They saw a helpless daughter. She saw a throne to claim. When a mysterious, paralyzed aristocrat reveals her true identity as the lost heiress to the Judson empire, Larissa's life is upended in a single night, first by the truth, then by an assassin's blade. It's a brutal welcome to a Game of Thrones she never asked to join. Her own parents and brothers, champions of their adopted daughter, greet her not with open arms, but with cold contempt. Their message is clear: know your place. Larissa's response is even clearer. She turns the game on its head, offering her loyalty and formidable skills to their fiercest rivals within the family: her uncle and aunt. With a new power base behind her, Larissa moves her pieces with precision. She strips her birth family of their assets, exposes the "perfect" adopted sister as a fraud, and claims her rightful dominion over the Judson empire. As her hidden identities are ruthlessly unveiled, those who scorned her are left with nothing but regret. And at the heart of her new kingdom stands the man whose legs and ambitions she restored. "My queen," he whispers, his gaze burning with pride and possession, "the world doubts the strength of our line. I believe it's time we made a definitive statement."

Chapter 1“Larissa Judson, we’re through. It turns out I’m a young master of the prestigious Dillon family in Regal City. A village girl who sells remedies is no longer in my league.”Larissa had just received the call from her boyfriend, Torrin Turner—no, Torrin Dillon, she corrected herself. She had been about to tell him her own news, that she was the long-lost daughter of a powerful family, when he dropped that bomb on her.What did he mean, a village girl who sells remedies? Not in his league?Please. Her remedies were worth a fortune, sought after by countless wealthy families. They’d been featured at Regal City’s biggest auction houses more times than she could count.And he had the audacity to say she wasn’t good enough for him?“Given my new status, I’ll be expected to marry an heiress from a family of similar standing. But since we were together for two months, I’m willing to be generous. You can stay with me until I’m officially engaged. Even after the wedding, I can keep you on the side…”Larissa’s temper flared. “You idiot! Fine, we’re done. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”She hung up.Across from her, the handsome man who had been waiting for her answer raised an eyebrow. “What’s this? The long-lost heiress of Regal City’s Judson family, and you’ve just been dumped?”Larissa looked up and gave him a brilliant smile. “What a coincidence. He said he’s the young master of some prominent family in Regal City, too. Said I was beneath him.” She paused, a skeptical look on her face. “Are you sure this whole ‘long-lost heir’ thing isn’t some new, elaborate scam?”The man was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. “Of course not. You truly are the real heiress of the Judson family.”“Oh,” Larissa said, lowering the woven basket from her back. She sat down on a stool and began sorting the herbs she’d just gathered. “So who are you? And why are you here instead of my birth parents?”The man glanced around the bare-walled, humble cottage before his eyes settled on the casually seated woman. “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will soon be your fiancé. My name is Haskell Palmer, the eldest son of the Palmer family.”Larissa nearly fell off her stool. She stared at him in disbelief. “What? Fiancé?”“That’s right. Though, as you can see, I’m currently disabled. Happened just last month.” Haskell, seated in a wheelchair, gestured toward his legs with a wry smile.“Right, I see that. What does it have to do with you being here?” Larissa’s eyes suddenly widened with understanding. “Don’t tell me. You’re here to inform me that I’m the Judson heiress, that my birth parents want to take me back, and that they intend to have me marry you.”Haskell nodded, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. “You’ve guessed correctly.”Larissa’s gaze sharpened.“Because of my legs,” Haskell continued, “I’m about to be dumped, just like you were.”Larissa understood immediately. “So, the original engagement was with the fake Judson heiress. But now that you’re disabled, she wants out?”Haskell nodded again. “Exactly.”Larissa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You don’t seem very broken up about it.”“You were just dumped by your boyfriend,” Haskell countered, “and you don’t seem heartbroken either.”“He was a jerk. I’m better off without him,” she said with a dismissive shrug.Haskell’s admiration for her grew. “You’re quite resilient.”Larissa snorted. “Of course. Wasting time and energy on someone who isn’t worth it is just foolish.”She’d only started dating Torrin Dillon because he’d pursued her relentlessly for two years after she’d saved his life. He had seemed so devoted, acting as if he’d marry no one else. He wasn’t a bad person, she’d thought, and having a man around could help with her herb garden and keep other suitors at bay. So, she’d finally agreed. Who knew that the moment he struck it rich, he’d reveal his true colors?