Chapter 1

As the only granddaughter of the late Royal Chancellor, Evelyn Lansing was the most celebrated lady in the capital's high society. But for the sake of Julian Sterling, heir to the Sterling family, she turned herself into the city's biggest joke.

When Julian lay unconscious after falling off a cliff, Evelyn traveled a thousand miles alone to find a reclusive healer and waited outside his door for a week without food or water. After bringing the healer back, she cast aside her reputation and spent three years at Julian's bedside, nursing him back to health with her own hands.

Yet the moment he woke up, he publicly declared that he intended to marry Evelyn’s maid, Ivy.

The news tore through the capital like wildfire.

Chapter 1

Everyone in the capital knew that Evelyn Lansing had staked her reputation on Julian Sterling for three long years. No one believed she'd swallow her pride and let a servant girl walk all over her.

So, when Julian showed up at Evelyn's gate with a matchmaker in tow, half the city turned out to watch, waiting for her to make a scene.

Even Julian's face darkened as he instinctively pulled Ivy behind him. "Lady Evelyn, I know you took care of me for three years. But I can't marry you out of guilt. I won't let you make things hard for Ivy either."

Evelyn's expression didn't change. She calmly held out a list and replied, "You worry too much, my lord. This is the wedding gift I prepared for Ivy. She's been at my side since she was a child, so we're as close as sisters. Consider it a token of my regard. I only hope you'll treat her well."

Julian glanced down at the thick ledger, surprise flickering in his eyes.

Behind him, the crowd erupted into whispers.

"Has Lady Evelyn changed her ways? Last year a lady barely exchanged two words with Lord Julian, and Lady Evelyn tore the hairpin right out of her hair and threw it in front of everyone."

"That's right. At the Winter Festival, some noble girl handed Lord Julian a candle, and Lady Evelyn threw every single candle into the lake. And now she's preparing a wedding gift for the maid he's about to marry?"

Even as the murmurs drifted into her ears, Evelyn's face didn't so much as twitch.

"Martha," she called quietly.

The old lady who was standing at her side stepped forward with a wooden box in hand. Evelyn reached out and opened it. Inside lay a scroll, its seal stamped in gold. It was a marriage contract.

She looked up at Julian, her voice light and even as she said, "This is the marriage contract my grandfather arranged for us. Today, I'm going to burn it in front of everyone. From this day on, the engagement is void. You and I will marry whomever we please. We'll have nothing more to do with each other."

She took a candle from Martha and held the flame to the corner of the contract.

The fire had just caught the paper's edge when someone suddenly shouted, "My lady, no!"

Ivy lunged forward and slapped the flame out with her bare hand. Her palm turned red and raw from the burn.

She trembled with pain, but dropped straight to her knees in front of Evelyn. "My lady, I would never dream of marrying the young lord. Just being able to serve you and him every day is more than enough for me."

She started slapping her face repeatedly. Within moments, her cheeks swelled up. The startling sight made the crowd gasp.

Julian's face changed instantly. He strode forward and pulled Ivy up, staring down at the blistered, swollen mess of her hand. The pain in his eyes nearly spilled over.

"Someone, get medicine, now!"

Then, he turned to Evelyn, and all that tenderness curdled into fury.

"I'm the one marrying Ivy. I'm the one calling off the engagement. If you're angry, take it out on me. Don't put on this act with the marriage contract!"

Evelyn paused, then gave a small, formal curtsey. "You're right, my lord. I wasn't thinking clearly." She turned and took a document from Martha's hands. "This is Ivy's indenture papers. I'm handing them over today as well. From now on, she has nothing more to do with me."

Julian froze.

He had expected her to cry and make a scene. He had expected her to use the three years they'd spent together to guilt him, or use their marriage contract to force him into staying. He never expected this kind of calm.

An odd, uncomfortable feeling rose in his chest.

He blurted out, "Your reputation is already ruined. Break off this engagement too, and what noble family in the capital will ever dare court you? You looked after me for three years. I'm not an ungrateful man. I'll marry Ivy, but I won't shortchange you either. Don't worry. A month from now, when Ivy marries into my household, I'll come here myself and formally propose. You'll have the position of secondary wife."

