Chapter 1

At a temple outside the capital, I spent five years as Hayden Thorne's secret lover, waiting for the day he would renounce his vows and marry me.

But at the feast celebrating his return to secular life, another woman appeared.

People whispered that she was Princess Coralia, the woman who had once rejected Hayden's proposal to be married off for a political alliance.

Hayden kissed me in front of everyone. "What are you," he sneered at her, "that you dare to show your face in front of my Elara?"

But when Coralia turned to throw herself into the lake, Hayden shattered his cup and rushed to her side, trampling the hem of my dress.

I picked up the prayer beads he never went anywhere without, only to see that on each bead, the name "Coralia" was carved.

That night, I shed my fine clothes and jewels and climbed into the Regent's bed.

"Elara? What are you doing here?"

The man's eyes were filled with anger. He shoved me away. "Aren't you Hayden Thorne's mistress? What are you doing here?"

In the warm room, I trembled as I untied my outer robe and knelt at his feet. "Your Grace, save me!"

By the time I realized the tea at the feast had been drugged, it was too late.

The aphrodisiac was too strong. I had dragged myself into this heated chamber, biting my own hand until it was raw just to stay conscious.

I never expected to run into Regent Caspian Steele, who had come here to change after getting his clothes wet.

He saw the flush on my face and finally realized something was wrong. "You've been drugged?"

"For the sake of the fact that you once saved my life, I'll pretend I saw nothing today. As for the drug, I'll go find Hayden…"

But Hayden was busy comforting his first love as she threatened to drown herself. How could he possibly care about me?

A bitter taste filled my mouth. I reached out and grabbed his sleeve.

"Your Grace, for saving your life that day, you said you would grant me one wish. Does that offer still stand?"

Perhaps I looked too pathetic.

Caspian sighed and lifted me onto the bed.

I fought against the heat raging through my body, forcing myself to meet his advances.

Two tears streamed down my face.

Hayden and I… we should have been the couple who finally found their happy ending after years of waiting.

But after tonight, there was no longer any possibility of that.

Seeing the rows of bite marks on my wrist, Caspian's voice was laced with a strange sorrow. "You'd do this to yourself just to stay faithful to him?"

"Five years ago, Coralia rejected his proposal and was sent away. Hayden was heartbroken. He even joined a monastery for her."

"He claimed it was love at first sight with you. Did you ever wonder why?"

I froze. I thought of Coralia's pale face.

Her eyes, her brow… she looked so much like me.

I remembered that first glance under the peach blossom tree, the moment that felt like a lifetime. The famously aloof and self-possessed "Jade Buddha" had been so moved by the sight of me that he had snapped the prayer beads in his hand.

So his attachment wasn't to me, but to Coralia, the woman I resembled.

I lowered my eyes and laughed, tears falling one by one, my whole body shaking.

The panic in his eyes as he abandoned me at the feast and ran to her side wasn't fake.

So what were all those times he kissed my eyes and whispered that he would marry me?

And wasn't I in this situation because I had drunk a cup of tea brought to me by Coralia's handmaiden?

Her cruelty knew no bounds. She had trampled on my honor to completely destroy my marriage to Hayden.

Caspian sighed. He got up and helped me dress, then held me gently. "I have wronged you tonight."

"I know you are the illegitimate daughter of a duke and that your life has not been easy. If you are willing, I will marry you."