“My thoughts exactly,” Haskell said with a smile. “She’s a shallow woman. I’m better off not marrying her.”He and Honora Judson had no feelings for each other; their engagement had been a simple business arrangement orchestrated by his Grandpa.Now that his legs were useless, Honora’s parents were naturally reluctant to marry their daughter to him. But the Palmers were the most powerful family in Regal City, and the Judsons couldn't bear to lose the alliance. Their solution was to have their biological daughter marry him in Honora’s place.Larissa cut straight to the point. “It’s just strange, isn’t it? The moment you’re disabled, my birth parents suddenly find me, ready to have me step in for their precious adopted daughter.” She gave a short, bitter laugh. “It seems they’ve known about me all along. I just wasn’t valuable enough for them to bother bringing me home.”Haskell didn’t try to sugarcoat it. “I believe so.”Larissa’s smile turned cold. If that was true, her birth parents had hearts of stone.Still, one thing puzzled her.“If you already know the Judsons’ intentions, why not just call off the engagement? Why walk right into their trap?”“I had you investigated,” Haskell admitted openly. “You’re a healer, famous in the villages around here. I heard you’ve cured numerous difficult illnesses with unconventional methods. For the past month, I’ve had the best doctors in the country examine my legs, and none of them could help. So, I decided to come here myself to see if marrying you would be a trap… or a blessing.”Larissa found the man refreshingly honest. She shrugged. “Well, now you’ve seen me. Just a wild country girl my own parents clearly don’t want. Are you sure you want to marry a cast-off pawn like me?”Haskell’s gaze was steady and focused.At first glance, she wasn’t dazzling. Her skin was sun-kissed, not pale and delicate like the sheltered socialites, which gave her an air of vibrant energy. But on closer inspection, her features were exquisite. Her eyes, in particular, were bright and clear, holding the resilience of a wildflower.His expression held no disrespect, only sincerity. “Yes. After meeting you, I’m certain I want to marry you. The question is whether you’re willing to give me that chance.”Larissa studied his handsome face. He was undeniably striking, with features so chiseled and a profile so sharp that he would stand out in any crowd. But what was most impressive was that despite the devastating injury, his eyes were clear, devoid of despair or bitterness.She glanced down at his legs. “What happened to them?”“Last month, someone shattered them with a club,” Haskell explained. “I’ve seen dozens of specialists. They all say my legs are completely ruined, that I’ll never walk again.”“Roll up your pant leg,” Larissa instructed.“Alright.” Haskell did as she asked, revealing knees and shins covered in scarred tissue.Larissa’s expression grew serious. She set down her herbs, rose, and walked over to him. Crouching down, she carefully pressed her fingers against his knee.A jolt of pain made Haskell’s brow furrow, but he didn’t make a sound.“I can fix this,” she stated simply.Hope ignited in Haskell’s eyes.Thinking of her parents’ heartless indifference, Larissa made a decision. She would return to the Judson family in Regal City, claim her rightful place, and meet these parents of hers face-to-face. She clapped her hands together and sat back down on her stool. “Fine. I’ll marry you.”Haskell raised an eyebrow. “Any conditions?”Larissa tilted her head, her smile dazzling. “What are you talking about? Do I need conditions to marry you? A handsome man like you? If I cure your legs, I’d say I’m the one getting the better end of the deal.”Haskell wasn’t expecting such a blunt compliment. His eyebrows rose higher, and he let out a soft chuckle. “Alright, then. It’s settled. I’ll be waiting for you at the Judson estate.”After giving Larissa his phone number, Haskell left the village with his assistant.Larissa watched them go, her expression hardening. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.“Nightveil, I need a full background check on everyone in the Judson family of Regal City. Focus on their daughter. I want the report by tonight.”“Yes, Boss.”Hanging up, Larissa’s gaze grew even more profound.Seaton, the man who had raised her, had told her the story many times. Twenty years ago, on a bitter winter day, he was on his way to retire in a small southern town when he heard a baby’s cry coming from a dumpster. When he stopped to check, he found a newborn girl, less than a month old, her tiny body red from the freezing cold. If her cries hadn’t been so strong, and if he hadn’t taken that deserted old road, she would have died silently that night.That baby was her.Seaton had named her Larissa, for a child separated from her family at a young age. He never gave up searching for her birth parents, not even on his deathbed. She, too, had imagined they must have had some heartbreaking reason for leaving her.But now, it seemed, that wasn’t the case at all.They hadn’t wanted her then, and they didn’t want her now. If not for the adopted daughter they had cherished for twenty years, she would have remained an orphan for the rest of her life.Just then, a voice called out from outside.