Chapter 2

The talisman was burning away as I walked into the room, carrying the medicine. Mom was busy embroidering a pillow. "Mom, this is the pregnancy medicine the doctor gave you," I said.

She took a sip and instantly frowned. "Wait, this tastes like... boy-turning medicine?"

I looked down, feeling a bit guilty. "No, Dad never told me the secret formula."

Mom's gaze was sharp as knives, fixed on me.

I tried to act cool and met her eyes, but my palms were slick with sweat.

In the end, she drank it all in one go.

This felt so wrong. I used to hate it when Dad pulled tricks like this, and now I was doing the exact same thing.

For three months, I made sure to make the medicine for Mom on time every single day.

One day, the doctor came by to check Mom's pulse. Bob paced back and forth with his cane, constantly asking, "So? Is it a boy?"

The doctor smiled and bowed. "Congratulations, sir! Your wife is expecting a son."

Bob slapped his thigh in delight and immediately ordered the servants, "Go get the gold bracelets from the storeroom for Charlotte! And bring some jewelry for Lily Shaw!"

My heart sank as I looked at all that glittering gold and silver.

Seriously? A woman's whole value boiled down to whether she could have a son.

Mom gently wrapped each piece of jewelry in red silk and whispered, "I'm saving all these for you. They'll be part of your dowry when you get married."

I hugged Mom tight, burying my face in her shoulder. I could feel the faint heartbeat of the baby inside her and smell the medicine clinging to her clothes. My eyes burned with unshed tears.

Bob threw a huge party at the estate, handing out silver coins to everyone he saw.

Those same gentry who used to laugh at him behind his back for being childless were now all smiles, coming to offer their congratulations.

The day Mom was about to give birth just happened to be the day before Bob turned sixty.

The midwife came out holding the baby and announced, "Congratulations, sir! It's a little boy."

My heart finally relaxed. With a son in the family, things would finally get better for Mom.

But then a thought suddenly struck me: If this secret formula really worked, why didn't it do anything for me when I was born?

I was in my room, shaking a rattle for my little brother, when a group of people suddenly stormed in. Without saying a word, they hauled Mom and me out of the room.

"What are you doing? Where are you taking us?" Mom shouted, clutching my little brother so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Bob was waiting by the front gate, with several chests of gold and silver piled up next to him.

He squinted at me with a smile that sent a chill down my spine.

When I woke up in the cell, Mom was already awake. She reached out and touched my face, asking softly, "What on earth is going on?"

I hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "Mom, I'm sorry... When Bob found out you were having a girl, he wanted to force you to take abortion medicine... It was me... I used Dad's boy-turning ritual..."

I thought Mom would hit me or yell at me. She always hated Dad for using that kind of forbidden method, and she'd warned me again and again never to touch it.

But instead, Mom just pulled me into her arms and whispered, "Silly girl, I don't blame you. It's not your fault, it's mine for being powerless. But now... this secret ritual could bring disaster down on you."

Just then, the cell door was flung open. A guard dragged me out without a second thought.

"Mom! Mom!" I screamed, struggling to look back at her.

Mom stood up, her lips trembling as she tried to say something.

I caught the words on her lips: "Don't admit it."

I thought the ones who kidnapped us were just some high-ranking nobles, but when I was dragged into the throne room, I finally saw who was really behind it all.

It was none other than the most exalted man in the land, the King himself.

His commanding voice echoed through the hall. "Charlotte Shaw, descendant of the Shaw family, raise your head."

After thinking it over, I answered, "Your Majesty, my name is Margaret Shaw. I'm just a nobody, not part of the renowned Shaw family."

"Oh?" He drummed his fingers on the armrest. "Then how do you know about the boy-turning ritual?"

"Your Majesty, I was just making things up. I prayed for my mother day and night. Maybe the gods took pity on me..."

The King gave a cold chuckle, but then his voice suddenly softened.

He said, "The Queen and I have been together since we were young, and our love has lasted for years. But we still don't have a true heir to carry on the royal line."

He let out a sigh. "If you can help the Queen with the boy-turning ritual, you won't just be helping me. It would be a blessing for the whole nation."

I just kept my head down, listening in silence, not daring to meet his gaze.

"If you pull this off, I'll shower you with enough gold to last a lifetime and grant you the title of County Princess," the King promised, his tone growing softer.

He added, "And your mother will be honored as a Lady of the court."

The hall was so quiet I could hear my own heart pounding in my chest.

Suddenly, the King slammed his hand down on the dragon-carved table.

"You refuse my offer, so now you'll face the consequences!" the King roared. "Drag Lily Shaw in here!"