Part 3Hollowed by Hatred

Ethan immediately approached and comforted her. “Don't be mad, Princess. It's not good for you.”

He then looked at me, his expression concerned but his eyes smug. “Michael, everyone in the capital knows you were deeply in love with the Princess. Did you sully yourself to get back at her?!”

I loved her? How would I dare?

Because I used to love her, I rejected my father's suggestion to give her hand in marriage to Ethan instead. As a result, she punished me by sending me to that camp for five whole years.

I did not dare to love her anymore. Now, I was merely afraid. Afraid that they would send me back.

The thought filled my head with nothing but terror.

I hastily bowed at Charlotte’s feet. “Don't worry, I won't catch that disease anymore! The doctor said it's treatable!”

I desperately crawled across the floor to pick up the bottle of liquor, pouring it over my open wounds. “I did this plenty of times before. It got better every time…

“I'll take care of it… I'll clean myself up… So please don't send me back there!”

My father's expression turned livid. “Plenty of times?! So you really… You really did mess around in there! You useless son!”

My body instinctively cowered when he raised his voice, and I shielded my head with my arms.

Every time someone yelled at me like that in the camp, it was also followed by a vicious beating.

My sister stormed up to me and grabbed my wrist.

My body trembled like a leaf. “Don't beat me, don't beat me… I'm sorry… I won't do it again…”

My sister stopped and then sighed. “Michael, what are you saying? This isn't syphilis at all. It's just an allergic reaction to the pollen here.”

It was not syphilis? I paused. Good, then I did not have to douse my body in fire and wine anymore.

Charlotte's expression brightened up as well. “So three days from now…”

Before she could finish her sentence, Ethan bent down to help me up. “Michael, if you don't want to marry the princess, you can say so. But why did you lie…?”

At the same time, he secretly stepped on my hand. I gasped in pain and tried to pull it back, but he smirked and fell backward.

He held his chest in pain and exclaimed. “Michael, why did you shove me over? Are you still mad at me because the princess is expecting my child? Even so, you shouldn't try to hurt me like this!”

Charlotte's expression darkened. She helped him up, then turned around and slapped me across the cheek.

“You ingrate! Ethan asked me to bring you back, but you tried to hurt him?! Since you don't want to marry me, I'll marry Ethan instead! And you can be his servant for the rest of your life!”

If I became his servant… Did that mean I did not have to go back to the camp and serve those masters anymore?

I quickly nodded. “Okay! I'll do that!”

Charlotte's frown deepened. She barked at her guards, “Lock him up in the storeroom! He'll accompany Ethan to the wedding three days from now!”

With that, a few burly servants dragged me away.

My father looked at me in disappointment. “The Princess was gracious to take you in as Ethan's servant. Don't anger her anymore once you move into her palace, you hear?”

I did not care about anything so far in the future. I just did not want to be beaten for the next three days.

Before long, I was alone in the quiet storeroom. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my chest, and I coughed up bright red blood. My heart felt like it was going to explode.

I panicked, curling up in a fetal position. Even so, my whole body felt numb, and I could not breathe.

The lady doctor told me I was dying. But she said I had three more days…

Did even the heavens think I did not deserve a few days of peace?

Before I could delve deeper into that thought, my soul quietly left my body.

Huh… so that was what happened to people after they died.

Three days later, the entire household was celebrating the wedding. I floated in mid-air, watching the party unfold.

Charlotte was supposed to wait in her palace, but somehow she stood in front of my family's mansion, looking furious.

Everyone said it was because she loved Ethan so much and could not wait to marry him.

The next second, though, she asked coldly, “Where's Michael?”

Ethan's smile froze on his face, but he soon regained his gentle composure. “He can join us after the wedding rites.”

However, Charlotte pushed him aside and strode toward the storeroom. “Even if he isn't my husband, I won't let him ignore me like this!

“Since he's your servant, he must be part of your wedding retinue!”

Ethan wanted to stop her, but she soon found her way to the storeroom.

She glared at the wooden door and gritted her teeth. “Michael Keyes! I'll give you one last chance!

“If you come out and apologize, I might still allow you to become my husband!”

Her husband? How amusing. Didn't she love to see me fight Ethan over her?

So what was she doing now?

No matter how she yelled, though, the storeroom remained silent.

Ethan panicked and tried to pull her back. “Michael is just giving us the cold shoulder to embarrass me. Princess, since you're already expecting my child, why don't we just…”

“Shut up!” Charlotte cut him off and kicked the door open. “Michael! If you don't come out now, I'll sentence your family to death again!”

The next second, she froze. “Michael… What's going on?!”