Chapter 1
It had only been three months since I started relying on my fiancé, Alaric Ashworth.
And here I was again, nagging him to buy me the hottest accessories all the noble ladies were flaunting.
Suddenly, a barrage of pop-up comments flashed across my vision.
[Seriously, Willow ? Spending a guy's money so shamelessly?]
[Willow is such a drama queen, vain, and totally clueless. Alaric is basically a rose stuck in manure.]
[Don't worry, the more Willow messes up, the sooner Alaric will get sick of her.]
[Without Alaric's protection, Willow'll get skewered by an assassin at the Princess Elowen of Ningborne's birthday ball in no time.]
My hand jerked in shock.
I quickly released Alaric's sleeve.
"Well... I’m already a diamond, darling – no need for more polish," I said, trying to sound confident.
*****
Alaric raised an eyebrow and joked, "Whoa, busting out idioms now, huh?"
I was embarrassed.
I was literally sweating bullets.
The Princess Elowen of Ningborne's birthday ball was set for three months from now.
Who wouldn’t have been afraid when seeing their own death date?
Alaric wore a playful smirk.
"Are you sure you don't want it?" he teased.
I nodded so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.
"Yeah, being an official isn't easy. You should save your money for greasing the wheels and keeping things running smoothly," I said, trying to sound virtuous.
Maybe this was the first time I'd ever tried to act all virtuous and considerate.
He looked at me like I'd just sprouted a halo or something.
I sighed inwardly, feeling a bit defeated.
I was even giving up on the pearl hairpin I'd been drooling over for ages.
Maybe if I played nice, my death date would get pushed back a little?
Just then, Alaric magically produced a pearl hairpin from his sleeve, its center adorned with a plump, gleaming pearl.
My jaw dropped.
My instincts were screaming: run!
But then he gently tucked the pearl hairpin into my hair, his handsome face so close that I could practically feel his breath.
Emmmm
God, I kinda wanted to kiss him right now.
Just then, the comments started flooding in.
[Damn! Willow is totally drooling over him!]
[Hey, back off from Alaric, you shameless supporting girl!]
[Alaric's basically a good-hearted country guy. He and Willow had a childhood betrothal, so he just can't help being nice to her.]
[Country guy? Please, Alaric's already made it big as a First-Class Minister!]
[Exactly! Alaric's a real diamond in the rough, came from nowhere and turned into a total success story.]
[No wonder Willow trekked two thousand miles just to cling to Alaric. He's basically her lifetime meal ticket.]
Honestly, I was just a down-to-earth country girl myself.
My main thing? I was all about being obedient.
I quickly looked away.
Just then, Alaric used his big hand to steady my head, making me face him again.
He grumbled under his breath, "That day, you were staring so hard at the pearl hairpin on the girl at the next table."
"You nearly shoved your fork up your nose," he teased.
"I have money!" he exclaimed.
I could feel, clear as day, that drop-dead gorgeous pearl hairpin being tucked into my hair.
I couldn't help but thin that I must look absolutely stunning right now.
After Alaric left, I found myself dwelling on those pop-up comments.
They said I was nothing more than a Willow.
Alaric would eventually get sick of me.
And I'd end up dead in three months.
Was that really how it was gonna go? I wondered.
My whole body broke out in goosebumps.
Was someone actually cursing me or something? I thought, a chill running down my spine.
Alaric and I grew up as neighbors.
We'd known each other since we were still in diapers.
Our families were tight.
Our parents even set up a childhood betrothal for us.
I was perfectly satisfied with that.
He was the most handsome guy in the village.
And I was the strongest woman in the village, the kind who could haul a giant water tank single-handedly.
He'd cook, I'd farm.
What a perfect life!
I really thought we were totally meant for each other until he became a First-Class Minister.
He brought me to Eldoria, the capital city.
Something in me shifted.
I started being dramatic, stirring up trouble whenever I felt like it.
Even though we weren't married yet, and I didn't earn a single dollar.
I still spent his money without a second thought.
If other girls had something, I had to have it too. No questions asked.
Plenty of people gossiped about me behind my back, but Alaric never so much as frowned at me.
I was already sixteen, definitely old enough to get married, but he just kept putting it off.
I didn't really care.
I just thought he was madly in love with me.
But now, I saw those pop-up comments.
That was when I realized all the money I was blowing now would end up costing me my life.
Even Alaric, who'd always given me everything I wanted, would end up falling for someone else.
I was really starting to freak out.
I was afraid that I'd lose love.
I was afraid that I might die.
But on second thought, I guess that was just how things would go.
I was neither beautiful nor did I know the poetry and music that every noble lady in the capital could rattle off with ease.
It was only natural that he didn’t love me.
But… to have me killed? That seemed rather excessive.
The next day, I was up before the sun even peeked over the horizon.
Dressed in a practical tavern wench tunic, I wolfed down my breakfast in no time.
My maid stared at me, her eyes practically popping out of her head.
She was certain I'd been shaken by something.