“Larissa! Who was that in the fancy car?”It was her next-door neighbor, Zendar Schwartz, who explored the mountains for medicinal plants.Larissa put her phone away and stepped outside, smiling at the middle-aged man. “Zendar, you won’t believe it. That was my fiancé.”Zendar’s eyes widened. “Your fiancé? You’ve got good taste, Larissa! He’s a handsome one. Why didn’t you keep him for dinner?”“He had business back in the city, so he couldn’t stay.”“Next time he visits, make sure he stays for a meal. The food here is all homegrown. Let him taste something better than what they sell out there.”“Will do, Zendar.”As Zendar headed toward the mountains with his sickle and hoe, Larissa went back inside to continue sorting her herbs.…After leaving Spire Village, the assistant, Crispin, glanced at Haskell’s calm expression in the rearview mirror.“Sir, are you really going to marry that crude herb-gatherer? You saw her, she’s an orphan her own parents don’t care about, scraping by with her remedies. After what happened to you, you need allies who can strengthen your position in the Palmer family. Marrying her won’t help you at all.”Haskell drew his gaze from the fields of herbs outside the window. He gently stroked the petal of a purple flower he’d picked from near Larissa’s cottage.“Crispin, do you remember six months ago, when my Grandpa was gravely ill and needed a rare herb to save his life?”Crispin, though confused by the sudden change of topic, nodded. “I remember. It was sold at Regal City’s largest auction house. You spent a hundred million to acquire it.”“And did you happen to notice,” Haskell said pointedly, “that the very same priceless herb was hanging carelessly in the corner of her bare-walled cottage?”Just that one bundle was worth over a billion at auction in Regal City.“What?” Crispin was stunned. From the moment he’d stepped inside, his mind had been consumed by how dilapidated the place was. He hadn’t noticed such a detail at all.Now, he finally understood.“Sir, are you saying she’s more than she appears?”Haskell brought the purple flower to his nose, inhaling its scent. “I don’t know how simple her identity is, but I’m certain her medical skills are anything but.”Crispin got the message. If what his boss said was true, then there was real hope for his legs.But still—“If you only want her to heal your legs, you could just pay her a fortune. There’s no need to marry her,” Crispin couldn’t help but ask.Haskell blinked, twirling the flower between his fingers. He smiled faintly. “What if I told you it was love at first sight? Would you believe me?”Crispin froze, studying his boss’s face in the mirror. His expression was calm, not joking, but not entirely serious either. But his boss rarely joked, so Crispin couldn’t tell how much was true and how much was jest. He decided to take him at his word.“Yes, sir.”“Good. Because in my mind, she is already my fiancée. From now on, you will treat her with the utmost respect.”“Understood.”Haskell wasn’t joking. He had never believed in love that grows over time. If there was no spark at first sight, any feelings that developed later were merely a product of calculation, not the heart-pounding thrill of real love. His agreement to the arranged marriage with Honora had been purely a matter of strategic advantage.But the moment he saw Larissa, his world had tilted on its axis. Everything around her seemed to fade to gray, and she was the only splash of color. He couldn’t explain why it was her. Perhaps it was the moment their eyes met, when the brilliant universe in her gaze pulled him into its vortex like a black hole.Haskell picked up a book from the car seat, carefully placed the small purple flower between its pages, and closed it, shutting his eyes.…At eight o’clock that evening, Larissa was bringing the herbs she’d been drying on the roof back inside when her phone rang. She set down her winnowing basket, dusted off her hands, and answered.Nightveil’s cool voice came through the line.“Boss, I have the report. The Judson family has only one daughter, Honora, born to the second master, Paxton Judson, and his wife, Vivica Caldwell. She’s the same age as you and is doted on by the family. Two months ago, Paxton arranged a marriage for her with Haskell, the eldest son of the Palmer family, Regal City’s most powerful dynasty. Haskell was said to be the designated heir, but last month he was in an accident. His legs were broken, and all talk of him being the heir has since ceased.”Chapter 2“Larissa Judson, we’re through. It turns out I’m a young master of the prestigious Dillon family in Regal City. A village girl who sells remedies is no longer in my league.”Larissa had just received the call from her boyfriend, Torrin Turner—no, Torrin Dillon, she corrected herself. She had been about to tell him her own news, that she was the long-lost daughter of a powerful family, when he dropped that bomb on her.What did he mean, a village girl who sells remedies? Not in his league?Please. Her remedies were worth a fortune, sought after by countless wealthy families. They’d been featured at Regal City’s biggest auction houses more times than she could count.And he had the audacity to say she wasn’t good enough for him?“Given my new status, I’ll be expected to marry an heiress from a family of similar standing. But since we were together for two months, I’m willing to be generous. You can stay with me until I’m officially engaged. Even after the wedding, I can keep you on the side…”Larissa’s temper flared. “You idiot! Fine, we’re done. