Chapter 1
I barely survived delivering twins, and the first thing I did was kneel in front of Duke Ronan Whitmore and ask for a divorce.
Why?
Because in my previous life, the estate had witnessed the birth of several children on the same day.
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One of them was from his favorite mistress, Annabelle Crane
Ronan, in a twisted attempt to grant her dignity, had all the newborns taken away and randomly drawn lots to determine who would be named beir.
Queen Dowager Margaret, out of pity for me, arranged for my child to be chosen.
The next day, Annabelle clutched her child and knelt in the pouring rain all night
The boy caught a fever and died by dawn.
Annabelle hanged herself that same evening.
Ronan’s hair turned white overnight
He dragged me and my child into the beast pits and watched as wild hounds tore our bodies apart, limb by limb.
“You think I owe you for what?” he shouted then.
“Annabelle came from nothing. I just wanted to give her the honor of being the heir’s mother. But you-“he spat, “you had to steal even that from her!”
“You’re poison! Pure fucking poison. You don’t deserve to be Duchess of Whitmore!”
And when I opened my eyes again…I was back on the day I gave birth.
This time, I would switch the babies.
This time, I would give up everything
Let him build his perfect little life with Annabelle
I’m done playing his games!
The mistresses who had just given birth were herded into the garden, their faces pale, blood still drying on their bodies.
Some looked ready to collapse, their expressions full of frustration and fatigue.
“The Duchess gave birth to twins,” someone muttered, “one of them is surely the heir. Why go through this bullshit lottery?”
The garden was lined with over a dozen cradles, each swaddled in embroidered cloth. From beneath them, the cries of newborns filled the air
But Roman never appeared
Prying them, I ordered my maids to bring cloaks and handed them out myself.
The glares from the other women–mistresses and companions–softened slightly.
Hours passed. Thur bables‘ cries grew hoarse.
Finally, Ronan arrived with Annabelle, wrapped in a luxurious fox–fur antle, escorted on foot under a royal canopy of thick brocade.
She looked as radiant as ever, her cheeks flushed like spring ruses,
No one would’ve guessed she had given birth mere hours ago.
Compared to the pale, bloodless women standing in the cold, she looked like a blooming rose among corpses.
Ronan barely glanced at them before rounding on me
This is how you care for my household? You’re warm and cozy while these women freeze in the wind after childbirth?”
With a flick of his hand, the servants stripped the cloak off my back.
Then they entered my suite and took out all my winter garments, distributing them among the others.
My body, already weak and blood–drained from childbirth, trembled from the sudden cold.
Chapter 1
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It felt like needles stabbing into my skin.
But I said nothing.
I simply watched as Ronan approached the cradles
He strode forward with purpose, threw off one of the embroidered cloths, and lifted a child into his armes.
“The heir to House Whitmore is..
The matron sent by the Queen Dowager stepped forward and checked the name tag tied to the infant’s foot.
Her face twisted in shock
After a long pause, she stammered, “The child… belongs to Lady Annabelle.”
Ronan burst into delighted laughter, lifting the child to kiss his cheeks again and again.
“Annabelle, you’ve borne my heir and brought honor to this house! I shall petition the council at Crownspire to grant you a title befitting your station.”
“Quick, take the young lord inside. Don’t let him catch cold!”
He had declared it right then–the title of heir.
A few of the other women stepped forward, wanting to comfort the crying babies, But Ronan barked at them.
“Enough! Don’t startle Annabelle’s child or you’ll answer to me.”
The drug look on Annabelle’s face made the others bristle with resentment.
“How could the heir be hers when the Queen Dowager sent someone to oversee the naming?” one muttered.
So what? He’s a baseborn heir. He’ll still have to call Lady Eleanor mother one day”
Annabelle must’ve heard that. Her smile faltered. She loosened her grip, and the white ermine in her arms–Snowball–sprang free.
With a bloodcurdling shriek, the creature darted toward the cradles
The women screamed and threw themselves over their infants
All the babies had been wrapped identically, to ensure fairness. But now, chaos reigned. Snowball’s tiny fangs tore into flesh. Several women were bitten, blood blooming on their arms.
1 shoved my way forward and lifted my child from the cradle.
Snowball lunged for
Its claws raked across my face, rearing skin from bone. It latched onto my thorax and refused to let go.
Servants tried to pry it off, but their efforts only made the creature shriek louder. Annabelle’s eyes filled with tears.
“Ronan! They’re hurting my Snowball!”
With a wave, Runan dismissed the servants.
The ermine went wild, gouging bloody holes into my skin.
Beatrice, my loyal mald, fell to her knees.
“My lord, please! Lady Eleanor just gave birth to twins. She nearly bled out. She can’t take this!”
But Ronan looked away.
Only when I was drenched in blood did Annabelle whistle, calling the creature back to her arms.
Istaggered, clutching the child to my thorax, and handed him to Beatrice.
When I looked up again, Honan was standing before me.
His slap sent me crashing to the ground.
*Eleanor,” he snarled, “are you trying to frame Annabelle again? Trying to steal her son’s place as heir?”
Again? I wiped the blood from my eyes and stared at him. His face twisted with hatred.
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He remembered
He had been reborn too.
“Do you admit your guilt?” he demanded.
The other women—even Annabelle’s rivals–looked on in disbelief.
“This isn’t right,” one whispered. “It’s not Lady Eleanor’s fault. The Duke wasn’t like this before…”
No. He hadn’t been.
Even though I was married to him by royal decree, even though I was a political pawn sent by the Queen Dowager to control him Ronan had once treated me like 1 mattered
He gave me everything. Even allowed me access to his private study.
But everything changed the day he brought Annabelle back.
As the others watched me with pity and horror, I slowly sank to my knees.
“I was wrong.” I whispered. “I have no virtue, no worth. I am unfit to be Duchess. Today, I formally request to be released from our marriage!!
Ronan’s voice caught in his throat.
He stared at the blood pooling beneath me as I bowed again and again, leaving crimson marks on the cobblestones.
“Enough with the theatrics,” he snapped at last. “You’re the Queen Dowager’s chosen bride. No one dares strip you of your title.”
“If you want to make this look real, at least bring a royal edict next time.”
“Now get up. I’m in a good mood today. I’ll let it go.
“Three days from now, we’ll host a grand christening banquet for Annabelle’s son. You’ll handle the arrangements.”
