Chapter 1

A year after marrying into a noble family, I finally gave birth to the family’s legitimate firstborn son.

Exhausted after labor, I watched the wet nurse carry my newborn away to share the good news with the marquis and his wife. My eyelids grew heavy, and I was about to drift off when several lines of glowing golden text suddenly appeared before my eyes.

[Don’t fall asleep. The moment you do, the marquis and his wife will take your son to Logan and switch him with the sickly baby who was just born to the woman in his quarters.

[The baby they leave you will be frail from birth. You’ll spend a fortune on rare medicines to keep him alive, but he’ll still die before his third birthday. Heartbroken, you’ll choose to end your own life.

[Ryan will waste away in grief soon after, while Logan will inherit the marquisate and live comfortably ever after.]

My face was drained of all color. Ignoring the agony tearing through my body, I forced myself upright.

“Wait! Bring my baby back!”

Chapter 1

“Wait!”

The wet nurse had just stepped over the threshold when she froze in place. She looked back with a smile still on her face, but I caught the flicker of panic in her eyes.

At the doorway, Eleanor Quinn’s trusted housekeeper, Mrs. Zane, shot her a quick warning glance.

The wet nurse immediately plastered on a warm smile and took two hesitant steps back. “Ms. Shaw, the marquis and his wife are waiting in the main hall. They’re eager to meet the little heir. It’s a blessing for him.”

I gripped the edge of the bed. My nails were digging into the mattress.

A blessing?

It was a death sentence!

Until this moment, I had still been clinging to a shred of doubt.

Now, I believed the golden text almost completely. If the marquis and lady truly cared about my newborn, why would they have someone carry him outside moments after he was born?

Through clenched teeth, I repeated myself, “Bring me my baby.”

The smile on the wet nurse’s face stiffened. She glanced at Mrs. Zane again.

Mrs. Zane stepped forward. Her smile was polite but cold.

“Ms. Shaw, you’ve only just given birth. Your health comes first. The baby will only be shown to the marquis and lady before being brought right back. That’s the custom in every noble family.”

“I said, bring me my baby.”

Beside me, Ryan Wesley leaned over and took my sweat-soaked hand. “Evelyn, what’s wrong? Father and Mother only want to see their grandson. This is a happy occasion.”

I turned to look at him. He was still wearing the dark navy robe he had ridden home from the military camp in. Dust from the journey lingered between his brows.

The moment I met his eyes, tears welled up, threatening to spill over.

His smile slowly disappeared. “Why are you crying?”

I did not answer. I simply stared at him.

His grip on my hand tightened. “Bring her the baby.”

Mrs. Zane’s expression changed instantly. “The heir…”

“I said, bring her the baby.”

Her mouth snapped shut.

The wet nurse went pale. She dared not hesitate any longer. Hurrying back, she carefully placed the swaddled infant into my arms.

I lowered my gaze. His tiny face was wrinkled, his eyes were peacefully shut, and his lips were slightly parted. His breathing was so faint that it was barely more than a whisper. On his left wrist rested a small crimson birthmark, like a drop of blood.

My hands trembled.

Whether the golden warning was true or not, the stakes were too high to gamble with my son’s life.

“I’ll nurse him myself from today onward.”

Mrs. Zane blinked before forcing another smile. “Ms. Shaw, surely you jest. What noblewoman nurses her own child? If word gets out, people will think our household can’t even afford a wet nurse.”

“I’m feeding my own child. Why should outsiders have anything to say about it?”

“Ms. Shaw…"

“Or is it the marquis family’s rule that even a mother isn’t allowed to hold her own baby?”

Mrs. Zane was rendered speechless.

The wet nurse spoke up awkwardly. “I appreciate your kindness, Ms. Shaw, but Ms. Quinn…”

I lifted my eyes to meet hers.

She swallowed the rest of her sentence.

I turned toward Lily Abrams, who was standing beside my bed. She had come with me from the Shaw family as part of my dowry and had remained faithfully by my side ever since.

“Take my token and go to the Shaw residence. Invite my mother here. Tell her I’ve given birth and that her grandson is waiting to meet his grandmother.”

“Yes, Ms. Shaw.”

Lily turned around to leave.

Mrs. Zane immediately stepped in front of her.

“Ms. Shaw, you’ve only just delivered. Disturbing your mother at a time like this seems rather inappropriate…”

I cut her off, “Do I need the marquis family’s permission to invite my own mother to see her grandson?”

Mrs. Zane’s hand froze in midair. Lily slipped around her and hurried out.

Silence filled the room. The smile on Mrs. Zane’s face had all but vanished.

