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00:00I step out of my private chapel, for the first time, at the harvest feast.
00:05Lord Cedric brings my daughter's child before me.
00:09The gathered nobles all praise her bright mind and royal bearing.
00:12Just as I reach out to take her hand, a young, timid voice echoes in my mind from the back
00:18of the hall.
00:18Well, that is what Mother's mother looks like.
00:20She has the same warm smile, the same crinkling eyes.
00:24She looks so kind, but Father said she is Bonnie's grandmother.
00:27I must not get too close.
00:29My hand freezes in midair.
00:31Keeping my face perfectly still, I scan the hall.
00:34Finally, I spot a little girl at the very last table.
00:37She wears drab, worn clothes, shrinking alone in the shadow of a pillar.
00:42Noticing my gaze, Lord Cedric quickly forces a smile.
00:45That is merely a servant raised at Aurelia house to keep Lady Bonnie company.
00:49She is lowborn and lacks manners.
00:51Forgive the sight of her, Your Majesty.
00:53I ignore him, because the moment the girl looks up, I see Aurelia's face.
00:57The same eyes, the same dimple.
01:00Even the tiny red mole behind her left ear is in the exact same spot.
01:04The goblet tribbles in my hand.
01:07I have survived forty years in this palace.
01:09I have crushed ambitious rivals and outlived scheming lords.
01:12I have seen every dirty trick in the book.
01:15But I never imagined anyone would dare use my years in the chapel to pass off a bastard as the
01:20Princess Royal's heir, while reducing my true royal blood to a lowly servant.
01:25I slowly set the goblet down.
01:28Seal the gates.
01:29No one leaves the harvest feast today.
01:31The heavy palace gates slam shut.
01:33The music in the hall abruptly stops.
01:35The gathered nobles exchange nervous glasses.
01:37King Adrian follows my gaze toward the back of the hall.
01:40When he finally sees the little face, his expression drastically changes.
01:44She...
01:45Queen Isolette clearly recognizes her too.
01:47Before the king can finish, she cuts in with a quick, elegant laugh.
01:52From a distance, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.
01:56The child does share a slight resemblance to Princess Aurelia.
02:00She pauses.
02:01But it is merely a passing likeness.
02:03Princess Aurelia was raised with the utmost grace and dignity.
02:07This girl cowers like a frightened mouse.
02:10She lacks the royal presence entirely.
02:12Queen Isolette pulls Lady Bonnie close to her side.
02:15Now, look at Bonnie.
02:17Her manners, her temperament.
02:18She is the spitting image of Aurelia in her youth.
02:21True royal blood cannot be faked.
02:23That noble heir simply cannot be taught.
02:25She is kin to Lord Cedric's family.
02:27Of course, she is the first to panic.
02:29Sensing the danger, Lord Cedric quickly chimes in.
02:32Her Majesty is entirely correct.
02:34This servant girl does favor Aurelia slightly.
02:36That is precisely why Bonnie felt a bond with her and kept her as a companion.
02:40He sounds incredibly sincere.
02:42If I hadn't heard the child's inner thoughts, I might have actually believed him.
02:45Is that so?
02:46Cold sweat breaks out on Lord Cedric's forehead.
02:49He doesn't dare say another word.
02:50I do not press him further.
02:52Their desperate need to explain only proves there is a secret hiding in this child's past.
02:56But until I uncover the full truth, I cannot let them know I suspect a thing.
02:59I look at the child in the shadows.
03:02What is your name?
03:04Your Majesty, my name is Mara.
03:06Servant.
03:07Aurelia's daughter.
03:08Called Lowborn by her own father.
03:10Referring to herself as a servant before me.
03:12Murderous rage boils in my chest, but my voice remains flat.
03:15Look up.
03:16Mara hesitates, then slowly lifts her head.
03:19Lord Cedric instantly forces an apologetic smile.
03:21The girl is an orphan.
03:23Seeing her striking resemblance to Aurelia, I took pity on her and kept her by Bonnie's side.
03:27A falless excuse.
03:28Lord Cedric has a kind heart.
03:30You should find comfort in that, Mother.
03:32I don't expose them.
03:33Instead, I order a guard to bring a silver tray of honey cakes.
03:37Since she is Lady Bonnie's companion, give her a piece.
03:41Mara stares at the pastry.
03:42Her eyes light up slightly, but she is too afraid to reach for it.
03:47Can I really eat it?
03:48Bonnie says only Masters can eat palace food.
03:51The last time I took a tiny bite of a pastry she threw away, Father starved me for three days.
03:57My grip on the armrest violently tightens.
04:00Thank Her Majesty at once!
04:02Mara flinches.
04:03She quickly grabs the honey cake, but instead of eating it, she secretly slips it into her sleeve.
04:10Why aren't you eating?
04:12Her face flushes bright red.
04:15I am not hungry.
04:16I must hide it for tomorrow's breakfast.
04:18Bonnie makes me kneel and tells the kitchen to cut my meals.
04:22I nearly crush the rosely bids in my hand.
04:25Suddenly, Lady Bonnie laughs.
04:26Your Majesty, she loves hoarding things.
04:29Whenever nice things go missing at the estate, I bet she's the one stealing them.
04:33Mara turns pale and immediately drops to the floor.
04:35I didn't. I wouldn't dare.
04:37Bonnie points at her.
04:39Still lying?
04:40My gold christening locket disappeared a few days ago.
04:43I know you took it.
04:45The locket is visibly hanging right around Bonnie's own neck.
04:49Yet Lord Cedric acts blind to it, glaring coldly at Mara.
04:52Mara changes her tune with practiced ease.
04:55It was my fault.
04:56Please forgive me, my lady.
04:58Staring at her frail back, I suddenly understand.
05:01This is not the first time she has taken the blame for someone else.
05:04I intentionally ask, if she is a thief, why hasn't she been thrown out of the estate?
05:10Queen Izolid jumps in.
05:11Bonnie is kind-hearted.
05:13She kept the girl out of pity for their years together.
05:16Your Majesty, it is just petty squabbling between children.
05:19No need to dwell on it.
05:20Petty squabbling?
05:21I raise my goblet, hiding the ice in my eyes.
05:23Then tell me, what other wrongs has she committed?
05:26Bonnie smugly counts on her fingers.
05:28She steals, she breaks vases, and she pushed a maid into the pond.
05:33Father gave her twenty lapses for that.
05:35Mara's tiny body immediately stiffens.
05:37A second later, I hear her terrified thoughts.
05:40Bonnie was the one who pushed the maid.
05:42But Father said if I didn't confess, I would be the next one thrown into the water.
05:47Those twenty lapses hurt so badly.
05:49I passed out for two days, and Father wouldn't even let a doctor see me.
05:53I set down my goblet.
05:55The sharp clink echoes through the silent hall.
05:58Twenty lapses!
06:01Lord Cedric pales suntly.
06:03Your Majesty must understand, that maid nearly drowned.
06:05I maintain strict discipline in my household.
06:07The punishment was necessary.
06:09A five-year-old child survived twenty lapses.
06:12She must have quite the strong will to live.
06:14I look at him, my voice perfectly calm.
06:17Cold sweat beads on Lord Cedric's forehead.
