Chapter 1

Keisha stared at me, completely unmoved by my reaction, and suddenly seemed to deflate.

"Are you trying to hurt me? Or are you hurting yourself?"

Hurting? I wasn't trying to hurt anyone. I was just being the prince consort she always wanted.

"Isn't this good?"

"What's good about it? You finally came back. Stop saying these hurtful things. Can't the three of us just live together like a real family?"

"Fine."

I answered so easily that the light in her eyes dimmed even more.

Just then, a servant's voice came from outside the door.

"Your Highness, the three gentlemen have arrived."

I broke into a smile. "Please, bring them in. These three gentlemen are the best I could find. I guarantee you will be pleased, Princess."

Before Keisha could respond, I stood up and welcomed them inside.

When the three men entered, Keisha froze. Her eyes went wide.

Because each of them carried a trace of her adopted brother, Gregory Maynard. One had his eyes. Another had his build. The third had his nose and jawline.

I thought, since Keisha had loved Gregory so much, bringing these men into her household would please her. It would certainly help expand the household's lineage.

The three men bowed in unison. The first to lose his composure was our son, Thomas.

He hurried to my side and looked up at me.

"Father, since you agreed we should be a real family, send them away. Mother won't like them. I don't like them either."

"Don't be ridiculous. How can such a grand estate have no one to attend to your mother by her side? Don't make a scene and embarrass us in front of others."

Thomas tried to say more, but I ignored him. I brushed his hand aside and pushed him away.

"Princess, do you like them? Should they attend to you tonight?"

Keisha didn't answer. Her eyes red, she stepped forward and suddenly grabbed my arm.

"After you left, I knew I was wrong. I already sent Gregory away. Why do you have to keep bringing this up over and over? Are you trying to remind me what a huge mistake I made? Or how badly I wronged you?"

"You're overthinking things, Princess. The estate only has Thomas as an heir. That's not fitting for a family of our status. I'm only doing this to—"

"Enough!" she cut me off sharply.

She grabbed me with so much force that she shoved me to the ground.

I threw my hands out to catch myself, and one of them landed directly on a broken vase that Keisha had smashed earlier. Blood immediately began to flow.

Keisha froze. Panic flooded her eyes.

"Sebastian—"

She bent down to help me, but I subtly pulled away. I braced myself on a servant who had rushed over and stood up on my own.

That flinch—that small withdrawal—made something dark rise in her eyes.

"Do you really hate my touch that much?"