When the princess found out I had feelings for the top scholar, Sebastian Marshall,

She made a show of cutting the tendons in his hands, turning him into a broken toy for others to trample.

Sebastian barely made it out alive.

My heart couldn't take it—I saved him, found him the best doctors, stayed by his side till he recovered.

Eventually, his hands healed, and one brilliant essay made his name known across the empire.

We got married, just like I’d once dreamed.

But on the day my sister got married, he left me—barely clothed—at the mercy of bandits.

“If you hadn’t interfered, would Victoria and I have ended up apart?”

Turns out, he couldn’t let her go. He’d long been obsessed with the same Victoria who had shattered him.

I rescued him, but he blamed me for meddling.

And in the end, I died in pain and disgrace.

Then one day, I opened my eyes—back to the day Sebastian was humiliated…

1.

I was back at Victoria Taylor's coming-of-age banquet.

Sebastian—once proud and untouchable—was now kneeling beside us like an object on display. A silver chain looped around his neck, his face pale as snow.

“Isn’t he just lovely? My little pet always knows how to behave.”

Victoria’s smile was sweet, her slender fingers brushing playfully across his cheek.

The guests laughed, their eyes filled with mockery and greed.

Only I stayed quiet in the crowd.

“Why aren’t you laughing, sister?”

Victoria strolled over, her tone light, almost teasing.

But I, not her, carried the royal bloodline. She was only taken in by our father during the years I was lost from the palace.

Once I returned, he couldn't bear to send her away.

Instead, he turned colder toward me and gave her his favor.

With that, Victoria did as she pleased—embarrassing me, mocking me whenever she could.

I’d tasted dirty water meant for laundry, felt the sting of hairpins driven through my earlobes.

Everyone knew it: I wasn’t daddy’s favorite princess.

Now, the whole court waited in silence to see me humiliated again.

Only one person looked back—Sebastian. His dull eyes flickered with the faintest trace of hope.

Back when we were young, Father adored me. He picked scholars’ sons to study and train by my side.

Sebastian was the most gifted among them.

He wasn’t just bright—he had the grace of someone destined for greatness.

I fell for that quiet elegance.

But Victoria noticed him too.

She always had to ruin what she couldn’t have.

And when Sebastian rejected her, she didn’t take it well.

Later, when corruption charges crushed the Marshall family, she made him a prisoner in her own house.

She destroyed his writing tools, ruined his hands.

Then she chained him like a dog and paraded him before others for sport.

In my past life, I held onto the childhood bond we shared.

Even when he was barely breathing, I couldn't turn away.

I rescued him, repaired what she broke, stayed with him through the worst.

I thought if I gave enough, we’d make it.

But when he heard Victoria was marrying, he broke me like I was nothing.

“If you hadn’t interfered, we’d never have been torn apart.”

“I hate you, Eleanor.”

So it was her he loved all along—the very one who destroyed him.I saved him, and in return, he blamed me for breaking apart his precious obsession.

He left me in a bandits’ den, didn’t lift a finger when I was dragged away and defiled.

I died there—broken, discarded, abandoned like trash in some desolate wasteland.

And by then, I was already carrying Sebastian Marshall’s child.

2.

The child inside me? Bled away, just like my last bit of dignity.

I remember the suffocating breath, the freezing touch, the pain of my body breaking apart...

Even now, thinking about it makes my skin crawl.

Clenching my jaw, all I wanted in that moment was to rip that thankless bastard to pieces.

While I stayed silent, Victoria leaned in with a sly smile, whispering in my ear:

“Elder Sister, watching your beloved suffer like that... hurts, doesn’t it?

“You see, even Father won’t let you be seen in the palace anymore. You must know by now—no one here wants you around.

“Leave the capital willingly, and I’ll let Sebastian go.”

So that’s what this is about.

Even though Father never truly favored me, as the sole blooded princess of the royal family, I was still a threat in her eyes.

She’s always been afraid I might one day win Father’s favor.

A thought crossed my mind—what would Sebastian think if he realized he was nothing more than a pawn in Victoria’s little games?

I gave her a cool, indifferent look and said,

“Your plaything, your rules. He has nothing to do with me.”

