Chapter 1
I was the most notorious villainess in Dawnville.
By the time I turned twenty, no one dared to ask for my hand in marriage.
When the Duchess Carolina Armstrong showed up at my door, I didn't hesitate to turn her down.
"I'm not exactly easy to get along with. I might just throw a punch if I'm not careful," I said.
But Carolina just grabbed my hand and laughed, "Honestly, my son is a handful. If you can keep him in check, as long as you don't beat him to death, that's good enough for me."
So after all the matchmaking and formalities, I ended up as the Duchess of the Heir.
Everyone in Dawnville was just waiting for the day I'd get cast aside.
My reputation in Dawnville was so rotten, even three-year-olds had heard the tales about me.
At three, I tried to kill my infant half-sister by dropping her.
At ten, I slipped poison into Megan's bowl.
By fifteen, I used a pair of scissors to ruin my fiancé for life.
So, even at twenty, no one dared to come knocking for my hand.
Turns out, there was actually someone who wasn't afraid of me, and today, Carolina came knocking at my door.
My first thought was that she must've just arrived in Dawnville and hadn't heard the rumors about me yet.
So, the moment she started talking, I turned her down right away.
"I'm not exactly easy to get along with. I might just throw a punch if I'm not careful," I said.
But Carolina just took my hand and said, "To be honest, my son is a real troublemaker. If you can handle him, as long as you don't beat him to death, that's good enough for me."
She looked completely sincere, not a hint of pretending.
Megan Bates cut in, "I'm guessing you've heard all the stories about her, right?"
"Yeah, I know all about it," Carolina nodded.
She looked pretty neutral when she glanced at Megan, but when her eyes landed on me, she smiled.
"Honestly, I think Aviana would be just right for my boy," she said.
Megan's face was a mess of tears and laughter as she grabbed my arm, leaning in close to plead, "For heaven's sake, just say yes."
So I finally agreed to the marriage.
Megan's eyes were brimming with tears, she was so moved.
"Oh thank heavens, she's finally getting married at last!" she said, her voice shaking with relief.
She rushed straight to the church to perform an offering.
The moment Dad walked in, she couldn't wait to share the good news.
"Dad, Aviana's going to marry into the Armstrong family!" she announced, practically bursting with excitement.
"Aviana, the wedding is in a month!"
Her voice was so loud, I could hear her clear as day from the other side of the house.
'I'm the one getting married, so what's she so thrilled about?' I wondered.
Laurel, my maid, pulled my cloak tighter around me before speaking up.
She said, "Of course she's happy!
"Now that you're getting married, Rosie finally has the chance to get married herself.
"Your other half-siblings are all waiting their turn.
"Your brother's already fifteen, but nobody even dares to mention marriage for him.
Everyone's scared you'll ruin things for everyone.
"Now that someone's finally willing to take you off their hands, she can't wait to send you packing."
I thought for a moment. "Maybe I agreed too soon?"
Laurel blinked, her eyes darting as she thought it over.
She said, "Honestly, it's not too early. You're already twenty, after all.
"But you should definitely ask for a bigger dowry.
"You worked hard for all this, so no way you should let them take advantage and walk away with it for nothing."
I couldn't help but grin and give her a little tap on the head. That was my Laurel, always looking out for me.
"You little genius, how about you handle the dowry list for me?" I said with a grin.
Laurel looked startled.
"No way, I wouldn't dare! Usually, your mother writes it. If she's not here, then Megan should do it and let your dad sign off on it," she replied.
"Honestly, I bet Megan wouldn't even dare to write it," I said.
That convinced Laurel, and she finally agreed.
She'd probably been running through the list in her head a hundred times already, so it only took her one night to write it all down.
Every single thing from Mom's dowry was on there. Nothing was left out.
The rest was just a few of the family's most valuable shops and some land.
When I showed it to Megan, her mouth twitched and she couldn't help but speak up.
"Isn't this... isn't this a bit too much?" she stammered.
I paused with my coffee in hand, then said calmly, "If you take out the shops and land at the end, everything else is from my mother's dowry.
"That's just because I've managed them well over the years, so the returns are higher."
"Any objections, Megan?" I asked, my tone cool.
Before she could respond, I set my coffee down on the table and smoothed out my dress.
"Honestly, I'm not even that eager to get married. I've gotten used to living comfortably at home, and I really can't be bothered to put up with all the drama at my in-laws' place.
"Waiting another eight or ten years doesn't bother me at all."
Megan shot to her feet.
She said, "If you keep dragging this out, the Hensley family's reputation will be shattered!
"Even if you don't care about yourself, you have a responsibility to look out for your younger siblings!"
"What's there to worry about? Rosie never cared much for Dawnville anyway, and she's living it up out in the northwest," I said, batting my eyes all innocent.
I blinked at Megan, putting on my best 'who, me?' face.
My sister, Rosie Hensley, whose name might sound sweet, but trust me, was pure muscle and grit.
She couldn't stand being tied down in Dawnville, so she packed up and headed for the borderlands way before anyone else.