06:19But Queen Isolette steps in with a smooth smile.
06:22Your Majesty is merciful and hates to see a child suffer.
06:24But a grand estate requires strict rules.
06:27If we coddle with the young, it will only lead to disaster later.
06:31Strict rules, indeed.
06:33When did Princess Aurelian's royal estate become his personal playground?
06:36At this moment, a woman sitting beside Lord Cedric rises to her feet.
06:40The fault is entirely mine.
06:42I managed the estate in the late Princess's stead.
06:45I failed to discipline Mara properly.
06:47Punish me, Your Majesty.
06:48She is Lady Rosalyn, Lord Cedric's distant cousin.
06:51Widowed and with nowhere to go, she was taken into Aurelia House to manage Lady Bonnie's affairs.
06:57As she speaks, Lady Bonnie instinctively leans into her embrace.
07:00Rosalyn's hand naturally wraps around the child, protecting her.
07:04Mara's inner voice rings in my mind again.
07:06Bonnie always calls her mother when no one is around.
07:09But Lady Rosalyn won't let me say it.
07:11The last time I accidentally heard them,
07:13they locked me in the dark store ruse for two days.
07:16I look back at Lord Cedric.
07:18After 40 years of palace intrigue, I would be a fool not to see through this secret affair.
07:23I do not expose them.
07:24Instead, I order my maids to bring new court gowns for both children to change into.
07:28Bonnie happily picks out a crimson silk gown, but Mara dares not move.
07:33When the maid helps her take off her worn coat,
07:35her arms are exposed, covered in dents, overlapping bruises.
07:38Pinch marks, burn scars, and a vicious welt from a riding cot stretching across her skin.
07:43A dead silence falls over the hall.
07:45I finally speak.
07:47Are these scars part of your strict rules as well?
07:51Lady Rosalyn rushes forward, trying to pull Mara's sleeves down.
07:54The child is clumsy, your majesty.
07:56She bumpers into things constantly.
07:59Did I give you permission to touch her?
08:03Rosalyn's hands freeze in midair.
08:05She drops heavily to her knees.
08:07Lord Cedric lowers his voice.
08:09Mara, explain yourself to her majesty right now.
08:12Seeing his threatening glare, Mara immediately hides her arms behind her back.
08:16I fell.
08:16It was my own fault.
08:18I can't tell her.
08:19If I do, when we go back tonight, Father will make Lady Rosalyn stab me with red-hot needles.
08:25She is only five years old, yet she already knows how to endure pain, how to lie, and how to
08:30survive.
08:31Suddenly, I feel that the five years I spent praying in my chapel were nothing but a cruel joke.
08:36A maid brings over a bowl of hot broth.
08:39Just as Mara takes the bowl, Maya was startled.
08:42She simply drops to her knees again.
08:47I startled you, my lady.
08:49Please forgive me.
08:50Bonnie, however, throws herself into Rosalyn's arms, pretending to be wronged.
08:54She couldn't even hold a bowl!
08:56Queen Isoled's face darkens.
08:57Clumsy fool!
08:59How dare you upset Lady Bonnie!
09:01Guards, take her out and slap her!
09:02Who dares?!
09:03I only speak two words, but every servant and guard in the hall instantly drops to their knees.
09:09She stares at me in pure shock.
09:11Is Grandmother protecting me?
09:14But she shouldn't be too nice to me.
09:16Father said if I ever try to steal Bonnie's spotlight, he will throw me down the dry well.
09:21The dry well.
09:22The ice in my eyes deepens.
09:24Mother, they are just old injuries.
09:26It may not be what you think.
09:28I look up at him.
09:30He is my own son and Princess Aurelia's full brother.
09:33They were inseparable growing up.
09:35On the day Aurelia married, he escorted her to her carriage himself, eyes red, swearing that if Lord Cedric ever
09:41wronged her, he would tear Aurelia's house to the ground.
09:45Yet now, Aurelia's daughter kneels before him covered in scars, and he doesn't even recognize her.
09:50His Majesty is right, since Mara is a companion.
09:54She plays with Bonnie every day.
09:56Bumps and scrapes are inevitable.
09:57Besides, Princess Aurelia was a renowned beauty.
10:00It is not so strange to find a child with a passing resemblance.
10:03King Adrian remains silent for a moment, his gaze falling on Mara's face.
10:07There is clear nostalgia in his eyes, but also hesitation.
10:10But ultimately, he shakes his head.
10:13When Aurelia was wronged as a child, she never cowered like this.
10:17Mara's temperament doesn't resemble my sister's at all.
10:20I almost laugh out of pure anger.
10:22They trample my pearl into the mud, then point at her dirt-covered skin and declare she isn't fit for
10:27the royal family.
10:27How utterly absurd!
10:30Mara suddenly throws herself at my feet, trembling.
10:34Your Majesty!
10:36I did this to myself!
10:37It has nothing to do with Lord Cedric or Lady Bonnie!
10:41Uncle Adrian doesn't seem to like me.
10:43It's okay.
10:44As long as I'm good and don't cause trouble for Grandmother, Father won't punish me.
10:48That timid uncle twists like a dull knife in my chest.
10:52And yet the King hears nothing at all.
10:54He only sees a cowardly, lowly servant girl desperate to take the blame.
10:58Bonnie peeks out from Rosalind's arms and pouts.
11:01Uncle Adrian!
11:02I didn't bully her!
11:04She's just clumsy and always ruins things.
11:07King Adrian's expression softens.
11:09He reaches out and pats her head.
11:10I know our Bonnie has a kind heart.
11:13Queen Isolid's smile.
11:15You see, Mother?
11:16Even after being startled, Bonnie still thinks to explain things for her companion.
11:19That kind spirit is exactly like Princess Aurelia.
11:21Lord Cedric and Lady Rosalind both exhale in quiet relief.
11:24I find the entire scene snickingly ironic.
11:27Aurelia's beloved brother is personally protecting the child of her murderers.
11:30I suppress my fury and stops arguing.
11:32Since His Majesty trusts them, I will ask no more.
11:36A flash of triumph crosses Queen Isolette's eyes.
11:39Lord Cedric immediately bows his head.
11:40Thank you for your wisdom, Your Majesty.
11:42But Mara quietly peeks up at me.
11:44When we go back, Father is definitely going to lock me in the dark shed by the well.
11:48It's so cold in there, and there are rats.
11:50Such a young child, yet she feels guilty even for receiving affection.
11:54I gently hold her red, scolded hand.
11:57I am about to speak when a sudden scream pierces through the wall from outside.
12:01An instant later, a palace footman serving wine violently flips his silver tray, drawing a sleamy, narrow blade hidden underneath.
12:09Protect the king!
12:13Before the royal guard could rush forward, the footman leapt onto a long banquet table.
12:17Gobbles and plates go flying.
12:19Nobles and courtiers screamed and scattered.
12:21The Great Hall instantly plunged into chaos.
12:24The assassins slashed back two guards and charged straight toward the high table.
12:28Guards quickly formed a shield wall around King Adrian.
12:30Queen Isolid staggered backward in panic.
12:32Rosalind couldn't help but scream.
12:34But the king was not the assassin's target.
12:36He suddenly pivoted, his blade aimed directly at my heart.