He didn't wait for Evelyn's answer. He gathered Ivy carefully into a carriage and left in a hurry with the matchmaker.

The crowd slowly dispersed.

Evelyn turned and walked back into the estate. The moment she crossed the threshold, the composure she'd forced herself to keep up completely fell apart. All the strength drained out of her body.

Martha rushed to help her sit, her eyes red-rimmed. "My lady, are you really going to be his secondary wife?"

Evelyn shook her head. "I have other plans for my marriage."

Martha clenched her handkerchief. "When the young lord lay unconscious for three years, you never left his bedside. People called you shameless and laughed at you for chasing a hopeless dream. You bore every bit of it, and now you're just going to let it go? You'd be handing everything to that wretched girl for nothing!"

Evelyn didn't answer, just smiled faintly. Memories of her last life came flooding back.

In that life, she used their childhood bond and her three years of devotion to force Julian to honor the engagement. But after the wedding, she discovered his heart had belonged to Ivy the whole time.

He used to visit Evelyn's chambers every day under the excuse of checking on her, but it was really only to catch a glimpse of Ivy.

Later, she learned from a servant that Julian had once fallen into a river as a child and been saved by a woman. He happened to see Ivy holding the crystal pendant he lost that day, so he'd mistaken her for the one who saved him.

But it had been Evelyn who'd risked her own life and jumped into the water to save him. She'd burned with fever for half a month afterward, nearly dying from it.

When she learned the truth in her last life, jealousy had driven her half mad. In a fit of rage, she signed a document marrying Ivy off to a crude stablehand in the residence. Ivy suffered under his abuse day after day until she couldn't bear it anymore and drowned herself in the river.

Julian had hated Evelyn for it.

She gave him three children, but he never once looked at them. Each baby was carried away and given to another family the moment they were born. He locked Evelyn deep in the estate and forbade her from seeing anyone.

She spent the rest of her life alone, drowning in her own bitterness, until she died.

This time around, as she watched Julian shield Ivy behind him like that, she suddenly found she had no interest in fighting for any of it.

Coming back to herself, Evelyn pulled a letter from her sleeve and handed it to Martha. "Send this to my uncle. Tell him I'll accept the marriage with the Ashworth family in the Southlands."

Chapter 2

Martha was stunned. "My lady, are you really going through with this alliance? You and Lord Richard were only children when you last met, more than ten years ago. I hear he's grown cruel in his dealings. Your uncle only wants to send you there to shore up the Lansing family's standing at court. I fear you'll suffer after marrying into that family."

Evelyn waved a hand. "Martha, don't worry about it. My mind is made up."

Martha opened her mouth to argue, but ultimately just sighed and left the room.

Evelyn sat alone by the window, watching the candle flame flicker.

Everyone said Richard Ashworth, heir of the Ashworth family, was cold and merciless. Anyone who crossed him ended up ruined, their whole family destroyed. But Evelyn knew better. He'd only built that reputation to hold together a family that was falling apart around him.

In her last life, she'd believed the rumors too. Later, after Julian locked her away in the estate, the servants took advantage of her fallen status, cutting her meals and trimming her allowance. Years of that treatment wore her down to nothing.

Somehow, Richard learned of it. He'd gone after Julian at court again and again, closing in slowly, until he finally forced open the doors that had kept Evelyn prisoner for half her life. By the time he found her, she was already at the end of her strength.

Just before her mind slipped away, she'd heard his voice, rough with pain as he said, "I should have fought for you back then. I should have taken you away from Julian myself. But it's too late now. It's too late for everything."

Evelyn's thoughts drifted back to the present.

It wasn't too late this time. In this life, she would be the one to go to Richard first.

After learning she'd agreed to the marriage, her uncle sent a reply the very next day. A messenger rode through the night to deliver word that he would come to the capital in a month to escort her south.

Evelyn stared at the letter for a long moment, then dropped it into the brazier at her feet.