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”She hung up.Across from her, the handsome man who had been waiting for her answer raised an eyebrow. “What’s this? The long-lost heiress of Regal City’s Judson family, and you’ve just been dumped?”Larissa looked up and gave him a brilliant smile. “What a coincidence. He said he’s the young master of some prominent family in Regal City, too. Said I was beneath him.” She paused, a skeptical look on her face. “Are you sure this whole ‘long-lost heir’ thing isn’t some new, elaborate scam?”The man was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. “Of course not. You truly are the real heiress of the Judson family.”“Oh,” Larissa said, lowering the woven basket from her back. She sat down on a stool and began sorting the herbs she’d just gathered. “So who are you? And why are you here instead of my birth parents?”The man glanced around the bare-walled, humble cottage before his eyes settled on the casually seated woman. “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will soon be your fiancé. My name is Haskell Palmer, the eldest son of the Palmer family.”Larissa nearly fell off her stool. She stared at him in disbelief. “What? Fiancé?”“That’s right. Though, as you can see, I’m currently disabled. Happened just last month.” Haskell, seated in a wheelchair, gestured toward his legs with a wry smile.“Right, I see that. What does it have to do with you being here?” Larissa’s eyes suddenly widened with understanding. “Don’t tell me. You’re here to inform me that I’m the Judson heiress, that my birth parents want to take me back, and that they intend to have me marry you.”Haskell nodded, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. “You’ve guessed correctly.”Larissa’s gaze sharpened.“Because of my legs,” Haskell continued, “I’m about to be dumped, just like you were.”Larissa understood immediately. “So, the original engagement was with the fake Judson heiress. But now that you’re disabled, she wants out?”Haskell nodded again. “Exactly.”Larissa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You don’t seem very broken up about it.”“You were just dumped by your boyfriend,” Haskell countered, “and you don’t seem heartbroken either.”“He was a jerk. I’m better off without him,” she said with a dismissive shrug.Haskell’s admiration for her grew. “You’re quite resilient.”Larissa snorted. “Of course. Wasting time and energy on someone who isn’t worth it is just foolish.”She’d only started dating Torrin Dillon because he’d pursued her relentlessly for two years after she’d saved his life. He had seemed so devoted, acting as if he’d marry no one else. He wasn’t a bad person, she’d thought, and having a man around could help with her herb garden and keep other suitors at bay. So, she’d finally agreed. Who knew that the moment he struck it rich, he’d reveal his true colors?“My thoughts exactly,” Haskell said with a smile. “She’s a shallow woman. I’m better off not marrying her.”He and Honora Judson had no feelings for each other; their engagement had been a simple business arrangement orchestrated by his Grandpa.Now that his legs were useless, Honora’s parents were naturally reluctant to marry their daughter to him. But the Palmers were the most powerful family in Regal City, and the Judsons couldn't bear to lose the alliance. Their solution was to have their biological daughter marry him in Honora’s place.Larissa cut straight to the point. “It’s just strange, isn’t it? The moment you’re disabled, my birth parents suddenly find me, ready to have me step in for their precious adopted daughter.” She gave a short, bitter laugh. “It seems they’ve known about me all along. I just wasn’t valuable enough for them to bother bringing me home.”Haskell didn’t try to sugarcoat it. “I believe so.”Larissa’s smile turned cold. If that was true, her birth parents had hearts of stone.Still, one thing puzzled her.“If you already know the Judsons’ intentions, why not just call off the engagement? Why walk right into their trap?”“I had you investigated,” Haskell admitted openly. “You’re a healer, famous in the villages around here. I heard you’ve cured numerous difficult illnesses with unconventional methods. For the past month, I’ve had the best doctors in the country examine my legs, and none of them could help. So, I decided to come here myself to see if marrying you would be a trap… or a blessing.”Larissa found the man refreshingly honest. She shrugged. “Well, now you’ve seen me. Just a wild country girl my own parents clearly don’t want. Are you sure you want to marry a cast-off pawn like me?”Haskell’s gaze was steady and focused.At first glance, she wasn’t dazzling. Her skin was sun-kissed, not pale and delicate like the sheltered socialites, which gave her an air of vibrant energy. But on closer inspection, her features were exquisite. Her eyes, in particular, were bright and clear, holding the resilience of a wildflower.His expression held no disrespect, only sincerity. “Yes. After meeting you, I’m certain I want to marry you. The question is whether you’re willing to give me that chance.”Larissa studied his handsome face. He was undeniably striking, with features so chiseled and a profile so sharp that he would stand out in any crowd. But what was most impressive was that despite the devastating injury, his eyes were clear, devoid of despair or bitterness.She glanced down at his legs. “What happened to them?”