12:39Bonnie happened to be standing right beside me.
12:41In her panic, she grabbed my sleeve and violently pulled me in front of her as a human shield.
12:45I stumbled forward.
12:46The cold steel is mere inches away.
12:48Just then, a tiny, fragile figure suddenly threw herself between us.
12:51Mother, look out!
12:52Mara threw her in front of me.
12:54The blade sliced into her flesh, and blood instantly soaked through her sleeve.
12:57The royal guard swarmed forward to seize the assassin, pinning him to the ground.
13:01I caught Mara's falling body.
13:03Summon the royal fedition!
13:06The gathered nobles fell to their knees.
13:08Mara's face is deathly pale, yet she still looked up at me.
13:11Your Majesty, are you hurt?
13:13I am unharmed.
13:14She lets out a breath of relief, her eyes fluttering shut.
13:17I press down on her bleeding wound, my heart twisting in agony.
13:21King Adrian hurried over.
13:22Mother, are you well?
13:24I am well.
13:25I looked at the terrified Lady Bonnie.
13:28When the blade struck towards us, Bonnie hid behind me.
13:30She even pushed me forward, but Mara did not hesitate to take that blow for me.
13:35Is it still not clear who truly possesses the spirit of Aurelia?
13:38Adrian's face pales slightly.
13:40Queen Isolid immediately pulled Bonnie into her embrace.
13:42She is only a child, Mother.
13:44Panic is natural.
13:45You cannot blame her.
13:47A six-year-old child knows how to use her elder as a shield.
13:50You call that panic, Isolette?
13:52Grandmother, I was scared.
13:54Bonnie wails loudly.
13:56Don't be afraid, Lady Bonnie.
13:57No one will hurt you.
13:58Lord Cedric crouches beside her, checking her frantically for injuries,
14:02looking devastated over a mere drop of blood on her hem.
14:04From start to finish, neither of them glances at Mara.
14:07Lord Cedric, I ask coldly.
14:11Mara took a blade for me, yet you do not ask about her at all.
14:15Cedric finally looks up.
14:17His gaze sweeps over Mara, utterly devoid of pity.
14:20She is a servant. Protecting her betters is her duty.
14:22Taking a blade for your majesty is an honor she hardly deserves.
14:25The last shred of my restraint snaps.
14:27Strike him!
14:28A royal footman raises his hand and delivers a brutal backhand to Cedric's face.
14:32Cedric is sent crashing to the floor.
14:34Rosalind squeaks and lunges forward to help him up.
14:37I let out a cold laugh.
14:39One is Auriria's husband, the other is his widowed cousin.
14:42So openly devoted in front of the entire court.
14:45Are you not afraid of defiling Aurelia House?
14:47Rosalind turns deathly pale and hastily lets go of him.
14:50Your majesty, I misunderstand. I only...
14:53Misunderstanding.
14:54I suspect the greatest revelation is yet to come.
14:56Rosalind freezes.
14:57Mother, what do you mean?
14:58Adrian speaks up.
15:00I scoff, glaring down at the pair before me.
15:02Tell me, Roller, you truly Lord Cedric's distant cousin?
15:04Or are you Bonnie's real mother?
15:07Gasps echo through the banquet hall.
15:09Cedric's face drains of color.
15:11Choose your words carefully, your majesty.
15:13Bonnie is Aurelia's flesh and blood.
15:14No one would dare fake a royal enriching.
15:16Whether it is faked or not, an investigation will tell.
15:19A dead silence falls over the hall.
15:20I sweep a freezing glare over Cedric and Rosalind.
15:23By my order, seal Aurelia House immediately.
15:25Hold everyone inside under guard.
15:27The ledgers, letters and household rosters are not to be touched.
15:30Anyone who burns a single page or lets a single servant slip away will be arrested on the spot.
15:34Find the midwife, the wet nurse and the guards present on the day Aurelia gave birth.
15:38Bring them to me, dead or alive.
15:39Cedric finally panics.
15:41Your majesty, you cannot search Aurelia House just because of a passing resemblance.
15:45I look down at him from my seat.
15:47You and Rosalind carried on an affair, passed off a bastard as royal blood and dragged Aurelia's true daughter through
15:52the mud.
15:53Did you think killing the witnesses and altering the rosters would keep you safe?
15:56I have survived 40 years in this ruthless palace.
15:59Do you think there is a scheme I have not seen?
16:01Dressing a stray in silk will never make her royal blood.
16:04Seal the estate, arrest them all, uncover everything.
16:07I will make sure all of Highland watches as I expose the fools who've dared swap my own granddaughter for
16:12their filthy bastard.
16:15Cedric throws himself before the king.
16:17Sire, Bonnie is Aurelia's own flesh and blood.
16:19You cannot let her majesty question the royal lineage over some stray girl.
16:23Adrian glances at the unconscious Mara, his face darkening.
16:26Since you swear she is my sister's child, let us test the bloodline.
16:30Cedric stiff Rosalind goes completely pale.
16:32Mother, a blood test will ruin Bonnie's name.
16:34She is only a child. If word gets out, how will she show her fate?
16:37True royal blood is bleeding on the floor and the queen is worried about Bonnie's reputation.
16:41I shoot her a cold glare.
16:43Or are you afraid of what the test might show?
16:47Isolet is rendered speechless.
16:49Dr. Hale quickly brings out the silver testing veils.
16:53I do not test Mara first.
16:55Instead, I point at Rosalind.
16:57Draw her blood and Bonnie's.
16:59Rosalind jerks her head out.
17:01Why test me, your majesty?
17:04Did you not claim to be a distant cousin?
17:07If you have nothing to hide, what are you afraid of?
17:11Maids step forward and hold her down.
17:13A needle pricks her fingertip.
17:15Two drops of blood fall into the alchemical vasel.
17:18Moments later, the solution turns crimson, proving the bloodline.
17:22Dead silence falls over the hall once more.
17:25Rosalind screams in denial.
17:28Impossible!
17:28The vials must be tampered with!
17:31She lunges forward, reaching out to knock the vials over.
17:34A guard kicks the back of her knees and pins her to the ground.
17:37Adrian stares at Bonnie, the last trace of warmth vanishing from his face.
17:42Yet Cedric still struggles to argue.
17:45These tests can be wrong!
17:47When Bonnie was born, the midwife, the wet nace, and all the servants saw it!
17:52She is Auraria's daughter!
17:54Just as he speaks, Dr. Hale hurries out from the inner chamber.
17:58Your majesty, Mara's wound has stopped bleeding.
18:01But she is severely malnourished.
18:03I fear she will not wake anytime soon.
18:06Attendants carry out a wooden box.
18:10Inside is Mara's blooded sleeve in the medical report Dr. Hale just wrote.
18:14Dr. Hale looks devastated.
18:16She was only six years old.
18:17Yet some of these scars are at least three years old.
18:20My vision darkens for a moment.
18:23Bonnie hides behind Queen Isolette and mutters.
18:26It's because she's disobedient.
18:27She steals things and pushes people into the water.
18:29Why is Father wrong to punish her?
18:30Rosalind immediately grabs her and pulls her behind her back.
18:33Your majesty, Mara has always been wild!
