Chapter 2

My smile clearly caught Leon off guard.

For the first time, his always playful and predatory composure fractured with true bewilderment.

He stared into my eyes, hunting for proof that some dark entity has possessed the woman he thought he owned.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked, his voice laced with a faint, almost imperceptible hoarseness.

I maintained the curve of my lips as I watched him calmly. "I'm laughing at my own foolishness. Your Highness is the future king of Linoria. I am merely the daughter of a conquered nation.

"How can a firefly compete with the moon? For three years, I have been deluded."

He narrowed his eyes to scrutinize me, trying to discern the truth in my words. "You've really thought it through?"

I nodded, lowering my gaze and letting out a soft sigh. "I have. This courtyard is beautiful, the clothes are warm, and the food is good. Rather than exhaust myself thinking about the impossible, it's better to just live like this."

A long silence filled the air, broken only by the gentle swaying of the lantern in the evening breeze, its light dancing in restless patterns.

It was a long time before Leon spoke again, and when he did, his usual confidence was gone, replaced by a note of probing curiosity. "It's good that you've come to your senses. Behave, and I won't treat you poorly."

He placed the half-eaten drumstick back on the parchment, stood up, and gave me one last, deep look before turning to leave.

This time, he didn't command the guards to throw the heavy bronze bolt after he left.

The door was left ajar.

I sat perfectly still, not moving a muscle until the sound of his footsteps had completely faded from the courtyard.

Only then did the smile on my face freeze and crumble, inch by inch.

I murmured, "Leon, you enjoy the show, don't you? Fine. I will perform the most brilliant play for you.

"I will become the caged bird who falls in love with her captor. I will make you open this cage with your own hands. And then, I will make you feel what it's like to fall from the heavens into the abyss."

From that day on, I changed.

I no longer sat in stony silence, nor did I meet Leon with cold hostility. When he arrived, I would rise to greet him and pour a chalice of the spiced wine he loved.

I admired every tribute he brought, from glass beads from the western deserts to luminous pearls from the southern territories, lingering over them as if they were the center of my world.

Only then did I offer my thanks with a perfect smile. "They're beautiful. Thank you, Your Highness."

When he brought food, I swallowed it in small, delicate bites, no longer needing him to half-force me to eat.

My compliance eased the tense, confrontational atmosphere of the entire Moonview Manor. Even my handmaiden, Maggie Lynn, dared to speak more freely in my presence.

"My lady, have you truly given up?" Maggie asked cautiously one day as she combed my hair.

Maggie was the only person in this entire estate who felt any sympathy for me.

She was two years younger than me, and when she first arrived at the manor, her clumsiness nearly got her beaten to death by the steward. I happened upon the scene and pleaded with Leon, saving her life.

Since then, she had been assigned to serve me, her loyalty unwavering. She had secretly aided me in at least ten of my seventeen escape attempts.

I looked at the pale, docile face in the mirror and gave a small nod. "I have. Rather than fighting until we are both broken, it's better to find a new way to live."

Maggie's hands stilled, and her voice was filled with disappointment. "But your little brother..."

A sharp pain lanced through my heart.

My brother, Finn Blackwood, was the only family I had left in this world.

Three years ago, when our country fell, Finn, who was only five, and I were separated by chaotic soldiers during our escape. I was sold as a war captive and eventually purchased by Leon.

Finn, meanwhile, had fallen into the hands of another one of Leon's generals.

Leon imprisoned me here but went to the trouble of finding Finn. He had Finn settled in another residence in the city, well-fed, and cared for. He never let me see Finn, but he would occasionally give me updates on Finn's condition.

"Finn has grown another half-inch."

"His tutor praised him for his reading today."

"He misses you very much. As long as you are good, one day, I will let you two be reunited."

Finn was the sole reason I endured, and he was the strongest chain Leon used to bind me.

I drew the air deep into my lungs, closing my eyes for a heartbeat. When I opened my eyes, my gaze was calm and utterly unreadable. "Maggie, don't mention him again."

I took her cold hand, looking at her astonished face in the mirror as I spoke, word by word. "Leon is deeply suspicious. Don't let him see any cracks in the facade. From this day forward, I am only Thea. I am no one's sister."

Maggie's eyes immediately reddened. She lowered her head, sobbing, "I... I understand, my lady."

I knew she did.

To fool the cunning Leon, I had to first deceive everyone around me. This performance had to be flawless.