Victoria’s smile stiffened.

Sebastian, on the side, suddenly went pale, eyes turning crimson with fury.

He struggled hard against the chains—the clanking metal rang out loud—as he croaked in a hoarse voice,

“Eleanor…”

He tried to get up but collapsed with a heavy thud.

Of course he did. He’d been broken down over the years—just standing up by now was asking too much.

The nobles all watched in idle amusement, some even chuckled under their breath.

None of them were going to offend Princess Victoria over someone like him.

Sebastian had hit the ground hard, but didn’t seem to feel the pain—just kept crawling toward me on all fours.

Eventually, he reached me, trembling like a leaf.

“I’m Sebastian... Eleanor,” he said, voice shaking. “You really don’t want me anymore?”

That name—“Eleanor”—soft, almost pleading—made me freeze for a second.

In my last life, he only used that tone in bed, when he lost control of himself.

But even then, his touch was never gentle.

All through those nights...

He’d pin me down like a madman, tearing into my skin, each thrust fueled by something cruel and sick deep inside.

I used to think he did it because trauma made him impulsive, clinging to me for a twisted sense of control.

So I never blamed him—I accepted it, even welcomed it.

Now I know better. He just wanted to hurt me.

A wave of nausea surged up my throat.

Without thinking, I stepped back and kicked him away hard.

Then turned to Victoria and said coldly,

“Keep your dog in check. Don’t let it dirty my clothes.”

Sebastian’s eyes widened—he looked stunned, like he couldn’t believe I’d say something like that.

Can’t blame him.

Before he became Victoria’s plaything, it was always muddled between us—a tension I once mistook as meaning.

That was why I saved him back then.

I really thought he cared.

Who would’ve guessed he’d come to adore the very woman who treats him like an object?

3.

Humiliated, Victoria’s smile snapped, and she kicked Sebastian hard, shouting angrily:

“You filthy mutt, Sebastian! That’s all you are!”

Then she shouted for wine and had it poured all over him without a second thought.Damp strands of hair clung to her temples, and the wine trailing down her cheek only made her look even more heartbreakingly beautiful.

I just stood there, watching with a cold gaze.

Then suddenly, a voice rang out from outside the hall, laced with amusement:

“Seems like the party doesn’t start until I’m gone?”

Silence fell instantly.

It was Charles Warren, the Regent Prince.

He wore a jet-black robe, a jade belt wrapped around his waist. His face was sharp, wild-eyed—the kind of man born to lead but too unruly to please anyone easily. That mix of arrogance and restraint made him dangerously attractive.

Charles, commander of six armies, spent most of his years guarding the northern borders. But thanks to that face of his, he’d become the fantasy of every unmarried girl in the capital. And growing up alongside Victoria Taylor didn’t exactly help—people just assumed they were made for each other.

The moment Victoria saw him, her face lit up. She clung to his arm in that familiar coquettish tone:

“I thought you weren’t coming, Brother Charles.”

Charles pulled his arm away lazily, looking like he couldn’t care less:

“If you’ve got something to say, say it. Don’t hang all over me.”

But Victoria didn’t seem to mind at all. She just kept smiling at him, like there was no one else in her world.

I laughed to myself.

See that, Sebastian Marshall? Even without me in the picture, you’d never have ended up with her. To a woman like Victoria, a powerless man like you could never compare to someone like Charles Warren.

I glanced over at Sebastian, half amused.

But then I saw something odd—he wasn’t watching Victoria and Charles at all. His eyes were locked on... my stomach.

A strange chill ran through me.

Could it be—had he come back too?

The cold crept all over me, my hands trembling without warning.

Then, out of nowhere, someone slipped a jade token into my palm.

I looked up, startled.

Charles had somehow dismissed Victoria without me noticing. Now, from a spot carefully out of everyone else’s sight, he leaned in just a little, lips tilted in a faint smirk, voice low and husky by my ear:

“Surely, Your Highness doesn’t enjoy being a guest in her own life?”

He paused, then added:

"Midnight. My residence. Let's talk."

I looked down at the note, letting out a quiet laugh.

“Midnight? You’re not planning to discuss this in bed, are you?”

