Chapter 4

A few words were all it took for me to understand exactly why they'd come to tell me off.

I saw the fury in my parents' eyes, and the disgust and icy coldness on Cedric's and Edmund's faces. Clutching the bloody welts on my arm, I gave a bitter laugh.

"I never did any of the things you're talking about..."

Before I could finish, the whip came down again, tearing open the skin on my back.

Edmund kicked me to the ground, his eyes blazing with a rage he couldn't hold back anymore.

"Still making excuses? Cedric already said he'd marry you. Why let jealousy drive you to hurt Rosamund?

"Get on your knees and beg Rosamund's forgiveness right now, or Father will give you the full family punishment today—all forty-nine lashes."

Cedric, still shielding Rosamund, spoke in an unnaturally cold voice.

"Evelina, you make me sick!"

In the end, the tears fell anyway. The calm I'd been forcing onto my face finally gave way.

"I told you I didn't do anything to hurt Rosamund. Why won't you believe me? Why is it that the second she cries, you believe every single word she says?"

I'd long since gotten used to how they favored her. But even so, my numb heart still hurt so badly that my whole body trembled.

With every last ounce of strength I had, I took out the token the Crown Prince had given me. My voice shook, every word wrung out with pain.

"I told you, the engagement is off. I'm not marrying Cedric!

"Crown Prince Lucien shot down the orb yesterday. Once the royal marriage decree comes down, he'll come here to ask for my hand.

"I want nothing more to do with Cedric. Why would I go to all that trouble to hurt Rosamund?"

The moment I said it, everyone froze where they stood.

Then Rosamund glanced dismissively at the token in my hand. A second later, her eyes reddened and she shook her head, choking back sobs.

"His Highness may not be married yet, but how could he ever want someone like you, Evelina—past your prime and already promised to another man?

"Let it go, Cedric. If she's willing to tell a lie this ridiculous just to get out of trouble, let's not make things harder for her."

My father's face had already turned thunderous. Unable to contain his anger any longer, he swung the whip down hard.

"You ungrateful girl! You dare spin lies about the Crown Prince? Get down and apologize to Rosamund this instant, then come with me to House Hawthorne and tell them you've agreed to become Cedric's mistress!"

Edmund snorted, his face full of disgust.

"The Crown Prince shot down your orb? If he'd come to the house looking for you, how would none of us know about it? Evelina, even now you won't repent. You'll tell any lie to dodge the blame!"

Cedric stared down at me coldly. His large hand clamped around the back of my neck and forced my forehead to the floor.

"Evelina, you think lying and threatening me with the Crown Prince is going to work? I said apologize to Rosamund."

My mother opened her mouth as if something had just occurred to her. But the moment she heard Rosamund crying, she turned and pulled her into her arms, her eyes red, and looked away from me in disappointment.

The whip tore my skin open, and blood soaked the front of my dress. I was shaking so hard from the pain that I couldn't speak anymore. All I could do was let Cedric slam my head to the floor in front of Rosamund, over and over again.

My forehead was soon slick with blood. Rosamund stood in front of me, smiling with smug, taunting triumph.

And the family I'd once loved with my whole heart watched coldly as I was tortured, treating the very person behind all of it like their most precious treasure.

"I'm not lying..."

My whole body convulsed with pain, and blood kept trickling from the corner of my mouth.

But Edmund still wouldn't let up. He grabbed me by the hair and hauled me upright.

"Enough. Still being stubborn? Take a look at yourself. You think you're fit to be Crown Princess?

"Get up and clean yourself up. You're coming with us to House Hawthorne to settle this. Just the thought of having a sister who's someone's mistress is humiliating enough."

I didn't answer. I only looked past him at the figure in royal gold who'd appeared outside the courtyard, his face full of fury. At last, I let go of every defense I had left and collapsed into a pool of blood.

Cedric instinctively reached out to catch me.

In the next moment, the sharp voice of a royal chamberlain rang through the entire Ashbourne manor.

"His Highness the Crown Prince has arrived!"