Chapter Fifty-Three: A Tale from the Past

The housekeeper gazed at the girl lying on the bed, her complexion almost transparent, and sighed helplessly. “Miss, why do you torment yourself like this?” You know full well the depth of His Highness’s feelings for you—why must you both inflict such pain upon each other?

Yingyue paid no attention to the housekeeper’s words, simply closing her eyes in silence. If not for the gentle rise and fall of her chest, one might have mistaken her for a lifeless porcelain doll.

Outside the door, Arthur leaned quietly against the frame. Through the narrow crack, he watched Yingyue.

Inside, time seemed to pass without measure. At last, Yingyue’s lashes quivered, her lips parted slightly, and with her eyes still closed, she spoke to the housekeeper. “Call him in.”

The housekeeper instantly looked up, staring directly at Yingyue, about to say something—when Arthur pushed the door open and entered. He glanced at the housekeeper, then toward the doorway, signaling him to leave. The housekeeper nodded, bowed gently, and exited the room.

Arthur stood by the window, silent, watching Yingyue, his thoughts unreadable.

Yingyue slowly opened her eyes, letting her gaze drift past Arthur and out the window. The sunlight outside was dazzling, the sky a pure, washed blue.

“Did you know? I had a dream last night.” Yingyue spoke calmly, recalling fragments of the dream flickering before her eyes.

After Arthur had left yesterday, Yingyue had buried herself under the covers, crying in muffled agony. At some point, her tears carried her into sleep, and in her dreams, she drifted back to days long past.

That day, the sky was just as blue, the sunlight just as radiant.

But it was on that day that Yingyue’s life changed forever.

Back then, Arthur’s father, John, was still alive, and she was his fiancée. That day, John summoned her to his study.

— Memories Within the Dream —

John, exuding the aura of nobility, was well past forty yet remained strikingly handsome, though his coldness sent shivers down one’s spine. Seated behind the desk, he regarded the trembling girl before him with icy eyes, his well-kept fingers tapping rhythmically on the tabletop.

Yingyue stood there, barely daring to breathe, afraid to disturb the man before her. Each tap on the desk echoed in her heart, her fingers slowly turning cold.

At last, the man ceased his tapping. “I called you here today simply to inform you of something,” he said evenly. “Prepare yourself—I intend to hold our wedding on the eighth of next month.”

Yingyue’s head snapped up, staring at the imposing man in disbelief. “What… did you say?” Her lips trembled uncontrollably.

“Don’t be so surprised. The reason you came to this house was for this purpose. So don’t pretend innocence.”

Yingyue’s whole body shuddered, frozen in place, unable to move.

John, growing impatient, glanced at her dazed expression and waved dismissively. “Enough, leave. I’ll have someone speak to you. All you need to do is cooperate.”

Like a broken marionette, Yingyue wandered out in a daze. Outside the study, the servants were quietly cleaning, some whispering among themselves.

“I heard the Rivers family is about to host a grand celebration!”

“What celebration?”

“I heard that Master Arthur is to be engaged to Lady Ranna!”

“Lady Ranna? Good heavens, is that the famed Lady Ranna of Switzerland?”

“That’s right, the very same,” a servant replied with pride. “Only she is worthy of the young master!”

Suddenly, Yingyue felt a sharp pain in her chest—far worse than when she had just learned of her own impending wedding. It was as if a small knife was slicing her heart, bit by bit, the pain raw and bleeding.

She staggered outside, standing at the door, lifting her head to the azure sky and the warm sun, forcing a bleak smile. “So, it’s always been just me—alone.”

— Aside —

For those readers who once struggled to understand the story, keep reading and you’ll find new insights!

The memories are not yet finished—please stay tuned!

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