Chapter 2

My father, John Peyton, thought I'd finally come to terms with the situation, and his expression softened a bit.

He said, "That's good. But... you shouldn't go to Charity House anymore. I'll send someone to handle things there.

"And I heard you took in two foster children from Charity House. Cut ties with them as soon as possible. If they find out you're now the daughter of the Duke's Manor, they'll probably try to latch onto you for their own benefit.

"Those illegitimate wretches with no father to claim them? How could they ever be worthy of being my grandchildren? The Duke's Manor can't afford to be shamed by people like that."

As he spoke, John looked at Matilda, who stood beside Rowena, pride shining in his eyes.

John declared, "Little Matilda is the only one who makes me proud. The rest of those random strays aren't even fit to step through the gates of the Duke's Manor.

"The King himself arranged Matilda's marriage, and her fiancé is Lord Ashfield, the new star of the court. She'll surely earn a noble title and bring honor to our family."

Matilda's cheeks flushed, and she shyly hid behind Rowena.

I couldn't help but scoff to myself. When would John realize the identity of those "illegitimate wretches" he looked down on? I wondered how he'd react when he knew the truth.

They were actually Lord Ashfield, the very man he was so proud to have as his grandson-in-law, and the Princess's own tutor, one of the King's most trusted aides.

Andrew said, "Sybil, see? The ones who truly stand above the rest are Rowena and Matilda.

"While you were gone for more than thirty years, Rowena was the one taking care of our parents in your place, being the dutiful daughter you never were. In our eyes, she's the rightful heiress of the Peyton family.

"Even if her birth mother had questionable intentions, that's just trivial old history now. It's got nothing to do with Rowena herself."

I was utterly speechless, a cold smile curled at my lips. I said, "I'm the victim who was abandoned on the street by Rowena's mother and nearly froze to death.

"So what you're saying is, now I'm supposed to thank Rowena for being dutiful on my behalf?

"Shouldn't I be the one crying foul here?"

Andrew opened his mouth, but the words just got stuck in his throat.

Rowena's mother played a dangerous game, but in the end, she won her daughter a life of luxury and privilege.

Rowena was raised like a princess in the Peyton family, grew up to be a beauty, married well, and now has both a son and a daughter.

And yet, she still acted like the victim, expecting me, the real victim here, to feel sorry for her. How shameless.

The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense. Rowena stepped in with a bright smile, trying to break the tension and playfully chided Andrew to smooth things over.

"Sybil, don't get the wrong idea. Andrew's always been close to me, so he tends to speak up on my behalf. Just pretend you didn't hear him," Rowena said.

She added, "Since I heard you were coming home today, I prepared a few gifts to welcome you back. Take a look and see if you like them.

"Grandmother Eve's birthday is in three days, so you'll need some dresses fit for the occasion."

She waved her hand, and the maids immediately brought in trays piled high with dresses and jewelry.

But while the dresses looked stunning, they were made from forbidden luxury fabric, Cloud Brocade.

The King had made it clear last year that noble ladies in Imperion were not to wear Cloud Brocade, all in the name of frugality.

If I actually showed up in one of these, I'd be the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons and might even draw the King's ire.

Seeing my eyes linger on the lavish gowns, Rowena let out a soft, mocking laugh, a flash of scorn in her gaze. "Looks like you really fancy them, don't you?"

I curled my lips into a faint, ironic smile and accepted her gift right in front of her. "Such an extravagant present. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Rowena."

Rowena and her mother exchanged smug smiles, their eyes growing even more disdainful as they looked at me.

Yeah, they thought someone like me, raised in a poor area, would be totally starstruck by all this fancy stuff.

No wonder nobody would ever suspect there was anything shady about Rowena's "generosity."'

Andrew sneered, "A country girl is always a country girl. Just a few flashy dresses and she's already wide-eyed. She'll never fit in with the real upper class."

Guys like Andrew and John wouldn't have a clue what these clothes and jewelry really mean to women.

To them, it just looked like Rowena was being super generous, showering me with expensive gifts the moment I walked in.

A few quiet coughs sounded nearby, and Andrew's eyes lit up. He rushed over to help the old lady who had just walked in.

"Mother, if you're not feeling well, you should just rest. Sybil coming back isn't anything special. You didn't need to push yourself to come out just for her," Andrew said.

I fixed my gaze on her face, which looked a bit like mine.