Somewhere in the past...

  Celine’s little shoes clicked against the cobble street, her parasol casting a ced shadow over her face.

  Every so often, a passerby paused to gawk. A noble girl, barely eight, was walking all alone through the town square.

  Celine paid them no mind. Her grandfather had told her to walk slowly, let herself be seen. If people thought the duke’s daughter could move freely, unharmed and unafraid, they’d believe the duke’s rule was strong. That the duchy was safe.

  But she wasn’t truly alone. A woman buying apples from a stall, a few townsmen loitering by the fountain, they were all keeping an eye on her from afar.

  Turning the corner near the tannery, she wrinkled her nose. The smell of smoke, leather and sweat was sharp and unpleasant. She quickened her steps, moving past it when a familiar voice rang out from within.

  “I worked two weeks, Sir. You said you'd pay me today.”

  “You are lucky I let you work at all,” a man snapped. There was a loud thud, a hard object hitting the ground. “Here's your pay, so stop compining already!"

  Through a crack between barrels, Celine caught a glimpse: the boy, maybe her age, was leaning down to pick up what looked like a small piece of hard, old bread. His shoes were worn and broken, and he looked hungry, his cheekbones visible.

  "Hey! Where do you think you are going?! The job’s not done!" the man chased after him.

  “No pay, no work, Sir. I'm not a sve."

  The tanner lifted a hand to strike the boy, "I should have known better to hire a street rat!" he barked, "With no parents, you're just another orphan living off of my charity! I've given you enough food to survive, you should be thankful for it!"

  The boy yelped, cringing away from the older man's blow. It nded anyway, and the boy fell to the ground.

  Celine waited for the boy to ask for help. But he never did. He didn't dare to cry out or call for help, as if he knew it was useless. Instead, he covered his head, "I'm not asking for charity. Just my pay, Sir. God gave you more sales when he saw you take me in, didn’t He? If you cheat me now, He’ll see it too!"

  The man ughed, "God doesn't care about you, and neither do I! You were forsaken from the moment you were born! Trying to take advantage of my goodwill, you're just a greedy brat! I'll be doing the world a great service if I killed you right now! No one would miss you anyway!"

  Celine stepped inside. "Are you going to get rid of the witnesses too?" she asked, causing the tanner to stop abruptly and look at her, "Or maybe bribe them so they'll keep their mouth shut?"

  The anger shifted from his face, repced by fear, "M-M'dy! This isn't what it looks like!"

  "I believe I've seen enough to sent the city guards at you," Celine said, outstretching her little palm. "But I can be persuaded. If the price is correct."

  The man hesitated for a moment before grabbing the coin pouch tied to his belt. He gave her all of it.

  She counted the money and smiled to herself, "This will do for now," she said, hiding the coins in her small purse.

  The boy took the chance to scramble to his feet, running towards the alley. The tanner didn't even bother to watch him leave, his eyes were fixed on Celine, "Is there anything else you'd like, m'dy?"

  Celine moved in the same direction as the boy, smiling back at the tanner, "Not today, thank you."

  The boy made a few turns here and there before finally slowing down to catch his breath. He stopped by the side of a building.

  "What do you want?" he asked, his face full of wariness. "You shouldn't be here. These parts are not safe for a girl like you."

  She approached him quietly, her face heating up from a strange feeling that had taken her over, "Are you worried about me?"

  "Why should I? I have enough to worry about on my own." He spat to the side, trying to sound tough, "Did you come to ugh at me too? Or to make fun of how stupid and weak I am?"

  She blinked a few times. The bruises and cuts on his body were ugly and red. It was more upsetting than anything. But the will to endure such pain, just so he could prove everyone wrong one day... that, was worthy of respect.

  He was saving up for something important. She could tell. He had a stash of money hidden somewhere from his various odd jobs, and he was aiming to get even more. He had a goal and he was going after it, with all his might.

  She could rete to him in a way, and the thought made her heart beat a little faster. It made her want to... do things. Things she wasn’t supposed to. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. She closed it and tried again, “..."

  He raised an eyebrow, "You are weird." He gave her a final look, then started to walk away, "See ya, rich girl."

  She stared at the boy's back as he walked away, her face heated. She never felt this nervous around a person before. But she had to talk to him, she had to.

  "Wait!"

  He turned around, "What? You want me to thank you?"

  She shook her head, her curly pigtails bouncing around her face. It had been so easy before, she even persuaded him to sell her paintings. So why was it so difficult now?

  "Want me to bow down to you and kiss your shoes?" he asked, a sarcastic grin on his lips.

  She looked at her feet. Why did he have to be so mean? What did she do wrong?

  "Hey...don't tell me you are actually crying?" he asked, sounding a bit panicked, his voice turning softer, "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I'm not in a good mood, my whole day was a waste of time. I didn't mean it."