18:35She did this to herself!
18:37She knew she looked like Princess Aurelia and did this to gain your sympathy!
18:42Right then, Sir Gareth returns with several servants from Aroia House.
18:48Marta, the kitchen maid, kneels on the floor, too terrified to look up.
18:51Your majesty!
18:52I dare not hide anything!
18:54Lady Rosalind gave direct orders.
18:57Mara was never allowed to eat meat.
18:58If Lady Bonnie caused trouble, Mara's meals were cut off for three days.
19:02My thumb stops turning my rosary beans.
19:05Agnes, the storeroom guard, bows low to the floor.
19:08Last winter, Lady Bonnie pushed a visiting noble child in the garden.
19:12Lady Rosalind forced Mara to take the blame.
19:14They threw her into the locked storeroom.
19:16Nell, the laundry maid, shakes violently.
19:18She got a terrible fever, but Lady Rosalind said she was faking it.
19:22I close my eyes, then look out at the grey sky beyond the hall doors.
19:26Five years in the private chapel, five years of praying for mercy.
19:30Yet my mercy could not even protect a single child.
19:32The winter furs, cola medicines I sent to Aroia House could have raised dozens of children.
19:35Your majesty, please!
19:37I managed the estate, but I couldn't watch everything!
19:40Rosalind continues to scramble for excuses.
19:42These servants are lazy and spiteful.
19:44They know Aroia House is under investigation, so they are teaming up to frame me!
19:49You abused Mara, and you dare blame it on me!
19:52No!
19:53She suddenly lunges at the laundry maid.
19:56Speak!
19:57Who put you up to this?
19:58Who told you to frame me?
20:00The maid scrambles backward in terror.
20:02Hold her down.
20:03Two guards force her to her knees.
20:05I throw the medical report at her feet.
20:08The blood test was rigged.
20:09The witnesses were bought.
20:11Are the countless scars on Mara's body faked, too?
20:15Rosalind grits her teeth.
20:17The girl is weak and worthless.
20:19She is always getting sick and hurt.
20:20What does that have to do with me?
20:22Worthless.
20:23I grab a silver goblet from the table and smash it at her feet.
20:27She is Aurelia's true-born daughter, my own granddaughter, royal blood!
20:32The only worthless one here is you, a nameless mistress, trying to replace a true princess with your own bastard
20:38child!
20:39Rosalind shivers violently and finally shuts her mouth.
20:43Just then, Mara's crying echoes from the inner chamber.
20:48I hurry inside.
20:49She is still unconscious, curled up under the silk blankets, her forehead drenched in cold sweat.
20:54Father?
20:56Mara hurts.
20:58I'll be good.
20:59Please don't throw me away!
21:00She weakly covers her head, as if someone is still raising a cane to strike her in her dreams.
21:04I reach out and pull her into my arms.
21:07She is terrifyingly light.
21:10In a daze, I see young Aurelia again.
21:13She is wearing a bright red gown, running through the royal gardens to throw herself into my arms, her eyes
21:18crinkling with laughter.
21:19But after she married into Aurelia House, she stopped smiling.
21:22The first time she returned to the palace, she had bruises around her wrist.
21:27She claimed she simply tripped.
21:29The second time, she was so thin, her dresses hung off her.
21:32When I asked if she was being mistreated, she shook her head and said Lord Cedric treated her well.
21:36The last time I saw her, she held my hand.
21:39Her lips trembled for a long time.
21:41I thought she just missed home.
21:43I smiled and urged her to go back to her child.
21:46A fortnight later, I received the news of her sudden death by illness.
21:50Looking back now, all her silence were cries for help, and I never understood a single one.
21:56Mother, save me.
21:59Mara's tears soak through my dress.
22:03I look up.
22:04The last fred of mercy in my heart turns to ash.
22:07Guards, throw Lord Cedric and Lady Rosalyn into the crown dungeon.
22:10Keep them in separate cells.
22:11Bonnie is an imposter.
22:13Strip her title immediately and hand her over to the royal wardship council.
22:16Queen Isolid rushes forward to stop the guards.
22:20Mother Bonnie is just a child.
22:22Was Mara not a child when she was beaten, frozen, and forced to take the blame for others?
22:27If the Queen dares to interfere again, I will investigate exactly why you are so desperate to protect Lord Cedric.
22:33Isoleth's face drains of color.
22:34She doesn't dare move another inch.
22:36As Cedric is dragged out of the hall, he suddenly twists around and shouts.
22:41You cannot investigate!
22:42Aurelia has been dead for five years!
22:45Digging this up will only ruin her reputation!
22:50My eyes snap to him.
22:52What did you say?
22:53Cedric stumbles in the guard's grip, a flash of panic crossing his face.
22:56I... I...
22:57Only fear that reopening the past will drag Aurelia's good name through the mud.
23:01How would investigating her death ruin her reputation, unless she didn't die of illness at all?
23:07Cedric goes deadly pale.
23:08I don't give him a chance to argue.
23:10I turn to Sir Gareth.
23:11Cedric, investigate.
23:13Find out what medicine she took when she was sick.
23:15Who she saw.
23:16Why Aurelia House refused the royal physicians.
23:19And who was at her bedside when she took her last breath.
23:22I want everything investigated.
23:24I need to know exactly how the Princess Royal died.
23:29Sir Gareth bows and strides out.
23:33After Lady Rosalyn and Lord Cedric are thrown into the Crown Dungeon.
23:37King Adrian stands by Mara's bed.
23:39He stares at her pale face, silent for a long time.
23:43Last night, he refused to believe this cowering child was Aurelia's flesh and blood.
23:47Now, the blood test has proven Lady Rosalyn and Bonnie are related.
23:50The truth hits us both like a slap across the face.
23:52Mother, do you think there's more to Aurelia's death?
23:57Close my eyes.
23:58It is more than just a suspicion.
24:00The signs were always there.
24:02Before her marriage, Aurelia loved bright dresses.
24:04She would run into my arms laughing.
24:07After she married, her visits grew rare.
24:09Every time I saw her, she was thinner.
24:11The first time, she had a bruised wrist.
24:13She said she bumped into a table.
24:15The second time, she was so pale she couldn't even eat her favorite honey cakes.
24:19The final time, she gripped my hand.
24:21She tried to speak several times, but only said she was tired.
24:24I thought taking care of a child had exhausted her.
24:27I sent her the best tonics.
24:28I ordered Cedric to take good care of her.
24:31Now I know she probably never swallowed a single drop of them.
24:33I failed her.
24:35She silently begged for help over and over, and I sent her right back to Aurelia house to be eaten
24:38alive.
24:38It's not your fault, Mother. It is mine.
24:40I promise to always protect her.
24:41But she has been dead for five years, and I've been spoiling her murderer's bastard child.
24:47Just then, Captain Reed strides into the room.
24:49Your Majesty, the assassin confessed.
24:51The assassin was hired. His target wasn't the king. It was Mara and me.
24:55If he managed to kill me, they would blame it on rebel factions.
24:58The Royal Guards found a bank draft on him.
25:01It traces back to a banking house in Hymir.
25:03The one who withdrew the gold was the steward of Aurelia house.
