Chapter One: A Princess in Another's Skin
Silk curtains fluttered with the morning breeze, carrying the faint scent of roses. A young beautiful girl with pale ivory skin,long brown hair with copper tint scattered on the silken pillow, laid unconscious on the canopy bed with its frame carved from dark mahogany wood, and polished until it gleamed. with the curtains made with sheer silks tied to the bed post placed in the middle of the room Sunlight spilled across her face, its warmth coaxing her out of darkness.
Her lashes trembled before slowly parting. The ceiling above her shimmered with gold trim, carved with delicate vines. Beautiful, yes—yet not hers.
Her breath caught. This was not her chamber.
The sheets beneath her were soft, suffocatingly soft. The air tasted of sweet incense, but the scent was unfamiliar.
Her hand lifted, trembling. Pale, slim fingers stared back at her. They were delicate, far too delicate for sword drills she had once commanded… far too delicate to be hers.
"What is this…?" her voice rasped, breaking the still silence.
The door slammed open.
"Lina!"
A tall man in his forties stumbled in, eyes bloodshot and weary. His fine clothes were rumpled, as if he had not slept in days. Behind him followed two men, one in a polished military uniform, the other in sleek black garments that screamed wealth and elegance.
The older man reached her first, dropping to his knees beside the bed. His hands, calloused from years of battle and estate work, gripped hers desperately. "My daughter… thank the heavens, you're awake."
Daughter?
The soldier knelt as well, his stern expression crumbling into raw relief. His voice was rough, as though it had shouted too many commands on the battlefield. "Sister, you frightened us. They said you might not wake again."
The man in black did not kneel. He only leaned against the bedpost, arms folded, emerald eyes sharp and searching. His lips curved faintly, almost too faint to notice. "It seems Heaven has favored you, little sister."
Their words struck her like cold rain. Father. Brothers. Family. None of whom she knew.
Her heart raced. No… this isn't my family. I had a palace. A throne. I...
But the memories blurred, smudged like ink in water. She could not recall how she came here… nor how she died. Only that she was not this girl.
Yet their faces… the raw, unguarded affection in their gazes was undeniable. They loved her, the spoiled baron's daughter they believed her to be.
Her lips curved faintly, though her chest burned with unease. So this is the body I wear now. The Baron's daughter… Lina Everhart.
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The room quieted, but Baron Cedric Everhart never let go of her hand. His voice trembled with both joy and fear. "The physician said you were struck down by shock… that your frail body could not endure. You were gone for hours. I though..." His voice broke. "I thought I had lost you."
Her throat tightened. For a moment, she almost pitied the girl whose body she now claimed. A cherished daughter, killed by betrayal.
She whispered softly, "Father…" The word tasted strange on her tongue, yet it soothed his trembling instantly.
His eyes watered. "Rest, my Lina. Do not trouble yourself. Your brothers and I will handle everything. You must only heal."
The soldier, Damon, placed a reassuring hand on her blanket. "I'll make certain no one harms you again."
The other brother, Lucien, said nothing, but his eyes, sharp as a hawk's, lingered on her face.
She suppressed a shiver. This one is dangerous. Too perceptive.
Her lashes lowered. "I will rest, Father. But… tell me, where is Selene?"
The name slipped from her lips before she realized. A face had surfaced in her mind, fragile, pitiful, golden-haired.
Her father blinked. "Selene? That poor orphan? She has been waiting outside, begging to see you. She hasn't left the estate gates since the night you fell ill."
Outside?
Memories stabbed her Selene's tearful eyes, her trembling hands, her pitiful voice. I owe you everything, Lady Lina… I would die for you.
And then, the assassins. The cold steel. Poison in her cup.
Her jaw tightened.
"No," she said firmly, her voice carrying a weight none of them expected. "Do not let her in. Ever again."
The room stilled.
Her father frowned in confusion. "But Lina, she adores you. She..."
"She is not what she seems," she cut him off sharply, her tone laced with steel.
Damon blinked, startled. "You're the one who brought her home, insisted she stay. Have you two quarreled?"
Her gaze did not waver. "I don't want her near me. If you value me at all, keep her away."
The words shocked them. The Lina they knew would have never spoken so firmly, would have clung to Selene with blind devotion.
Lucien tilted his head slightly, an unreadable smile tugging at his lips. "Interesting… it seems our little sister has changed."
Baron Cedric looked torn, torn between his daughter's plea and his own trusting heart. But her sudden maturity her sharpened eyes struck him silent. Finally, he exhaled heavily. "Very well, Lina. If that is what you wish, I will honor it."
She leaned back against the pillows, concealing the storm inside her.
She had no need for false sisters.
This life had been stolen once.
It would not be stolen again.