  She nodded and sniffed.

  "Look at me," he said gently, taking a step closer, "I'll thank you properly, okay?"

  She wiped her tears and looked up at him.

  "I'm sorry for being rude. Thanks for saving my ass." He looked down and kicked a pebble on the ground, his cheeks a little red, "There. Happy now?"

  She nodded, smiling a bit.

  He looked to the side, avoiding her eyes, "Do you need help going back?"

  She nodded again, this time more eagerly.

  He sighed and started walking. She followed him quietly. Every now and then, he would look back at her, making sure she was still behind him. He was very observant, immediately noticing the guards following them from afar, "Must be nice being you. Protected and spoiled all day. No one would dare y a hand on you."

  "What do you know?" She huffed and stomped her foot, "A stupid, common boy. I bet you can't even read!"

  "Oooh, she speaks!" he ughed. "And here I thought you became mute."

  She was embarrassed, her face heating up again, "Stop ughing at me!"

  "Sorry, sorry," he grinned and stopped, "We are here. This is your stop, rich girl."

  She gred at him, and he responded with another ugh, "You better get going before I get beaten up by your goons too. They look like they are about to attack me."

  She quickly nodded and when she looked up, he was already gone. She completely forgot about the meat buns she pnned on giving him. She failed to even say goodbye.

  He would definitely come in handy in the future, but how could she persuade him to work for her when she acted like a brainless chicken around him?

  How could she ever keep her cool if he was ever to work under her?

  Celine shook her head. She'd need to learn more about him, his strengths and weaknesses. Only then would she be able to talk to him without losing her mind. Only then would she be able to make him hers.

  · · ─────── · ???· ─────── · ·

  Current time...

  Celine stared at the store in front of her. The tannery was long gone, repced by a shop with leather goods.

  He didn't trust easily, so she went out of her way to prove to him she was worthy of his trust. In the end, who benefited from their encounter? Who learned how to write and read. Who learned the nobles' ways and manners? Who gained everything, and who lost it all?

  "Miss, can I help you?" The store clerk approached her outside, a smile pstered on his face, "Were you looking for something in particur?"

  Celine walked away. She would rather die than buy anything from this shop, or from any of the stores owned by him. She'd rather die a thousand times than give him her money. It would be like paying a tribute to the one who tricked her into thinking he was someone else. Into thinking she was the most important thing to him.

  'Why do you keep lying to yourself?' A tiny voice inside her whispered, 'He never cared about you for real.'

  It was a beautiful lie she never wanted to wake up from, that's why. She simply couldn't stop herself from fantasizing about a life with him.

  'How can you still hope for something that will never happen?'

  Her confidence started to crumble.

  'Why can't you see what's so obvious? He has never been yours to begin with. You were just a tool to him, a stepping stone to his goals. That's why you had to get rid of him, remember? You were about to be discarded first anyway, so what choice did you have?'

  A wave of self-doubt hit her.

  ‘Who would love someone like you? Why would someone choose you over someone like her? A girl that is not only beautiful, but also kind and gentle?’

  The academy life fshed in front of Celine's eyes. She built her position with blood and tears, only to watch it shatter in one day because some stupid brats saw her confront a new student.

  She set a make up trend, and everyone followed except this girl. She just wanted to remind this girl who was in charge, and befriended her before she painted her face with her makeup. How was she supposed to know the girl's face would get swollen and her skin would turn red?

  The females students, who were always on her side, began to turn against her, and then the boys, she successfully silenced and turn into obedient servants, began to rebel.

  The Prince she used to have a neutral retionship with, suddenly became her enemy. The aristocrats' sons, who were always respectful towards her, were suddenly showing their distaste in the open. All that, just because that girl happened to be their object of interest.

  So that's how you protect your woman, she thought, thinking of her man back at home. Always hiding in the shadows, Lucian would never publicly stand up for her, would never show his affection towards her in front of others.

  And for what? To remain anonymous? To avoid the limelight?

  Celine’s emotions overshadowed her reasoning, and she couldn't help but feel bitter.

  Her life was a series of mistakes, one after the other, leading her to where she was now.

  'Are you afraid that I'll tarnish your reputation?' was the next message she sent to him, 'I'm a walking scandal, so you don't want to associate with me. Is that what it's all about?'

  Her letters became more and more spiteful, each time he didn't respond. It was better than worrying whether he was still alive, and it was certainly better than wondering whether he missed her at all.

  'If you can't even admit to having a taste for clowns, then you are not ready to be mine. I'll ruin your image, I'll ruin your reputation. I'll ruin every single good thing about you just to be with you, so you better be ready to lose it all, you coward.'

  Was the st letter she sent him.