She watched the paper catch fire, then rose and crossed to the cabinet, pulling out a carved wooden chest. Inside were all the gifts Julian had given her when they were young.

Her face betrayed nothing as she tossed every last item into the flames. Everything she'd once felt for him, every trace of affection, burned away along with those things.

The next day, an invitation for a garden party arrived from the Grand Duchess, Selena Winchester. Evelyn meant to decline, but Selena had decreed that every noble daughter in the capital had to attend, so she had no choice but to change and go.

At Selena's estate, Evelyn spotted a group of noble young ladies who used to be friendly with her. They were gathered in a pavilion nearby, needling Ivy with pointed remarks.

"You're a servant girl. How do you have the nerve to show your face at the Grand Duchess' garden party?"

"Stole your mistress' fiancé and now you think you're the lady of the house? Some people can climb as high as they like. They'll never turn into anything but what they started as."

"Keep your voice down. She's the young lord's darling now. Say the wrong thing and she'll whisper it in his ear, then you'll be the one paying for it."

Ivy stood with her head bowed and eyes rimmed red, the picture of wronged innocence.

Evelyn frowned and instinctively steered clear of the whole mess. She wanted nothing more to do with Ivy. But she'd barely turned around when she heard footsteps behind her. She looked back to see Ivy hurrying toward her, skirts gathered in her hands, already bending her knees to curtsey.

"You're the young lord's intended now. You don't need to curtsey to me anymore," Evelyn said while stepping aside, her tone distant.

Ivy blinked and looked up at her, tears shining in her eyes, her voice breaking as she replied, "My lady, are you still angry with me? You've shown me such kindness. I never meant to compete with you for anything..."

She reached out to take Evelyn's hand as she spoke. Evelyn stepped back, out of reach. Ivy's hand closed on empty air, then her whole body suddenly pitched toward the stone railing.

"My lady, help me!"

Evelyn's hand shot out on instinct. But the moment her fingers caught Ivy's sleeve, she was yanked forward hard, and the two of them went tumbling together into the icy pond.

Chapter 3

The cold water closed over Evelyn in an instant. She held her breath on reflex and kicked desperately toward the shore, but Ivy had her wrist in a death grip. No matter how hard she struggled, she couldn't break free.

As the two of them sank together, icy water poured into Evelyn's nose until her vision went dark at the edges.

Someone shouted, "Someone's fallen in! Help!"

A figure shoved through the crowd and dove into the pond without hesitation.

Through the blur of water, Evelyn saw Julian swim past her. He wrapped an arm around Ivy's waist, pulled her close against his chest, and swam for shore without so much as a backward glance.

Evelyn froze for a second, then choked on another mouthful of water. After flailing around for a few seconds, she finally managed to steady herself and emerge from the water. When she looked up, she was met with Julian's furious gaze.

"Lady Evelyn, is this how petty you are? You can't even stand to share with her? I already promised to make you my secondary wife. Why do you keep pushing Ivy like this? You shoved her into the water! You know she can't swim!" he ranted.

Evelyn floated there, shivering all over, her lips trembling as she tried to speak.

But Ivy got there first, eyes red-rimmed as she explained, "It's not my lady's fault. I lost my footing and pulled her in with me..."

Julian let out a weary sigh. "You're still defending her. If she treats you like this now, what will happen once the two of you are living under the same roof? She'll walk all over you."

He looked back at Evelyn, his gaze hard as ice. "You like pushing Ivy into the water so much? Then, stay in there and enjoy it. Someone watch her. No one pulls her out until I say so."

With that, he swept Ivy up and walked away, giving orders as he went, "Send for a physician. Ivy's constitution is delicate. We can't risk her catching a chill."

"Lord Julian! You-"

Evelyn grabbed the stone edge again, but the moment she got a grip, one of the guards Julian left behind kicked her right back into the water.

Countless eyes bore down on her from every side. But with Julian's orders, no one dared step forward to pull her out. She floated in the freezing water and stopped fighting.

In that moment, whatever was left of her feelings for Julian died completely.