“Last month, someone shattered them with a club,” Haskell explained. “I’ve seen dozens of specialists. They all say my legs are completely ruined, that I’ll never walk again.”“Roll up your pant leg,” Larissa instructed.“Alright.” Haskell did as she asked, revealing knees and shins covered in scarred tissue.Larissa’s expression grew serious. She set down her herbs, rose, and walked over to him. Crouching down, she carefully pressed her fingers against his knee.A jolt of pain made Haskell’s brow furrow, but he didn’t make a sound.“I can fix this,” she stated simply.Hope ignited in Haskell’s eyes.Thinking of her parents’ heartless indifference, Larissa made a decision. She would return to the Judson family in Regal City, claim her rightful place, and meet these parents of hers face-to-face. She clapped her hands together and sat back down on her stool. “Fine. I’ll marry you.”Haskell raised an eyebrow. “Any conditions?”Larissa tilted her head, her smile dazzling. “What are you talking about? Do I need conditions to marry you? A handsome man like you? If I cure your legs, I’d say I’m the one getting the better end of the deal.”Haskell wasn’t expecting such a blunt compliment. His eyebrows rose higher, and he let out a soft chuckle. “Alright, then. It’s settled. I’ll be waiting for you at the Judson estate.”After giving Larissa his phone number, Haskell left the village with his assistant.Larissa watched them go, her expression hardening. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.“Nightveil, I need a full background check on everyone in the Judson family of Regal City. Focus on their daughter. I want the report by tonight.”“Yes, Boss.”Hanging up, Larissa’s gaze grew even more profound.Seaton, the man who had raised her, had told her the story many times. Twenty years ago, on a bitter winter day, he was on his way to retire in a small southern town when he heard a baby’s cry coming from a dumpster. When he stopped to check, he found a newborn girl, less than a month old, her tiny body red from the freezing cold. If her cries hadn’t been so strong, and if he hadn’t taken that deserted old road, she would have died silently that night.That baby was her.Seaton had named her Larissa, for a child separated from her family at a young age. He never gave up searching for her birth parents, not even on his deathbed. She, too, had imagined they must have had some heartbreaking reason for leaving her.But now, it seemed, that wasn’t the case at all.They hadn’t wanted her then, and they didn’t want her now. If not for the adopted daughter they had cherished for twenty years, she would have remained an orphan for the rest of her life.Just then, a voice called out from outside.“Larissa! Who was that in the fancy car?”It was her next-door neighbor, Zendar Schwartz, who explored the mountains for medicinal plants.Larissa put her phone away and stepped outside, smiling at the middle-aged man. “Zendar, you won’t believe it. That was my fiancé.”Zendar’s eyes widened. “Your fiancé? You’ve got good taste, Larissa! He’s a handsome one. Why didn’t you keep him for dinner?”“He had business back in the city, so he couldn’t stay.”“Next time he visits, make sure he stays for a meal. The food here is all homegrown. Let him taste something better than what they sell out there.”“Will do, Zendar.”As Zendar headed toward the mountains with his sickle and hoe, Larissa went back inside to continue sorting her herbs.…After leaving Spire Village, the assistant, Crispin, glanced at Haskell’s calm expression in the rearview mirror.“Sir, are you really going to marry that crude herb-gatherer? You saw her, she’s an orphan her own parents don’t care about, scraping by with her remedies. After what happened to you, you need allies who can strengthen your position in the Palmer family. Marrying her won’t help you at all.”Haskell drew his gaze from the fields of herbs outside the window. He gently stroked the petal of a purple flower he’d picked from near Larissa’s cottage.“Crispin, do you remember six months ago, when my Grandpa was gravely ill and needed a rare herb to save his life?”Crispin, though confused by the sudden change of topic, nodded. “I remember. It was sold at Regal City’s largest auction house. You spent a hundred million to acquire it.”“And did you happen to notice,” Haskell said pointedly, “that the very same priceless herb was hanging carelessly in the corner of her bare-walled cottage?”Just that one bundle was worth over a billion at auction in Regal City.“What?” Crispin was stunned. From the moment he’d stepped inside, his mind had been consumed by how dilapidated the place was. He hadn’t noticed such a detail at all.Now, he finally understood.