25:07We have detained the banking manager and the clerk. Their stories match.
25:12Three days ago, Lord Cedric's personal steward withdrew the gold.
25:15Adrian slams his fist on the table.
25:18That bastard Cedric.
25:19He dared to order the assassination of the Queen Mother and the royal heir right under my nose.
25:24I want to see exactly how many dirty secrets he's hiding.
25:28He immediately orders the guards to seal Aurelia house and search every inch of it.
25:32The estate office, the medicine room, and any hidden chambers.
25:36Before Queen Isolette can even open her mouth, Adrian glares at her.
25:39If you say one more word to defend House Vale, you will be locked up and investigated with them.
25:43Isolette goes pale and shuts her mouth.
25:46Right then, Dr. Hale steps out of the inner chamber.
25:49Your Majesty, Mara is awake.
25:51Ignoring everyone else, I rush inside.
25:53Mara is curled up under the blankets, her eyes wide with terror.
25:57A maid approaches with medicine, and she frantically shrinks back into the corner of the bed.
26:01I won't drink it. I'll be good. Please don't make me drink that medicine.
26:05I falls.
26:07What kind of hell did she endure at O'Leary house?
26:11Leave us.
26:13I sit on the edge of the bed.
26:15I don't touch her.
26:16I just place a plate of honey cakes in front of her.
26:19Are you hungry?
26:20Mara sneaks a glance at me.
26:22Her eyes slowly turn red.
26:24Grandmother is still here.
26:26Am I dreaming?
26:27I break a piece of cake and take a bite first.
26:30It's not poisoned, and no one will hit you for eating.
26:33She carefully takes it, but doesn't put it in her mouth.
26:35Your Majesty, am I going back to the storeroom now?
26:38No.
26:39Do I still have to take the fall for Bonnie?
26:41Never again.
26:42Father will be mad.
26:43He wouldn't dare.
26:45Mara stares at me in a daze.
26:47I reach out and gently touch the red mark behind her left ear.
26:50Your name isn't Mara.
26:52Your mother gave you a name.
26:53It's Pearl.
26:54Tears spill down her cheeks.
26:56How did you know?
26:58Because your mother told me herself.
27:00I cannot hold back anymore.
27:02I pull her into my arms.
27:03Pearl, I am your grandmother.
27:06I am so sorry I took so long.
27:08She stays stiff for a long time.
27:10Then she hesitantly raises a hand and gently grips my gown.
27:15Grandmother?
27:15Her voice is barely a whisper, but my tears fall instantly.
27:19Mara buries her face in my chest and finally cries like any normal child.
27:24Grandmother, it hurts so much.
27:26Mother disappeared and father doesn't want me.
27:28They said I'm a bastard nobody wants.
27:30Who says nobody wants you?
27:32I hold her tightly.
27:33You are the pearl Aurelia left me.
27:35From now on, if anyone dares to hurt you, I will take their life.
27:38Mara cries for a long time before she unties a thin string from her neck.
27:43A small brass key hangs from the end.
27:47Mother gave this to me before she left.
27:49She said if I ever meet my grandmother, the one whose eyes crinkle when she smiles, I must give you
27:54the key.
27:54I take the key, my heart sinking heavily.
27:56Mara hiccups as she repeats Aurelia's final instruction.
27:59Mother said the things beneath the well will make the bad people pay.
28:02As soon as Mara finishes speaking, hurried footsteps echo outside the hall.
28:09Your Majesty, Aurelia House is on fire.
28:11I stand up sharply.
28:15Where did the fire start?
28:16The estate office, the medicine room and Princess Aurelia's old wing house caught fire simultaneously.
28:21It is highly suspicious and someone filled the estate's wells with lime in advance.
28:25We cannot draw any water.
28:26This is no accident.
28:27My orders were just given and three locations at Aurelia House caught fire simultaneously.
28:32Someone received word and intends to destroy everything before the Royal Guard arrives.
28:36King Adrian's face turns ashen.
28:38He immediately summons a squad of the Royal Guard.
28:40I leave Mara with Dr. Hale, grip the small brass key tightly, and head to Aurelia House myself.
28:45The once grand estate is now engulfed in flames.
28:48Thick smoke blocks the sky, and servants scatter in panic.
28:51A few footmen attempt to move heavy chests to the rear courtyard under the cover of chaos,
28:55but they turn and run the moment they spot the Royal Guard.
28:58Arrest them all!
29:00At King Adrian's command, the guards seal the estate gates.
29:04I walk straight to the dry well Mara mentioned.
29:07A massive stone slab covers the opening, surrounded by kindling.
29:11A steward holds a torch, trying to collapse the entire well with fire.
29:14A guard's blade slices torch in half, and the man is pinned to the dirt.
29:18Who ordered you to burn the well?
29:20The steward clenches his jaw, refusing to speak.
29:23A second later, he suddenly tries to swallow a hidden poison pill.
29:26The guard reacts instantly, seizing his throat and forcing his mouth open.
29:30I stare into his terrified eyes.
29:32You want to die?
29:34Aurelia waited five years. I am not done asking questions for her yet.
29:38You do not have the right to die.
29:39The guards heave the stone slab aside, and rappel down the well using ropes.
29:43There is no water at the bottom, only an iron door hidden behind the stone wall.
29:47I insert the key Mara gave me into the lock.
29:50The heavy lock clicks open.
29:52Thick smoke has already flooded the hidden chamber.
29:54However, most of the letters and ledgers piled inside are reduced to ash,
29:58but in the deepest corner sits an iron strongbox wrapped tightly in layers of oilcloth.
30:02Inside the box lies a torn, blood-stained letter.
30:05It is Aurelia's handwriting.
30:07To my mother.
30:08Just seeing those three words makes my hands shake.
30:11Fire has burned away most of the paper, leaving only broken sentences.
30:15Lord Cedric and Lady Rosalind have long carried on an affair.
30:19Bonnie is not my daughter.
30:20They swapped Pearl, threatening her life to force me to surrender my seal.
30:24Below that, only a few blood-soaked lines remain.
30:28My daily medicine is tainted.
30:29I am coughing blood.
30:30If I die, it is not from illness.
30:32Please, mother, protect Pearl.
30:34Do not let her fall into the hands of those monsters.
30:36Right up until her death, Aurelia never begged me to save her.
30:39She only begged me to save her child.
30:41But this letter lay at the bottom of a dark well for five years,
30:43and the daughter she gave her life to protect was locked in a storeroom just yards away,
30:47enduring endless torment.
30:48King Adrian finishes reading the torn letter, his eyes red.
30:51He draws his sword and presses the blade against the steward's throat.
30:54Beak!
30:54Who started the fire?
30:55The steward trembles virantly, but still refuses to confess.
30:58Suddenly, a guard pulls a scrap of paper from the man's tunic.
31:02Ink on the note is still fresh.
31:03It bears a single command.
31:04If the situation at the palace changes, burn all old records, leave nothing beneath the well.
31:08It is stamped with Lord Cedric's private signet.
31:10King Adrian lets out a dark, fearful laugh.
31:12He is locked in the crown dungeon, yet he still manages to smuggle a message to Aurelia House.
31:18My royal palace has become his own personal playground.
31:21The fire burns through the night.
