Chapter 1
Chapter 01
The prison, untouched by sunlight, was a place where night reigned eternal. It was impossible to tell if today was yesterday or if it was edging toward tomorrow. Once a day, a bowl of thin gruel was passed through the narrow bars, and later, the empty bowl was taken away. Illiana counted the days by those bowls.
After all, no one would bother feeding a condemned criminal every meal.
‘This will show you your past, your present, and your future. Don’t forget it, Lina.’
Creeeak.
“I see you’re looking worse than ever.”
She had expected nothing more than the usual gruel today.
At the sudden, cold voice, Illiana slowly lifted her head. Her eyes, long adjusted to the dark, couldn’t bear the sudden light. The man who stood before her wrinkled his nose and shook his head at her haggard appearance.
As if he’d stepped into a place he should never have entered, he tapped his shoes on the ground to knock off the dust. It kicked up a cloud that quickly spread around them.
Only then did Illiana recognize the man in front of her, a man who once shared her bed under the name of love, now a stranger, an enemy trying to kill her.
“Cedric.”
Her cracked voice barely emerged. Cedric stood well back, as if disgusted to even come close.
“This is worse than I expected. I’m sorry, Rina. I should’ve come sooner.”
Stop talking.
“I tried everything to save you from the death sentence, but His Majesty is nothing if not stubborn.”
Shut up.
“You should’ve listened to me. Look at this mess. You’ve only made things harder for both of us.”
As if everything was her fault, Cedric sighed. Illiana’s lips parted slowly.
“What? I didn’t catch that.”
He stepped closer and bent down slightly. Illiana swallowed dryly and forced out a hoarse whisper.
“You bas-tard.”
Not once had she ever spoken to him so informally. The idea would’ve been unthinkable. She had been the refined, intelligent, and beautiful wife, the daughter of Count Cretia.
And yet now, no other words came to mind.
Cedric’s expression twisted.
“That’s harsh. I was still your husband, once.” A sneer curled on his lips.
“Good thing I didn’t bring Bella. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
“How dare you compare that filthy adulteress…!”
“Do you still think you’re Count Cretia’s daughter?”
What was he saying?
Cedric, perhaps thinking this would be their last meeting, seemed to slip into nostalgia, speaking with a gentle, almost affectionate tone.
“I wish I’d known before we got married… that you weren’t really his daughter.”
Illiana’s pupils trembled. It was true, she was adopted.
The Countess of Cretia, often ill, had spent most of her time in the southern villa. One day, she had seen Illiana, a young orphan helping a boy named Jeffrey after a snakebite and brought her home as a daughter.
Count Cretia had opposed it at first, but eventually gave in to his ailing wife’s wishes. Illiana had been six at the time they returned to the capital as a family.
The countess had been so reclusive that no one questioned Illiana’s identity. Everyone simply assumed she was the biological daughter, now brought to the capital from the provinces.
No one knew the truth and eventually, even she forgot it.
When her adoptive mother died three years later and her distant father remained, it hadn’t mattered. Her kind older brother and warm grandfather filled the void. Everything had been perfect, until she married Cedric. No, until her grandfather passed.
And until he left his diamond mine to Illiana.
Cedric had pressured her to sign over the rights to the mine. At first, she agreed. That was before she discovered his affair with Bella, the daughter of Baron Louise.
Once Cedric sensed her change, he turned cold. He stopped sleeping at home. Then, less than a month later, she was thrown into prison.
Her charge: tTe murder of Duke Lian Gautry.
“If you keep crying, your face will look even worse. I almost can’t bear to look at your face.”
He took a handkerchief from his pocket and moved to wipe her face. A wave of revulsion ran through her.
She swatted his hand away. The neatly folded handkerchief fell to the filthy ground. Its frayed corners caught her eye just as she turned away.
An embroidered lion in silver thread.
Cedric, seeing the shock on her face, picked it up and held it toward her.
“I was so surprised when you gave this to me.”
The long-buried memory resurfaced, pulling Illiana deep into the past.
The Cretia estate was always full of visitors. After her mother died, her father, Vincent Cretia, hosted constant banquets and dinners.
He never allowed Illiana out of her room during such events, saying children got in the way. But she knew the truth that he just didn’t want anyone to find out she was adopted.
She always tried to be cautious. But that day, she couldn’t fight her hunger. She’d also been scolded and sent to bed without dinner.
