as my mistress.”

I froze, unable to believe he was speaking to me.

I caught the flicker of panic in Charlotte’s eyes and gave a soft laugh. “I am the lady of the House of James. I was born with pride and honor and will never be anyone’s mistress.”

My voice was calm, yet Julius’s eyes widened in shock, his pupils contracting.

He grabbed my throat, his voice cracking with rage, “So, you regret staying by my side all these years?”

My breathing grew labored, but my gaze remained steady. “No, I do not.”

I had never regretted it.

Not because of you, Julius, but because the plans I’d laid over so many years were finally coming to fruition.

Edmund, my beloved, soon... I will have avenged you.

I spared Julius Lander no further glance and turned to leave, making my way alone to a rundown, old cabin.

Perhaps he thought I was ungrateful, for he hadn’t bothered to send anyone to follow me.

Pushing open the door, I was met with the stale scent of decay.

Only one person sat within, illuminated by the dim light of a flickering oil lamp, quietly reciting from a holy text.

She was Edmund’s mother, once a mere servant in the Lander estate, someone everyone had overlooked.

When she saw me, her eyes welled with tears, and she shook her head repeatedly. “You don’t need to go this far. With all you’ve done for Julius over the past three years, for the sake of his reputation, he’ll still keep you in comfort and luxury.”

The countless scars I bore from risking my life for Julius were no secret in the capital. People whispered about the dangers I had faced, the injuries I had endured.

I sat down at the table, picking up a worn prayer book, and began to recite a passage of the requiem.

When I finished, I looked up, my eyes filled with unyielding hatred. “Those who killed Edmund must pay. None of them deserve to live.”

She sighed, shaking her head, and took out an emerald pendant from her sleeve, pressing it into my hand.

I ran my fingers over the smooth surface, tears falling and mingling with the bloodstains that had long since dried upon it.

Outside, the sky was clear and bright, just as it had been on the day Edmund sent this pendant to me through a trusted messenger, promising me that we would one day be together and that he would avenge my mother’s death.

But Edmund had died in his pursuit of the truth, his body never found.

By the time I arrived, all I saw was Julius lying there, covered in blood and barely clinging to life.

In my grief, I had mistaken him for my savior and given my heart to the wrong man.

I tended to Julius’s wounds, cared for him night and day, never leaving his side, while my true love, my Edmund, lay lifeless in the cold, forgotten wilderness of winter.