Chapter 1

My sister, who had spent sixteen years as a fake heiress of my family, finally made her grand marriage, becoming the crown princess.

On the day of the wedding, she wore the crown and bridal attire, walking through a sea of envious gazes before she came to stand before me.

With fake kindness, she took my hand and said, "Natalia, don't blame us. You saved His Majesty's life, and our parents, well, they did what they thought was best for the Matthews family. Now that I'm married to the prince, you have me to rely on. From now on, I'll take good care of you."

Her voice was soft, but there was a venomous pride in her eyes, a warning wrapped in the sweetness of her tone.

I calmly pulled my hand away and watched as she stood next to Prince Everett Goodwin, accepting the congratulations of the court. Their self-satisfied expressions made them look like they owned the world.

But they didn't know that I'd waited for this day far too long.

As the ceremonial official began to announce the completion of the rites, I suppressed the hatred rising within me, stepped forward, and with a voice that was not loud, but clear enough to be heard throughout the entire Hall of the Highest Harmony, I said, "Wait."

The room fell into stunned silence.

I met the prince's furious gaze, my sister's terrified eyes, the bewildered looks of the court officials, and the Emperor's unreadable, yet meaningful glance from the throne.

Slowly, I said, "I have the late Emperor's will. Your Majesty, please review it!"

*****

The Hall of the Highest Harmony was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

Viviana Matthews's face, which had been glowing with triumph just moments ago, instantly turned as pale as paper.

She instinctively clutched the Crown Prince Everett Goodwin's sleeve, her nails nearly piercing the bright yellow fabric.

Everett's brows furrowed into a sharp line, his gaze burning with open disgust and warning as he stared at me.

"Natalia, have you lost your mind? Today is the grand wedding for Viviana and me. Are you really trying to cause a commotion and shame the Matthews family right now?" he snapped.

His voice was urgent, fiercely protective of Viviana, as if I were some malicious woman determined to wreck his happiness.

I ignored him, raising the imperial silk scroll I'd hidden in my sleeve high above my head.

"This is the late Emperor's handwritten decree, bearing the Imperial Seal. Your Majesty, please examine it," I said.

Kristopher Goodwin, the Emperor sitting high on his throne, my uncle in name only, slowly raised his hand.

Rolando Bryan, the chief eunuch beside him, caught on right away. He hurried down the steps, carefully took the decree from my hands, and presented it to the Emperor.

Kristopher unfurled the decree, his eyes sweeping over the words. On his usually impassive face, a faint, almost imperceptible hint of emotion flickered for just a moment.

He lifted his gaze, cutting through the crowd and locking eyes with me.

"Natalia, do you know what the punishment is for forging a decree from the late Emperor?" he asked.

His voice was steady and commanding, carrying the weight of imperial authority.

I straightened my back, speaking each word with deliberate clarity. "I would never dare, Your Majesty. The senior members of the royal family and the veteran officials will see for themselves whether this decree is real or not."

Viviana had already pulled herself together. Forcing a smile, she spoke softly to Everett. "Your Highness, Natalia's just upset about me getting married. She can't bear to see me leave. It's nothing to worry about. Let's just give her a moment."

Then she turned to me, her voice laced with condescending patience. "Natalia, don't be difficult. Come back here. Trust me, I know what's in your heart."

What a perfect picture of a considerate, understanding person.

If I hadn't experienced it myself, I might've actually been fooled by her performance.

Of course Everett bought her act. His expression softened a bit, but his eyes shot me an even more impatient glare. "Are you deaf, Natalia? Stop embarrassing yourself and step down, now!"

I sneered inwardly. Humiliation?

Soon enough, she would see what real disgrace looked like.

"Your Majesty," I spoke up again, my voice ringing clear. "The late Emperor's decree says, 'I have heard that the Matthews family has a daughter—gentle, pure-hearted, wise, and perceptive.

"I hereby bestow upon her half of a pendant as a token. In the future, should the Emperor face danger, whoever brings this token and saves him, no matter their status, may use the other half to ask the future Emperor for a favor, and the Emperor will never break his promise.'"

I paused for a moment, then took out the half of the jade pendant from my chest, its surface smooth and warm, engraved with intricate, flowing patterns.

I said, "A year ago, His Majesty was ambushed in Ardving City and left gravely wounded, slipping into a coma.

"With nothing but the rudimentary medical skills I picked up as a child, I managed to stop your bleeding, bandage your wounds, find herbs to keep you alive, and fought desperately to keep the assassins at bay until the imperial guards finally arrived.

"Afterward, I collapsed from exhaustion. When I came to, the jade pendant was gone. But my dear sister Viviana waltzed in, clutching the pendant that was rightfully mine, and just like that, she was hailed as His Majesty's savior."

As soon as I finished speaking, the hall erupted in an uproar.