It wasn't until the garden party ended that the estate's servants finally helped Evelyn climb out, soaked and shaking. Martha went pale at the sight of her, fumbling to get her into a carriage.

That night, Evelyn came down with a raging fever.

In her delirium, she seemed to slip back to age fifteen, right after her grandfather died. That was when all those relatives who'd once doted on her for his sake suddenly turned cold and started treating her like a bargaining chip for marriage alliances.

It was Julian who had stood up for her back then, telling them all, "Lady Evelyn will be my wife one day. Anyone who wrongs her answers to the entire Sterling family."

But the scene shifted, and all that was left was a bottomless lake. She swam and swam but could never reach the shore.

Evelyn didn't know how long she slept. When she woke up, she found Martha slumped over the edge of her bed, keeping watch. Her throat was too dry to speak. She could only lift a hand and brush it against Martha's.

Martha startled awake, and the moment her eyes met Evelyn's, she burst into tears. "My lady, you're finally awake. You've been asleep for seven whole days. The physician said if you didn't wake up soon, you might not make it..."

She carefully fed Evelyn some water, her eyes still red-rimmed. "Lord Julian ordered every physician in the city to attend to that wretched girl. No one was allowed to come treat you.

"I ran myself ragged and couldn't get a single physician to come. In the end, I had to beg an old physician I've known for years. He snuck in through the back door in the middle of the night..."

Evelyn listened to her with a sharp pang in her chest, but it settled quickly.

"Martha, don't cry anymore. It's over now," she said softly.

Chapter 4

While Evelyn recovered, Julian sent over a plethora of gifts. Whenever she'd been upset in the past, this was exactly how he used to win her back. But looking at box after box of jewelry now, she felt nothing at all.

She simply told Martha, "Have all this taken to the storeroom."

She spent another week in bed before she was fully back on her feet. Over those days, she heard plenty from Martha about what was happening outside.

The story of what happened at the garden party had already been turned into a tale by the storytellers and was spreading through the city. Everyone was calling Ivy shameless, accusing her of stealing her mistress' fiance and then pushing her into a pond on top of it.

Julian had put out an order to silence the talk, but he couldn't stop the whole city from gossiping.

Martha recounted all this and huffed indignantly. "My lady, you were nothing but good to that wretched girl. She never lacked food or clothes. Not one servant in this city had it as easy as her. Whatever people are saying about her now, she brought it on herself!"

As she listened to Martha ramble on, Evelyn couldn't help the corner of her mouth curling up.

A few days later, with the weather turning fine, Martha set up a lounge chair in the garden and helped Evelyn settle into it to soak up some sun. The two of them were chatting idly when someone started pounding on the gate.

Martha had barely risen to answer it when the gate was forced open from outside.

Julian strode in, his face like a thundercloud, teeth gritted. "Are you the one spreading those rumors out there? Ivy's been heartbroken over it for half a month. Today, she insisted on going out to buy you an apology gift, and she collapsed in the street. She still hasn't woken up! And here you are, sitting in the sun without a care in the world!"

Evelyn looked up at him, calm. "Those rumors have nothing to do with me."

"Nothing to do with you?" Julian sneered. "Who outside this household would even know what happened to Ivy except your own people? And you're still going to claim you had nothing to do with it? Don't tell me you're going to say Ivy started those rumors and hurt herself on purpose just to slander you."

Evelyn frowned, her tone turning cool as she added, "If I really wanted to move against Ivy, I wouldn't need rumors. I would have just had her sold off instead of handing over her indenture papers to you. I wouldn't stoop to something like this. Besides, I've already decided to-"

A weak voice cut in from the gate, interrupting her, "My lord, don't blame my lady."

Ivy stood there, swaying, one hand braced against the doorframe. "What they're saying out there is true. I'm the one who ruined my lady's engagement. Whatever comes of it, I deserve it."

Julian rushed over the moment he saw her, reaching out to steady her. "You're still so weak. Why did you come all this way instead of resting? Where were the servants? Why didn't anyone stop you?"

Ivy leaned against him, shaking her head. "I begged the steward to bring me here. I was afraid you'd hurt my lady because of me. I'm just a servant. It doesn't matter what happens to me, as long as it makes her feel better."

