Chapter 1

Chapter 1

[1]

I had been by Valerie's side since childhood; we were as close as sisters.

The Flynn family meticulously chose a husband for her, selecting the newly appointed top scholar. I once believed Valerie would find happiness in this marriage.

However, on the eve of her wedding, tragedy struck the Flynn family. The entire family was wiped out, leaving only Valerie and me to struggle through the hardships.

While seeking refuge with her fiancé, Valerie was kidnapped by thugs and disappeared without a trace, ultimately meeting her tragic end in an abandoned well.

As for me, I was taken in as a favored mistress by Valerie's fiancé and became pregnant with his only child.

Princess Miranda saw me as an obstacle, while the top scholar treated me like a prized possession.

But what they didn't know was that I was actually a vengeful ghost here to take their lives!

[2]

I had been with Valerie since childhood; we were as close as sisters.

The Flynn family was a prestigious and influential clan in the region. When Valerie came of age, her father meticulously selected the newly crowned top scholar in the national exams as her future husband. This scholar, Nolan, was not only graceful but also exceptionally talented. In my eyes, he was indeed a worthy match for Valerie.

Although Valerie had never seen Nolan in person, she had already fallen for him through his portrait. Everyone eagerly anticipated the union of this perfect couple and the beautiful future they would share.

However, fate took a cruel turn on the eve of Valerie's wedding. The vast Flynn estate was raided overnight. All the men were exiled, and the women were forced into servitude as government courtesans. Only Valerie and I escaped this calamity because we had gone out to play.

Valerie's pale, delicate hands clutched her disheveled hair, her long eyelashes quivering as if she still couldn't believe that her once vibrant home had turned into an empty shell overnight. Watching her sit in the carriage, her face filled with disbelief, my heart ached.

She knelt, disheveled and desperate, her voice pleading as she spoke.

"Karlee, this is just a nightmare, right?"

"It's a dream, a dream..."

As she spoke, she made to jump out of the carriage. I immediately pulled her back. Seeing Valerie in such a dazed state, I raised my voice at her for the first time.

"Valerie, if you go down now, you'll only be throwing your life away! We need to find Nolan. He will surely know how to save the Flynn family."