Chapter 2

After all, my sister was the most jealous and cold-hearted person. Though marrying Prince Edmund seemed glorious, once she gave birth, I would face a storm of bloodshed.

But I knew her dream of becoming Princess Consort was likely to shatter.

Three days later in my previous life, Prince Edmund was ambushed by bandits while hunting in the outskirts of Sliverbrook City and vanished without a trace.

My sister and her unborn child were left with no hope. Luckily, her engagement to Prince Edmund had been kept under wraps.

Otherwise, she would have been forced to mourn alone for the rest of her life, a widow before even marrying.

It was then that my sister discovered the token Clive had given me.

That was when she came up with the idea of pulling a switch, finding the Royal Academic Champion to be the new father for her unborn child.

After all, Clive came from a humble background. If word ever got out, my father could easily throw his weight around and silence him.

But as for me, my life was worthless to her now. Fearing I'd expose her scheme, my sister plotted to get rid of me.

ThinKing back on the past, I gave a faint smile and spoke lightly to the maid, who was watching me with suspicion.

"It's nothing. I just ran into a stray dog that someone had beaten to death on the road and got a bit of blood on me, that's all," I said.

Honestly, running into Clive was no different than stumbling upon a stray dog.

And as for Prince Edmund's so-called "bandit attack" in my previous life, I knew there was a hidden truth behind it. Things weren't as simple as everyone thought.

I had considered fleeing Sliverbrook City to seek a living elsewhere, but the journey was too perilous for a girl alone.

If I stayed, the people in the Royal Tutor's Estate would pick me clean to the bone sooner or later.

Now that I had been given a second shot at life, I was determined to turn Prince Edmund's accident to my own advantage and fight for a way out of this dead end.

Three days later, at dawn, I used gathering herbs as an excuse, grabbed my sickle, and headed into the mountains.

On the way, I bumped into my neighbor Caitlin Evans, who was also out to pick herbs. I told her I didn't need much and would split what I found with her later and sent her back home.

Once I was deep in the mountains, I found the spot where Prince Edmund had his accident years ago, and climbed up a tall tree to hide.

Years of country living had made me strong, but I didn't know the first thing about fighting. I had to improvise and hope things worked out.

Just as I had predicted, it wasn't long before two groups stormed in, weapons drawn and ready for blood.

One group wore royal guard uniforms, while the other was dressed in black assassin's garb. There was no way to tell whose side they were on.

The royal guards were shielding a refined-looKing man in luxurious clothes, who already had an arrow stuck in his shoulder, as they retreated right beneath the tree where I was hiding.

One of the black-clad assassins spotted a gap and was about to strike from behind.

In a split second, before anyone could react, I jumped down from the tree, swung my sickle with all the force I had, and took him out in one brutal move.

This was my first time killing someone. Though he was no good man, it still unsettled me. But with the chaotic situation, I had to feign composure.

I came crashing down from above, and for a moment, the royal guards nearly turned their weapons on me.

But when they realized I was just trying to shield the man in fancy clothes, they refocused and went after the rest of the black-clad assassins.

The royal guards, trained to perfection, cut down every last one of the black-clad attackers within moments.

Their leader immediately knelt before the well-dressed man.

He said, "Your Ma... Sir, the traitors have all been slain. After checKing the bodies, the leader turned out to be Prince Edmund himself."

The man in fancy clothes clutched his wound, his face twisted in pain and sorrow. After a moment, he spoke in a heavy voice.

He said, "This is serious. Cover it up as a bandit raid and send word back."

Once everything was taken care of, the man in the fancy clothes finally noticed me, cleaning the blood off my sickle. He thanked me.

He said, "I barely escaped with my life today, all thanks to your help. May I ask your name and residence so I may bring substantial gifts to express my gratitude?"

I could tell the man in fine clothes was wary of my sudden appearance, but luckily, I had prepared an explanation.

"I am Erica Shaw, the second daughter from the Royal Tutor's Estate. I merely helped when seeing injustice. It's a small matter, not worth mentioning," I said.

"Never thought I'd run into a lady from the Royal Tutor's Estate in a place like this. Mind if I ask what brings you out here all alone, Ms. Shaw?" he asked.