Chapter 3

Caleb froze for a moment, then slowly released his grip, allowing me to slump to the ground.

Lydia's voice was soft, but her words hit like daggers.

"Did you forget? Back then, just to marry you, she faked being sick, starved herself, and even jumped into the water. Every single time, she stirred up the whole palace," she sneered.

But back then, Caleb had snuck into the palace late at night, his warm hand enveloping mine.

"Sophia, I'll handle the marriage myself. Your life is more precious than anything," he said.

Now, all warmth drained from his eyes, replaced by a cold, mocking laugh.

"Sophia, your life isn't worth a damn," he said.

My whole body trembled as I instinctively grabbed the hem of his robe, wanting to say something.

But when I saw the disgust in Caleb's eyes, my lips moved, but I couldn't say a thing.

Now, anything Sophia said would just sound desperate, like crazy talk.

I silently let go of his robe and lowered my head again.

Lydia nestled up to Caleb and gave me a sidelong glance, her face wearing the smug, scornful look of someone who'd just won.

Once the hall was empty, I crawled over to Susan, closed her eyes for her, then pulled the wooden hairpin from my hair and stabbed it straight into my chest.

Maybe it was the days of starvation that left me too weak; even dying was beyond me.

A whirlwind of messy memories swept through me, pulling my mind apart.

I was that carefree princess again, plotting all day how to slip out of the palace just to hang out with Caleb.

My father would always sigh, but in the end, he just couldn't resist me.

But suddenly, everything changed—the biting cold of Northica swept over me, and the foul breath of those men surrounded me, suffocating.

Someone started tearing at my clothes, and I began to struggle frantically, desperate to break free.

"No...don't hit me...it hurts," I pleaded, my voice trembling.

The men of Northica never bothered to undress when they forced themselves on someone. If they did, it meant the branding irons and whips were coming for sure.

I was trembling uncontrollably, but a pair of strong hands gripped my shoulders, keeping me from falling apart.

"Your Majesty, the princess...she's covered in old scars. Her body is frail, and the fear has taken its toll. I'm afraid..." someone said.

The voices blurred together, but I felt something cool and wet trickle over the scar on my shoulder, sending a fresh wave of chills through me.

The dream changed again.

Back in the Imperial Garden, I was begging Caleb to show off his martial arts. He broke off a peach branch, and with peach petals falling all around us, he said, "Sophia, I'll always protect you."

"Caleb..." I mumbled, lost in a haze of dreams.

I was teetering on the brink of a nightmare, struggling to break free.

Suddenly, a strong hand seized me, and Caleb's urgent voice shouted in my ear.

"Sophia!"

I jerked awake to find Caleb at my bedside, his eyes clouded with something I couldn't quite figure out.

Did I do something wrong again? I wondered, panic rising in my chest.

I rushed to get up and tried to kneel before him, but he stopped me.

"Since even fate refuses to take you, don't think I'll let you escape so easily," Caleb said coldly.

"Let what happened in Northica be your atonement for Lydia. In three days, you'll be made a lady-in-waiting. As long as you stop scheming, I'll let the past go," he added.

He didn't spare me another glance, turning to leave, but nearly collided with a flustered servant rushing in.

"Your Majesty, the Consort is trapped in a nightmare and won't wake up! She keeps calling out for General Bett!" the servant blurted out.

Caleb's brows knitted tightly, and he quickened his pace.

"What did the physician say?" Caleb asked.

The servant nervously replied, "The physician can't do anything, Your Majesty. The official of the Bureau of Celestial Affairs says someone in the palace has provoked the Consort and General Bett. General Bett's vengeful spirit is enraged, and only if that person copies the Sutra of Atonement using their own blood can the Consort be kept safe."

Caleb stopped dead in his tracks, then turned and stared straight at me.

I let out a bitter smile, eyes cast down, and without a second thought, yanked the hairpin from my hair and drove it into my left wrist.

Blood welled up instantly, but I acted like pain meant nothing to me. I sat right down and started copying out the Sutra of Atonement.

I'd copied the Sutra of Atonement a thousand times before, praying for Caleb every single day while he was away at war.

"Are you crazy?" Caleb shouted.

Caleb's eyes flashed with shock. He tore off his sash and wrapped it tightly around my wrist to stop the bleeding.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard, then finally forced out a few words.

"Don't even think about ending things like this. You owe Lydia, and you'll pay her back—slowly," he said coldly.

In the days that followed, Caleb had people bring me vitalis broth, barely keeping me alive, and made me copy the Sutra of Atonement again and again.

It wasn't until the seventh day that Lydia stormed in with her people, shoved open the doors, and slapped me so hard I hit the floor.

"You filthy bitch! After being passed around by every man in Northica, you still dare to throw yourself at His Majesty?" Lydia sneered.

But when she saw how pale I was, she immediately put on her fragile, innocent face again.

"Since you've already copied the Sutra of Atonement to atone for your sins, come with me to Tranrepent Church outside the city and present it to my father," Lydia said, her voice suddenly soft and gentle.

Before I could even answer, the servants dragged me to my feet, stuffed something in my mouth, and threw me into the carriage.

Once we were past the palace gates, the carriage suddenly sped up, tearing off toward the remote hills outside the city.

Out of nowhere, several shadowy figures leapt from the thick woods by the roadside, swords flashing as they hacked straight down at the carriage roof!