Chapter 1

I saved a handsome guy at the bottom of a cliff.

When he woke up, he sized me up with a look of disdain. "You're nothing special. At best, you could pass as a concubine."

I blinked. Did I ever say I wanted to marry him?

But he promised me one hundred gold coins if I took him back to Valmont.

So I rushed to take him back to Valmont.

But I never expected the other two guys I'd rescued earlier would be waiting for me.

One was a young general, and the other turned out to be the Crown Prince.

*****

When I dragged the unconscious man back to my place, my neighbor Amy Smith came over to see what the fuss was about. "Well, well, Yvette. This man you found is nothing special.

"Sure, his features are regular enough, but those thin lips? Looks like the type to break hearts."

I sized up the man's face but didn't see anything special. I laughed. "He'll do. As long as he can work, that's all I care about."

There was too much work around the property. The neighbors had been helping me out for ages, and I hated feeling like I owed everyone.

"Getting him to work won't be easy. Look at that soft skin. He's never done a day's labor." Amy wasn't convinced and started giving me advice. "Next time, go for the dark, burly, shirtless type.

"Look at his outfit. Silk and brocade. It probably costs a fortune. Definitely some rich city boy, not like the other two you picked up—"

She caught herself, probably afraid she'd hit a sore spot. Amy let out an awkward laugh and dropped the subject.

It was time to tend to the injured man's wounds.

Amy was right. I stripped off his clothes and saw how soft he was. Pale skin, no calluses. Not exactly farmhand material.

But I couldn't exactly throw him out to die.

I cleaned his wounds, brewed medicine, and wiped the sweat from his brow with practiced ease.

By midnight, he was awake.

Hearing the noise, I lit the lamp.

The man looked me up and down from the bed, then slowly closed his eyes. "Ugly."

I blinked. Excuse me?

I held back my anger. "Say that again?"

This time, he opened his eyes and didn't comment on my looks. Instead, he said calmly, "A rustic backcountry girl. Plain features. I suppose you could serve as my concubine."

Great. I'd rescued a lunatic.

I dragged him off the bed and onto the floor, grabbed him by the collar, and hauled him toward the door.

His already injured body went limp like a rag doll.

As I dragged him across the floor, he barked, "What are you doing? Stop.

"Who sent you? Let go. Name your price."

I kicked him out into the yard and slammed the door shut.

A moment later, a soft knock sounded at the door.

His voice came from ground level. "Miss, you aren't ugly."

I didn't say a word. If anything, that made me even more annoyed.

That night, I still let him back in.

He claimed to be a jewelry merchant from Valmont, named Ryan Sterling.

His accent was spot on, and his clothes matched the part. Whether his name was real or not, I didn't care.

Ryan knew how to talk.

With his eyes closed, he promised, "Beautiful lady, if you let me stay here to recover and then take me back to Valmont, I'll reward you with ten gold coins."

My name was Yvette Cole.

My name might sound fancy, but my priorities were simple: gold, gemstones, and anything that held its value.

I kept my cool and stayed silent.

Ryan paused for a moment, then sweetened the deal. "Fifty gold coins."

I still didn't respond. I stared at him coldly.

Ryan took a deep breath, his eyes full of silent curses.

Honestly, my standard rescue fee was fifty gold coins. Fair price for all.

But this guy had such a nasty mouth, I decided to double it.

Finally, Ryan spoke through gritted teeth. "One hundred gold coins. Take me home."

Only then did I crack a smile. "Very well, Mr. Sterling. You rest up here until you're fit to travel."

Ryan let out a cold snort and fell silent.