The Transmigrator's Mistake

The voices around us fell silent at once, and even Lydia froze. The next instant, her eyes filled with tears as she ran weakly into Alaric's arms with a pitiful sob. "You're finally here, my love! Sylvia is pretending to be the princess and sneaks into the estate so she could get into your bed and seduce you, then break us apart. Please, see justice be done for me!"

I staggered to my feet and fastened the cloak my maid handed me. Then, I looked coldly at the two of them, fire burning in my eyes.

Alaric's face was pale as he wiped the cold sweat from his brow, yet he still patted Lydia's shoulder to comfort her. "Why would she pretend to be the princess to seduce me, Lydia? Is there some misunderstanding? She is clearly..."

Before he could finish, Lydia's sobs cut him off. She glared at me and raised her foot, about to ram herself into a nearby column. "Since you don't believe me, I might as well die and go back to my own world. I don't want to stay in this rotten medieval world anyway!"

Alaric immediately stopped her. When he looked at me, guilt flickered in his eyes as he said, "Of course not, Lydia. I believe you. Tell me how you want her punished. I will allow it all."

As I listened to them, I dug my nails into my palm until my palm bled with a firestorm brewing in my eyes. "Alaric, has this woman enthralled you so much to the point you've lost your mind?"

Lydia then handed Alaric the quill. He then quickly walked toward me. Under everyone's gaze, he allowed the guards to press me to the ground again and said softly, "Sophia, today is my wedding day. It wasn't easy to make Lydia agree to marry me. Please just take this for my sake and help me calm her down, alright?"

I stared in disbelief as he personally untied my cloak. When the cold ink touched the skin of my back, I endured the humiliation and roared with all my strength. "I am your sister! I am Princess Sophia! Why won't you explain to her who I am? Why are you helping an outsider humiliate me instead? Alaric, do you truly have a death wish?"

Unexpectedly, Alaric did not hesitate after hearing that. Instead, he frowned in displeasure. "So what? You have no idea how intelligent Lydia is. She's a transmigrator from the future, and she can help me in many ways. Of course I must keep her. As my older sister, you should be helping me instead. Why are you opposing her and making things difficult for me?"

I could feel my chest ache after hearing such shameless words from him. Now, even breathing has become difficult. "Alaric, you..."

The quill on my back was his answer as he said, "I will transfer all the shops in the southern district to you as an apology."

So in Alaric's eyes, my dignity and reputation were worth less than the wealth Lydia had helped him earn.

As my own younger brother wrote the shameful word "harlot" on my back, the tears I had held back for so long finally fell. I closed my eyes in despair as everyone watched, hatred burning in my heart.

"Even now, you're still being stubborn. I already told you that I am the person the prince loves most. What do you have to make you think you can even compete with me? Your fake princess identity?"

Just as Alaric lowered the quill without hesitation as Lydia laughed with a sneer, someone arrived in the inner courtyard through the corridor, surrounded by attendants. As that imposing figure appeared, all I could hear was everyone dropping to their knees and bowing.

"All bow for Her Majesty, Queen Mother Maria!"

I raised my head and met those aching eyes. In the next instant, I broke down and choked out.

"Mother!"