Then footsteps echoed from outside, and the door swung open.

Madam Quinn stood in the doorway with four older maids behind her.

Her gaze swept past everyone in the room before settling on the baby in my arms.

A smile spread across her face.

“Evelyn, it’s been rough for you.”

She walked toward me and held out her hands.

“Come now, let me hold my precious grandson.”

Chapter 2

Instinctively, I turned sideways, shielding my son in the crook of my arm.

“He’s hungry. I need to feed him first. Please forgive me, Mother.”

Eleanor's outstretched hand hung awkwardly in midair. “Then I’ll hold him afterward. I’ll wait.”

Mrs. Zane immediately hurried over with a cushion, carefully tucking it behind Eleanor's back. She was not leaving.

I leaned against the headboard, cradling my son without moving.

“He’ll have trouble nursing with you here, Mother.”

Eleanor accepted a cup of tea from a maid as though she had not heard a word.

Mrs. Zane answered for her, “Ms. Shaw, surely you don’t mean that. Ms. Quinn is the child’s own grandmother. Is it so unreasonable for her to see her grandson? You’re the daughter-in-law of this family, not a guest invited from outside.”

She even chuckled at her own remark. Eleanor did not stop her. It was only after Mrs. Zane had finished that she calmly set down her teacup.

“If you’re truly worried, then let’s do this. Let the wet nurse bring the baby to the main hall with me. The marquis is waiting there as well. It’ll only take the time to drink a cup of tea before he’s returned to you. Meanwhile, you can get some rest.”

Ryan frowned. “Mother.”

His voice remained respectful, but he stepped subtly in front of the bed. Why not see the baby in the sitting room next door? It’s only a few steps away.”

“Your father wishes to meet his first grandson, and you expect him to walk to the sitting room?”

“The baby was just born,” Ryan replied evenly. “He shouldn’t be exposed to the cold.”

He did not back down, but his tone remained respectful. “The sitting room is warm and nearby. It won’t trouble anyone. Besides, Vivian doesn’t want to be separated from him…”

“I’m holding my own child," I cut him off.

Silence settled over the room.

Eleanor looked at me. The smile finally disappeared from her face. “So I’m not even allowed to hold my own grandson in my home? Bring me the baby. Now.”

Mrs. Zane stepped forward at once, followed by the four older maids.

Mrs. Zane said as she reached toward me. “Ms. Shaw, you have only just delivered. You should be resting.”

Two of the women moved to either side of my bed, clearly intending to pry me away from my son.

Before they could touch me, Ryan stepped between us, shielding both the baby and me with his body.

“Mother.” His tone remained courteous. “It’s getting late. Please return and rest.”

Eleanor fixed him with a cold stare. “Ryan, are you dismissing me?”

“Never, but the baby has only just been born. He can’t endure all this commotion.”

Before he had even finished speaking, the bundle in my arms stirred. My son woke up. His tiny brows were knitted together, tears were pooled in his eyes, and his little mouth was quivering. He was seconds away from crying.

Ryan turned slightly toward Eleanor.

“As you can see…”

She glanced at the baby’s scrunched-up face.

“He’s frightened. Once he starts crying, no one will be able to calm him. Why put him through that?”

Right on cue, the baby let out a loud, heart-wrenching wail. Eleanor frowned.

At that moment, hurried footsteps sounded outside, and the curtain was thrown aside.

“What is going on here?”

Lily stood at the entrance, holding the curtain open. The woman behind her strode into the room without hesitation. It was my mother.

Eleanor's expression shifted.

“Mrs. Shaw? What a surprise. You should have sent word ahead so we could prepare a proper reception.”

“No need.” My mother crossed the room in a few quick steps. Her eyes lingered on my face for only a moment.

She asked no questions. Instead, she gently took my crying son into her arms, holding his trembling little body against her chest and softly patting his back. To everyone’s surprise, his cries gradually quieted.

Only then did she look at Eleanor with a faint smile. “My grandson is precious beyond measure. I don’t mind coming to see him myself.”

Her smile remained perfectly polite. “But I’ve never seen a family willing to drag a newborn heir from room to room on the day he’s born.”

Chapter 3

Eleanor’s smile stiffened.

“Mrs. Shaw, you’ve misunderstood. I'm just concerned because Evelyn is still so young…”

“I raised Evelyn myself. I know my daughter’s character better than anyone." My mother gently handed the baby back to Lily. “Since I’m already here, I’ll stay for a few days. Eleanor, you wouldn’t mind, right?”

