Chapter 1

I was performing as a storyteller, disguised as a man, when the lord, Edward Harrington, sent men to fetch me for the so-called family reunion.

When it was confirmed that I was his child, he wept with joy. "The resemblance alone tells the truth," he cried. "You are my son. I never abandoned you. Your mother fled the capital while carrying you, and I could not find her."

He didn't admit how his favorite concubine destroyed my mother.

Neither did I reveal my true gender. I would shatter his dream of an heir and humiliate him at the homecoming dinner.

But before I could act, Cathy Quinn, the homewrecker who ruined my mother, struck first.

At the celebration, while I stepped away from the table, Cathy suddenly pressed a scrap of her skirt into my palm and shrieked, "Parker! How dare you force yourself upon me! I am your stepmother!

"I cannot live with such shame."

She threw herself into the lake.

As she flailed in the water, I nearly laughed aloud.

She had delivered the perfect weapon into my hands.

*****

As soon as Cathy fell into the lake, the guards jumped in to rescue her.

A few guests passing by gathered around me, talking animatedly and speculating about what had happened.

"Parker is so refined and distinguished, truly outstanding. How could he do something like that to his stepmother? That's against all morals!"

"Even if he picked up some bad habits from living away from home, this is Harrington Manor. Doing something like this at his own homecoming dinner is basically making Lord Harrington lose face in public."

The crowd grew, and their faces twisted in outrage. Watching them, I couldn't help but feel a spark of curiosity.

They were already freaking out, and I hadn't even made Edward lose face yet. I couldn't wait to see their reactions when they learnt the truth.

"Everyone, calm down," Henry chimed in. "He's just a lousy storyteller in disreputable places. Did you really expect him to act like Edward's heir? He's got Harrington blood. We only brought him back because we didn't want to abandon our own."

Henry was Edward's fourth brother.

I smirked at him. "Uncle Henry, I heard your son was reprimanded and put under house arrest by the authorities for hanging around disreputable places. Instead of going home to straighten him out, why are you here lecturing me?"

Henry held his head up. "We're talking about you disrespecting your stepmother. Why are you bringing up those disreputable places?"

I laughed. "Yeah, so who brought up those disreputable places first?"

Henry was about to blow his top.

Cathy, soaked to the bone and shivering under a heavy cloak, clung to his arm. "Henry, you can't win against him. He's a total scoundrel. If I hadn't jumped into the river to protect myself, I would have...

"We can't do anything about him now. Just wait for Lord Harrington to show up and deal with him."

"You little troublemaker, look how scared you've made your mother!" Henry steadied Cathy. "Cathy, take it easy. Watch your step. The ground's slippery with moss."

A wicked idea popped into my head.

I stopped them. "Hold on a sec. Something doesn't add up. Uncle Henry, your eyes were glued to Cathy the whole time at dinner. If I really did something to her, there's no way you wouldn't have noticed, right?

"Or maybe you two are teaming up to frame me, hoping to kick me out of the house and snag some benefits for yourselves?"

They both yanked their arms away like they'd touched a hot stove, instantly putting plenty of space between them.

"H-How dare you publicly frame your elders!" Henry's face twisted in rage, eyes blazing. "This is the most shameless thing I've ever seen."

One of Cathy's close friends rushed to support her, glaring at me. "Unbelievable. Scum like you should be driven out of here."

Cathy buried her face in her friend's arms and wailed, "With such a disgraceful child, what's the point of living? I might as well just end it right now."

I didn't expect that their drama would be so underwhelming. The guests were almost all here, and they still hadn't gotten to the main event.

I waved the piece of dress in my hand, cutting to the chase. "Cathy, you claim I took liberties with you. But besides this rag, do you have any actual proof?"

Hearing me press her, Cathy snapped back to life. "Fine, since you insist on forcing me, I'm done caring about my reputation."

She yanked down her collar, showing off the bruises on her neck. "These are the marks you left when you pulled at my clothes. And I've got your broken nail right here. Let's compare them and see how you'll deny it now."

I never expected her to be so meticulous. She even picked up the broken nail I snapped while peeling shrimp. Talk about scheming.

The crowd started whispering again. "Poor Lord Harrington. He waited all these years for a son, only to end up with such a wayward disgrace."

"He must take after Lord Harrington's first wife, that merchant's daughter who left while pregnant. What good could possibly come from her?"

"Lady Cathy, stop crying. He's no better than a bastard. Either get Lord Harrington to throw him out, or just call the law on him."