Lady Desdemona Ophelia von Ainsworth.

Her life was filled with misery.

She is the daughter of Duke Oswald Darius von Ainsworth and Duchess Charlotte Annalise von Ainsworth. She was chosen to be the Crown Princess as she would become the future Empress of the Belvedere Empire. Once she turns into an adult, she would be wedded to her fiancée, William Edmund de Belvedere, known as the Crown Prince.

She had everything. Lineage, authority, wealth, and power. It was as if her destiny was already set in stone before she was even born.

There was no one who could rival her unparalleled beauty and intelligence. She was the pride and joy of the House Ainsworth.

Everyone treated her with utmost respect and kindness. She was loved by her family and her fiancée.

Everything was perfect.

At least, it was supposed to be.

Until her twelfth birthday, she was suddenly struck by an unknown disease. The House was stirred in panic as the Duke immediately summoned a lot of people working in the medical field that could possibly cure his daughter. But all of them had concluded that her ailment was beyond their abilities.

As much as it was against his will, he decided to get help from the Holy Church. Upon the Cardinal Bishop's findings, he concluded that this was no ordinary illness which could be cured through normal means.

"It's a deadly curse that would devour her body, a retribution for her ancestors' wicked deeds. She will suffer for eternity."

It was at this moment that everything started to fall apart.

"If nothing is done, the throne will be stolen by the other noble families! Just when we have finally secured our prosperity in the future!"

Duke Oswald desired to live a more successful and prestigious life as he forced his wife to give birth to another child. He wanted his daughter to marry the Crown Prince in order to rise higher in power and become an official member of the Imperial Family.

The thought of someone else claiming the seat that he yearned for so many years which would only be taken by his competitors is simply frightening and humiliating. It would tarnish his pride.

"I cannot give birth to a second child! Do you even know how much I suffered when I was bearing her?!"

"Your pain cannot be compared in losing the right to claim the throne!"

The feeble lady could only shed in tears as witnessing her mother and father argue pains her even more than her disease.

She sought for refuge to her fiancée who was only a year older than her. She thought that he would be able to understand her agony, however...

"S-Stay away from me, you monster!"

Fear was evident in his eyes as he assumed that his fiancée was possessed by something evil. She tried to clear his misunderstandings which only made the situation worse. He ended up running away from her.

The commoners were also afraid of her. They harshly ostracized her as there was no one who would take her side. It made her miserable.

"Get out of my daughter's body! Why must we suffer from the treason that our ancestors committed?!"

Even her own mother was cowering in fear as she could no longer recognize her own daughter. The poor little lady was deeply wounded as she thought that her mother would at least understand.

"I shouldn't have given birth to you!"

Those were the Duchess's final words before the young lady was sent to an abandoned tower that was a few miles away from the manor. It was located in the middle of the forest, surrounded with trees as there was no one who would dare to venture inside.

"Father, please listen to me! It is I, your daughter, do you not recognize me?!"

The piercing cold eyes of the Duke made her shudder. She could no longer perceive the warmth of her benevolent father.

"You are not my daughter. Desdemona died on the night of her birthday."

Who was this person in front of her? Was this really her father?

"Even if you were her, I've never loved you. Not even once. I only cared for you because you are the Crown Princess."

She realized that everything she came to know was nothing but a lie. Her father was the last person that she saw before she was imprisoned within the tower, shrouded in mystery.