When news of his beloved’s death came, my husband, Lord Gareth, who was celebrating my birthday with me, threw himself into the lake, abandoning everything. It was then I realized he had never given up on Seraphina Hayes. Reborn to my coming-of-age, he didn’t come to propose to me. Instead, he arrived with a grand procession, banners unfurling for miles, to marry his beloved. I watched their lavish celebrations last for ten days and ten nights, then turned and walked away. From then on, we chose different lives. Ten years later, I accompanied my husband, King Rhys, on an envoy mission to the Verdant Kingdom. At the King’s reception banquet, I reunited with Asher Vance. By then, he had inherited his title, a pillar of the King’s court, and casually draped an arm around Seraphina’s waist as they strolled in. Seeing me burst into the banquet, searching, he frowned. “Ten years, and you still haven’t given up on me? Even if you offered to be my personal maid, I wouldn’t be swayed.” I ignored him, my gaze cutting past him as I marched directly to the screen and pulled my son, who was secretly drinking wine, into view. His eyes suddenly blazed, and he questioned me, his voice trembling with disbelief. “How could you marry? Didn’t you swear you’d wait for me your entire life?!” 1 I thought I would never meet Asher Vance again in this life. But fate, it seemed, had other plans. At the state banquet hosted by the King of the Verdant Kingdom, I saw the effortlessly charming Asher Vance, and beside him, the sweetly smiling Seraphina Hayes. He held Seraphina’s waist without a care for appearances, his gaze constantly fixed on her face. Guests around them beamed, offering compliments. “Lord Vance and his lady have been married for years, and still, such devotion!” “Lady Vance is truly blessed. Lord Vance is here today by royal decree to receive the envoy from the Northern Steppe Empire and their monarch. He’s sure to rise even higher!” Asher smiled tenderly, looking dotingly at Seraphina. “To have married her is my true fortune. Now that my dear Seraphina carries my child, I hope you’ll all grace our first birthday celebration with your presence.” Someone in the crowd asked, curious, “Lord Vance, you’ve been married ten years, why only now a child?” That was a question I also wanted answered. In my previous life, Asher had loved Seraphina his entire life, even willing to follow her to the grave. Reborn, he had defied the pressure from the Vance family, overcoming all obstacles to marry Seraphina. How could they have no children for ten years? Seraphina’s smile faltered, and she said uncomfortably, “My constitution is delicate. My husband feared I couldn’t endure the hardship of childbirth.” The women present listened with envy, praising Asher as an unparalleled husband. I remembered that in my previous life, after I married him, I remained childless for three years. The Dowager Duchess then began arranging for Asher to take a secondary wife. After Asher inherited his title, his mother and he even considered divorcing me. Now, Seraphina had been childless for ten years, yet Asher loved her as much as ever. So, it truly was obvious, the difference between being loved and not. I chuckled softly, shaking my head, my gaze catching a glimpse of a figure behind a screen. I was about to follow, when I turned and bumped into a stewardess carrying a tray. The pastries scattered across the floor. “Watch where you’re going! These were for the Queen of the Northern Steppe Empire!” The stewardess’s voice rose in a furious whisper. “If the Queen complains, how many heads do you have to bear the responsibility?” The stewardess’s scolding drew everyone’s attention. I gently explained to her, “It’s quite alright. I don’t care for these pastries anyway.” Asher Vance, standing nearby, looked utterly bewildered. “Evelyn Reed, what are you doing here?” Someone asked, bewildered, “Who is this?” Asher’s face showed disdain, and he said dismissively, “The youngest daughter of the Reed family. She was deeply infatuated with me, all of Veridia knew she would marry no one else. But alas, my heart has always belonged solely to my Lady.” Everyone suddenly understood, their eyes filling with mocking amusement as they looked at me. Asher frowned. “Don’t speak nonsense! Don’t let my wife misunderstand!” Seraphina’s smile faded slightly. She took Asher’s arm and said softly, “Husband, don’t be angry. Miss Reed showing up here just proves her devotion.” Asher frowned displeasedly, then turned to instruct a maid, “Escort her away. I will handle this.” From beginning to end, his eyes never rested on me for a moment, treating me like a stranger. The stewardess grabbed my arm and began pushing me out. “You’ve met a benefactor today, otherwise you’d be losing your head. Hurry, hurry! Is the Royal Palace a place just anyone can wander into?” I pulled my arm free from the stewardess’s grasp, my brow furrowed. “I’m looking for someone.” The stewardess scoffed, looking at my simple, foreign-style robes with disdain. “I’ve seen too many like you, trying to climb the social ladder. The Royal Palace has no shortage of beautiful women. Don’t delude yourself. If you don’t leave now, I’ll have the guards throw you into the Royal Dungeons!” “Stop.” 2 Asher’s voice drifted from behind me. He waved a hand, commanding, “She’s here for me. You may leave.” Then he walked in front of me, frowning, and warned in a low voice, “You’re a Reed; how can you be so ignorant of proper etiquette? This is His Majesty’s