Blurb：
My sister Victoria Sterling mimicked my appearance perfectly – my voice, my fair skin, even my expressions and gestures. She settled on my bed, waiting for my husband Alexander to return from battle. Even our parents hoped she would share a harmonious marriage with Alexander, blessed with many children. When Alexander pushed open the door in his blood-stained armor, Victoria approached to help him undress, her face flushed. She had no idea the man standing before her was far more terrifying than she knew.
Floating as a ghost, I watched Alexander return after two months at war. My twin sister Victoria Sterling nervously rose from our bed, using the voice she’d changed to match mine perfectly. “My Lord, let me help you undress and bathe,” she said softly. But Alexander noticed the different perfume immediately. “It’s too strong,” he frowned. “Not as good as the one you used before.”
Victoria didn’t know that Alexander had originally been meant to marry her, not me. Years ago, when Alexander returned to the Capital with five severed heads representing the families who’d accused his family – including our Sterling family – they offered Victoria as appeasement. But she feared being tortured to death by Alexander and begged our parents to send me instead.
Raised in confinement because a seer declared me the ill-fated twin at birth, I took Victoria’s place in marriage to Alexander. Now Victoria, after two years of preparation including whitening potions and voice training, thought she could successfully replace me. But she doesn’t understand the true nature of the man she’s trying to deceive – or what awaits her in that bath chamber.
Content：
My sister mimicked my appearance.
She settled on my bed and waited for my husband to join her.
Even my parents hoped she share a harmonious marriage with my husband, blessed with many children.
When my husband pushed open the door, my sister, her face flushed, stepped forward to help him undress.
She had no idea that the man standing before her was far more terrifying beyond her knowledge.
Floating in the air, I watched as Alexander pushed open the door.
His battle armor was stained with blood and dust.
Two months apart, he looked a little thinner, but also more imposing.
My sister, Victoria Sterling, nervously clutched her dress.
She steeled herself and rose from the bed, approaching Alexander, speaking softly,
“My Lord, let me help you undress and bathe.”
Her voice was almost identical to mine.
But our voices were originally different.
Seven days earlier, when I was on the verge of death, she had told me,
“Amelia, I went through hell to change my voice. Don’t you think it sounds just like yours?”
It certainly did, because even someone as cautious as Alexander hadn’t realized that his wife was replaced by another woman.
Alexander removed his armor and opened his arms.
Victoria’s face flushed, and her soft, delicate hands reached for his belt.
She wasn’t naturally fair-skinned, but to match my complexion, she had taken whitening potions daily for two years and avoided the sun completely.
In the end, she became as fair as I was.
Besides voice and skin, she had also perfectly mimicked my expressions and gestures.
She said she had spent two full years preparing.
She said she was determined to have it all.
Alexander looked down at her. “Did you change your perfume?”
Victoria paused, then softly replied, “Yes, My Lord. How do you find this scent?”
Alexander frowned. “It’s too strong. Not as good as the one you used before. Change it back.”
Victoria quickly said, “Yes, My Lord.”
Alexander turned and walked towards the bath. Victoria eagerly followed, joy in her eyes.
She was thrilled that Alexander hadn’t discovered her.
I didn’t want to go near the bath, because I knew what would happen next.
Alexander had joined the military at twelve and had served for thirteen years.
His passion in the bedroom was incomparably intense to any other man.
I never knew if any women had served him during his two months away in the army.
But whenever he returned after several days, it was always more than I could bear.
He was never gentle with me, even nonchalantly saying,
“Your parents sent you to please me, yet I see little effort from you.”
Later, I followed Nanny Beatrice’s advice to take more action when making love with Alexander, which made him less brutal.
But in truth, it was Victoria who was originally meant to marry Alexander.
That year, when Alexander returned to the Capital with his army from the Northern Territories, five severed heads hung from his saddle.
Though he told the King they were just bandits he’d slain along the way, everyone knew those five heads represented the five prominent families who had brought charges against his family years ago.
Our Sterling family was one of them.
The five families offered rare jewels and stunning beauties, hoping to appease his fury.
Victoria, my sister, was one of those stunning beauties.
She feared she would be tortured to death by Alexander and begged our parents not to send her.
Our parents doted on her, and ultimately, they made me take Victoria’s place and marry Alexander.
Victoria and I were twins. A seer had prophesied at our birth that one of us would bring ruin to the Sterling family.
So, when I was born quiet and cried little, which was unusual for a new-born, I was declared the ill-fated twin.
They planned to drown me.
My mother couldn’t bear it and threatened her own life to save mine.
I survived but was confined to the deepest, smallest courtyard in the Sterling estate, with only Nanny Beatrice to care for me.
From then on, outsiders only knew of Victoria, the eldest daughter cherished by the Sterlings.
People were unaware of another daughter named Amelia, who grew like a weed in that tiny, secluded yard.
Even the name Amelia was given to me by Nanny Beatrice.
Nanny Beatrice said that on the day she carried me to the small courtyard, the pear blossoms there were in full bloom, the most beautiful she had ever seen.
Yet all those flowers strangely died overnight, leaving the yard pale and lifeless.
