Chapter 3
Serena quickly spoke before I could open my mouth.
“Your Highness, the Duke Ford is dashing and distinguished, and he’s shared a close bond with the princess since childhood. It’s only natural for her to treat him with a bit more warmth than others-”
Orion let out a cold snort. “Even so, he doesn’t share royal blood. You must maintain proper distance and restraint–don’t go picking up the shameless habits of those with loose morals.”
I had had enough of their veiled jabs. Raising an eyebrow, I replied coolly, “I merely exchanged a few polite words with the Duke. If we’re talking about distance and propriety, Miss Waverly might have more experience than I do–after all, she pledged herself to you before she was even of marrying age.” Serena’s face turned deathly pale. Fearing she might take it to heart, Orion immediately lowered his voice to console her.
I curled my lips into a faint smile and walked off swiftly.
Back at the palace, as I looked around the room filled with traces of Orion, a wave of hatred surged in my chest.
When we first met, he had gifted me a single rose. I couldn’t bear to throw it away and had pressed it between the pages of a book, treating it like a
treasure.
But now, all I could see in those crimson petals was the blood of my people—impossible to wash away from my heart.
I methodically gathered every item related to him within sight and packed them all away. Only when the sky turned pale and exhaustion overtook me did I finally collapse onto the bed.
That night, I dreamed restlessly of my near–death experience from my past life–so vivid it made my skin crawl. When I awoke again, I realized three days had already passed.
“Your Highness, you’re finally awake!” Alice exclaimed. “At the Bacchus Festival, who did you end up choosing as your husband? There are rumors everywhere saying that you and Miss Waverly are both marrying Prince Orion–at the same time, no less!”
“You’ve been asleep these past days, so you wouldn’t know–Prince Orion has been doting on that Waverly girl like she’s made of gold. He built a grand fountain just for her inside the castle, and even went to the royal hatchery himself to transplant the water lily the late queen loved…”
“Miss Waverly hates cream, so Prince Orion actually decreed that not a single cake shall ever appear in his castle again.”
“And do you remember that tribute silk from the East? All the noblewomen were desperate to get their hands on it, but Prince Orion sent an entire carriage–load to Miss Waverly so she could make new dress with it!”
I swallowed down the bitterness rising in my throat and forced a smile.
Alice huffed, clearly annoyed. “Princess, how can you still smile at a time like this?”
“If Prince Orion treats Miss Waverly like a precious gem, and you really do marry him, won’t you just be left in the cold forever?”
“Fine, fine. I won’t marry him, all right?” I said with a laugh, trying to reassure her.
But just as the words left my mouth, Orion pushed the door open and caught everything I said.
There was a flicker of surprise in his eyes, followed by the usual sneer tugging at his lips.
“Claire, if you truly don’t wish to marry me, why haven’t you gone to your father to annul the engagement?”
“You’re just jealous because I treat Serena well,” he accused. “So you say these things to play hard to get–hoping I’ll start treating you the same way!”
I rolled my eyes. How had. I never realized before just how conceited he truly was?
When I didn’t respond, Orion stepped further inside.
“I came today to let you know–I’ve taken half of the dowry you brought from Asteria and moved it to the Waverly castle. Don’t worry, I’m not after your possessions. I just needed to give Serena something impressive for her wedding.”
My head snapped up, eyes wide with disbelief.
“Orion! That dowry was a gift from my father–he selected every piece with care and love. I’ve had it with me for over a decade. How could you just give W to someone else without asking me?”
1had left my homeland as a child, and my father, heartbroken to part with me, had poured all his love and longing into that dowry. Every item had been
chosen with his own hands.
“If you cherish Serena so deeply, why not give her something from your own treasury? Or is the Prince, who boasts of love so freely, really just a
cheapskate unwilling to part with a single coin?”
“Enough!” he snapped, his face darkening with guilt.
“I was only giving you a chance to show goodwill toward Serena. In return, on our wedding night, I’ll visit your chambers to grant you the honor since
you are the princess of Asteria. However I promised Serena I would never touch you.”
“After midnight, I’ll go to her room.”
He said it as though bestowing some grand favor, his arrogance knowing no bounds.
I let out a cold laugh, my eyes reddening as I stared him down.
