Prologue

"You can't gamble the family's property as you please. This is already the third time..."

Slap!

Florentia's head intensely turned to the left by an unpleasant noise.

"You worthless wretch, how dare you to admonish me!"

The man screamed while his body smelled of liquor, and he pushed her shoulders away with his strong hands.

"Come on and go get some rest. Calm down, Astall. Head over there. And you..."

Belesac, who calmly tamed his drunken and staggering cousin, then turned toward Florentia.

And,

Smack!

With a louder sound than a while ago, a five-fingered handprint was imprinted on the other side of her face.

"After four years of spending lavishly on our family's money, did you seriously think it belongs to you?"

Belesac criticized the fluttering Florentia as she promptly covers her face which had been slapped twice.

"Don't be mistaken. Although you and us may share the same last name, however, with that dirty blood flowing in your veins, you will never be a part of our family. All you have to do is to live as our servant."

No matter how many times she recalled his repeated remarks, those cruel words felt like a dagger that simply pierced through her heart.

"If you ever say a word to grandfather about what happened today, I won't set you loose."

Given a warning, Belesac spits on the ground as he turns around with his back faced towards me.

Soon after, the sound of the moving carriage grew more and more distant.

Left alone in the dark alley, Florentia tightly clenched her fists and bitten her lips.

A drop of fresh red blood dripped down her injured lips.

⟸ ♔ ⟹

Klakk. Klak. "Hee-yah!" "Neigh!"

The slight sway of the moving carriage and the modest sound of the coachman awoke Florentia from the thoughts of the very distant past.

She slightly raised the curtain draped over the window and glanced outside, she could see the soldiers of the Imperial Palace.

"We're were."

Florentia lowered the curtain again and looked straight ahead, as she set her back more upright. After straightening up her hair and dress which had been untidy for a while, she looked like an elegant portrait.

In the meantime, her carriage passed through the main gate and entered the Lamburgh Palace.

Riding in the carriage that was glamorously carved on the surface decorating the world symbol on the outside, the original gold showed off its dazzling brilliance under the glorious sunlight of the afternoon.

"We've arrived."

The carriage stopped and the coachman politely spoke.

"Florentia."

Without delay, the carriage door opened and a beautiful man greeted her.

"Perez."

He kissed the back of Florentia's hand after escorting her out of the carriage.

It was a kiss with a deep meaning that did not hide the desire in his heart.

"Perez!"

Florentia called him out, but Perez simply smiled with his long eyelashes folded finely.

"Let's go, everyone is waiting for us."

She pulled her hand out of his grasp and before she shifted her foot directly towards the banquet hall and moves away from the carriage.

Perez, who smiled once more and chuckled after seeing the tip of her ears blushing slightly, soon followed her back.

"There's no one in this Lamburgh Empire who can complain against you for making them wait, my Tia. You can go a little slower."

The two have come a long way for today.

"As hard as it has been for you to come here, you should enjoy the moment."

After much perseverance, patience and efforts, it was finally time to eat the sweet fruit of her hard work today.

"Yes. I have suffered a lot of troubles."

Florentia admitted plainly.

We've come a long way back. It's probably even hard to imagine. She said in a small voice that no one could hear.

"But that doesn't mean I should be disrespectful."

It was a firm answer.

The woman who had made him fall in love with her from the moment he had laid his eyes on her was such an outstanding woman.

Perez laughed full of joy again.

Before long, the two figures stood at the door of the closed banquet hall.

"Are you ready?"

Hearing Perez's question, Florentia nodded briefly.

"Very well, shall we go in, Lord Lombardi."

He reached his hand out before her.

"Let's go, Your Royal Highness, the Crown Prince."

A pale, fine palm held his hand together.

"Open the door."

Perez briefly commanded the servant in front of him.

"His Highness, the Crown Prince and the Matriarch, Florentia Lombardi have entered!"

Beyond the voice from behind the door, announcing the audience of the arrival and the status of the two hosts.

Florentia laughed since the declaration sounded like music to her ears.

The door slowly split open in half and the bright light of the banquet hall poured out through the gap.

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