31:23The estate office and medicine room are reduced to ashes.
31:25But such a thorough fire only proves one thing.
31:28They are covering their track.
31:29I order the ruins sealed.
31:31My guards sift through every inch of the ashes.
31:33Finally, they pull a half-burned household ruler from a crack in the wall.
31:36Three days after Aurelia's death, Aurelia House dismissed over 20 of Aurelia's former servants.
31:40The midwife, the wetnace, the personal maids, the apothenic, even the four footmen who carried her coffin.
31:45Find them.
31:46I want to question them myself.
31:48I need to know exactly what happened before Aurelia died.
31:50Half a day later, Sir Gareth returns.
31:53His report plunges the hall into dead silence.
31:56Not a single one of those servants made it home.
31:59The roster claims they took their residence pay and left the capital.
32:02But the gate records show nothing.
32:05They never left the city.
32:07The travel papers were faked.
32:09I immediately order a search of the city outskirts.
32:12The first body is pulled from an unmarked grave.
32:15Then a second.
32:16A third.
32:17Their remains were scattered and buried across different sites.
32:21One female corpse still wears a silver bracelet from Aurelia House.
32:25The coroner finishes his examination and lowers his head.
32:29They all died within two weeks of Princess Aurelia's funeral.
32:32Sir Gareth hands me a stack of sworn statements.
32:35The families of the missing servants all received silver from the estate.
32:39They were told their relatives offended a noble and were sold off.
32:42If anyone came looking for them, the whole family would hang.
32:44They were never dismissed.
32:46They were lured out of the estate and slaughtered one by one.
32:50Lord Cedric planned it all perfectly.
32:52Fake an illness and butcher every single witness.
32:55Then throw the true royal heir into the dirt as a servant.
32:58If Mara had not survived this long, the truth would have been buried forever.
33:03Queen Izalith sits nearby.
33:05She looks increasingly pale.
33:06Mother, these identities are not fully confirmed.
33:09It could be bandits.
33:10This does not necessarily point to Lord Cedric.
33:13King Adrian slowly raises his eye.
33:16One look and the Queen snaps her mouth shut.
33:19My sister is dead.
33:20Every witness is gone and the moment we search Aurelia House it burns.
33:24His voice is ice.
33:27Do you really think there are that many coincidences, Isolade?
33:30Queen Isolade goes stark white.
33:32She lowers her head.
33:33I only fear condemning an innocent man.
33:35Then keep quiet until we have the proof.
33:37I flip open the old roster, crossing out the names of the dead one by one.
33:41Finally, Sir Gareth stops at one name.
33:44Your Majesty, this maid, Pippa, she was one of Princess Aurelia's attendants.
33:48She is on the dismissal roster, but none of the bodies in the graves match her age.
33:52I look up.
33:52What about her family?
33:53She was an orphan.
33:54She has no one.
33:56Find her.
33:57I slam the roster shut.
33:58Search every abandoned building, every poorhouse, and every clinic outside the city.
34:02Dig up the ground if you have to.
34:03Bring her to me!
34:04Right before nightfall, the guards return.
34:06They carry in a filthy, disheveled woman found in an abandoned barn outside the city.
34:11She is covered in scars.
34:12The pinky finger on her left hand has been chopped cleanly off.
34:15But the moment she spots the royal guards, she begins thrashing wildly.
34:18Fire!
34:18Don't burn me!
34:20I didn't see anything.
34:21The princess didn't have a daughter!
34:23Pearl is dead!
34:24Dead!
34:25They're all dead!
34:26When Pippa is brought into the hall, she remains tightly curled into a bowl.
34:29She refuses to look up, muttering the same words over and over.
34:32Don't drink the medicine.
34:33I signal a maid to fetch Princess Aurelia's silver locket.
34:37Pippa, do you recognize this?
34:40One glance, and she screams.
34:43I didn't take it!
34:44Mercy, Lady Rosalyn!
34:46I won't ever deliver letters for the princess again!
34:49She grips her own hair, smashing her forehead against the floor until blood runs down her face.
34:54The guards rush forward to restrain her.
34:56I step down from the dace, softening my voice.
34:59Pippa, no one will punish you.
35:01I only want to ask you, how did Aurelia really die?
35:06Dead!
35:07She suddenly starts laughing.
35:09All dead!
35:11Dr. Kells from the medicine room, dead.
35:13Finch the gatekeeper, dead.
35:15The wet nace, dead.
35:16Lady Rosalyn said dead people can't talk!
35:19Her words are completely disjointed.
35:20There is no way to piece the truth together.
35:22Queen Isolid frowns.
35:24Mother, this woman has lost her mind.
35:27How can the ravelings of a lunatic be taken as testimony?
35:29King Adrian shoots her a dark look.
35:32The Queen pauses, her face pale.
35:35I...
35:35I only worry that someone might use a madwoman to falsely accuse a member of the royal family.
35:40I am perfectly capable of deciding what is false.
35:43If you cannot bear to sit here, Isolid, I will confine you to your chambers.
35:47Queen Isolid dares not say another word.
35:50I have the blood-stained letter and the torn dress brought forward.
35:54But the sight of blood only drives Pippi into a deeper frenzy.
35:58She suddenly grabs for a guard's sword.
36:01Kill me!
36:02I won't say it!
36:03I won't say anything!
36:04They cut out the wet nace's tongue.
36:06They threw everyone in the pit.
36:08I'm next!
36:09My chest tightens.
36:10The unmarked graves we found aren't all of them.
36:13There must be a mass grave somewhere else.
36:16But no matter how much I press her, Pippi only screams.
36:19Just as everyone is at a loss, light footsteps sound from the inner changers.
36:23Mara leans against the doorframe, slowly stepping out.
36:26The burns on her arms are still fresh.
36:28Her face is terrifyingly pale.
36:30Pearl, who told you to get out of bed?
36:32Pippa?
36:34Pippa freezes.
36:35She slowly lifts her head, peering at Mara through her matted hair.
36:39The next second, she lunges forward.
36:41The guards draw their swords, thinking she is attacking.
36:44Halt!
36:46Mara doesn't flinch.
36:48Pippi drops to her knees in front of her, trembling hands cupping the child's face.
36:53She traces Mara's features, then brushes the hair behind her left ear.
36:57When she sees the red birth mitt, she breaks into loud saubs.
37:01Your highness!
37:03You're alive!
37:05The entire hall goes deathly quiet.
37:09Queen Isolid shoots to her feet, but Pippa only clutches Mara tighter,
37:14looking toward the heavy doors in absolute terror.
37:16Run! Princess, you have to run!
37:19They're going to kill you!
37:20Lord Cedric said, once you're dead, the lie becomes the truth!
37:24Mara is squeezed so hard it hurts, but she doesn't pull away.
37:28Pippi, it's me. It's Mara.
37:30Pippi's sobbing cuts off abruptly.
37:31Her eyes fall to the small brass key hanging around Mara's neck.
37:36Her entire body shakes violently.
37:38The Princess Royal told me to take you.
37:40But Lady Rosalind caught us.
37:42They took you.
37:43They chopped off my finger and threw me in the corpse pit.
37:45She holds up her mangled left hand.
