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.

After ensuring that Edmund’s mother was settled safely, I removed my jewelry and ornaments, dressed in plain white, and made my way toward the estate gates.

But just as I reached them, a servant blocked my path.

From behind, Charlotte’s mocking voice rang out, dripping with contempt. “Sister, your mother was known for her loose morals, and here you are, following a man without any title or status for years. I doubt anyone would want you now. Why don’t I be generous and offer you some gold to ensure you’re taken care of for the rest of your life?”

With a flick of her wrist, the servant behind her poured out a pile of gold onto the ground, waiting smugly for me to grovel and pick it up.

The onlookers murmured amongst themselves, eagerly anticipating my humiliation.

I lifted my head, my eyes bright and clear, and calmly rolled up my sleeve to reveal a deep scar, one that cut down to the bone.

“The first year, when the Lander family’s estate was seized, it wasn’t you by Julius’s side in that wretched, rundown hut – it was me.

“During that winter, when he burned with fever and couldn’t afford medicine, it was I who lay by his side in nothing but my undergarments, using my own body to cool him.

“The second year, when Julius was attacked, it was I who took the fatal blow for him. My arm has never fully recovered.”

“The third year, when Julius finally began to gain some influence, he was poisoned by a rival. I swallowed poison after poison, testing each antidote myself to find the cure. My health has never been the same since.”

…

“Enough,” Julius’s voice cut through the air, cold and sharp. “Then be my mistress, Cleo. But I warn you – don’t push your luck.”

I shook my head, my voice steady and unyielding. “I am the lady of the House of James. I will never be anyone’s mistress.”

I bared my shoulder before everyone, revealing the marks Julius had left behind during his poison-induced rages, the countless bite marks etched deep into my skin, horrifying to behold.

“I only ask one thing, Chancellor – after all these years, grant me my freedom.”

Silence blanketed the courtyard, so thick you could hear a pin drop.

Julius’s eyes flared with rage, and I watched as his fingernails dug into his palms, drawing blood.

But this time, I didn’t rush forward to tend to his wounds as I once would have.

And it was then that he realized – I no longer loved him.

What he didn’t know was that from the very first day I walked into that rundown hut with him, I had only ever sought revenge.

Julius’s words, though seemingly casual, sent shockwaves through Charlotte’s heart. She caught the hint of his lingering feelings for me.

Desperately, she ordered the servants to throw me out of the estate.

I looked at Julius one last time and caught the fear that flickered in Charlotte’s eyes, knowing I had finally unsettled her.