Eleanor’s smile finally cracked. Her gaze swept over the Shaw family’s maids behind my mother before shifting to Ryan, who still stood protectively in front of me. After a long moment, she finally took a step back.

“Of course not. Then I won’t disturb you any longer.”

Then, she led her people out, and the door closed behind them.

My mother sat beside my bed without saying a word. She simply placed her warm hand over mine. That was when I realised my own fingers were as cold as ice.

That night, my mother had a daybed brought into my room and slept beside me.

Lily kept watch in the outer chamber, while another maid, Jade Morris, guarded the doorway. Two maids from the Shaw family took turns patrolling the courtyard through the night.

My son never left my arms. No one was going to touch him.

Yet the Wesley family refused to give up.

Early the next morning, another maid came to deliver some soup. That afternoon, someone arrived with the guest list for the celebration banquet, asking me to review it. By evening, another maid came seeking instructions for the ancestral ceremony.

Every single visitor found an excuse to enter my room. Every single pair of eyes drifted toward the swaddled baby. Every single one was trying to find a way to separate him from me.

I refused them all.

My mother turned away half of them before they even reached my bedside.

Ryan never returned to the military camp during those two days. He remained in the yard, personally arranging guards and coordinating the Shaw family’s men to strengthen security around the residence.

By then, even a fool could tell something was not right.

One evening, he said to me, “Something feels off.”

I looked into his eyes but said nothing about the golden text.

“Do you trust me?” I asked.

He did not hesitate. “Always.”

On the third day, an urgent summons arrived from the Ministry of War. It was some military business. Ryan had no choice but to leave.

Before departing, he doubled the guards around the yard, ordered Lily not to leave my side for even a moment, and slipped the dagger from his belt beneath my pillow.

“Wait for me.”

Then he was gone.

That night, I sat against the headboard with my son asleep in my arms. My mother rested lightly on the daybed beside me, still fully dressed. Lily kept watch in the outer room.

The windows were shut, the doors were locked, and the entire yard was silent. Then a sweet fragrance began seeping through the crack beneath the door. By the time I noticed it, it was already too late.

I clutched my son and tried to scream. No sound came out. One by one, my fingers lost their strength. My consciousness sank like waterlogged cotton.

When I opened my eyes again, the room was still cloaked in darkness. Ryan was kneeling beside the bed, holding up an oil lamp. The flickering light illuminated his face. I had never seen an expression like that on him before.

“Evelyn.” His voice trembled.

I looked down at the bundle in my arms. The swaddling cloth was still there. It was wrapped just as neatly as before—the very blanket I had sewn with my own hands. However, the baby inside was not my son.

My hands shook as I turned over the infant’s left wrist. There was nothing there. There was no crimson birthmark.

My fingers froze in place, as though my soul had been ripped away. “Where’s my son?”

Chapter 4

I burst out of the yard clutching the swaddled baby. My entire body was trembling.

Ryan caught up to me in two strides, grabbing my arm before pulling both the infant and me into his embrace. His grip was as solid as iron. His voice was low against my ear. “Evelyn, calm down. Tell me what happened.”

“Your brother.” My teeth chattered, but every word came out crystal clear. “Logan. He took Aiden. He switched our son.”

Ryan did not ask why. He simply released me and turned to his personal guards. “Seal the yard.”

By the time Eleanor arrived, Logan’s yard had already been surrounded. One of the hairpins in her hastily arranged hair had come loose, and seven or eight older maids trailed behind her. The moment she saw the guards, she shouted, “Ryan! Have you lost your mind?”

One arm remained wrapped around my shoulders while the other cradled the sickly infant. His face was expressionless.

“Someone stole my son. I’m sealing the place to investigate. Why are you acting like that, Mother?”

Eleanor’s face went pale for a split second.

Just then, the yard gate creaked open. Logan stepped outside with surprise written across his face.

“Ryan, why have you brought soldiers to surround my yard?”

“Bring out the baby in your room. I’d like to see him.”

Logan’s expression darkened. “My son was only just born. He’s too weak to be exposed to the wind.”

Before he finished speaking, Camille Jameson came out of the house. She leaned weakly against a maid for support, and a wet nurse carrying a swaddled infant walked at her side.

Camille covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed softly. Her eyes were already tinged red.

“Evelyn, what are you doing?”

I tore free from Ryan’s grasp and rushed toward the baby.

Logan shoved me away without hesitation.

I had given birth only three days earlier. The force sent me stumbling backward. Before the back of my head could hit the ground, Ryan caught me with one arm.

Without warning, Ryan’s free hand whipped across. The slap landed squarely across Logan’s face.