state banquet.” “No matter how much you miss me, you cannot cause a scene here.” “So, I’ll make myself clear today, to spare you this lingering obsession.” He put an arm around Seraphina’s shoulder, his gaze utterly doting. “My heart has always belonged solely to Seraphina. Even if you never marry for my sake, I won’t be moved.” Seraphina’s face practically glowed with triumph. “Miss Reed, don’t you feel ashamed, throwing yourself at him like this?” “A lady’s reputation is paramount.” “What man would ever look at you now?” She eyed me up and down, a mocking glint in her eyes. “Perhaps I can understand if you can’t forget Asher. After all, he’s a favorite in the King’s court, and there are always maids around who want to climb into his bed.” Perhaps my simple nomadic attire gave her confidence; she covered her mouth and chuckled twice, deliberately acting haughty. “You’re getting on in years, and dressed like… this. What man could possibly want you?” “Consider it my kindness today.” She took a golden hairpin from her hair and tossed it at my feet. “A gift for you. Go buy yourself some proper clothes.” I lowered my gaze to my robes. My husband, King Rhys, valued frugality. The entire Northern Steppe Imperial court dressed simply. How had it become ‘improper’ in their mouths? Seeing my silence, Asher frowned. He pulled off the jade pendant from his waist, a hint of impatience in his voice. “Is this enough? Don’t come looking for me again.” When I made no move to take it, Asher’s expression darkened. “What do you mean? You don’t want my things?” I was utterly bewildered. I was married and had a child. Was it not normal to refuse another man’s belongings? Besides, my husband was the King of the Northern Steppe Empire; taking his ‘junk’ would be an insult to him. “Didn’t you tell me not to take your things anymore?” Asher’s face turned cold. He gritted his teeth, saying nothing. I offered a faint smile, politely stating, “I don’t need these.” My repeated rejections made Asher’s expression even uglier. He said in a low voice, “If it weren’t for the Reed family’s decline, and the fact that you’re an orphan, do you think I’d bother with you?” Seraphina pouted, soothing him with affectionate glances. “Husband, you’re too sentimental. If you ask me, a woman this ungrateful should just be left to her own devices.” “Miss Reed is as beautiful as a flower; perhaps she has her own ways of making money. We don’t need to worry about her.” Her words were contemptuous, hinting subtly to Asher that I was frivolous and brazen. It seemed she had forgotten her own disgraceful past. 3 In my previous life, the reason Asher hadn’t married Seraphina wasn’t just because of family status, but also because Seraphina had once fallen into disgrace, a courtesan. The old Lord Vance had declared that if Asher insisted on marrying her, he would be stripped of his title and expelled from the Vance family. Asher had been willing to give up everything for Seraphina, but Seraphina, despising him for becoming a commoner, immediately went to become a mistress for a wealthy merchant. Asher fell gravely ill. If I hadn’t been by his side, caring for him, accompanying him through those dark days, he surely would have died. He loved riding and hunting, so I painstakingly practiced horsemanship, never giving up even after breaking my legs several times from falls. He wanted famous calligraphies and paintings, so I knelt for hours at the master’s door, begging for artworks for him. Later, he personally came to propose to me, swearing to my grandmother that he would love me for a lifetime. Before our wedding, I asked him if he still harbored feelings for Seraphina. After all, I had seen him more than once staring blankly at things she had left behind. But he swore to the heavens, his voice firm. “My heart holds only you. You are my only wife in this life. A woman as heartless as Seraphina doesn’t deserve my true affections.” “If I, Asher Vance, ever betray you in the future, may lightning strike me down, and may I never find peace.” But after ten years of marriage, I had not borne Asher a single child. I always thought it was my poor health, consuming countless herbal remedies, and frequently suffering the reproaches and insults of the Dowager Duchess, becoming the laughingstock of the entire capital. Later, I discovered that he had been secretly giving me contraceptive draughts disguised as tonics for ten years. He didn’t want me to bear his child. I confronted him, and just then, news of Seraphina’s death arrived. Asher immediately threw himself into the lake, taking his own life. Before he died, his eyes bloodshot, he looked at me. “The truth is, I couldn’t forget her. She was the woman I truly loved. Everything I said before was a lie.” “My Seraphina, wait for me. I’m coming to marry you in the afterlife.” In that moment, my heart truly died. So, after my rebirth, when Asher wanted to break off our engagement, I did not refuse. The day he welcomed Seraphina home with a grand procession and ten miles of crimson finery coincided with my grandmother’s passing. After arranging Grandmother’s funeral, I left the Reed family without a backward glance. I thought I would never have the chance to reunite with him in this life, but I never expected to meet him here. I wanted to leave, but Seraphina insisted on humiliating me. “Miss Reed, if you don’t want these gold and silver treasures, why not return to the Hayes household and become a maid?” “Being a maid in our family is far more glorious than being a young lady in some grand household.” “As long as you give up trying to seduce Asher, I might even make you my personal maid.” Upon hearing this, those around us immediately echoed her compliments. “A maid in the Marquis’s estate is a fine position! Why aren’t you kneeling to thank Lady Vance?” “Lady Vance is truly beautiful and kind-hearted. If anyone harbored ill intentions towards my husband, I’d scratch that vixen’s face off first.” Unable to escape for the moment, I could only say coldly, “I am already married. I have no improper thoughts about Asher Vance.” “You are going too far!” A flicker of something I couldn’t quite decipher—was it jealousy?