To my surprise, despite all his swagger, Charles was... kinda old-fashioned.

His face didn’t change, just lazily lifted an eyelid, but the tips of his ears turned slightly red:

“Only if that’s how Your Highness prefers your conversations.”

In my past life, Charles and I barely crossed paths.

He never dressed in silk and ornate robes, didn’t like fancy titles either—always looked like some carefree wanderer, easygoing and wild. Just a reckless young general doing his own thing.

I never would’ve guessed that after I died—broken and discarded—he’d be the only one who stood up for me.

After my death, my soul didn’t move on. I hovered near Sebastian for a long time.

He fed lie after lie to everyone.

Played the part of the grieving lover, told folks I’d been ambushed in Jiangnan. Every time he spoke about me, his eyes would water like he was overwhelmed with sadness.

He even went to my grave every single day, playing that song I used to love, all to keep up appearances.

People thought he loved me deeply.

But me? I was revolted.

I watched it all, helplessly.

Until Charles showed up.He'd brought in boatmen and couriers from Jiangnan to testify that Sebastian Marshall had colluded with bandits to kill me. He even called in one of Victoria Taylor’s maids to confirm the two were having an affair.

Then came the letters—written between Sebastian and the outlaws—and the token Victoria had gifted him.

I didn’t understand—

From the time news of my death got out to the moment Sebastian returned to the capital with my ashes and held that pitiful ceremony, no more than ten days had passed.

Charles Warren, he barely slept. Somehow, he found out everything in that short stretch of time.

In the end, he snapped. He lunged at Sebastian, fists flying, both of them covered in blood.

The mourning hall turned into chaos.

I tried to get to him, but my soul was fading—growing too weak to hold onto thought.

Then, out of nowhere, a blinding white light swallowed me whole.

Next thing I knew, I was back—reborn into this year, into this moment.

By now, Charles was gone. All he’d left was a jade pendant.

So Charles… what were you really thinking back then?

That night, I took the pendant and went to his residence.

The room was dim, lit by warm candlelight, with a faint trace of sandalwood in the air.

Charles stood by the window, drying his damp hair. He looked up lazily when he heard me.

“So, you came, Your Highness.”

His tone was casual, like he’d been expecting me all along.

I stayed in the doorway, unsure where to rest my eyes.

His figure was nothing like Sebastian’s.

Sebastian had always looked frail, skin pale as paper. Ever since he’d been imprisoned, his health never fully recovered—there was a sickly edge to him.

But Charles… everything about him spoke of strength. His broad shoulders, the line of his neck, even what lay further down—

I jerked my gaze away.

Charles just chuckled.

“You know, you could look all you want. I really don’t mind.

“Besides… sooner or later, I’ll be yours anyway.”

I stepped closer, trying to gauge him.

“Do you always give jade pendants to women you’ve just met?”

Charles sighed with a helpless smile.

“This is our fourth meeting… and you still don’t remember me?”

When I didn’t respond, he walked up, lowering his gaze to meet mine.

“The Empress Dowager wants me to marry Victoria.

“But she’s the imposter. You’re the real princess.”

My brows lifted slightly in surprise.

Victoria and Father had kept my true identity hidden all these years. To the public, I was just a foster daughter.

“How did you figure it out?”

As I spoke, my gaze dropped—pulled again by how his body held itself.

But Charles didn’t give me a chance to look too long.

“Your Highness, that stare… a little too bold, don’t you think?”

And then he had me wrapped in his arms.

After how I’d died in my past life, being touched like this still scared me to my core. I couldn’t help but tremble.

Charles must’ve felt it. In a gentle tone, he said:

“Don’t be afraid, Your Highness. I’d never hurt you.

“And I won’t let anyone else do it either.

“If you’re not ready, I’ll stop. Just say the word.”

His eyes were clear, his voice laced with something almost tender.

I didn’t push him away.

He leaned down, kissed me—not forceful or demanding like Sebastian used to be.

This kiss was soft, lingering… as if asking for permission.

To my own surprise, I didn’t resist. I even… liked it.

Breathless, knees weak, I steadied myself on his shoulder and asked,

“What do you want from me?”