Chapter 2

Seeing Edward about to rip my clothes apart, I shoved him away with all my strength and bolted out of the tent.

"Caroline, why are you out here? How's His Grace doing?" one of the guards called out anxiously.

Edward's personal guards were all waiting outside, their faces full of worry when they saw me rush out.

"His Grace's condition isn't good. Needles aren't helping at all. Hurry and get Lieutenant Stone, now," I said.

I clutched my clothes tightly. Thankful for the endless northern winters, I was bundled up in enough layers.

"If His Grace's condition is so bad, why are you out here? And now you want to call someone else? Isn't that just wasting precious time?" one of the guards snapped.

"If something happens to His Grace because of this, can you, a mere doctor, shoulder the blame?" another guard barked.

The big, burly guards were shouting at me, but I stood my ground, refusing to budge.

Fortunately, someone had already gone to fetch Isabelle, and she was brought over in no time.

Isabelle, dressed in her tight-fitting battle attire, swung off her horse and stopped right in front of me.

She eyed me suspiciously, asking, "Caroline, what are you up to? You went to all that trouble to become His Grace's personal doctor, to marry into Northgate Manor. Now, instead of seizing the opportunity, you call me over. What's your real game?"

The biting wind and snow weighed on me, and for a moment, it was as if I was reliving the day I died.

Despair was so suffocating that I could barely breathe.

I clenched my fists and looked up at Isabelle, saying, "If you don't go in now, he might really be in danger."

As soon as I finished speaking, a restrained, muffled groan came from inside the tent.

Isabelle's expression shifted instantly. She swung her whip to push me aside, then threw open the tent flap and rushed in.

Moments later, the sound of clothes being ripped apart could be heard from inside.

People nearby turned red with embarrassment, their faces flushed.

With the man's low growls and the woman's sharp cries, things crashed loudly to the ground.

Anyone could tell just how intense things were inside.

Those sounds of pleasure were like icicles dropping from the roof, stabbing into my chest over and over, making my heart ache and leaving me numb.

"Damn, His Grace is a real beast. Just listen to those noises..." one of the guards said.

"Lucky Lieutenant Stone went in. If Caroline had stayed in there, with her tiny build, she'd probably be dragged out half-dead. No way she'd live to enjoy any of that wealth," another guard joked.

The guards' lewd banter pressed down on me, making it hard to breathe.

I felt like my soul had been sucked dry, hollow and lost as I stumbled out of the main tent like a ghost.

Once I stepped into the warmth of my own tent, I couldn't hold back anymore. Tears raced down my cheeks, desperate to escape.

At first, I tried to stifle my sobs, but soon I broke down completely, wailing uncontrollably, as if pouring out all the pain and injustice I carried across two lifetimes.

That night, the lights in Edward's tent never went out.

I lay awake the whole night, unable to find a moment's rest.

When dawn broke, I washed up and stepped out of the medical tent. I hitched a ride on the supply wagon heading into town for herbs, then made my way to the biggest herb shop in the city.

The shopkeeper spotted me and rushed over, her eyes rimmed with concern. She asked, "Your Highness, what happened to you?"

I knew I looked a mess; crying all night had left my eyes swollen and puffy.

My clothes were still torn from Isabelle's whip, and I only managed to patch them up with a few hasty stitches. I looked like a total wreck, pitiful and pathetic.

There was nothing left of the princess I once was.

The shopkeeper was Grace Harrison, my father's loyal bodyguard who had been by my side since I was little. She watched over me all my life, so seeing me like this, her heart ached for me.

But I didn't have time to explain everything or vent my feelings.

After everything I had been through, I threw myself into her arms, eyes swollen and voice trembling. I said, "Grace, please send word to Father. I need to return to the capital."