37:47I crawled out from under the bodies.
37:49I went back for the Princess.
37:51But they had already nailed the coffin shut!
37:54What did you just say?
37:56Pippa looks up, her face streaked with dirt and tears.
38:00When they sealed the Princess in the coffin, she was still alive.
38:04Still alive?
38:06The words twist like a knife in my chest.
38:08King Adrian surges toward Pippa.
38:10Blaine yourself.
38:10Why was my sister still alive when they buried her?
38:13Pippa shrinks back in terror, but Mara gently catches her hand.
38:16It's okay, Pippa.
38:18Don't be scared.
38:19Pippa looks at Mara, her clouded eyes slowly coming into focus.
38:24And piece by broken piece, the truth finally comes out.
38:28On the day of the birth, Princess Elyria gave birth to Mara.
38:33But Lady Rosalind had delivered a girl half a week earlier.
38:37While Aurelia was unconscious, Lord Cedric swapped the babies.
38:41He bribed the midwife and the estate physician to alter the birth records.
38:45When Aurelia woke, she knew instantly the child in her arms was not her Pearl.
38:49She tried to reach the palace, but Cedric stole her royal signet and locked her in the rear courtyard.
38:54Lord Cedric said,
38:56If she accepted Bonnie as her own, he would let Pearl live.
38:59The Princess had no choice.
39:02But Lady Rosalind wasn't satisfied.
39:05She made the physician slip poison into her medicine every day.
39:08It didn't kill her right away.
39:10It just made her weaker every day, making it look like postpartum wasting.
39:14The rare tonics I sent from the palace were all intercepted by Rosalind.
39:18Every drop Aurelia drank was poison.
39:20Later, she risked everything to write the blood-stinned letter, begging Pippa to take Mara to the palace.
39:25But before they could escape Elyria House, Cedric's men caught them.
39:29Lady Rosalind shoved the little princess down the stone stairs.
39:33Right in front of her mother.
39:35The princess got on her knees and begged her to call a doctor.
39:38But Lady Rosalind just said,
39:40Strays are hard to kill.
39:41She won't die.
39:42The old scar on the back of Mara's head, it was from that day.
39:46For trying to deliver the letter, Pippa's finger was chopped off.
39:49And that same night, they forced the final bowl of poison down Aurelia's throat.
39:53She was coughing up blood constantly.
39:56But she clung to life.
39:58Terrified the palace would find out, Cedric refused to wait.
40:01He ordered her sealed in the coffin and announced that the Princess Royal had died of illness.
40:06I was hiding behind the funeral hall.
40:07I heard sounds coming from inside the coffin.
40:10Pippa breaks down, sobbing uncontrollably.
40:13The princess kept knocking.
40:14She kept knocking and calling out for Pearl.
40:18But Lord Cedric ordered the men to hammer the nails in.
40:21He said the dead couldn't ruin his plans.
40:23My vision goes black.
40:25I nearly collapse.
40:29King Adrian catches my arm, tears already streaming down his own face.
40:34Following Pippa's directions, the Royal Guard unearths a massive pit behind Aurelia House.
40:41Inside are over a dozen skeletons.
40:44One female corpse's jaw shows signs of mutilation, perfectly matching Pippa's claim that the Wetnace's tongue was cut out.
40:53Meanwhile, under the floorboards of the burned medicine room, guards recover a packet of poison residue.
40:59Dr. Hale tests it and confirm it contains a toxin that causes coughing of blood and fatal waiting.
41:04The ledgers, the bloodsting letter, the corpses, the poison.
41:08Everything aligns with Pippa's testimony.
41:10No one can claim it is just a madwoman's ravelings anymore.
41:14I order Lord Cedric and Lady Rosalind dragged forward.
41:19The moment Rosalind sees Pippa, she looks like she's seen a ghost.
41:23How are you still alive?
41:26The words slip out before she realizes her mistake.
41:29Pippa points a trembling finger at her.
41:31It's her!
41:32She forced the poison down the princess's throat!
41:35And she pushed the little highness down the stairs!
41:38Rosalind shakes her head in a panic.
41:40No, it wasn't me.
41:42Lord Cedric made me do it.
41:45Cedric roars.
41:46You bitch!
41:48You were jealous of Aurelia!
41:49You forced me to get rid of her!
41:51You were the one who said if Aurelia died, the estates and titles would all go to Bonnie!
41:55Rosalind screams back.
41:56They turn on each other like rabid dogs, spilling every crime they hid for five years.
42:01I stare at them.
42:03When Aurelia was sealed in that coffin, I ask softly,
42:06Did you hear her knocking?
42:08Cedric's face turns the color of ash.
42:11But Rosalind just laughs.
42:13A manic, hysterical sound.
42:15So what if we did?
42:18She took my place.
42:20She stole my man.
42:22She deserved to die!
42:23King Adrian draws his sword to strike her down.
42:28I raise a hand to stop him.
42:34Do not dirty Aurelia's memory with their blood.
42:37I look down at the man and woman queeling on the floor.
42:44Take them to the dungeon.
42:47For every ounce of suffering Aurelia imbued and every scar on Pearl's body, they will pay for it all.
42:55The day the truth is announced, all of Highlander is shaken.
42:59Lord Cedric is sentenced to execution for murdering the Princess Royal, altering the royal bloodline, hiring an assassin and slaughtering
43:05loyal servants.
43:06Lady Rosalind receives the same sentence for poisoning, abusing a royal heir and assisting in the child swap.
43:11The steward and all servants involved in the arson and murders are thrown into the dungeon.
43:15Because she is young and ignorant of the plot, Lady Bonnie is spared death, but her title is stripped, her
43:21royal gifts confiscated, and she is placed under the custody of the Royal Wardship Council.
43:24For repeatedly obstructing the investigation, Queen Isolette is confined to her quarters by King Adrian, her authority over the palace
43:29revoked.
43:30After the sentencing, I go alone to Aurelia's former chambers.
43:34Fire has destroyed half the courtyard.
43:37In the ashes, I find a blackened gold hairpin.
43:41I placed it in her hair myself on her 16th birthday.
43:45Mother, when I marry, can I still return to the palace every day to see you?
43:47I told her the palace gates would always be open to her.
43:50But later, she stood at those gates so many times, hesitating, and I never truly asked if she was happy.
43:55Her letters for help never reached me.
43:57I never heard her knocking on that coffin as she died.
44:01Clutching the hairpin, I kneel in the ruins.
44:06Aurelia, Mother was wrong.
44:09I shouldn't have believed your marriage was happy.
44:11I shouldn't have mistaken your silence for obedience.
44:14I was too late.
44:16Footsteps sound behind me.
44:18King Adrian stands by the broken wall, his eyes red.
44:21If you are to blame, Mother, then so am I.
44:23He kneels beside me.
44:24When she married, I swore to protect her for life.
44:27Yet she was trapped here, and I never came to see her.
44:30I treated Bonnie as her daughter.
44:32I spoiled that imposter for five whole years.
44:35Yesterday, when Mara saw me, she asked if Uncle Adrian hated her because she wasn't a good girl.
44:39Adrian's voice chokes.
44:41He cannot go on.
44:43I close my eyes.
44:45Late regrets cannot bring Aurelia back.
