Chapter 1

Everyone knew the Regent was brutally tyrannical, and that he especially loathed women of plain appearance.

A minister's daughter, only because she accidentally bumped into the Regent's carriage,

was executed for high treason on his order.

I was plain as could be.

Yet my half-sister deliberately disguised herself as me to seduce the Regent.

After she came home, she couldn't wait to force me to confess.

"Sister, hurry to the Regent's Manor and beg his pardon. Soothe the Regent's anger, or what if the whole House of Coleman is dragged down with us?"

My father cursed furiously too.

"You shameless creature, how could I ever have raised such trash? I'll beat you to death right now, before you bring ruin on the family."

But they didn't know that I was beautiful—I had only ever hidden it with makeup.

Just as my father was about to bring the family rod down on me,

the Regent suddenly arrived at the House of Coleman to make a formal marriage proposal.

"I have come today to propose marriage to the legitimate daughter and heiress of the House of Coleman."

...

I am the legitimate daughter and heiress of the House of Coleman, but my mother died young.

My father doted on Teresa alone.

He handed the running of the household over to Teresa to manage.

Teresa mistreated me on purpose.

In winter there was no charcoal fire in my courtyard.

In summer, the food the servants brought me was spoiled.

My half-sister, though, lived every day in fine silks and rich food—her clothes and comforts made her look more like the legitimate heiress than I, the true one, did.

When I was five, only because someone praised my hair, saying it was lovely, like silk,

my half-sister ordered the servants to pin me to the ground and cut off my long hair with scissors.

Then she deliberately pushed me into the water.

I ran a high fever for a full two weeks, and only afterward did I go to my father's study to ask him for justice.

But my father was busy teaching Rosalind her calligraphy, and when he heard me, he only waved his hand at me impatiently, said he understood, and had me driven out.

The next day, Teresa came to my courtyard.

She said lightly, "The eldest young lady has some scheming servants leading her astray. Today I'll set right the bad habits in this courtyard on the young lady's behalf."

She had the maid my mother left me beaten to death, and placed her own people around me.

From then on, my days in the House of Coleman grew even harder.

After that, I learned to pretend.

So that Rosalind would stop targeting me,

I began to learn how to do makeup, painting my naturally beautiful features into something plain and ordinary.

Until, a month ago, Rosalind suddenly became much kinder to me.

She brought a lovely hairpin to my courtyard and said it was a gift to make amends.

She said, "Sister, everything in the past was because I didn't know any better. We're sisters, of one flesh, and we ought to support each other. From now on let's get along well. Please forgive me, sister, won't you?"

Her expression was sincere, her tone hopeful.

I looked at her and said softly, "All right."

After that, Rosalind simply moved into my courtyard, eating and sleeping beside me every day, calling it building our bond as sisters.

She copied the way I ate, the way I walked, the way I read...

Wore my clothes, used my perfumes, took my handkerchiefs...

She said, "I just love you, sister, and want to be a little closer to you."

My father praised her too, saying she was sweet and sensible, with more of the bearing of a legitimate heiress than I had.

And because of that, my days in the House of Coleman became much easier.

The servants no longer dared to slight me.

That morning, Rosalind begged me to do her hair.

"Sister, I'm going to the temple fair today. Could you do my hair in your usual style, and lend me that pink dress you wear most often?"

Smiling, I combed her hair and found the clothes for her.

Then she disguised herself to look like me and said with a smile,

"This plain look of yours is rather pretty after all, sister."

I looked at her and smiled back.

By sunset, Rosalind came running back in tears.

She demanded of me,

"Sister, if you wanted to go to the temple fair, you could have told Father. Why did you sneak out all alone?"

Before my father could explode with rage, she leaned close to my ear.

"You didn't really think I wanted us to be loving sisters, did you? All this time I've just been using you to pass the days."