Chapter 1

The day his first love returned, he announced before all the household, "Step aside—she is the true lady of this house."

I froze, watching the woman, Charlotte White, loop her arm through his with a triumphant smile.

Three years ago, I had married Edward Blackwell on her behalf, the silver that I brought with me propping up half his dominion.

Now Charlotte had come back, and I had become nothing but an eyesore.

When the papers of separation were laid before me, I did not tear them. I signed them without hesitation. But before I turned away, I lifted my gaze to him. "Please return the banners, the Pardon Charter, and the treasury of my family," I said.

Edward blinked in shock. "And the heir? You would refuse even your son?"

I cast a glance at the infant swaddled in the cradle. A pang of sorrow shot through me. Still, I shook my head. "I want nothing. Henceforth, we are even."

I turned on my heel, and the sound of his hurried footsteps followed me down the corridor. But it was too late.

Without the support of my family, what claim did he and his cherished first love truly have to stand in the capital?

*****

In front of the entire household staff, he said, "Step aside—she is the true lady of this house."

Every word hit me like a knife, sharp and precise, driving straight into my heart.

I stood there, frozen. I watched the woman named Charlotte melt into Edward's arms. She clung to him, looping her arm through his with open pride. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at me, her look full of triumph and smug satisfaction.

The wedding decorations in the hall had not yet faded, as if mocking the absurdity of this marriage.

Three years ago, on the eve of her wedding to Edward, Charlotte had run away and eloped with another man.

To secure the alliance between the Stonebridges and the Blackwells and to stabilize the court, I, as the legitimate daughter of the Stonebridges, married Edward in her place.

I had brought silver rich enough to support half the kingdom and married a man whose heart belonged to someone else.

For three years, I managed his manor, built connections with officials, and used my family's power to pave the way for his future. I had believed that even the coldest heart could be warmed over time.

Now that she was back, I finally understood. I was never the stone. I was just an eyesore. A joke.

The steward approached, hands shaking as he presented me with a divorce agreement.

Edward's voice rang out again, cold and hard. "Sign it. You may take half of the assets of the manor with you."

There was a note of charity in his tone, as if this were some grand reward for the three years I had given him.

I did not cry or cause a scene the way he expected. I did not tear the paper apart. Instead, I took the pen calmly.

The tip touched the paper. The ink spread as I wrote my name in a firm, steady hand.

When I finished the last stroke, I looked up. My gaze passed over everyone in the room and landed straight on him. "Your Highness, please return my family's banners, the Pardon Charter, and the treasury."

My voice was not loud, but it carried clearly through the entire hall.

The air seemed to freeze.

The impatience and contempt on Edward's face froze in an instant. He stared at me, stunned. "What did you just say?"

I met his eyes. "The banners command three hundred thousand soldiers of the Stonebridge family. I lent it to you when your forces were trapped at the border.

"The Pardon Charter was granted to my family by the late king for generations of loyalty. It could spare us from three death sentences. I placed it in your hands so you could survive the power games at court.

"And the treasury holds a century of my family's wealth. It made up the heart of our wedding fund when I married you. I opened it for you to fund your army."

I spoke slowly, every word clear as crystal. "Now that our ties are severed, those things should go back to their rightful owner."

The shock on Edward's face shifted to embarrassment, then to anger he could barely contain. "Evelyn, don't push your luck."

He had probably never imagined that the woman who had always kept her head down would finally bare her teeth.

Charlotte softened her voice in his arms. "Your Highness, please don't be upset. Evelyn didn't mean it. She's just not thinking straight."

Edward seemed to take comfort in her words. His expression eased, though he still looked down at me as if I were beneath him. "Do you really think I can't survive without the Stonebridge family? I was offering you a dignified exit. And what about the heir? You're not even taking your son with you?"

He mentioned our child, the infant still in swaddling.

It felt as if an invisible hand had clamped around my heart and squeezed. The pain was sharp and sudden.

I saw the little one nestled in the wet nurse's arms, sleeping soundly, blissfully unaware of the turmoil around him.

My nails dug deep into my palm. But I still shook my head. My face did not crack. "I want nothing," I said quietly. "From this day on, we owe each other nothing."

I turned and walked away, not sparing him another glance.

Just as I stepped out of the manor's gates, the synchronized clash of armor rang out from outside.

The Stonebridge family's honor guard was already lined up along the long street, standing in solemn formation.

At the front stood my older brother, Charles, heir to the Stonebridge household. He wore silver armor, his face cold and composed. But the instant he saw me, the hardness in his eyes melted into something softer. "Evelyn," he said quietly. "I'm here to take you home."

I heard Edward's hurried, panicked steps behind me and his voice, low and disbelieving.

But it was already too late. Without my family's backing, what did he and his so-called true love have to stand on in this stormy capital?

I stepped into the carriage. The heavy curtain fell, cutting off everything behind me.

Only then did the tears finally slip down my face.

Three years by his side. Three years of doing everything I could for him.

I steadied his army, built his alliances, and helped him climb from a war hero with no foundation to the most powerful man in the court.

I thought I could earn even a shred of his affection. Instead, I got cast aside without a second thought, along with the words, "She is the true lady of this house."

It felt as if there were a hole in my chest, the cold wind pouring straight through.

A warm hand covered mine. It was Charles.

He said nothing. He simply handed me a handkerchief. "Evelyn, don't be afraid. The Stonebridge family will always have your back."

I wiped my tears. The sorrow in my eyes faded, replaced by a cold, steady resolve.

Edward, this game had only just begun.