Chapter 3

Byron stared at me in disbelief, his eyes blazing as if fire were about to burst out.

Wesley was furious too. He shouted, "Don't think that just because you're the Aviir family's real daughter you can bully Larissa whenever you want. You'll get married one day, but Larissa will always be our little princess."

I didn't say a word. Quietly, I turned and walked away, leaving them behind me yelling and cursing.

A few days later, I went to Mount Cloudie. They said the gods at that mountain were the most merciful and answered prayers.

I wanted to pray for the heavens to bless my future husband, Alaric Flame, so that one day he might recover and no longer be bound to a bed.

But enemies always crossed paths. Not far away, I saw Wesley and Byron taking turns carrying Larissa on their backs up the mountain.

They were drenched in sweat, but they looked like they couldn't be happier.

When they spotted me, they froze. Larissa frowned, displeased. "Did you follow us here on purpose, Raeyon?"

I said calmly, "I have no interest in where you go."

The two men were surprised. After a moment, Byron suddenly spoke as if enlightened. "Wait! You didn't come here to get safety charms for us, did you?

"Tell you, I'm not wearing that stuff."

"I'm not wearing one either," Wesley added. "You should just head back. The path is long and no one's carrying you."

Hearing this, I quickened my pace up the mountain, not wanting to argue with them anymore.

They were convinced I was just putting on a show and followed closely, waiting to laugh at me.

But I didn't pay them any attention this time.

Inside the main hall, after offering incense and bowing, I drew a fortune stick. The result was the very best.

Larissa caught me staring at it and let out a mocking laugh. "Are you asking the gods to make you more loved than me? Too bad feelings don't work that way. Not even the gods can help you with that."

Byron immediately picked up on her tone and rushed to cheer her up, scolding me at the same time, "Seriously, Raeyon, you're too old to be competing with Larissa for affection."

I shot them a sideways look, my voice sharp with sarcasm. "You give yourself too much credit. My prayer has nothing to do with either of you."

Larissa rolled her eyes and walked off, but Wesley didn't buy my words. He craned his neck, trying to see whose name I had written down.

When he saw Alaric's name, his eyes bulged wide like copper bells. "You came here for that cripple?"

Byron hesitated. "Maybe she's finally grown a conscience. Maybe she thought it was too cruel for Larissa to marry a paralyzed man, so she came to pray for Alaric instead."

Wesley muttered, voice low, "So fake. If she really felt bad for Larissa, why didn't she just marry that cripple herself?"

They kept their voices barely above a whisper, afraid Larissa might hear.

That kind of careful, tender love was something I had only known a long, long time ago, and only for a little while.

That night after returning from Mount Cloudie, I dreamed of Alaric. He was standing at the end of the corridor in the Flame estate, smiling at me.

Sunlight streamed through the trellis, scattering across the stone floor. For some reason, the whole scene felt strangely familiar.

Before I could move closer, the noise around me jolted me awake.

I leaned against the window and looked out. Wesley and Byron were teaching Larissa how to skateboard.

It turned out Larissa had only casually mentioned wanting to learn. Byron immediately went out and bought her a limited-edition pro board, placing it right in front of her.

Suddenly, my mind drifted back to that dream. And I decided to visit the Flame family.

But just as I reached the gate, I heard the sharp whoosh of wheels behind me.

When I turned around, Larissa's skateboard had gone out of control, and it was racing straight toward me.