Chapter 4

I nearly jumped out of my skin and almost dropped to my knees in panic.

"Your Highness!" I blurted out.

He stopped me. "Don't be scared. I was just thinking out loud.

"You're right. I'm so used to all the palace intrigue and manipulation. Once I step outside this room, I have to calculate every move.

"But you're so innocent, always saying whatever's on your mind. It makes people want to let their guard down around you."

Fernando reached out and brushed his hand against my cheek.

It felt just like the way you'd pet a docile kitten.

The candlelight flickered, reflected in his deep brown eyes. Somehow, I couldn't help but recall that night when he was drunk, and how he lost control, drunkenly tugging at my clothes.

He was the first man in my life, and he was undeniably handsome.

With Fernando gazing at me so seriously that I could feel my heart racing.

That night, I drifted off in Fernando's arms.

Because I was pregnant, we kept things innocent and just held each other.

He slipped one arm under my neck, the other wrapped around me, and in a lazy, offhand way, he started telling me stories from his childhood.

He told me that since the king had so few heirs, the king's mother, Madeline Percy, kept Fernando close after he was born, and for a few years, he enjoyed a pretty good life.

But then, when more princes were born, he stopped being the golden boy everyone adored.

Because he was skinny and quiet, the servants would suck up to the powerful and act like he barely existed.

He told me that one year, when Madeline went out to pray at the church and left him behind, he was so hungry that he wandered all over the palace, finally finding some stale bread in a corner to eat.

He also said something about the second prince, Mark Percy, and the third prince, Emerson Percy. Their mothers were doted on by the king, and whenever they saw him, they'd mock him for being motherless.

Fernando never talked back, but in private, he'd clench his jaw hard, swallowing all the hurt and injustice.

As he spoke, his voice was gentle, and he softly pinched my earlobe.

"Christina, I'm someone who aims for greatness. I shouldn't be bothered by trivial matters," he said.

I could relate to him and tried to comfort him. "You'll definitely achieve great things, Your Highness."

He looked down at me, and for the first time, there was a bold, unmistakable swagger in his eyes.

I realized this was Fernando's true self.

He was ambitious, calculating, and emotionally distant.

We both had our share of suffering, but while he was always plotting every move to win, he never understood how isolated and miserable I felt at Campbell's estate.

Men were always caught up in their own world, never bothering to notice anyone else's pain.

As Fernando leaned down to kiss me, I thought he might not just be a lover, but also someone I could learn a thing or two from in this game.

If he could play his cards so carefully to get what he wanted, I guessed I could do the same to win back my freedom.

I started trying to get on Fernando's good side, secretly keeping an eye on what he liked.

I noticed that since Fernando grew up in Madeline's palace, the servants weren't exactly careful, so a lot of things ended up pretty rough and basic.

Take his underclothes, for example. In noble families, everyone wore luxurious silk, all hand-embroidered, so everything felt soft and fancy.

But Fernando just had his steward buy off-the-rack stuff from the tailor's shop. He didn't like keeping a bunch of seamstresses around, and he wasn't interested in messing around with fancy clothes.

When it came to meals, Fernando was casual, always stuck to the same few dishes and never bothered with any nourishing broths.

The cook in the kitchen would often say, "Prince Fernando really ought to bring a wife home. It'd liven up the place and make it feel warmer."

After thinking it over, I drew some funds from the estate's treasury.

First, I bought a stack of fine silk fabric, planning to make some clothes, socks, and shoes for Fernando.

Then I had the steward bring in several craftsmen to renovate the courtyard.

I asked the cook to switch up the menu, and to make things easier for her, I hired a few kitchen helpers through an agent to handle the fires and chores.

We cleaned up the courtyard, tossed out whatever needed to go, and made sure everything looked fresh and tidy.

Even the guard dog got a new leash.

When Fernando returned from taking care of business and saw the main entrance looking fresh and brand new, he couldn't believe his eyes.

As the food hit the table, Fernando frowned a bit.

"What's all this?" he asked.

I put a hand on my belly. "I'm pretty pregnant these days, and the doctor said the baby needs more nutrition, so I had the old cook make a few extra dishes."

Fernando didn't give it a second thought. He finished his meal in a hurry and made his way to the study.

On his way to the study, Fernando kept feeling like something was off.

It wasn't until he saw the decorations by the door that he finally realized the whole place had been completely revamped.

Back then, since Fernando never really cared about Rosyrie Palace, the servants wouldn't dare touch a thing, so year after year, everything stayed the same.

But now that I'd moved in, the whole place felt brighter and more lively. Honestly, it was amazing.

For some reason, it was starting to feel a little bit like home.

Now that Rosyrie Palace had gotten a total makeover, everyone was buzzing with energy, throwing themselves into their work.

From the steward to the kitchen maids, everywhere I turned, someone was calling me "Lady Christina."

Sometimes, when Fernando heard them call me Lady Christina, he wouldn't say a word, but just flash me a knowing smile.

At night, as he held me close, he'd deliberately tease me, saying, "Time to rest, Lady Christina."

His voice was gentle and teasing, laced with amusement, and it always made me blush.