A P

ver been. I stared Elara down, my voice dropping t

c tears to gloss over the whole thing. I had my doubts back then, but believin

een meticulously orchestrated by this woman. Her ultimate goal? To spread the rumor that I was

y Eleanor, along with my brother Caleb, all froze. They had assumed this was jus

bed. She was undoubtedly wondering why her usually gullible, obedient sister was

ll my fault! When Lady Jocelyn visited last time, I accidentally let the secret s

d you be so careless?" Then, she turned her teary eyes back to me. "Sister, it was

lay, trying to wash their hands of any real blame, I sneered inwardly. Elara was

current me would no longer b

hem, gleaming with a piercing, unforgiving ligh

nt a woman's appearance is. Yet, she just happened to let it slip to her? Now, the news of my 'ruined, hideous face' has spread across the

our excuse, sister, and this was merely an 'honest mistake'... then what use is a m

opened her mouth, but for the life of her, s

nough. Seeing his usually tolerant daughter speaking w

this maid out! Give her fifty lash

d of all color. "La

er. "While this might have been your maid's mistake, Elara, your failure to manage your ser

ut seeing that our parents' attention was entirely focused on me, she swall

y settled into my bones. I had truly returned to my seventeen-y

never let these tra

cond chance, and I would cherish it. I would return every si

e don't dwell o

staring blankly, my loyal maid assumed I was agonizi

lara tried to comfort me. "In a few days, when som

have short memories, but Elara and Prince Davian would never pass up an opportunity to destroy my name. Right

the vanity. There it was-a large, dark mark

ust like she always did, in an attempt to "hide" the

erate attempt to cover it up only made me look unkem