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Prologue: Calculation gone wrong!

CONTENT WARNING ⚠️: This chapter contain some physical and emotional abuse, which might be triggering for some readers.

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Smack....

"That's for trying to steal what doesn't belong to you," Grace spat.

Maria's vision was blurred, but she could hear every single words she said clearly. She lay lifeless on the cold floor, every spot on her body was cut—bloody and creepy, her eyes sunken, hair messy and dirty.

Night had fallen, clouds were forming and the wind was brewing outside, foreshadowing the turmoil that Maria was about to face.

Today was supposed to be different for Maria. It was supposed to be the beginning of sweetness, happiness or peace. At least, not pain, or what she was going through right now.

Yesterday was her coming-of-age ceremony, and she was so on top of the world, smiling sheepishly, and holding Ethan's hand like a small kid. She had chosen Ethan, a fox shifter, as her pet shifter, not because of his feature, but because he was her crush. The guy she had been eyeing since she was a kid, admiring from afar. And yesterday, her dream had came true.

But instead of living happily, she had ended up in the basement, suffering under immense beating, being watched by Grace and Ethan. She called Ethan several times, but he coldly turned away from her, holding Grace in his arms

Not long after, a woman in white uniform came in, holding a medical kit with a solemn face. She was, most definitely, the nurse that Grace had mentioned.

Maria closed her eyes and exhaled sharply, resolving her thoughts. She knew she was meeting her end soon, right under the watch of her crush, but she couldn't help but be calm. Relieved. As if she had knew this all along. Yet, under her calm facade, a dull ache settled in her chest, painful and ugly.

As Maria opened her eyes again, her blue eyes were now pure and calm. She summoned her courage, asking the question she didn't want to ask.

"Ethan, you really don't love me?" She asked, as if giving him a last chance.

Ethan locked gaze with Maria, looking conflicted. He actually had little interest in Maria, but she wasn't the kind of woman he wanted. He didn't want a meek, reserved girl with no potential whatsoever, and that was why he had accepted her stepsister's advances, because she held real powers.

Grace saw Ethan's hesitation, and her eyes flashed with jealousy. She woun't loose to Maria. Never.

"Ethan," she pulled his arm coquettishly, shedding crocodile tears.

Ethan finally snapped out of his reverie, reassuring Graces as he smirked, "Maria, you were not thinking that I loved you, were you?"

"Good."

That was the only world Maria said, as if she had finally cleared her guilt.

Grace wasn't satisfied with Maria's calm look, and her impatience grew thin. She glared at the nurse, "What're you standing there for, come-on do your work!"

The nurse trembled slightly, dragged her feet towards Maria, placed her kit down, and brought out her things. She couldn't help but steal glances at Maria who all the time remained silent and calm.

How could such a person be calm?

When she was informed of what she was here for earlier, she had expected the girl to be shouting, causing chaos or pleading for help. But she had met otherwise.

She wasn't the kind of nurse that gets involved in doing evil, but she couldn't refuse this one. She just graduated from college, and her life, family, career are at stake if she refused this work, so she has no other choice.

After injecting the liquid into the needle, she held it up, breathing heavily.

She lowered her head to Maria's level, whispering few words that only her and Maria could hear. "Miss I'm sorry, my life is at stake if I refuse to do this, okay?"

Maria's gaze shifted to the nurse, and her eyes flashed with surprise. The nurse was young and beautiful, but now was not the time to admire her beauty. "Hmm," Maria mumbled, closing her eyes in resolve.

After few seconds, the expected piercing and pain didn't come. Maria opened her eyes again, meeting the nurse's clear eyes. "What's wrong?" Maria asked.

The nurse's eyes was locked on her neck, her mouth wide opened. "Miss, where did you get this mark from?" She asked, her voice trembling.

Maria stared at the nurse in utmost disbelief. What did the mark on her neck have to do with injecting her?

Before Maria could reply, the nurse stood up, walking over to Grace's side. "Madam, I'm sorry, but I can't do this," she pursed her lips, lowering her head, "she has Wolfsbane's mark on her, she is the king's missing daughter."

"What!?"

Three people exclaimed in shock at the revelation.

Maria's gaze locked unto the nurse, disbelief etched on her face. "Is she crazy?" She murmured, wondering why she was going to such extent to save her.

Grace and Ethan rushed towards Maria, roughly pulling down her collar to see her neck. To their surprise, she has the mark on her neck.

Ethan collapsed on the floor, staring blankly, thinking, "so Maria wasn't useless after all. She wasn't a meek girl. She is a Luna Princess!"

"No, no, this is not possible," Grace murmured, shaking her head in denial.

"Grace, what do we do now? Ethan asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"We're sticking to the initial plan."

"What!?"

Maria and Ethan exclaimed simultaneously. Maria blinked hard, unable to believe Grace's words.

Before all this torture started, she had discovered that the King was her father, and she had sent a message to him. And while in this room, she had assumed what was likely to happen to her, so she sent another message to the king.

She had calculated the time that the message would get there, and when the king would arrive. She had bet her life with it, and she had been stalling for time since, hoping that they arrive soon.

But things were beginning to get out of hand, as Grace was showing no sign of backing off. As Grace picked up the needle, she first injected the nurse, for testing.

"Ah." The nurse cried out , falling to the ground. After few more cries, her voice trailed off. She died.

Maria gasped in shock, her eyes contracting in fear.

As Grace walked towards Maria she shrunk back, until her back was against the wall. "Do you think you deserve the title, the fame, the love?" Grace asked with a soft smirk.

With a swift movement, she injected Maria with the same needle, her eyes red and fierce.

Maria's eyes widened in horror, pain cursing through her. "Ah," she coughed out blood, clutching her stomach in terror.

Ethan sat blankly on the floor, unable to move. Everything happened in the blink of an eye, and he couldn't process things at once. He just sat there, staring at Maria as she was dying.

Maria's vision blurred, and her body was burning with pain, but she still chuckled softly. "Where are the faces that trusted, the hanfs I reached out too?"

"Where are the people I had placed my hope on, giving them another chance to show me love?"

As she was plunging to darkness, the door suddenly broke open, and several people rushed in.

"Maria!" The King and the queen quickly rushed over to her side, their face as pale as paper.

"Hehe, you did came, but it's too late now.." she whispered, before closing her eyes. She died.

All their calling blurred away, swallowed by silence, and soon the rain began to fall.

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