Chapter 1

My half-sister, Andrea Campbell, fought with the crown prince, Fernando Percy, and in a fit of anger, he pulled me into the room.

I was only fifteen, at the age when everything was fresh and new.

After one night of passion with Fernando, I found myself pregnant.

Andrea's mother, Evelynn Campbell, wanted me dead, but Andrea had her own plan.

Andrea said that if they let the scandal break out, she could use it to vent her anger and strengthen her bond with Fernando.

She treated me like a plaything. The next day, when Fernando showed up at Campbell's estate, Andrea forced him to kill me, even though I was pregnant.

Fernando drew his sword without a second thought and thrust it toward me.

But the moment his eyes met my face, he stopped in his tracks.

*****

He stopped for no other reason. He was utterly captivated by my beauty.

My mother was renowned for her looks in Campbell's estate, and I inherited her charm. My figure was delicate and soft, and my eyes were seductive.

At just fifteen, I was already the focus of countless admiring glances. Even Evelynn said that she'd marry me off to an elder lord soon.

But right at that moment, Andrea, the legitimate daughter, had a spat with Fernando. In his anger, Fernando pulled me into the room.

I couldn't tell if he was blowing off steam or something else, but either way, things got totally out of hand.

For Andrea and Fernando, constant fights and drama were their idea of romance.

I was just cannon fodder, and somehow, I ended up pregnant.

At this point, I'd danced around death's door more times than I could count.

All that was left was for Fernando to drive his sword through me.

Maybe death would be a relief. With a life this bitter, it was pointless to go on.

I closed my eyes, letting the tears stream down my face.

But to my surprise, Fernando's eyes flickered, and for a moment, his heart softened.

He stared at me for a long time before saying, "That child inside you is mine, after all. The king's health is failing, and none of the princes is married yet.

"If you end up having a son, maybe Campbell's estate will finally get a little glory out of this mess."

It wasn't any glory at all. It was just another way for Fernando to curry favor with the king.

Andrea's smug look wavered for a second. She was about to explode, but my father walked in.

It turned out he'd been standing behind the house for ages, listening in. Without hesitation, he ordered me to go to Rosyrie Palace, Fernando's place.

"Just treat yourself as a bought concubine for Prince Fernando. There's no need for any status. After the baby's born, just come back," my father said.

I tried to speak, but nothing came out.

No one cared, anyway.

In a world ruled by absolute power, someone as powerless as I had no rights at all.

All I could do was let Fernando take me back to his place, but he didn't even bother to look my way.

He just told the butler to give me two maids and said, "Just watch her. Make sure she doesn't die."

Rosyrie Palace was pretty quiet, almost deserted.

His birth mother was just a forgotten noblewoman who got lucky, and he became Crown Prince because of it.

After she passed away, Fernando kept a low profile, drifting between noble families until he finally got tangled up with the Campbell family.

But then, out of nowhere, the queen, Jane Percy, who everyone thought couldn't have kids, suddenly had a baby.

My father, sharp as ever, immediately realized Fernando's spot as Crown Prince was on shaky ground.

He had Andrea keep Fernando busy, but behind the scenes, he was always working his connections with Anna.

So it was no surprise that Fernando didn't like me. He was already worn out from trying to please Andrea, and having me around just made things even worse for him.

I'd only been at Rosyrie Palace for three days, and Elena Brook, the maid, was constantly scolding me for not knowing the proper rules.

Back at Campbell's estate, I was treated just like the servants, eating, working, and even emptying chamber pots. I never knew anything about the etiquette.

I just had to endure Elena's constant complaints.

But deep down, I was still happy. At least, I could finally eat hot food and get a good night's sleep here.

At night, I didn't have to worry about the wind leaking in or some random stranger sneaking through my window anymore.

But I forgot that strangers wouldn't bother, but Fernando sure would.

One night, I was half-asleep when someone yanked the curtain open. Fernando was standing by my bed, looking like he'd just swallowed a thundercloud.

"Christina, even your name sounds awful!" he grumbled.

Rain was pouring outside, and he was dripping wet, leaving puddles on the floor.

He was clearly upset about something.

The cold wind made me shiver, and I was afraid he'd take his anger out on me.

I hurriedly gave him a curtsy.

I stammered, "Your Highness, m-my birth mother gave me this name after she had me.

"If Your Highness doesn't like it, I can change it if you wish."

Fernando let out a cold snort. "Don't change it. That's your name."

He towered over me. "You say your mother named you? Where is she now? As far as I remember, Campbell's estate never had any concubines. Evelynn is the only lady in the house."

Of course, my father never married my mother.

He found her on the street while on official business, got hooked on her beauty, brought her back, took her to bed, and then just left her to fend for herself.

My mother was just as unlucky as I was. Even pregnant, she was treated like a stray dog, abused and humiliated.

She had it even worse. After she gave birth, Evelynn gave her away to be abused until she died.