The white mourning flowers had not yet been taken down from the Archer's residence, and only Draven's house was now adorned with flowers for a wedding.

I sat quietly on the bridal bed, my hands twisting the handkerchief nervously under the veil. Elyse had been the most beautiful girl in the Frederick family. When my father sought to climb the ranks by marrying her to the ailing eldest son of the Archer family, he hired the best matchmaker in Bulfa to secure the match.

The matchmaker had said that Draven had tuberculosis and would not live past forty. He also had no hope of fathering children.

Most families would have avoided such a match, but not ours. We rushed toward it.

My father said nothing, merely slipping two gold pieces into the matchmaker's hand.

The matchmaker weighed the coins in her palm, and the large black mole at the corner of her mouth quivered as she smiled.

In less than two days, she returned with good news.

On Elyse's wedding day, the Frederick family was brightly lit with decorations and full of celebration.

My father's face bloomed with joy. After all, the Archer family were royal merchants, far beyond the reach of the Frederick family, even though we owned the best medical clinic in Bulfa.

Who would have thought that in less than two years, Elyse would fall into the water and drown?

And Draven, whom the matchmaker had said wouldn't live long, was still alive and well.

Sacrificing one daughter had not been enough for my father. He was not about to let go of the wealth and status he had obtained so easily.

So, less than a month after Elyse's mourning period, he set his sights on me and sent me to the Archer family as a second wife for their short-lived eldest son.

The Frederick family had more than two daughters. I was the youngest, the fifth, and I had a third sister called Bianca.

But Bianca had always been my father's favorite. He could not bear to harm her.

When my father came to me that day, he looked guilty. He held my hand under the candlelight and spoke for a long time about how helpless he was and how much he was reluctant to part with me.

I just looked at him in confusion. Why couldn't he simply admit that he was greedy for power? Why did he need me to believe that he truly cared about me?

We talked until deep into the night. I yawned repeatedly before my father finally went straight to the point.

He said that the Archer family was so wealthy that no matter how much dowry the Frederick family gave me, it would never be enough. So, instead of returning Elyse's dowry, they would use it for mine.

See? That was what he had really wanted to say.

So, I had no grand bridal procession, no guests, no family to see me off. I was secretly carried into the Archer family's residence in a bright chair.

Even the maid accompanying me sighed in pity.

But none of them knew that I was willing to be the second wife of Draven.

...

The candles burned halfway down when Draven, my husband, finally entered the room, supported by a servant.

In a robe and black boots, he was reeking of alcohol as he collapsed onto the bed.

"Mrs. Archer, the young master is very happy tonight. He's drunk."

I had heard before that Draven was in poor health and never had alcohol. Even on the day he married my sister, he had not drunk more than a few sips.

But tonight, he was completely drunk. Whether it was because he was too happy or too sad, I did not know. And I did not care.

I only knew that he was now my husband.

I lifted the veil embroidered with flowers, which was my handiwork.

I ordered the servants to bring hot water and carefully wiped the alcohol-flushed cheeks of Draven.

It was only then that I got my first clear look at him. As the rumors had said, he was frail and sickly, with the kind of face that did not seem destined for a long life.

As I held the handkerchief, his hand suddenly grabbed mine. He looked at me with bleary eyes, mumbling, "Elyse… Elyse…"

I lowered my eyes, not wanting him to see the hatred in them.

He was calling my sister's name.

To outsiders, it was well-known that the daughters of the Frederick family did not get along, since we did not share the same mother, and my father never treated us equally.

They were actually right. My relationship with Bianca was awful. Whenever we saw each other, it ended in either a fight or her hitting me. Always her, never me.

I remember that when the Archer family came to accept me as a second wife, they had specifically asked about the relationship between me and my sisters.

When they received the answer that it was terrible, the person smiled with satisfaction.

At the time, I didn't understand why he smiled like that until I saw the scars all over Elyse's body when she died.

The thin handkerchief, soaked with water, could easily suffocate a drunken man if pressed tightly over his nose and mouth. It would take less than a quarter of an hour.

Draven stirred briefly before slipping back into unconsciousness. I, however, was haunted, placing the handkerchief embroidered with flowers over his face slowly.

He had tuberculosis, and now, with the alcohol rendering him insensible, if he suffocated in his sleep, no one would suspect me.

Before I realized it, my hand was covering his mouth and nose. His shallow breaths felt like the feeble purring of a sickly kitten. A little more force and I could end his life.

However, in the end, I didn't go through with it because I wanted to know what had really happened to Elyse in the Archer household.

The next morning, before dawn, a maid woke me up to get ready.

On the first day when a new bride entered the family, she was always expected to rise early to pay respects to the elders.

Draven kept rubbing his neck as he dressed, his brows furrowed from the moment he woke up.

"What's wrong, honey?"

I lowered my head as I fastened his jade pendant, feigning ignorance.

"I don't know what happened last night. I kept feeling like I couldn't breathe, as if someone was choking me."

My hands paused for a moment, and I looked up, offering him a faint smile.

"Honey, you must be joking. It's surely your old ailment acting up after the drinks last night. I'll get you a medicinal this afternoon."

"Thank you. Let's go."

After Draven finished speaking, he leaned on his cane and headed toward the main hall. The morning wind was chilly, and he coughed every few steps.

"My Quinton Quinton Archer is shrewd, so just show him proper respect. My second brother Carson Archer doesn't care about household matters. He seems aloof but is easy to get along with. As for my third brother Freddy Archer, he's used to spouting nonsense. Just ignore him."

I stopped in my tracks for a moment. Was Draven giving me advice on how to deal with the Archer family?

Would he be that considerate?

Then how could Elyse have drowned with her body covered in bruises?