—crossed Asher’s eyes. He scoffed. “Do you think saying that will make me regret it?” “Using your reputation to threaten me—do you even know the meaning of shame?” After leaving the capital, I traveled north, saving the severely wounded King Rhys of the Northern Steppe Empire on the border. He fell in love with me at first sight, pursuing me for three years until he finally won my heart. After we married, he left his concubine’s quarters empty for my sake, and everyone in the Northern Steppe Empire knew I was his life. How had I now become a tool for Asher’s jealousy? His inexplicable confidence made me frown. Since he wouldn’t believe me, I wasn’t willing to explain. After all, I had no one with me who could verify my identity. It was my son’s fault, really. If he hadn’t snuck out of the diplomatic residence, I wouldn’t have rushed out to find him without even tidying myself up. I was about to find an excuse to leave, but the stewardess from earlier suddenly spoke. “Her robes, though simple, the pattern… it looks like Northern Steppe Imperial court attire?” “This is the silk His Majesty sent to the King of the Northern Steppe Empire! The King of the Northern Steppe Empire even had clothes tailored for his Queen from it!” “Where did you steal this from?! Stealing from the Northern Steppe envoy—that’s a grave offense!” 4 I couldn’t help but frown. “Can’t it be my own?” Seraphina scoffed, mocking, “Someone from a small family just hasn’t seen the world. How could you buy anything from the palace?” “You didn’t steal these robes, did you, hoping to impress Asher and make him change his mind?” Asher looked at me, his face even more disdainful. “Delusional. My heart belongs only to Seraphina!” “Evelyn Reed, your petty tricks are truly sickening!” Those around us immediately began to fawn, flattering them. “I think we should just tie her up. Wouldn’t want to affect relations between the two kingdoms!” “Exactly! Everyone knows the King of the Northern Steppe Empire cherishes his Queen. If he found out some lowlife stole the Queen’s robes, he’d surely be enraged!” “Even worse, he’d probably have her torn limb from limb!” I knew they were deliberately humiliating me, simply to curry favor with Asher. Seraphina’s eyes instantly lit up when she heard them suggest I be punished. “Asher, we can’t let the King of the Northern Steppe Empire misunderstand!” “If you handle this envoy mission well, His Majesty will surely make you Grand Chancellor. You can’t let this vile woman ruin it for you!” Asher narrowed his eyes, about to order his men to seize me. Just then, the Chief Steward suddenly rushed in with a group of maids. “Lord Vance, have you seen the Little Crown Prince of the Northern Steppe Empire?!” “His Royal Highness has wandered off! The King is furious and searching for him!” The Chief Steward was drenched in sweat, his voice trembling with fear. “His Majesty has only this one son! I hear the Queen was just crowned Prince after he was born!” At this, everyone’s eyes lit up, and they immediately ordered their servants to search everywhere. After all, finding the Little Crown Prince would make them a great benefactor to the King. The Northern Steppe Empire was powerful; even the Verdant Kingdom had to cede land and pay tribute for years to maintain peace. Asher and Seraphina also joined the search, leaving no time to restrain me. I looked at the chaotic courtyard and walked straight behind the screen. Sure enough, I found my son, gleefully drinking from a goblet. I looked at my son, his cheeks flushed crimson, my voice turning cold. “Who let you drink that?” Seeing my angry expression, my son instantly dropped the goblet, his words stumbling. “I… I didn’t…” I was about to scold him, when the sound of the goblet shattering drew Seraphina over. She immediately stepped in front of my son, sternly scolding me. “Evelyn Reed! Mind your place!” “You’ve already sealed your own fate by stealing the Queen’s robes. Are you now trying to harm the Crown Prince?!” “Asher, this wicked woman cannot be allowed to stay!” Asher rushed over at the sound, his face etched with even deeper disappointment. “Evelyn Reed, you’ve truly gone mad with your obsession for me.” “Guards, take her to the Royal Dungeons! If she harms the Crown Prince of the Northern Steppe Empire, I’ll have your heads!” The eunuchs received the order and instantly seized my shoulders. Losing my balance, I fell directly to my knees. A vicious glint flashed in Seraphina’s eyes. “Show no mercy.” Then she turned, her face beaming with false kindness, and reached for my son’s hand. “Little Prince, tell me what you want, alright?” My son ignored her completely. To everyone’s shock, he kicked the eunuch’s knee. “Release your insolent hands! How many heads do you have to dare touch my Queen Mother?!”
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