MCPURPLE_7791

She went through hell at an early age. She was abandoned by her father to be abused and exploited like a slave by his wife and daughter. She tried running away from them so many times, but she was always caught. When her 'so-called' sister, who was set to marry a Count's son, vanished, her 'so-called' father suddenly remembered her existence and recognized her as his youngest daughter.

[Excerpt]
"You wench! We have fed and dressed you since you were a child. And now you won't even be useful." Her stepmother shouted
She raised her left eyebrow. "Fed me? Dress me? You couldn't even give me a decent room. If I may remind you, I've been living in the attic room for ten years, and you treated me worse than a maid. A slave. You treated me as a slave."
"You ungrateful child. I should have never let you live. You should have just died together with your whore mother." Said the Count.
Upon hearing about her mother, she felt rage. She could still remember how she saw her mother die in the coldness of the night. She looked at the Count with blazing eyes as if they could burn.
"Never mention my mother again. And stop blaming the innocent here. You are the one who raped her and got her pregnant, Count Harriston." She said it in an angry tone.
Then she looked over at the Countess. "And Countess, you should be grateful that you have another daughter because if I were born as a boy, you would never have a penny left."
"You b..." Countess Harriston got slapped by Ashley before she could finish her words. The Countess held up her red left cheek.
"I'm not a bitch. You and your daughter are bitches. And I will never marry Count Lottway's son. Find your spoiled brat daughter, and don't make me her substitute." "You ungrateful wench!" The Count held her hand and tried to slap her. But a strong man's force stopped the hands of the Count. When he saw whose hand stopped him, his face became pale. He couldn't believe that this man would be here. "Y-your Grace? W-why are y-you here?" The Count was so afraid that he stuttered his words. The man released the Count's hands and hid Ashley at his back. "Hurt her, and you're dead." He said it with a cold tone.

Cover not mine

My Meadow of Ash Trees

"You are the man I met in Port Town, right?" Ashley asked as the stranger stared at her. Then she added, "The one who saved me in the dark alley. Oh! I was in disguise then, so I bet you don't remember it."

Before he could answer, Gilbert hid Ashley behind his back, which made her confused, "What are you doing, Lord Gil?"

"Protecting you, Your Highness," He said as he glared at the man.

"Protecting me?" Ashley asked, and then she saw the man smile.

"You are still on guard when I am around, Gil? You still haven't changed, didn't you?"

"You fluttered me, Lord Owen," Gilbert answered.

Ashley frowned as she listened to their conversation. 'Owen? The only one I knew with that name was Elizabeth's soon-to-be husband. Is that him?'

Then she felt a tug from her side as Mae whispered to her, "Do you know Lord Owen, Your Highness?"

She turned towards her and nodded. Mae whispered again, "What's your relationship with him?"

Meeting Owen