Chapter 2

At that moment, a servant approached and respectfully reported, "My Lady, the Third Prince has sent another invitation. This time, the Fourth and Sixth Princes have also sent theirs."

The battle for the throne involved nine royal heirs, and House Ironhold was a force no one could afford to ignore. It was only natural that all factions sought to win us over.

"Deliver them to my father," I instructed.

Once the servant departed, I turned to Mira, my loyal handmaiden. "Let’s go for a walk."

In my past life, when House Ironhold was exterminated, the servants were not spared.

I still remembered Mira’s lifeless eyes staring at the sky in despair, as if silently condemning the heavens for their cruelty.

This time, I would protect her.

We slipped out of the estate and wandered through the bustling streets, indulging in every sweet treat we came across—candied apples, sugar figurines, anything that caught Mira’s eye.

Our hands were soon overflowing with snacks when I saw Xander again.

It had been a month since our last encounter.

Gone was the confident and charismatic prince of that day.

His robes were slightly disheveled, and his entire demeanor exuded exhaustion and frustration.

What’s this? Without my support, you’ve already fallen this low?

Our eyes met.

But I remained indifferent, acting as if I hadn’t seen him at all.

I turned away, leading Mira forward without hesitation.

Xander’s teeth clenched in fury.

His world had been unraveling ever since I rejected him.

Without the unwavering backing of House Ironhold, his political allies had begun to waver.

If they truly abandoned him, he would be the first to fall in the struggle for the throne.

Desperation drove him to seek a solution, and inevitably, his mind turned back to me.

Of course.

If my family supported him, those allies would stay.

Without us, his position was crumbling.

He vowed that one day, he would make House Ironhold pay in blood for this humiliation.

Summoning his usual charm, Xander approached me with a forced smile.

"Elaine, what a coincidence! You’re here too."

"Your Highness," I acknowledged him with polite indifference, as though I had only just noticed him.

His smile faltered, and for a moment, he hesitated.

"Elaine… why are you being so distant? You used to call me Brother Xander."

That was when I was blind.

Keeping my expression calm, I replied evenly, "Forgive me, Your Highness. I was young and foolish back then. Please, pay it no mind."

I didn’t bother looking at his reaction as I turned to leave with Mira.

But Xander suddenly seized my wrist.

His grip was tight, almost painful, his gaze burning with barely contained rage.

The crowd around us gasped in shock.

Mira’s face paled as she rushed forward, only to be blocked by Xander’s guards.

"Elaine, tell me—why?" he demanded, his voice hoarse with frustration.

His eyes, red with anger, reminded me of his expression in my past life—just before he sentenced my family to death.

In that instant, I lost all desire to pretend.

I met his gaze, letting him see the hatred searing in mine.

"Because I hate you."

He stiffened.

"You… hate me?" he echoed, momentarily stunned.

For the first time, he saw the sheer fury in my eyes—the loathing that ran so deep, it sent a chill down his spine.

His lips parted as if to argue, but no words came.

A flicker of unease passed through his expression.

He had never once considered that I, the devoted daughter of House Ironhold, could hate him.

"Then at least tell me why," he muttered, voice quieter now. "What have I done to deserve this?"

What have you done?

I wanted to ask him the same.

What crime had my family committed?

We fought for him, bled for him, paved his way to the throne—only to be branded as traitors and executed.

Didn’t he claim our support was a disgrace to him?

So why was he crawling back now?

Beneath my sleeves, my fingers curled into fists, nails digging into my palms.

But I said nothing.

Some things were better left unsaid—revealing too much would only give him leverage against me.

I turned away.

Once, there had been promises. Once, there had been love.

But Xander’s decree had reduced it all to ashes.