Julian's face darkened further as he listened.

He turned to Evelyn, his gaze icy. "Ivy has suffered so much because of you, and she's still thinking of you at every turn. And you won't even admit to what you've done! It seems like nothing short of a lesson will teach you to make peace with her."

At his signal, the attendants behind him surged forward, hauling Evelyn up from the lounge chair and binding her to a wooden bench.

"Twenty strikes. Let that teach her a lesson," Julian ordered.

Martha threw herself at his feet and frantically begged, "My lord, please, don't! My lady hasn't fully recovered. Twenty strikes could kill her! Beat me instead!"

Evelyn lay bent over the bench, watching Martha beg on her behalf, and felt a sharp ache behind her nose.

Julian's face stayed blank. "Do it."

Chapter 5

The rod came down hard, pain exploding across Evelyn's back. She bit down and let out a stifled groan.

Martha rushed forward the moment she saw it, throwing her whole body over her mistress. The blows kept falling, each landing with a dull, heavy thud. It felt like each one struck Evelyn's heart harder than the last.

Tears sprang to her eyes. "Martha, get up! You're too old to take this!"

Martha clung to her, her voice growing fainter and fainter. "I'm fine, my lady. My skin's tough. I can take it..."

Once the twenty strikes were finished, the attendants stepped forward to untie Evelyn. Julian had already left the estate with Ivy in his arms. Evelyn scrambled up on hands and knees and gathered Martha into her arms.

The older woman was weak and pale, yet she still managed a smile for her mistress. "Don't cry, my lady. It doesn't hurt."

Tears kept streaming down Evelyn's face. "Stop talking. I'll go get a physician right now..."

She turned in a panic, and that was when she saw several royal physicians hurrying toward her with their medicine chests. She froze for a moment, then pushed the thought aside and helped them carry Martha into her room, standing by as they worked.

After a long while, one of the physicians packed away his tools and turned to Evelyn. "The injuries below the waist are severe. She may never walk again. But she'll live, at least."

At the physician's words, Evelyn felt like someone had just pulled her up from underwater. She gasped, her voice hoarse. "Thank you. Thank you all."

The physician waved a hand quickly. "No need to thank us, Lady Evelyn. Lord Julian sent us here. He said what happened today was meant to give Miss Ivy some justice, and he hopes you'll remember this lesson and never do something like that again."

With that, the physicians wrote out a few more prescriptions and took their leave.

Evelyn sat on the edge of the bed, her chest tight with a dull ache.

This was always how Julian operated. A slap, followed by a sweet to make up for it. She used to think that meant he cared. Now, she didn't want that sweet anymore.

She sat by the bed all through the night. Not until dawn broke did Martha finally stir and open her eyes weakly, and only then did the knot in Evelyn's chest finally loosen.

Julian showed up again ten days later.

When Evelyn stepped out of her room to find him standing outside, she stopped in her tracks. "What brings you here, my lord?"

Julian clapped his hands, and behind him, attendants carried in box after box of engagement gifts, filling up half the courtyard.

He let out a soft sigh. "I've thought about this a great deal these past few days. I promised you the position of secondary wife, but never formally sent the engagement gifts. No wonder you felt insecure enough to quarrel with Ivy over it. I've already spoken with the family elders. Three days from now, you and Ivy will both marry into my household together."

Evelyn looked at the gifts and said nothing for a long moment.

When she didn't respond, Julian frowned slightly. "Is there something else you're unhappy about? Tell me. I'll make it right."

Evelyn let out a light laugh. "There's no need. Let's just leave it as it is. If there's nothing else, my lord, you should go."

Taking her silence as agreement, his face relaxed. "There's one more thing. Ivy has no living family left. You're the closest thing she has to family. So, on the wedding day, let her leave from your estate."

"Fine," she agreed without hesitation.

Julian blinked, clearly not expecting her to agree so readily. Watching her calm profile, something strange stirred in his chest. But he quickly talked himself out of it, deciding she'd finally come around and accepted Ivy.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a pleased smile. "I knew you've always been reasonable."