“Sir, are you saying she’s more than she appears?”Haskell brought the purple flower to his nose, inhaling its scent. “I don’t know how simple her identity is, but I’m certain her medical skills are anything but.”Crispin got the message. If what his boss said was true, then there was real hope for his legs.But still—“If you only want her to heal your legs, you could just pay her a fortune. There’s no need to marry her,” Crispin couldn’t help but ask.Haskell blinked, twirling the flower between his fingers. He smiled faintly. “What if I told you it was love at first sight? Would you believe me?”Crispin froze, studying his boss’s face in the mirror. His expression was calm, not joking, but not entirely serious either. But his boss rarely joked, so Crispin couldn’t tell how much was true and how much was jest. He decided to take him at his word.“Yes, sir.”“Good. Because in my mind, she is already my fiancée. From now on, you will treat her with the utmost respect.”“Understood.”Haskell wasn’t joking. He had never believed in love that grows over time. If there was no spark at first sight, any feelings that developed later were merely a product of calculation, not the heart-pounding thrill of real love. His agreement to the arranged marriage with Honora had been purely a matter of strategic advantage.But the moment he saw Larissa, his world had tilted on its axis. Everything around her seemed to fade to gray, and she was the only splash of color. He couldn’t explain why it was her. Perhaps it was the moment their eyes met, when the brilliant universe in her gaze pulled him into its vortex like a black hole.Haskell picked up a book from the car seat, carefully placed the small purple flower between its pages, and closed it, shutting his eyes.…At eight o’clock that evening, Larissa was bringing the herbs she’d been drying on the roof back inside when her phone rang. She set down her winnowing basket, dusted off her hands, and answered.Nightveil’s cool voice came through the line.“Boss, I have the report. The Judson family has only one daughter, Honora, born to the second master, Paxton Judson, and his wife, Vivica Caldwell. She’s the same age as you and is doted on by the family. Two months ago, Paxton arranged a marriage for her with Haskell, the eldest son of the Palmer family, Regal City’s most powerful dynasty. Haskell was said to be the designated heir, but last month he was in an accident. His legs were broken, and all talk of him being the heir has since ceased.”Chapter 3“Larissa Judson, we’re through. It turns out I’m a young master of the prestigious Dillon family in Regal City. A village girl who sells remedies is no longer in my league.”Larissa had just received the call from her boyfriend, Torrin Turner—no, Torrin Dillon, she corrected herself. She had been about to tell him her own news, that she was the long-lost daughter of a powerful family, when he dropped that bomb on her.What did he mean, a village girl who sells remedies? Not in his league?Please. Her remedies were worth a fortune, sought after by countless wealthy families. They’d been featured at Regal City’s biggest auction houses more times than she could count.And he had the audacity to say she wasn’t good enough for him?“Given my new status, I’ll be expected to marry an heiress from a family of similar standing. But since we were together for two months, I’m willing to be generous. You can stay with me until I’m officially engaged. Even after the wedding, I can keep you on the side…”Larissa’s temper flared. “You idiot! Fine, we’re done. Don’t let the door hit you on the way out!”She hung up.Across from her, the handsome man who had been waiting for her answer raised an eyebrow. “What’s this? The long-lost heiress of Regal City’s Judson family, and you’ve just been dumped?”Larissa looked up and gave him a brilliant smile. “What a coincidence. He said he’s the young master of some prominent family in Regal City, too. Said I was beneath him.” She paused, a skeptical look on her face. “Are you sure this whole ‘long-lost heir’ thing isn’t some new, elaborate scam?”The man was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. “Of course not. You truly are the real heiress of the Judson family.”“Oh,” Larissa said, lowering the woven basket from her back. She sat down on a stool and began sorting the herbs she’d just gathered. “So who are you? And why are you here instead of my birth parents?”The man glanced around the bare-walled, humble cottage before his eyes settled on the casually seated woman. “Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I will soon be your fiancé. My name is Haskell Palmer, the eldest son of the Palmer family.”Larissa nearly fell off her stool. She stared at him in disbelief. “What? Fiancé?”“That’s right. Though, as you can see, I’m currently disabled. Happened just last month.” Haskell, seated in a wheelchair, gestured toward his legs with a wry smile.“Right, I see that. What does it have to do with you being here?” Larissa’s eyes suddenly widened with understanding. “Don’t tell me. You’re here to inform me that I’m the Judson heiress, that my birth parents want to take me back, and that they intend to have me marry you.”Haskell nodded, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. “You’ve guessed correctly.”Larissa’s gaze sharpened.“Because of my legs,” Haskell continued, “I’m about to be dumped, just like you were.”Larissa understood immediately. “So, the original engagement was with the fake Judson heiress. But now that you’re disabled, she wants out?”Haskell nodded again. “Exactly.”Larissa didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “You don’t seem very broken up about it.”