44:47All I can do now is protect the child she gave her life to save.
44:51When I return to the palace, Mara is not in my chambers.
44:54A maid tells me that when she woke and couldn't find me, she hid in a cabinet in the side
44:58hall.
44:59When I open the cabinet door, she is huddled in the corner, hugging her knees.
45:03Grandmother knows I caused trouble.
45:04Is she going to throw me away too?
45:06My chest aches.
45:07I reach out a hand.
45:08Pearl, come out.
45:09She doesn't move.
45:11Are the bad people caught?
45:12She asks softly.
45:13They are.
45:14Is Mother avenged?
45:16Yes.
45:16A spark lights in her eyes, but fades just as quickly.
45:19Does that mean I'm useless now?
45:21I freeze.
45:23Mara looks down, her thin fingers twisting her hem.
45:26Lord Cedric said useless children don't deserve to eat.
45:29Now that the bad people are caught, will you still want me, Grandmother?
45:34I lean in and lift her out of the cabinet.
45:37I don't want you because you're useful.
45:39Even if you do nothing at all, you are still my pearl.
45:41She leans against my chest.
45:43After a long time, she whispers.
45:45Can I go back to the storeroom?
45:47Why do you want to go back there?
45:50That place holds nothing for her but hunger and pain.
45:52Mother is still there.
45:54But Mara grows anxious.
45:56Your mother?
45:57My heart skips a beat.
45:58There's a portrait of Mother hidden behind the storeroom wall.
46:01I have to look at her every day.
46:02But Mother told me I was hers.
46:04She touches the red mew behind her left ear.
46:07I was scared I would forget what she looked like.
46:09I couldn't forget.
46:10As long as I remember Mother, I know I'm not astray.
46:13I bring Mara back to the storeroom myself.
46:17The door is rotting.
46:19The windows are boarded up.
46:20In the corner sits her chipped bowl.
46:24Mara crouches by the wall and easily pulls away a loose grip.
46:31Behind it is a frayed scroll.
46:34Wrapped carefully in oil clod, the edges of the portrait are worn.
46:38But Aurelia's painted face still carries a gentle smile.
46:41It was how she looked before her marriage.
46:44Mara traces the painted face.
46:46Her touch is so light as if terrified it might shitter.
46:50Whenever I miss Mother, I sneak a look at her.
46:54Bonnie found it once.
46:55She wanted to burn it.
46:57I held onto it and wouldn't let go.
46:59So Lady Rosalyn had me beaten.
47:02Then I hid it here.
47:03They never found it again.
47:04She looks up at me.
47:06In her clear eyes, I see the reflection of Aurelia's smiling face.
47:10I finally understand how she recognized me so instantly in the crowd.
47:14Aurelia's painted eyes look exactly like mine did when I was young.
47:18For five dark years, this child clung to a single portrait to remember who she was.
47:22To find the will to live.
47:24I pull her into my arms.
47:25She is painfully thin.
47:27Her shoulder blades press against my palms like fragile bird wings.
47:30Let's take Mother home.
47:32My voice is tight, but absolute.
47:35She never has to hide in a wall again.
47:37And you never have to hide in a storeroom.
47:39Mara freezes against me for a long moment.
47:41Then, her tiny hands slowly lift and grip my dress, tighter and tighter,
47:45as if afraid it will all vanish if she lets go.
47:47Three days later, King Adrian convenes the High Court of Heraldries.
47:51Dressed in a brand new royal gown, Mara stands before the gathered nobles.
47:55She is still nervous, but she no longer lowers her head.
47:59King Adrian reads the royal proclamation himself.
48:02He confirms her as the sole heir of Princess Aurelia,
48:05formally naming her Princess Pearl.
48:07All estates and wealth of Aurelia House are returned to her.
48:10When the court herald asks her to step forward to accept the decree,
48:14she instinctively looks at me.
48:15I hold out my hand to her.
48:17Her anxiety slowly fades.
48:19She presses her lips together.
48:21As if confirming something to herself.
48:23Then she walks towards the throne, every step steady and sure.
48:26I, Princess Pearl, accept.
48:28Her voice isn't loud, but it rings clearly through the hall.
48:31After the infituation, I keep her in my quarters to raise her myself.
48:35At first, she still doesn't dare to eat her fill.
48:37After every meal, she sneaks a pastry into her sleeve.
48:40When a maid tries to clear the plates, she turns pale with terror.
48:43So I have a small bedside box placed in her room,
48:46refilled every day with her favorite honey cakes.
48:49These are all yours.
48:51If you can't finish them today, there will be more tomorrow.
48:56It takes an entire month for her to finally believe she will never go hungry again.
49:01Sometime later, she starts running in the gardens.
49:04When she trips, she no longer drops to her knees to apologize.
49:08Instead, with red eyes, she reaches out to me.
49:10Grandmother, it hurts.
49:18Every time I pick her up and brush the dirt from her knees.
49:22It's all right.
49:24Grandmother will make it better.
49:28It doesn't hurt anymore.
49:30King Adrian visits often as well.
49:33At first, Pearl would hide behind me,
49:34peeking out from behind me to study the man in the royal robes.
49:37Adrian crouches down, pulling a carved wooden bird from his coat and offering it to her.
49:41Uncle made this for you.
49:42She finally calls him Uncle, her voice barely a squeak.
49:45At that single word, the formidable king turns his back, his eyes brimming with tears.
49:50Just before winter, Pearl stands outside my steadetry for a long time.
49:55I ask what she wants, but she is too afraid to speak.
49:59It isn't until I take her hand that she timidly points at the desk.
50:05Grandmother, can I learn to read?
50:08When Bonnie had her lessons, I was only allowed to listen outside the door.
50:13Lord Cedric said servants don't deserve to read.
50:16He said if I touched a book, he'd break my hands.
50:20She lifts the arm that once blocked an assassin's blade for me.
50:23The wound has healed, leaving a pale red scar.
50:27I lift her up to the desk, roll out a clean piece of parchment,
50:31and place an ink-dripped quill in her hand.
50:34You are not a servant.
50:36You are Orinia's daughter.
50:38You are Princess Pearl of Valeria.
50:40Any book in this world, if you wish to read it, is yours to read.
50:45I guide her hand, writing the name Pearl on the parchment.
50:51She practices with intense focus.
50:54The first try is crooked.
50:56The second is barely legible.
50:58By the tenth try, the letters are finally clear and complete.
51:01She holds up the paper happily.
51:03Grandmother, it's my name!
51:06Yes.
51:08I look at her eyes, crinkling as she smiles.
51:11It feels as if Orinia has stepped through time to stand before me once again.
51:15It is the name your mother gave you, and no one can ever take it from you.
51:20Pearl carefully places the apartment in front of Orinia's portrait.
51:24She leans over the desk, painstakingly writing one more line.
51:29Mother, Pearl is home.
51:31Outside the window, the first snow begins to fall.
51:35She suddenly runs to my side and slips her warm little hand into mine.
51:39This time, there is no hesitation, no fear.
51:42Grandmother, let's go look at the snow.
51:44Okay.
51:45I squeeze her hand.
51:47For all the years to come, I will be right here with her.
51:51I'll see you next time.