Chapter 1

The Grand Lantern at the Imperial Winter Festival had always been mine to light as the kingdom's only princess. The celebration also happened to fall on my birthday.

On the day of my debut celebration, my brother, William Ashbourne, had held my hand as we lit the lantern he'd made himself.

Now, as he stared at the obscene painting Francesca Ashbourne had drawn on the lantern, he merely furrowed his brows and gently covered her eyes with his hand.

"You're an unmarried young lady. How can you look at such filthy things?" he scolded her.

Francesca stuck out her tongue playfully before turning to me with an innocent smile. "Wow, Leah, you're really something! Just look at this painting. You managed to handle eight men at once. How extraordinary! I bet only someone like you could stomach that sort of thing."

She tilted her head, the malice in her eyes threatening to drown me.

I knew exactly what she was doing. She was exploiting my deepest, most painful wound to provoke me into losing control in front of the entire court.

But ever since Francesca had arrived, I'd endured such tricks countless times. Now that I could finally go home, I no longer cared.

"There's nothing special about it. If you're curious, you can try it yourself. I could even turn your experience into a scandalous novel and spread it throughout the kingdom. Wouldn't that be better?"

The moment I finished speaking, William slapped me hard across the face. "Shut up! Francesca would have nightmares just from glancing at something so filthy! Do you think she's as shameless and debased as you?"

My cheek stung, yet I let out a quiet laugh. "Of course not. She's a lady of noble birth, while I'm covered in filth. I was out of line. I'll take my leave."

When William saw me turn and walk away, he stared at me in disbelief. "What do you mean by that? You used to compete with Francesca over absolutely everything. Now you're putting on this miserable act. What are you plotting?"

He wasn't wrong. I'd fought for those things back then.

But it wasn't the things themselves I wanted. All I'd ever wanted was the love of the only family I had in this world.

Back then, I'd transmigrated into a novel and become Leah Ashbourne, a little princess.

The system had told me that if I earned enough favor points from key characters, I could leave this world with a million-dollar reward.

William was merely a prince with no claim to the throne. But he'd treated me so well that I'd willingly given up everything and severed my connection to the system just to stay in this world by his side.

I'd been proud and stubborn back then. I couldn't bear to watch Francesca cry and whine as she tried to take everything that belonged to me.

She was nothing more than the orphaned daughter of the kingdom's former ruling family, yet she opposed me at every turn.

We'd once gotten into a hair-pulling fight over a single lantern in front of the entire court.

William had been furious. He'd scolded me for disgracing the imperial family and sentenced me to kneel in the imperial crypt for an entire month. Even when I developed a high fever and passed out, he refused to let anyone treat me.

All he could see was that I was picking on Francesca.

Yet in previous years, he'd always been the one to place that very lantern in my hands.

I closed my eyes in pain, only for a sudden force to shove me forward.

Amid the startled cries, a figure clad in armor stepped in front of Francesca to shield her.

It was my fiancé, Theo Blackwood, a young general.

He shot me a look of disgust before turning to William and Francesca.

"I heard Leah was back, so I rushed all the way from the northern frontier to protect you. Francesca, are you all right?" As he spoke, Theo spared me a glance, seemingly waiting for me to fly into one of my usual jealous rages.

But I said nothing. I silently steadied myself and continued on my way.

I hadn't gone far when Theo chased after me and grabbed my arm, nearly causing me to stumble.

For some reason, he seemed consumed by anger as he confronted me. "Leah! What's with this act of yours, pretending you're above it all? Do you think we'll pity you just because you're acting like this?

"Pathetic. You're a ruined woman now. At best, after Francesca and I get married, I'll make you my mistress and keep you in my bed!"