Chapter 6
The slap was so hard that it sent me crashing to the ground.
My cheek swelled up instantly, and the taste of blood filled my mouth.
My hand trembled as I touched my face, and the moment my fingers brushed the red mark, tears streamed down my cheeks.
In all my lives, this was the first time Edward had ever slapped me.
I lifted my gaze, but everything was a blur through my tears, except for Edward, looming above me, looking down with cold indifference.
"Oh my god, Caroline is actually Princess Charlotte? What is she doing in the Northmoor military camp?"
"I heard Princess Charlotte has always had her eyes on the Duke of Northgate. He was living comfortably in the capital, but she's the reason he returned to the frontier."
"If she's Princess Charlotte, doesn't that mean the duke is her uncle? Isn't that...?"
"This is such an embarrassment to the royal family."
The gossip came at me from all sides, and for a moment, it felt just like the wedding in my previous life.
There wasn't a single blessing, just sneers and biting ridicule.
They called me shameless, saying I drugged Edward and barged into Northgate Manor with a swollen belly.
They said I threw all decency aside, hell-bent on marrying my father's old friend no matter what.
They accused me of being heartless and scheming, plotting to get rid of Edward's beloved...
The voices from both lifetimes began to overlap, echoing in my mind like a haunting chorus that wouldn't let me go.
In the end, all those whispers twisted together and became Edward's angry voice, crashing through my head like a bolt of lightning.
Edward said, "Charlotte, apologize to Isabelle."
I pushed myself up from the ground, my eyes red and swollen from crying.
"Why should I be the one to apologize?" I shot back.
Yeah, I messed up in my previous life, and I got what I deserved.
But this time, what did I do wrong? Why should I have to say sorry for anything?
The biting wind howled from all sides, making my thin frame look even more fragile, as if I might collapse at any moment.
Still, I stayed on my feet.
I locked eyes with Edward, defiance blazing in my gaze. I said, "I won't apologize for something I didn't do, or for something I didn't do wrong."
Edward was livid. He said, "You think you can just use your royal status to push people around, and you think that's justified?"
I let out a bitter laugh at his words.
Me? Abusing my royal status to bully others?
If I really wanted to use my power, why would I spend three years hiding my identity in this camp?
Hadn't I suffered these past three years because of who I was?
If I really wanted to bully Isabelle, would I have waited this long?
Anyone could see the truth here, but Edward was completely prejudiced against me. His mind was entirely wrapped up in Isabelle, and he never cared to hear my side.
Still, I refused to lower my head and say sorry.
I won't ever bow for something I didn't do.
"Charlotte, are you asking me to court-martial you?" Edward asked.
Edward stared at my swollen, red face, rage boiling inside him.
He couldn't understand how the gentle, well-behaved girl he once sheltered had become so defiant.
In the midst of the tense standoff, chaos suddenly erupted among the crowd.
"Avalanche," someone shouted.
"Avalanche! Run for your lives," another voice shouted in panic.
Everyone glanced up at the mountain above the town, only to see a massive wave of snow crashing down like a collapsing mountain, thundering straight toward them.
"Run!" Edward shouted.
He grabbed Isabelle around the waist, vaulted onto his horse, and galloped off, leading everyone to safety.
All I could see was his back, fading away as he left me behind.
The man who once shielded me from arrows on the hunting grounds; his strong, dependable figure now seemed to vanish in an instant, collapsing in my heart.
It felt just like the avalanche thundering down behind me, swallowing me and everyone else who couldn't escape its path...
It felt like I was back in the moment of my death, reliving it all over again.
The freezing cold crept in from outside, slowly engulfing me and swallowing me whole.
I could feel my heartbeat slowing, my mind growing hazier and hazier...
At last, I slowly closed my eyes, and slipped into complete unconsciousness.