‘There must be leftover cake in the kitchen.’
Whenever guests came, there were always leftovers so Illiana crept out, tiptoeing quietly.
“There it is.”
A cake piled high with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. She reached for the plate.
‘Just a little more.’
Her face flushed as she stretched, fingertips barely grazing the edge. Taking a deep breath, she reached again. Finally, she caught it.
Just as she began to pull the plate toward her…
“Need help?”
“Ah!”
Startled, she lost her balance and tumbled backward. But instead of hitting the hard floor… she landed on something soft. And it was from a person.
She turned to see a boy, eyes wide in shock.
“You’re lighter than I thought.”
He didn’t seem angry, just slightly annoyed. As Illiana scrambled up, flustered, he calmly brushed himself off and handed her a handkerchief.
She blinked up at him. He looked several years older, with warm brown eyes and a gentle expression. Unlike her brother Jeffrey, he didn’t tease, he simply watched her with a calm gaze.
“You got something on your face. Wipe it off.”
“Thank you.”
Illiana wiped her cheeks. The handkerchief quickly got dirty. She hesitated to return it, but felt she should. Just then, a voice called from outside the kitchen.
“Young Master! Where are you?”
“I’m here. Coming!”
He put a finger to his lips and winked, “I’ll leave first. Take your time eating. I won’t say anything.”
“Thank you.”
By the time she bowed and looked up again, he was gone and she never saw him again. Later, Illiana learned that the handkerchief’s owner was a member of the royal family. She dreamed of meeting him again.
If only she’d thought it through more…
Foolishly, at her first debutante ball at eighteen, she mistook Cedric for that boy.
It wasn’t entirely absurd since Cedric, too, was of royal blood and had light brown eyes. He even knew all the details of that day. Much later, she learned that Cedric had witnessed the scene in secret. That discovery came only after Duke Lian’s death, the day she decided not to give up the mine.
“Rina, are you listening?”
The damp prison was just as she had left it. Reality returned.
Tears welled in Illiana’s sunken eyes. She silently picked up the handkerchief. The dust on the faded fabric disgusted her. She shook it off weakly.
‘I’m sorry, Lian.’
She still remembered Lian’s puzzled look when he saw her with the handkerchief in court.
If only she’d realized then…
But it was too late for regrets now, thus Illiana swallowed her tears. Cedric would only enjoy her suffering.
She refused to let that man taint her memories. The handkerchief that once belonged to Lian had now lost its rightful owner. Seeing her regain her senses, Cedric sneered.
“I couldn’t help it, you know. Who knew you’d fall for me so hard? Without even realizing I wasn’t him. You’re such an idiot.”
He stood, looking at her with disdain, and pulled something from his coat.
Drop!
A blood-red ruby, no bigger than a thumbnail, glinted as it hit the ground. She had forgotten what she had given Cedric. Grabbing the necklace from the filthy floor, Illiana bit down hard on her lower lip.
It had been raining that day, the day of her mother’s funeral. Her grandfather, cloaked in a long mantle, had handed it to her.
Cedric smirked coldly.
“You should at least have one keepsake from your beloved grandfather. Even while paralyzed with poison, all he could think about was you.”
Her mind went blank. She couldn’t even begin to process what she’d heard before the light vanished again.
As darkness returned, Illiana understood.
The deep wrinkle between her brows darkened her already haggard face. Her shoulders trembled, then began to shake violently. Tears poured down her cheeks without end.
She gripped the sharp pendant and scraped it against the floor with all her might. So hard, her nail cracked and blood began to seep out.
“I’ll make you suffer a pain worse than hell. You’ll beg me to kill you, Cedric!”
***
The night was short and dawn broke far too quickly. That morning marked the final hours of Illiana’s life. The execution proceeded without delay. Illiana climbed the scaffold with steady steps, head held high before the crowd gathered to witness her end.
Her brother had been wrong, and she had destroyed everything.
She prayed again and again, pleading for strength, for a chance to turn back even a single moment in time.
“Carry out the sentence.”
The rope tightened behind her back, and soon she couldn’t breathe. Countless eyes in the crowd were fixed solely on her. Her feet kicked weakly, then gradually stilled.
From her hand, the red ruby slipped and shattered against the floor.
Then, in the silence of night, everything began to change.
