𝐀 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐇𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝 . 𝚆𝙼𝙼𝙰𝙿

𝙰𝙲𝚃 𝟸 . 𝟶𝟷

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*CHAPTER 01*

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"Daddy please!" She whined, shaking her dad's arm, "I promise I won't do anything reckless." Ijekiel sighed, looking at how despondent the girl looked. He knew that he couldn't resist her puppy eyes and finally gave in. "Fine, but you have to promise me that you'll be careful." Amberleigh nodded, a big smile appearing on her face. Ijekiel shook his head and smiled. He watched as she skipped away, feeling a mix of pride and worry. As her father, he wanted to protect her from harm, but he also knew that she needed to learn and grow on her own. "What am I going to do with you?"

-

Amberleigh was sitting in her room as she threw herself onto her bed, giggling and kicking her feet. "I'm going to meet mom and my sister!" Words couldn't describe how happy she was; she was going to her sister's debut. Her sisters! That means she gets to meet her mother and her stepfather. She was so thrilled. She had been looking forward to this day for months, if not years, and had planned her outfit and makeup meticulously. She couldn't wait to dance the night away and celebrate her sister's special moment.

She was about two years younger than her sister; she knew her sister was considered a raging beauty; her sister had sleek black hair, jewel-toned blue eyes, and a slim body—at least thats what Amberleigh knew about Atheia. Amberleigh admired her sister's beauty and was proud to be a part of her special moment. She had been practising her dance moves for weeks and couldn't wait to show them off on the dance floor. She didn't want to show off, but if she impressed her more, maybe she could become friends with her sister, right?

-

How this banquette was beautiful; the empress and the emporer must have put a lot of work into this, The intricate details and ornate design of the banquette suggest that it was likely created by skilled artisans and craftsmen, reflecting the wealth and power of the ruling class during that time period. It may have also served as a symbol of their status and influence in society. They must really care about Atheia, considering the amount of resources they invested in building such an impressive monument. Would her mother treat her like this if she knew her?

Red hair, brown eyes—an interesting combo; it's almost like she turned into a different person. She was still excited. I couldn't help but notice how her red hair complemented her brown eyes, making her look stunning. Despite the change in appearance, her excitement was still evident and contagious. The red dress she wore to complement her hair—this can't get any more exciting, can it?

Amberleigh scanned the room. She was currently beside her father. No matter how excited she was, Ijekiel felt different; he was so nervous he could explode. This was such a risky mood on his part. He knew he had to control his nerves; otherwise, he might end up making a mistake that could cost him dearly. If Lucas found out, Ijekiel himself would be executed. It was treason to hide a member of the imperial family, but that wasn't the biggest problem; it was the way he could picture so many ways his dear daughter could get hurt. He knows they wouldn't kill her, but it was just the thought of how much pain it would cause her. She was the only thing keeping him alive; if he lost her, he lost everything.

"Daddy?" He turned around to face his daughter, who was standing beside him with a concerned look on his face. "Yes, Amber?" he replied, trying to hide the worry in his voice. It was easy for Amberleigh to sense how tense Ijekiel was; she smiled, "I'm sure nothing bad will happen." Even with the 12-year-old's reassuring voice, it wasn't helping him cool his nerves. Ijekiel took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. He knew he had to face his fears and do what needed to be done. "Why don't you go say hello to the other girls? I'm sure they will be happy to meet you."

Amberleigh's eyes lit up, which made Ijekiel smile. Ijekiel let her run off to the group of girls talking, knowing that Amberleigh was in need of social interaction with others. He was happy to see her happy and hoped that she would have some fun. Amberleigh smiled as she met the group of girls. She wasn't that great when it came to etiquette, but she was trying her best. Her knowledge of etiquette was much smaller than that of the other girls. She would hope they would maybe be welcoming, but the air became tense quickly. "Who are you?" One of the girls said, looking her up and down, that the girl had straight, light brown hair. She seemed to be of high status; no wonder she was looking at Amberleigh up and down.

"Hello,"

"Princess!" The girls bowed, except for Amberleigh, for whom it took her a moment to process it. The princess? Her sister? Her sister was behind her? Amberleigh turned quickly and bowed, almost stumbling, but she managed to keep her balance. This resulted in a chuckle from Atheia, while Amberleigh felt embarrassed. Atheia was intrigued by her action; she hadn't seen that girl before, so who is she? All of them lifted up their heads, including Amberleigh; she was nervous in front of her sister, even if her sister Atheia wasn't aware of the fact that Amberleigh was her sister.

The girls began to whisper after a while of talking, which made Amberleigh nervous; she never liked fights, so even when they said something bad about her, she stayed calm. Atheia didn't say a word; she only listened. "Of course she is the daughter of a traitor."

A traitor? That made Amberleigh's blood boil, but she held herself back from saying anything definitive or that would get her in trouble. Her father wasn't a traitor; she knew the stories, but he was never in the wrong. Ijekiel was always a kind man; his grandfather was the one who was the traitor, a mean man. She took a deep breath and reminded herself that it was not her place to defend her family's honour in this situation. "Of course she has dirty blood; how could the Duke adopt such an ugly child?"

That was right, that was the story her father made up—she was an adopted child to everyone else in order to hide her identity. The more they spread gossip, the more she got angry, and she finally snapped, "She lacks etiquette and—" "You are utterly rude." The girl looked stunted when Amberleigh spoke, and Atheia raised an eyebrow. "You comment on my etiquette but lack respect; I've kept my mouth shut for long enough." Amberleigh spoke with an unsettling smile, and the look on the girl's face seemed to change from shock to utter embarrassment. The rest of the girls fell silent as Amberleigh's words hung in the air. She had finally spoken up for herself, and the girl who had been criticizing her etiquette was now regretting her actions. The look on the girls face making Atheia laugh, "Oh my who are you?"

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*ACT 2 . 01 END!!*

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