It seemed to perfectly foretell my brief life.
My soul drifted uncontrollably towards the bath.
Alexander was already in the water, leaning against the edge of the tub, enveloped in the rising steam.
His body was a map of jagged, crisscrossing old scars.
Victoria’s eyes darted away in fear when she saw them.
She was scared.
I found it laughableshe hadn’t hesitated for a moment when she killed me.
I floated to Alexander’s side, waving my hand before his eyes.
Though I had always been somewhat afraid of him, now I hoped he could sense me, or somehow realize Victoria wasn’t me.
My body was still buried in the Sterling family’s garden, being devoured by ants and worms.
If he would avenge me, out of respect for our three years together, I would be grateful.
If he wouldn’t, then at least dig up my body and burn it.
I preferred warm places. I didn’t want to lie in darkness forever.
Alas, he had no awareness of me.
He simply rested with his eyes closed.
Victoria composed herself, lightly bit her crimson lips, and prepared to enter the bath.
Alexander suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her.
“Is there something wrong, My Lord?” Victoria asked.
Alexander said, “I heard that while I was away, you returned to the Sterling house?”
Victoria immediately knelt. “Yes, My Lord, my mother was ill, so I went back for a few days. Please forgive me.”
At the mention of my mother, a pang of pain struck my heart.
Mom had once threatened her own life to save me.
However, when Victoria wanted to be with Alexander, she tricked me into returning home, allowing Victoria to poison me.
I wanted to ask her why.
Why she loved me yet helped Victoria to kill me.
After hearing Victoria’s explanation, Alexander said, “Since your mother was ill, returning home is understandable.”
I froze.
Alexander had never spoken such words to me before.
On our wedding night, he had said that since my parents had sent me to him, I was his property.
My life was his, and my death was his.
To endure his hardships, to bear his anger.
That night, he had gripped my face and coldly said,
“Though you are indeed born to inspire pity, do not expect an ounce of it from me.”
He said it, and he lived by it.
In the three years of our marriage, beyond our intimate moments, he spoke little to me, let alone allowed me to return home.
“Thank you for your mercy, My Lord.”
Victoria rose and went to Alexander’s side, picking up a towel to wipe his body.
Suddenly, Alexander’s aide’s voice came from outside:
“My Lord, the King summons you urgently.”
“I understand.” Alexander rose and left.
Victoria stomped her foot, watching Alexander’s retreating back, vexed that the King’s summons had come at such an inconvenient time.
Victoria returned to the room, happily spinning a few circles.
My former maid, Chloe, entered with tea.
“Congratulations, Miss. You successfully fooled the Lord.”
Chloe had been sent by the Sterling family two years ago, after Nanny Beatrice passed away.
At the time, I thought my family cared for me, but now I knew it was all part of Victoria’s plan to replace me.
They had been planning my murder for two years.
Victoria pulled Chloe closer.
“Smell me. What do I smell like?”
Chloe sniffed carefully.
“Miss, besides the pear blossom scent, I don’t smell anything else.”
Victoria was still worried.
“Really? But My Lord was only near me for a moment and recognized my old sandalwood fragrance.”
I didn’t understand either.
Alexander wasn’t usually skilled in discerning scents. How had he immediately noticed it?
Chloe said, “Perhaps the sandalwood you used before was exceptionally good, and the scent hasn’t completely faded. I imagine a few more days of the pear blossom scent will fully mask it.”
“That makes sense.” Victoria lit a few more pear blossom incense sticks.
Then, she pulled out a voodoo doll and began sticking pins into it:
“Forever damned to hell, with no reincarnation.”
My name, Amelia Sterling, was written on the doll.
After a while of poking, she spoke to the doll:
“Oh, Amelia, don’t feel so unlucky. You had My Lord for three whole years.”
“When I saw him just now, he truly looked like a warrior god. So much better than that bookworm father and mother found for me.”
“No, he’s better than any man in the whole world.”
After I married Alexander, our parents had sent Victoria to a secluded place and arranged a scholar for her to marry.
Now, I wondered what became of that scholar. I imagined he was killed, just like me.
Victoria twisted the doll’s head.
“You should be thanking me, actually.”
“If it weren’t for me, how else would you have married My Lord, enjoying his body, his glory, his wealth?”
“Now, it’s all just returning to its rightful owner.”
Once, she feared Alexander and made me take her place.
But later, I lived perfectly well by Alexander’s side for a year, and he was steadily rising in power within the court.
Seeing it, Victoria became obsessed with Alexander again.
She could neither eat nor sleep, like she was possessed.
“Chloe, how often did My Lord sleep with Amelia?” Victoria asked again.
Chloe replied, “Unless the Lord was on official duties or away on travels, he always stayed in Amelia’s chambers when he was at the estate.”
Victoria glared at Chloe.
“So what? Three years of favor, and not a single child.”
“Clearly, My Lord only used her for pleasure.”
She was right. Alexander had told me not to ever dream of bearing his children.
So, I had been taking medicine to avoid pregnancy.
Actually, I also didn’t want to bring a child, afraid that it would share my tragic fate.
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