Chapter 2

The next morning, Kaelen was gone before I woke.

Soon after, a celestial attendant from the Serene Palace came to rouse me.

She looked uncomfortable. "The Serene Palace was the former residence of the Lord and the War Goddess. The Lord has decreed that no one besides the War Goddess may spend the night here."

I stared blankly, then pulled the covers up to hide my body, which was covered in the embarrassing marks of the night before.

A hollow smile touched my lips. I lowered my head and obediently put on my clothes. "I understand. I'll leave now."

In the hundred years of my marriage to Kaelen, that was the only night I ever slept until dawn in the Serene Palace.

I was like a nocturnal creature he kept. Unseen by the light of day, undeserving of his love. I could only appear at night, and by dawn, I had to dutifully hide away.

The attendants whispered among themselves, praising Lord Kaelen’s deep love for his late wife, how he remained faithful even long after her death.

Some felt sorry for me. "But you are the Lord's current wife. How can he treat you with such coldness?"

I felt no resentment. "Being able to care for my sister's family in her place is the greatest blessing of my life. I dare not hope for anything more."

When Kaelen heard of this, he just smiled dismissively. "Who in the entire Celestial Realm can compare to Rhea?"

Once you've seen the ocean, no other water is worth a glance.

For a century in the Serene Palace, I cared for Kaelen meticulously and treated Lian with the utmost tenderness and concern.

On the anniversary of my sister's death, I would go to the Matron of Life's temple, slit my wrist, and use my own blood to copy sacred texts, praying fervently for my sister's reincarnation.

"Corinne, why do you torture yourself like this? Everyone in the heavens knows that Rhea is… she's never coming back."

My body was frail, my spiritual power negligible. Rhea’s soul had been scattered to the winds; there was likely no hope of her ever being reborn.

Over the years, the wounds on my wrist never healed, crisscrossed with scars until there was no smooth skin left.

But I kept my head down, copying the texts, a faint smile on my lips. "Even if there's only a one-in-a-million chance, I want to do something for my sister."

Because she was the best sister in the world.

I stayed until the candles in the temple flickered out. A cold moon shone down on me, making me feel even more desolate and chilled.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to find a scrap of warmth.

Just then, footsteps broke the silence, crunching on the dewy ground, stopping right behind me.

Kaelen stared at my frail silhouette, a part of him feeling as though it were being scraped by a blunt knife.

The Temple of the Matron of Life was a place to pray for children.

For Corinne to be kneeling here for so long… could she be asking for a child with him?