“You were just dumped by your boyfriend,” Haskell countered, “and you don’t seem heartbroken either.”“He was a jerk. I’m better off without him,” she said with a dismissive shrug.Haskell’s admiration for her grew. “You’re quite resilient.”Larissa snorted. “Of course. Wasting time and energy on someone who isn’t worth it is just foolish.”She’d only started dating Torrin Dillon because he’d pursued her relentlessly for two years after she’d saved his life. He had seemed so devoted, acting as if he’d marry no one else. He wasn’t a bad person, she’d thought, and having a man around could help with her herb garden and keep other suitors at bay. So, she’d finally agreed. Who knew that the moment he struck it rich, he’d reveal his true colors?“My thoughts exactly,” Haskell said with a smile. “She’s a shallow woman. I’m better off not marrying her.”He and Honora Judson had no feelings for each other; their engagement had been a simple business arrangement orchestrated by his Grandpa.Now that his legs were useless, Honora’s parents were naturally reluctant to marry their daughter to him. But the Palmers were the most powerful family in Regal City, and the Judsons couldn't bear to lose the alliance. Their solution was to have their biological daughter marry him in Honora’s place.Larissa cut straight to the point. “It’s just strange, isn’t it? The moment you’re disabled, my birth parents suddenly find me, ready to have me step in for their precious adopted daughter.” She gave a short, bitter laugh. “It seems they’ve known about me all along. I just wasn’t valuable enough for them to bother bringing me home.”Haskell didn’t try to sugarcoat it. “I believe so.”Larissa’s smile turned cold. If that was true, her birth parents had hearts of stone.Still, one thing puzzled her.“If you already know the Judsons’ intentions, why not just call off the engagement? Why walk right into their trap?”“I had you investigated,” Haskell admitted openly. “You’re a healer, famous in the villages around here. I heard you’ve cured numerous difficult illnesses with unconventional methods. For the past month, I’ve had the best doctors in the country examine my legs, and none of them could help. So, I decided to come here myself to see if marrying you would be a trap… or a blessing.”Larissa found the man refreshingly honest. She shrugged. “Well, now you’ve seen me. Just a wild country girl my own parents clearly don’t want. Are you sure you want to marry a cast-off pawn like me?”Haskell’s gaze was steady and focused.At first glance, she wasn’t dazzling. Her skin was sun-kissed, not pale and delicate like the sheltered socialites, which gave her an air of vibrant energy. But on closer inspection, her features were exquisite. Her eyes, in particular, were bright and clear, holding the resilience of a wildflower.His expression held no disrespect, only sincerity. “Yes. After meeting you, I’m certain I want to marry you. The question is whether you’re willing to give me that chance.”Larissa studied his handsome face. He was undeniably striking, with features so chiseled and a profile so sharp that he would stand out in any crowd. But what was most impressive was that despite the devastating injury, his eyes were clear, devoid of despair or bitterness.She glanced down at his legs. “What happened to them?”“Last month, someone shattered them with a club,” Haskell explained. “I’ve seen dozens of specialists. They all say my legs are completely ruined, that I’ll never walk again.”“Roll up your pant leg,” Larissa instructed.“Alright.” Haskell did as she asked, revealing knees and shins covered in scarred tissue.Larissa’s expression grew serious. She set down her herbs, rose, and walked over to him. Crouching down, she carefully pressed her fingers against his knee.A jolt of pain made Haskell’s brow furrow, but he didn’t make a sound.“I can fix this,” she stated simply.Hope ignited in Haskell’s eyes.Thinking of her parents’ heartless indifference, Larissa made a decision. She would return to the Judson family in Regal City, claim her rightful place, and meet these parents of hers face-to-face. She clapped her hands together and sat back down on her stool. “Fine. I’ll marry you.”Haskell raised an eyebrow. “Any conditions?”Larissa tilted her head, her smile dazzling. “What are you talking about? Do I need conditions to marry you? A handsome man like you? If I cure your legs, I’d say I’m the one getting the better end of the deal.”Haskell wasn’t expecting such a blunt compliment. His eyebrows rose higher, and he let out a soft chuckle. “Alright, then. It’s settled. I’ll be waiting for you at the Judson estate.”After giving Larissa his phone number, Haskell left the village with his assistant.Larissa watched them go, her expression hardening. She pulled out her phone and dialed a number.“Nightveil, I need a full background check on everyone in the Judson family of Regal City. Focus on their daughter. I want the report by tonight.”