Chapter 2

Back then, I thought she was just a woman, even if she was Princess Adelina. What could be so special about her?

I straightened my clothes and glanced toward the manor gates. "Since she's come to my estate, how could I not welcome her?"

The gates swung open. Standing there was a man with a handsome, rebellious face.

"You dare stand before Lord Tristan without bowing?" Rowan snapped, glaring at Lionel's attitude.

Rowan caught Lionel's blatant disregard and barked at him.

Lionel's face stayed perfectly calm, showing not a hint of panic at Rowan's words.

He replied carelessly, "Lord Tristan, I spent all yesterday attending to Princess Adelina, and now I'm sore all over. You're a big-hearted guy. I'm sure you won't bother fussing with someone like me."

There was a clear hint of arrogance in his tone.

Rowan was pissed off. He kicked Lionel sharply behind the knee.

Lionel dropped to his knees from the pain.

His face twisted in agony as he grabbed his knee, throwing Rowan a venomous glare.

Rowan raised his fist, clearly about to throw another punch at Lionel.

But before he could, Adelina's stern voice rang out from behind. "Is this how you discipline your men, Lord Tristan?"

With that, she reached down to help Lionel up from the ground.

Seeing Adelina come to his rescue, Lionel immediately covered his face and burst into dramatic sobs. "Your Highness, I was utterly captivated by your beauty yesterday. I couldn't get you out of my mind!

"I had to come find you, but I never imagined I'd be treated so shamefully. Please, Your Highness, you have to stand up for me!"

Adelina gently patted Lionel's back, murmuring to him like she was soothing a child. "Look at you, all grown up and still acting like a little kid."

Then she turned to me, her voice sweet and teasing. "Tristan, Lionel just likes me too much. Is it really a crime for him to be so fond of me?"

Just because he liked her, he could show up at my estate and cause trouble? Just because he was into her, he could disrespect me like this?

Adelina could feel the anger rising in me.

She stood on her tiptoes and leaned in close to my ear. "Tristan, haven't you always wanted to know how your father really died?"

Over a decade ago, the Crathorn family was wiped out. My father was beheaded, and my mother, unable to bear the grief, hanged herself to join him.

How my father died has always been the biggest question weighing on my mind.

My fists slowly unclenched.

Adelina couldn't help but smile. She murmured, "Tristan, I always knew you'd get me."

She turned back and helped Lionel to his feet, then led him inside my manor.

All that remained were the crowd gathered at the gate, whispering among themselves, and me, rooted to the spot.

Adelina spared no expense and summoned the top physician in Brackenford to treat Lionel.

Rowan checked in on him several times and reported back that Lionel was sobbing uncontrollably in front of Adelina, tugging at her heartstrings and making her genuinely worried for him.

She was incredibly generous. Just for bruises and pain relief, she had over a dozen different ointments lined up for him.

"Lord Tristan, Lionel's got some real scheming moves. Just look at that pathetic act. Honestly, I'd love to break his other leg myself!" Rowan muttered, fists clenched.

Rowan was practically ready to take him down right then and there.

Lionel was the star attraction at Luscious House, and he knew exactly how to keep the spoiled Adelina eating out of his hand. No doubt, he had plenty of tricks and manipulative ways.

I reminded Rowan, "We've got bigger things to deal with. Don't waste your energy on Lionel."

Rowan nodded, agreeing without hesitation.

On the eve of the Autumn Festival, Rowan went out to buy the offerings for my parents' ancestral rites, just like he'd done every year for as long as I could remember.

For some reason, I felt a sense of foreboding. My eyelid kept twitching, and panic started to creep in.

Hours went by, but Rowan still hadn't returned.

I asked the servants around the manor, but none of them had seen him either.

As I passed the fish pond, I spotted Lionel at the water's edge, casually feeding the fish.

He scattered fish food into the pond, giving me a sly, sideways look full of challenge.

"Lord Tristan, you're usually so calm and collected. What's got you all flustered today?" he taunted.

His heavily powdered, alluring face was brimming with provocation.

Ever since Rowan messed up Lionel's knee, Lionel started acting out. He made a scene, playing up his injuries and clinging to Adelina until she finally let him stay at the manor.

Whenever this happened, Adelina would put on her most innocent look and say, "Tristan, Lionel's hurt. He's just being childish. He's not trying to disrespect you."

I had no interest in dealing with Lionel, so I just walked right past him.

Lionel's voice oozed with malice as he called out, "Better hurry and look for him, Lord Tristan. Who knows if Rowan will even make it out alive?"

He smirked behind his hand and sauntered off.

I found Rowan barely clinging to life in the woodshed.