Chapter 01
The End of Unrequited Love
Awakened by hunger and thirst, Ebony opened her eyes unwillingly.
“Has it been fifteen days now?”
She let out a bitter laugh while counting the days that had passed. Her world had long since come to a halt, yet time, merciless as ever, continued to flow without pause.
The dark room where she was confined was barren, devoid even of cheap furniture. Not a soul—not even an ant—inhabited the lonely space. All Ebony Dominique could do was think about her miserable situation.
This solitude forced her to reflect on the misfortune that had tainted her life.
Her childhood, though privileged, had been anything but happy. She had always been the outcast of the Dominique family, labeled “the ugly duckling.
” Her very birth had brought tragedy, as it coincided with the death of the duchess, her mother. From that moment, Ebony was treated as the source of the family’s misery, bearing the brunt of their pain and anger.
“They hated me for being the cause of my mother’s death, but now they punish me for not being their real daughter…”
Her descent into becoming an accused criminal started with suspicions about her parentage.
“Father, I summoned a spirit!”
Eight years ago, Irene, the adopted daughter of the Dominique family, had been introduced as Ebony’s elder sister. Recently, Irene revealed her ability to summon a spirit—a power that was supposed to belong exclusively to the biological daughter of the late duchess, Violet, the world’s only spirit summoner.
Logically, Ebony should have inherited this ability, but it manifested in Irene instead.
“I don’t know why it’s me and not Ebony, but surely my little sister can summon a spirit, too. After all, she’s the duchess’s true daughter.”
The revelation stirred confusion and rumors.
“If Irene can summon a spirit and Ebony can’t, doesn’t that mean Irene is the real daughter?”
“Could the babies have been switched at birth? They were born on the same day in the same place, after all.”
This wild theory gained traction, leaving Ebony desperate to prove her innocence.
“I’ve summoned a spirit before! It must be a mistake… I can do it… Wade and I have been together for a whole year!”
But no matter how hard she tried, the spirit didn’t appear, and her claims were dismissed as lies.
Her father, Duke Edward Dominique, remained silent, while her older brother, Herman, outright called her a fraud.
“Ebony Dominique, you are hereby stripped of your family name.”
Of course, the family chose Irene over Ebony, as they always had.
“But I hoped—just once—they’d listen to me. After all, we’ve been family for over twenty years…”
Even though her father had never shown her kindness.
Even though her brother had never allowed her to call him “brother.”
She realized they truly didn’t love her. Her years of one-sided love and yearning were met with nothing but rejection.
As she sat lost in her painful memories, faint footsteps broke the silence.
“What a pitiful sight you are.”
Standing before her was Irene.
“Sister…”
Irene Dominique—the one person Ebony had trusted and loved the most.
If she could explain the situation, Irene would surely understand and clear her name. Irene had always been kind and gentle.
“I’ll explain everything to her, and she’ll help me,” Ebony thought desperately.
Hearing her plea, Irene nodded kindly and handed her a cup of water. After sending the guards away, Irene crouched before Ebony.
But just as the water reached Ebony’s hands, Irene deliberately dropped the cup, spilling it onto the dirty ground.
“A criminal like you doesn’t deserve clean water. Go ahead, lick it up—it suits you better.”
The gentleness in Irene’s voice didn’t match the cruelty in her eyes. Ebony was too stunned to even feel anger.
“Why… Why are you doing this, Sister?”
The woman she had adored, who had once wanted to be a true sister, now looked at her with nothing but contempt.
“Why? Because I’ve been waiting for this moment.”
Irene revealed that from the very beginning, she had planned to take Ebony’s place.
“I stole everything from you—your family, your fiancé, your reputation. Now, all that’s left is your name and your place in the family.”
Irene confessed with a smile.
Ebony couldn’t believe it. Everything she had lost, every ounce of suffering, had been part of Irene’s scheme.
“Father has already decided on your execution. He won’t let the duchess’s legacy be tarnished by your disgrace.”
Irene tossed a dagger onto the ground before leaving.
“Spare yourself the humiliation of a public execution. Consider this my final gift to you.”
Left alone in the darkness, Ebony stared at the dagger.
Her father would sacrifice her to protect the family’s honor. Her efforts to earn their love had all been in vain.
Tears streaming down her face, Ebony picked up the dagger.
“If there’s another life after this one… I’ll make them feel the despair I feel now.”
Without hesitation, she drove the blade into her heart, bringing her tragic, one-sided love to a bitter end.
