Chapter 3

The maid screamed at the gawking servants and maids.

"What are you standing around for? Seize this woman!"

"Dare to harm the Lady? Her crime is doubled! Drag her away and give her twenty lashes, just like that vixen, Luna Blackwood!"

My heart plummeted.

Twenty lashes?

Years ago, when I led my army into the Royal City, forcing my King to abdicate, my elder brother, resisting to the last, sent assassins after my younger brother.

Elias and Luna, to protect him, used themselves as bait, pretending to be my brother.

When an assassin's arrow flew towards Elias, Luna shielded him with her body.

But the arrow was coated in a deadly poison. Luna barely survived, and ever since, her health had been fragile.

For an ordinary woman, twenty lashes could easily be fatal.

For the frail Luna, it would be a death sentence.

I drew the whip from my waist, cracking it once to drive back the surging maids and matrons.

I walked over, seizing the maid by the throat.

"You struck Luna?"

My nails dug into her flesh, blood staining my fingers.

The maid stared at me in terror. "Not me! It was the Lady!"

I flung the maid aside and turned to face the woman.

She trembled, backing away. "You dare to harm me? Lord Elias will never forgive you!"

"Hmph!"

I snorted, then brought the whip down across the woman's body.

A shriek of agony echoed through the entire courtyard.

I dragged the whip forward. "Luna Blackwood. Where is she?"

The woman was about to speak, but she glanced behind me, then suddenly collapsed to her knees, wailing.

"I'm so sorry, I was wrong! I'll leave Elias right away and give him back to my sister!"

"I just beg my sister not to hate me."

Sister?

Before I could process that, two shouts suddenly came from behind me.

"Sera?"

A figure dashed past me, rushing to the woman's side, gathering her into his arms with a look of overwhelming concern.

It was Elias Thorne, the man who had sworn eternal love to Luna.

In that moment of stunned distraction, sharp pain lanced through my arm and leg.

My arm was roughly twisted behind my back, and my calf was brutally kicked.

My knees slammed into the ground, the pain so intense I almost cried out.

"Insolent wretch! How dare you disrespect the Lady of the Dukedom!"

The voice that reached my ears was none other than my own brother, Prince Alaric.

Guards rushed forward to seize me as Alaric, in his royal robes, hurried to the woman.

He gently, carefully, caressed Sera's face.

"Sera, your face?"

Sera looked utterly wronged, and moved her arm.

"Hiss—"

A gasp of pain. Elias and my brother immediately fussed over her, each taking one of her hands.

"Sera, where are you hurt?"

Sera glanced at me, then sweetly said, "It's alright, Elias, Alaric. I don't blame my sister, nor the maid she sent."

"That venomous Luna again!" Elias roared, enraged. "This time, I will show no mercy!"

Alaric's face turned dark. "Rest assured, anyone who harms you, I will make them pay a hundredfold, a thousandfold!"

Alaric spun around. "Guards! Drag this common wretch away and give her a hundred lashes!"

Elias yelled, "Your Majesty, I'll do it myself!"