“Yes, Boss.”Hanging up, Larissa’s gaze grew even more profound.Seaton, the man who had raised her, had told her the story many times. Twenty years ago, on a bitter winter day, he was on his way to retire in a small southern town when he heard a baby’s cry coming from a dumpster. When he stopped to check, he found a newborn girl, less than a month old, her tiny body red from the freezing cold. If her cries hadn’t been so strong, and if he hadn’t taken that deserted old road, she would have died silently that night.That baby was her.Seaton had named her Larissa, for a child separated from her family at a young age. He never gave up searching for her birth parents, not even on his deathbed. She, too, had imagined they must have had some heartbreaking reason for leaving her.But now, it seemed, that wasn’t the case at all.They hadn’t wanted her then, and they didn’t want her now. If not for the adopted daughter they had cherished for twenty years, she would have remained an orphan for the rest of her life.Just then, a voice called out from outside.“Larissa! Who was that in the fancy car?”It was her next-door neighbor, Zendar Schwartz, who explored the mountains for medicinal plants.Larissa put her phone away and stepped outside, smiling at the middle-aged man. “Zendar, you won’t believe it. That was my fiancé.”Zendar’s eyes widened. “Your fiancé? You’ve got good taste, Larissa! He’s a handsome one. Why didn’t you keep him for dinner?”“He had business back in the city, so he couldn’t stay.”“Next time he visits, make sure he stays for a meal. The food here is all homegrown. Let him taste something better than what they sell out there.”“Will do, Zendar.”As Zendar headed toward the mountains with his sickle and hoe, Larissa went back inside to continue sorting her herbs.…After leaving Spire Village, the assistant, Crispin, glanced at Haskell’s calm expression in the rearview mirror.“Sir, are you really going to marry that crude herb-gatherer? You saw her, she’s an orphan her own parents don’t care about, scraping by with her remedies. After what happened to you, you need allies who can strengthen your position in the Palmer family. Marrying her won’t help you at all.”Haskell drew his gaze from the fields of herbs outside the window. He gently stroked the petal of a purple flower he’d picked from near Larissa’s cottage.“Crispin, do you remember six months ago, when my Grandpa was gravely ill and needed a rare herb to save his life?”Crispin, though confused by the sudden change of topic, nodded. “I remember. It was sold at Regal City’s largest auction house. You spent a hundred million to acquire it.”“And did you happen to notice,” Haskell said pointedly, “that the very same priceless herb was hanging carelessly in the corner of her bare-walled cottage?”Just that one bundle was worth over a billion at auction in Regal City.“What?” Crispin was stunned. From the moment he’d stepped inside, his mind had been consumed by how dilapidated the place was. He hadn’t noticed such a detail at all.Now, he finally understood.“Sir, are you saying she’s more than she appears?”Haskell brought the purple flower to his nose, inhaling its scent. “I don’t know how simple her identity is, but I’m certain her medical skills are anything but.”Crispin got the message. If what his boss said was true, then there was real hope for his legs.But still—“If you only want her to heal your legs, you could just pay her a fortune. There’s no need to marry her,” Crispin couldn’t help but ask.Haskell blinked, twirling the flower between his fingers. He smiled faintly. “What if I told you it was love at first sight? Would you believe me?”Crispin froze, studying his boss’s face in the mirror. His expression was calm, not joking, but not entirely serious either. But his boss rarely joked, so Crispin couldn’t tell how much was true and how much was jest. He decided to take him at his word.“Yes, sir.”“Good. Because in my mind, she is already my fiancée. From now on, you will treat her with the utmost respect.”“Understood.”Haskell wasn’t joking. He had never believed in love that grows over time. If there was no spark at first sight, any feelings that developed later were merely a product of calculation, not the heart-pounding thrill of real love. His agreement to the arranged marriage with Honora had been purely a matter of strategic advantage.But the moment he saw Larissa, his world had tilted on its axis. Everything around her seemed to fade to gray, and she was the only splash of color. He couldn’t explain why it was her. Perhaps it was the moment their eyes met, when the brilliant universe in her gaze pulled him into its vortex like a black hole.Haskell picked up a book from the car seat, carefully placed the small purple flower between its pages, and closed it, shutting his eyes.…At eight o’clock that evening, Larissa was bringing the herbs she’d been drying on the roof back inside when her phone rang. She set down her winnowing basket, dusted off her hands, and answered.Nightveil’s cool voice came through the line.“Boss, I have the report. The Judson family has only one daughter, Honora, born to the second master, Paxton Judson, and his wife, Vivica Caldwell. She’s the same age as you and is doted on by the family. Two months ago, Paxton arranged a marriage for her with Haskell, the eldest son of the Palmer family, Regal City’s most powerful dynasty. Haskell was said to be the designated heir, but last month he was in an accident. His legs were broken, and all talk of him being the heir has since ceased.”