Silence followed.

Logan’s head snapped to the side. Camille let out a shrill scream and staggered backward.

The maids and older servants rushed forward, shielding her while forcing the wet nurse carrying the baby to the very back.

The wet nurse kept her head lowered. Her hands shook so badly that she could barely hold the bundle.

I steadied myself. My cheek was still burning from where Logan had shoved me. I fixed my eyes on the wet nurse and spoke through gritted teeth,

“My son, Aiden, was born healthy. His cries were loud and strong. Someone drugged me with sleeping incense tonight. When I woke up, the baby in my arms had become this sickly child!

"My son has a crimson birthmark on his left wrist. This baby doesn’t! Logan, if you’ve done nothing wrong, then let me see your son. Just one look. If there’s no birthmark, I’ll leave immediately and never trouble you again.

“If you have nothing to hide, then what are you afraid of?”

Camille shrank behind her maid. She stopped coughing. Instead, she clutched the maid’s sleeve so tightly her knuckles turned white.

Logan covered his swollen cheek. Hatred burned in his eyes, but his lips remained tightly sealed.

Eleanor stood between us. Uncertainty flickered across her face.

She let out a sigh as she turned toward me.

“Evelyn, I know you’re worried about your child, but you can’t accuse Camille simply because you failed to keep watch over your own baby. She only gave birth herself a few days ago. As her sister-in-law, is this really appropriate?”

I looked at her. Three days ago, this very woman had stood beside my bed trying to take my son away. Now, she wanted to lecture me about propriety.

“Appropriate?”

I laughed.

“Someone stole my child, and you're worried about propriety? Fine. Then let’s have the authorities investigate. Since someone has no shame, there’s no reason for me to spare this family’s reputation.”

Eleanor froze for a moment. “This is outrageous!”

Robert Wesley strode into the yard with two clan elders behind him. He swept a glance over the guards surrounding the yard before glaring at Ryan. His face was as hard as iron.

“Have you lost all sense? You’re taking the Wesley family’s private affairs before the authorities? The heir has only been born a few days, and you’ve already brought government investigators to our door. You may not care about your own reputation, but the rest of our household does!”

Logan immediately seized the opportunity. Still clutching his reddened cheek, he said bitterly, “Ryan, you’ve trampled your own brother for the sake of one woman and compromised the Wesley family’s honor. How can someone like you remain the heir?”

Ryan lowered his eyes to me. Tears covered my face, and a fresh red mark remained where Logan had shoved me. He suddenly let out a cold laugh.

Then he turned to one of his guards. “Take my command token. Report this case to the Court.”

Everyone stared at him in disbelief.

Eleanor’s pupils contracted.

Robert’s lips trembled.

Logan blurted out, “You’re insane!”

Ryan did not even look at them. He drew me back into his arms. His voice was not loud, yet every person in the yard heard every word.

“If I can’t even trust my own wife, then I’ve failed as a husband. You can keep talking about family honor. I only stand by my wife and my son. No one leaves.”

The guards rested their hands on their swords and sealed the yard tight.

The marquis and Eleanor refused to let the authorities get involved. Instead, Eleanor acted first. She hurriedly summoned the clan elders to the ancestral hall.

It was not to investigate the missing baby. It was to decide whether I was still fit to remain the heir’s wife.

“She has clearly lost her mind after childbirth. She defied her elders and barged into her brother-in-law’s place.”

"Any one of those offenses is grounds for divorce.”

“The heir’s wife should uphold this family’s dignity, not become its greatest disgrace.”

“In my opinion, she should be sent to the country estate to recover. If her mind clears within three years, we can discuss allowing her back.”

Eleanor dabbed delicately at the corner of her eye with a handkerchief. “Everything I did was for my newborn grandson… Yet I’ve been treated like a thief.”

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the hall.

I stood alone before them. My heart grew colder with every passing second.

Right then, a commotion erupted outside. There were heavy, synchronized footsteps, the sharp clang of sword scabbards striking armor, and startled cries from the crowd beyond the gates.

The doors to the ancestral hall were thrown open.

My mother stood on the threshold. Behind her were two orderly ranks of armed officers. At their head stood a high-ranking official in crimson robes. His expression was stern.

Outside, curious townspeople packed the entrance like a rising tide, craning their necks to see inside.

The Chief Justice’s booming voice thundered through the ancestral hall, sending dust drifting from the plaque above.

“The Court has received a formal complaint alleging that the Wesley family switched their rightful heir at birth! By order of the court, I have come to investigate this case. Anyone who obstructs this investigation will answer to the law!”