Chapter 3
Everyone present was watching me, just waiting for some juicy drama to unfold.
I remembered the King's warning and wasn't about to waste my breath arguing with Edward. Anyway, everyone would find out who my future husband was soon enough.
Renee ended up sharing the carriage with me on the way back.
She looked at my coffee-stained dress and flashed a smug, triumphant smile.
She sneered, "So what if you become the Crown Princess? If you can't win Edward's heart, you're not even as good as a common maid."
With Edward gone, Renee finally dropped her sweet and innocent act and showed her true colors.
Seeing that triumphant, petty look on her face, I couldn't help but remember my previous life.
Back then, my mother pressed my father to marry her off to one of his students. The man came from a poor background, but eventually rose through the ranks and gained promotion.
Out of gratitude to my father, he was utterly devoted to Renee.
She ended up living a life far better than mine as the Crown Princess.
This time around, I wasn't going to let my mother meddle in her marriage anymore.
Honestly, I was curious to see what kind of ending she'd get this time.
Lost in thought, I brushed off her sneering and replied calmly, "Well then, may you and Edward live happily ever after."
She was stunned by my words. Her arrogance fizzled out, leaving her speechless.
I ignored her completely and stepped out of the carriage.
*****
On the King's birthday celebration, I went to the palace with my mother to celebrate.
To avoid the crowd of young nobles and the officials' heirs, I slipped away to the palace gardens for some peace and quiet.
I never expected to bump into Renee there.
I'd heard that Edward had been showering her with gifts in her quarters these past few days.
Now she was decked out in dazzling jewels, looking even more extravagant than me—the heiress.
When she spotted me, she sashayed over with a coy smile.
"Camille, do you think this dress looks good on me? Edward had the royal dressmakers make it just for me. There's nothing else like it in the world," she said, her voice brimming with pride.
Seeing I wasn't paying her any attention, she stubbornly kept going, refusing to let it go.
"And as for the wedding dress, Edward promised mine will be even more exquisite and grand than yours," she said, her voice full of pride.
I was about to tell her to leave me alone, but when I caught sight of the hairpin in her hair, my heart suddenly dropped.
That hairpin was identical to the one my grandmother left me before she passed away.
I loved rabbits, so my grandmother had a skilled craftsman carve the top of the hairpin into a lifelike rabbit.
I cherished it so much that I could barely bring myself to wear it.
I was about to reach for the hairpin to get a closer look, but Renee suddenly covered her face and started crying dramatically.
"Camille, what are you doing? I know you're jealous that Edward only loves me, but you can't just hit me," she sobbed loudly.
Suddenly, someone seized my wrist, their grip tight.
A chilly voice came from behind me. "Camille, what are you doing?"
Edward shot me a cold glare. "What's your problem now?"
I jerked my wrist free and locked eyes with Renee.
"That hairpin in your hair—where did it come from?" I asked, unable to hide the suspicion in my voice.
Renee looked guilty for a split second, but with Edward standing protectively at her side, she quickly straightened up.
She replied confidently, "Edward gave it to me."
"You're lying. My grandmother had that hairpin made just for me. There's not another one like it anywhere," I said, my voice steady.
"Take it off her, now," I ordered my maid, Cathy Walker.
She reached for Renee's hairpin.
But before she could even touch Renee, Edward struck her. She fell to the floor.
"You worthless servant! Who told you you could lay a finger on Renee?" he barked, his voice blazing with anger.
He pointed at me, practically shouting in fury.
He barked, "Camille, I can't believe you'd stoop this low—trying to drag Renee through the mud just to keep me from marrying her.
"Let me spell it out for you. I'm the one who gave her that hairpin."