Chapter 3

3

When I woke up again, I was back in the capital. A royal physician was kneeling at my feet.

"Princess, you must never harm yourself like this again," he said slowly, emphasizing every word.

A sense of helplessness washed over me.

How was I supposed to deal with Bianca Frost?

The doctor ordered me to rest in the palace. Caleb used this as an excuse to visit often, pretending to care for me.

Even though people whispered about propriety, the rumors that Caleb was the unofficial fiancé were everywhere.

But I knew the truth. Every time he came to the palace to flatter me, he was really there to see Bianca.

So, I used the excuse that Bianca had saved me to make her my personal maid.

I watched them trade secret, longing looks right in front of me every single day.

I swore that one day, I would make this pathetic couple pay.

A new maid was clumsy and dropped a bowl of scalding tea toward Caleb.

A bad feeling rose in my gut.

Sure enough, that psycho Bianca reached out with her bare hands to catch it.

The moment the boiling water hit, it felt like a thousand needles were stabbing my skin. A searing heat spread through my entire body.

I squeezed my eyes shut to keep the tears back and bit my lip to stop from screaming.

"Seraphina Vance! Have you not had enough? Are you trying to kill Bianca?"

Caleb didn't even hesitate. He immediately pinned the blame on me.

He blew on Bianca's hands with frantic concern.

Bianca acted shy, insisting she wasn't in pain.

Of course she wasn't in pain.

I looked down at my own hands, which were blistered and red. I couldn't hold it back anymore. I roared, "Caleb Sterling! Every injury she takes is transferred to me!"

"I am the one suffering for you!"

Tears streamed down my face. I had never been this pathetic in my life.

In a daze, I remembered how I died in my previous life.

Bianca had used some dark magic to make me her human shield for pain.

From then on, my once healthy body became a vessel for her wounds. I couldn't even get out of bed. I was a literal vegetable.

I desperately tried to tell everyone about the injustice, but they treated me like a lunatic and locked me away.

She took a fatal sword for Caleb, which meant I was the one who lay in bed in agony, waiting for death.

And as I died, I heard the news of him asking to marry her.

Right now, I felt that same crushing weight of illness, like I was becoming that useless person again.

"No… it can't happen…" I stared at Bianca's hateful face, feeling suddenly helpless.

"Enough!" Caleb couldn't stand my erratic behavior anymore. He grabbed Bianca and walked out.

He didn't look back once. His silhouette was cold and final.

I had to call the doctor to bandage my hands.

"Princess… please don't do anything stupid," the doctor pleaded.

I had nothing to say. I just nodded blankly.

When I returned to my room, Bianca was waiting for me.

She spoke with pure malice. "Princess, the General is waiting for you in the hall."