Chapter 2

"Look closely, everyone. The dead man's skin is smooth, and there isn't a single callus on his feet. How could he possibly be a starving refugee?

"You try to slander us and extort money, and still have the guts to act like you're letting it slide?"

My informant among the refugees seized the moment and said, "Catherine helps people in need, and you actually tried to mess with her? You deserve what's coming to you!"

With him stirring things up, the refugees went wild and beat the troublemaker until he was dead.

That tricky mess was wrapped up perfectly.

After that, my act of being timid and harmless completely fell apart in front of my parents—they saw right through it.

With more candles burning in the family shrine and my good deeds reaching farther, my parents grew increasingly aware of what I was really like.

But that clueless Crown Prince, Wesley, had no idea what he was really dealing with. He spoke as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "Honestly, someone from the Cole family becoming the princess? That's reaching way above your station.

"But Angel, with your reputation for kindness, you're basically revered as a saint in Juville. Who else but me would even dare to take you as a wife? As long as you play your part and don't cause trouble for Elena after you move in, I'll guarantee the Cole family won't have anything to worry about."

My father was so desperate, he didn't even care about the Cole family's reputation anymore. "Your Highness, you may not realize—my daughter is stubborn and hard to handle. She's absolutely not..."

But before he could finish, Wesley interrupted him with a dismissive snort.

"So, Mr. Cole, are you actually refusing me?

"Surely Angel isn't your only daughter, is she?

"Catherine and Edison seem like the perfect couple everyone envies. But I can't help wondering—does Edison know what went down at Catherine's debut, when a man showed up with baby clothes, or about the death tied to the free oatmeal she gave?"

My mother opened her mouth to explain, but Wesley just sneered.

"Southsole's being torn apart by pirates, and no one even knows how many envoys have died. I've always heard Gordon is selfless and duty-bound. He'd surely be willing to step in…"

My parents' faces went ghostly pale.

These past few years, Davince had been hit by constant natural disasters, and the war in the northwest had dragged on. The court's money and troops were tied up in those areas. There was simply no way they could spare anything for Southsole.

With Gordon's upright and uncompromising nature, sending him to Southsole would be nothing short of sending him to his death.

It turned out that all my pretending to be timid and kind couldn't keep my family safe after all.

So why should I wait any longer?

I was frustrated that the family shrine was way too small—my parents wouldn't let me expand it, and I was running out of space for all the lamps I kept lighting. Right then, Wesley showed up, wagging his tail like a puppy.

He thought he could control me? Please, I was the OG when it came to playing people.

So I put on my best timid, helpless face and asked softly.

"It's a blessing for me to marry into the palace, Your Highness. But I've long lived a life of devotion. Would you let me build a little chapel in the palace someday?"

So long as my sins were accounted for in the eyes of heaven, I doubted the ancestors would dare blame me.

Wesley nodded. "I guess your reputation for kindness is well deserved."

My parents broke out in cold sweat, but with Gordon and Catherine's futures at stake, they kept their mouths shut.

It wasn't until Wesley finally left that they managed to speak, their voices shaky with worry. "The palace isn't like home, sweetie. You've really got to watch your step."

How could I not know?

The royal court was full of schemes. Wesley had his own tricks, Elena was no soft touch, and my old nemesis Sophie was still hanging around.

I'd have to make that chapel as big as possible.

What if there wasn't enough room for all my candles of repentance?

I cozied up to my mother, playing the spoiled daughter. "You have to make sure to give me a really nice wedding gift, okay?"

After all, every time I did something wicked, I had to do ten good deeds just to keep things balanced.

I was doing all this for the Cole family's good name, so it was only right they prepared a generous wedding gift for me.

During the wedding ceremony between Wesley and me, Elena strutted into the hall, dragging a fierce Tibetan mastiff right behind her.

The guests erupted in chaos. "Everyone knows that's a Tibetan mastiff from the far West. Is the consort really trying to openly attack the princess in front of everyone?"

"She's not one of us—no wonder she's so ruthless. Ms. Cole is the gentlest, most timid woman around. How did she end up facing such a walking disaster?"

"Just thinking about it makes my knees shake. How did the palace let the consort get away with something like this?"

Right on cue, my eyes welled up with tears and I started shaking all over, grabbing Wesley's sleeve. "Your Highness, I've been terrified of dogs since I was a kid. Could you please ask the consort to take the dog away for now?"

Wesley looked at Elena, caught the stubborn look in her eyes, and gently pulled his sleeve out of my grip, clearing his throat softly. "Elena treats Blackie like her own son. Now that you're part of the palace, you'll need to learn to get along with him.

"Don't worry, Blackie might look fierce, but he's actually really gentle."

Right after, Elena pretended she couldn't hold onto the leash, and just as Blackie was about to charge at me, she put on an exaggeratedly sweet act and called out, "Blackie, come back here!

"Even though that shameless woman just had to butt in between your dad and me...

"She's got a reputation for being cool and collected. If you scare her and something bad happens, even I won't be able to save you tomorrow."

Even the dignified Crown Prince and his consort referred to themselves as Blackie's mom and dad.