Kade never returned to his estate. Ten days went by and Lina was all alone.

  The maidservants were rude to her. They paid her little to no attention and would even whisper about the Princess right behind her back but fully within her hearing. Lina didn't want to go anywhere, but the estate.

  Everywhere Lina went, she knew people were talking about her.

  "Ow…" Lina hissed in pain, feeling her hair being yanked back.

  Lina saw strands of her hair had been pulled from the comb. She bit down on her tongue and said nothing.

  Then, Lina flinched when her hand touched water that nearly burnt her finger. She endured the painful trimming of her nails. She jumped, watching blood seep from her tips.

  "My apologies," the maidservant said in a snarky voice. "Some little girls don't have this kind of luxury."

  The maidservant didn't even use a proper address—not that Lina cared.

  Lina knew why everyone hated her. By now, word had spread amongst the palace that the Eighth Princess had been kidnapped. Then, the Seventh Prince had abandoned his wife which could only mean that he had suddenly stopped loving her. They put the pieces together and branded her a traitor of Ritan.

  Lina mindlessly allowed the servants to cut her nails, even if her fingers would have to be bandaged. She allowed herself to endure the painful treatment of hair pulling, scalp pricking, scratched skin, and injured fingertips.

  They were all evidence of how Ritan had turned on her.? She would have to suffer the punishment like a dutiful Princess……in silence.

  "Did you hear…?"

  Lina's ears strained to hear the gossip behind her back. Instead of attending to her with the same energy after the wedding night, the handmaidens had chosen to spread rumors in their free time. She pretended to not hear their conversation.

  "You mean the woman with hair the color of chrysanthemum and eyes the color of mint? Yes, I've seen her!"

  Yellow hair and green eyes…?

  Was Lina hearing this properly? Then, she suddenly thought back to the stories she heard of the West. The books recorded their pale complexion that was like snow, hair the color of the sun, and bright eyes.

  Lina didn't think they truly existed outside of books.

  "Yes, I heard she's crazy," one of the handmaidens mumbled. "One of the merchants sold her to the palace after the Emperor caught wind of her exotic beauty. She keeps on saying her family is powerful or something and our Emperor won't get away with this!"

  Lina slowly blinked. Someone was going to hate the Imperial Family of Ritan as much as Lina… Thus, she concluded this unruly woman was a friend and not a foe.

  "You know, the Emperor was going to make her a concubine as a reward for her exquisite beauty! But after she threatened him like a wild cat, he made her a laundry maid!"

  "A laundry maid?" Another servant repeated, gasping at the low ranking of such a beautiful woman. She bet the other concubines were celebrating this joyous news!

  "Yes, I heard her hands are as delicate as a doll, her skin is soft like silk! Being a laundry maid is going to ruin her hands and no man will marry her now," the first maidservant busily said.

  Lina's brows tugged together. An opportunity to save this woman…?? Being a laundry maid was one of the worst jobs that a female could take in the palace. Their workload was hard and unbearable. They'd have to wash clothes under the scorching sun until their hands were raw. During winter, the bitter cold would freeze their hands in the icy water. There was no relief.

  "But did you know what the Seventh Prince did?"

  Lina was instantly on high alert. Kade did something? To a… woman?

  Hatred filled her chest. It came out of nowhere.

  "Oh my god, yes, the entire palace is whispering about it!" The maidservants excitedly cried out, unable to contain her excitement.

  "The Seventh Prince offered to discipline her!"

  Lina's heart fell. She had a horrible feeling about this. Biting her bottom lip, she tried to think of the possibilities.

  Kade, disciplining a woman? That'd ruin Lina's plan of befriending her!

  Lina couldn't let him break the woman's spirits. Above all… she couldn't let him get close to the stranger.

  Lina didn't know why she felt this way.

  Lowering her eyes to the ground, Lina felt a spurt of suspicion rising. She had the urge to lay a possessive claim over Kade. What a foolish thought.

  In this time period, sharing a husband was normal. Her father had three wives. The Emperor of Ritan likely had more.

  Her chest prickled. So this was jealousy. Lina had never experienced it before. Breathing through her nose, she tried to remain calm.

  Kade had declared he was unable to love anyone. He didn't know how to.

  "Gasp!" One of the maidservants yelped. "Hurry and bandage the Princess' finger, I think I hear the Seventh Prince approaching!"

  Lina's head jolted upwards. She had completely forgotten the handmaiden who had cut her finger. Sure enough, there was white linen on her hands.

  Lina rose out of her chair, surprising the other people in here.

  "Oh my goodness, I see him!" Another responded, peering through the window. Except, she wasn't even preparing to get in the proper stance to greet the lord of this estate.

  "Do you want to be beheaded? What are you doing?!" her friend cried out, dragging and pulling at the skirt of the peeping maidservant.

  "Look at that! The Seventh Prince is having tea under the large peach blossom tree!"

  What?

  Lina made her way to the other window. Sure enough, Kade was there. Lina felt her happiness soar. Finally, an opportunity to explain herself. To make amends. There were so many things that she could do.

  All good thoughts flew out the window the second Lina saw her. The western woman was beautiful.

  The wind was knocked from Lina's lungs. The maidservants' description didn't do the woman justice. Even from afar, everyone could see her evident charisma. Her hair was the most beautiful shade of soft yellow, her posture graceful like a swan, and her body nimble with elegance.

  The woman had kept her head low, but it was obvious she was serving the Seventh Prince.

  "Goodness…… Look at the Seventh Prince!"

  Lina could feel her entire world begin to spin. Kade was sitting down, his knees spread like the powerful man he was. He had leaned his head upon a propped arm. Lazily, the Seventh Prince drank his tea.

  The peach blossom branches swayed against the breeze. Pink petals fluttered, the wind carrying its beauty, and flew past the charismatic duo.

  If Lina didn't know better, she'd think this was a painter's masterpiece. A depiction of light and darkness. The woman with hair the color of gold was the light, and her husband dressed all in black was the darkness. Together, they completed each other.

  Lina had never felt so disgusted.

  "Oh, to have the Seventh Prince look at me like that…'' A handmaiden squealed, clasping her hands together and swooning.

  Lina felt like throwing up. Kade was drinking tea, a hint of a smile on his face. His fingers loosely held the cup. His eyes playfully shifted to her. The woman said something and suddenly, a sound filled the air.

  The world seemed to stop for everyone.

  The Seventh Prince, who never smiled for anyone, but himself, was laughing at something the woman said.

  Every pair of eyes snapped to his wife.

  As the world watched Lina, Lina watched Kade, and Kade watched the woman. Where did it all go wrong?