Chapter 1

My sister was born into a legendary line of Healers. Since she was a child, she was bathed in rare herbs and smoked with ancient incense. Her very body carried a natural, medicinal fragrance!

When she turned seventeen, she was summoned to the Royal Pack. Her mission was to preserve the beauty of the future Luna, the Crown Princess.

Rumor had it that drinking the heart's blood of a woman with a fragrant body could grant eternal youth. It was a dark, forbidden myth.

One month later, the Crown Prince sent her back. But she wasn't the sister I knew. He had tossed her desiccated, bloodless corpse back to us like trash.

I held her cold body, consumed by a grief so sharp it felt like a physical wound.

Five years later, a lowly maid presented a miracle cure to the Crown Princess. It was a medicine that produced a haunting, heavenly scent when consumed!

It was called, "Goddess's Glow."

1.

A strange thing happened in the Royal Estate this morning.

Overnight, the Crown Princess's face had broken out in a horrific red rash. It was itchy, painful, and ugly.

"You useless quacks! What does the Pack pay you for if you can't even cure a simple rash!"

Seraphina, the Crown Princess, was livid. She screamed at the Pack doctors, her face twisted in rage.

The doctors kept their heads bowed, terrified to speak.

The maids and guards trembled in the corners. Everyone knew Seraphina's vanity was her greatest pride. Even a single pimple would usually result in a doctor being lashed.

If they cured her, they might get a small reward. If they failed, they were often dragged out and beaten to death.

She called it "cleansing the incompetent."

But the ones who suffered most were the young maids. Right now, they were kneeling with their heads down, hearts racing.

They were terrified that if her mood didn't improve, she would order their faces to be scarred out of spite.

But that wasn't the worst part.

There were rumors that she used the blood of young girls to nourish her "Blood Lotus." It was a rare plant said to have de-aging properties.

Seraphina was desperate to stay young, and the time for her natural beauty to fade was approaching.

Suddenly, her sharp voice sliced through the silence with a new order.

Unfortunately, I was among the group of girls kneeling on the cold floor.

Chaos erupted as guards moved to grab us. Just as I was about to be hauled away, a voice rang out through the hall.

"Your Highness! I know someone who can cure you!"

Everyone's eyes turned toward the source. It was Kelsey.

Two days ago, Kelsey had fallen and badly bruised her face. I had given her a secret ointment, and she had healed instantly.

She was the first friend I'd made since entering the estate. Or so I thought.

We knew everything about each other's supposed backgrounds.

I also knew she was impulsive and didn't always think things through.

That was how my knowledge of herbal medicine reached Seraphina's ears. From that day on, I became her personal apothecary, a master of her beauty routines.

I presented her with a spiritual elixir. Combined with specialized herb baths, it made her entire body exude a captivating fragrance!

I called it, "Goddess's Glow."

Since then, Alaric, the Crown Prince, had become obsessed with her. He couldn't keep his hands off his wife.

I was no longer forced to do back-breaking labor like hauling waste or scrubbing floors. All those dirty jobs were handed over to Kelsey.

Kelsey, who had always been ambitious, grew bitter and jealous.

Before long, at Seraphina's birthday gala, Kelsey took a risk. She presented a box of scented powder she had made herself.

I knew she had stolen the formula from me. I had taught her a few basics before, and she thought she could replicate my work.

Seraphina was intrigued. After using it, her complexion looked even more radiant. She looked at Kelsey with rare approval.

"Where did you learn this? I like it very much."

Kelsey beamed with pride. "It's an heirloom formula from my family, Your Highness. I'm glad it pleases you."

Just like that, Kelsey was promoted to stay by Seraphina's side.

But luck wasn't on her side. A few days later, Seraphina's skin began to rot.

She went into a demonic rage, destroying everything in her chambers.

I rushed to pick up the little Princess, Seraphina's daughter, who had been pushed to the ground.

"Go back to your room, little one," I whispered. "Your mother will see you once she feels better."

The little girl was led away, sobbing.

I knelt before Seraphina. After getting her permission, I carefully applied a cooling salve to her burning skin. Her expression softened almost instantly.

"Your Highness has such delicate skin," I murmured while working. "It's best to stick to what we know works. That powder seemed effective, but it caused a violent backlash."

Seraphina barely heard me. Her eyes were fixed on Kelsey, who was kneeling outside the door.

Kelsey was kneeling on broken porcelain shards. Her knees were a bloody mess as she begged for mercy.

"Please, Your Highness! It was Vesper! She's the one who taught me! She must have used me to sabotage you!"

Seraphina picked up a heavy tea set and hurled it at Kelsey's forehead.

"You filthy dog," she hissed. "You think I'm a fool? First you claim it's a family secret, then you blame her? Your mouth is full of lies!"

"Guards! Rip her tongue out and break her legs! She can be fertilizer for my garden!"

The screaming faded as Kelsey was dragged away. I lowered my eyes and stepped back respectfully.

"Please calm yourself, Your Highness. I noticed a scar on your wrist earlier. In a few days, I can prepare an ointment to make it vanish completely."

Seraphina looked skeptical, though her anger had cooled. "Are you certain you can do that?"

I nodded solemnly.

She let out a cold laugh. "That scar is five years old. I've used every expensive cream in the world, and nothing worked. I hate people who make empty promises to win my favor."

She saw a flicker of nervousness on my face and smiled cruelly. "Since you've spoken, I'll give you the chance. But if you fail, you'll be the next one to disappear from this world."

I kept my head down, accepting the challenge. I stared at the scar for a long time.

I knew exactly where it came from. It was the mark left when my sister fought back while Seraphina was draining her blood five years ago.