Chapter 6

After securing Evelyn's answer, Julian gathered his attendants and left. Evelyn looked at the yard full of boxes and told the servants to carry everything into the storeroom.

Over the following days, Julian sent people to decorate her estate, white silk draped everywhere. Evelyn paid it no mind. Instead, she began preparing to leave.

Of the things in the storeroom, aside from the items Julian had sent, she gave everything else away to the servants. She kept only two maids and returned everyone else's indenture papers, setting them free.

On the third day, Julian arrived with Ivy.

He looked around the quiet estate and frowned. "Where are your servants?"

"I won't be staying here much longer, so I let them go," Evelyn replied softly.

Julian nodded, not pressing further.

His gaze landed on the estate's main chamber. "Ivy will be married from this house tomorrow. She's still not fully recovered, so let her stay in the main chamber. You're in good health, so the side room won't be a problem for you."

Evelyn paused, then said, "Martha is recovering in the main chamber. She's not in a state to be moved."

"My lord, there's no need for that. I don't mind the side room at all," Ivy chimed in gently.

Julian frowned, clearly unhappy with the idea. "You're going to be my primary wife. It's improper for you to leave for your wedding from any place other than the main chamber. Martha is just a servant. There's no reason the mistress should take the side room while a servant keeps the main one."

He raised a hand, already calling for someone to move things.

"There's no need to trouble yourself, my lord. I'll move Martha to the side room myself," Evelyn said evenly.

She turned and, with the help of one of the remaining maids, carried Martha to the side room.

Once Julian had Ivy settled, he stepped into the side room and watched Evelyn work.

"I'm sorry to put you through this today. I'll make it up to you properly once we're married," he said, a note of guilt creeping into his voice.

Evelyn's hands didn't stop moving. She was about to reply when a sharp cry rang out from the main chamber. Julian's face changed instantly. He turned and rushed off.

Before long, he returned. He stood in the doorway, looking anxious. "Ivy's wedding gown got torn by accident. I remember your grandmother left you one, years ago. You're going to be my secondary wife, so you won't be needing such a luxurious gown. Rather than let it sit gathering dust in the storeroom, why not lend it to Ivy for now? I'll have ten new gowns made for you later."

Evelyn's hands stilled for a moment, then she straightened. "Fine. I'll go get it."

She walked to the storeroom and pulled out the gown. The doves embroidered in gold thread across the fabric looked almost alive. She ran her hand over the surface of the gown. Her grandmother had spent nearly three months stitching it by hand.

She still remembered her grandmother holding her hands, smiling as she said, "One day our Evelyn will wear this and marry Lord Julian in style."

Evelyn had blushed red at the teasing back then. But now, she would never marry Julian, and she'd never wear this gown either.

Ivy looked at it and waved her hands, protesting, "I couldn't possibly take your gown, my lady. Mine only has a small tear. It's fine to wear as it is."

Julian took the gown and pushed it straight into Ivy's arms. "Take it since it's given to you. She's only the secondary wife. What business does she have wearing such a luxurious gown?"

Ivy shot Evelyn an uneasy glance, then murmured, "Then... thank you, my lady."

Evelyn said nothing. She turned and walked away.

Julian watched her retreating back, some instinct making him take half a step to follow. But then, he glanced at Ivy beside him, cradling the gown with a delighted look on her face, and stopped himself.

The next morning, drums and trumpets echoed through the capital.

Word that Julian was marrying both a primary and a secondary wife on the same day had already spread through the city, and crowds lined the streets to watch the wedding procession pass.

A carriage draped in white and gold wound its way through the city, white silk unspooling from one end of the street to the other. No one noticed the plain covered carriage waiting outside the side gate of the residence.

Evelyn was dressed in simple clothes, and she carefully helped Martha into the carriage. Before leaving, she lifted the curtain for one last look at all that bustle and color, none of which belonged to her.

Then, she let the curtain fall and said quietly to the carter, "Let's go."

The wheels rolled forward and creaked softly, carrying them toward the city gates.