Chapter 1: Wasted on a Blind Girl?

Luciana Sandoval, the eldest daughter of Duke Sandoval, had been chosen as the fiancee of the lycanthrope king. She came from a pure-blooded lycan lineage, which made her the most suitable candidate among all the possible brides.

Luciana and the king, Kael, had grown up together, and when Kael took the throne, she stood by his side, offering her unwavering support. But during an attack orchestrated by Kael's uncle — who coveted the throne — Kael was wounded in the eyes, leaving him permanently blind. He felt useless, and the court had already begun calling for someone more capable to assume the crown.

Luciana, knowing that Kael's uncle would seize the throne if nothing changed, did everything she could to find a way to restore his sight. She found one, in the hands of an old witch. The woman told her of a spell, but in exchange for giving Kael back his eyes, someone else would have to lose theirs. Luciana didn't hesitate to sacrifice her own.

When the ritual was complete, Kael swore that Luciana would be his queen — that no one could take her place despite her disability. And for a time, everything seemed fine. But months before the wedding, one of Kael's childhood friends returned to the kingdom. She'd lost her parents, and he promised to protect her, claiming that an old injury had left her heart too weak to endure strong emotions or even transform.

Kael shielded her from everything. Whenever anyone so much as looked at her sideways, he rushed to her defense. Luciana was aware of it, but she trusted that Kael saw the girl only as a sister, and she had no objection to her staying at the palace. Until Kael started accusing Luciana of inciting others to bully his friend. Luciana swore none of it was true, but Kael refused to believe her.

"Even without your eyes, you're just as cruel. You of all people should know what it's like to be ill," he snapped at her while the girl — Eloisa — sobbed against his chest.

"And precisely because of my disability, I couldn't possibly do anything to Miss Eloisa. Why can't you believe me?" Luciana pleaded.

"Oh, Kael... perhaps I should leave the palace. That way I won't cause any more trouble between you two," Eloisa whimpered, feigning breathlessness.

"No. You're not leaving. Luciana is the one who needs to understand that her disability doesn't give her the right to hurt others," Kael said.

He walked out, taking Eloisa to the physician. Luciana stayed behind in her room, alone, crying.

The worst came on a stormy night. Kael burst into Luciana's room in a rage, accusing her of pushing Eloisa down the stairs and putting her life in danger. Though many of the servants knew Luciana couldn't possibly have done it, none dared speak against the king.

No matter how much Luciana swore her innocence, Kael dragged her out of the palace, beyond the kingdom walls, deep into the forest, and left her there in the pouring rain.

"I'll come for you once Eloisa wakes up. You'll beg her forgiveness on your knees," he pronounced.

Luciana fell into the mud when he shoved her.

"No, Kael... I didn't do it... I can't stay here... it's dangerous... Kael—"

She stretched her hands across the ground, searching for him, but he'd already turned and vanished into the darkness. Luciana pressed her palms into the mud, still groping forward with the desperate hope that he was still nearby. But her hand slipped over an edge, her weight carried her forward, and she tumbled down a cliff into the black void below.

At the bottom, her body lay broken — shattered bones, deep gashes, each breath slower than the last. She remained there until dawn, barely conscious, screaming for help through the agony. No one answered. Two days and two nights passed like that. Her wounds festered — ever since the ritual that had given Kael her eyes, her body could no longer heal itself the way it used to. And so, alone, her body destroyed, her life faded on the third night beneath a full moon.

Hours passed. Then Luciana moved.

She sat up with a violent jolt, pressing both hands to her skull as an avalanche of memories tore through her mind — the young woman's entire life playing out like a film reel. The redhead collapsed back to the ground, gasping, and held her hands in front of her face.

"You've got to be kidding me. Seriously? The body of some stupid blind girl... and she gave away her eyes for that unfaithful dog. Disgusting," she said, her voice colder and sharper than the one that had belonged to Luciana before.

Gone was the soft, gentle tone. This voice had an edge like a blade.

"Of all the women in the world... I reincarnated in this stupid girl." She pressed her lips together.

The worst part was being trapped in a body that couldn't see — nothing but absolute darkness. And the pain was everywhere.

Still on the ground, barely able to move with the broken bones, the wounds, the agony, she forced herself to concentrate. A red circle formed beneath her, mana flowing outward. At least she'd brought most of her power with her. The energy coursed through the body, knitting torn flesh, mending shattered bone — but the eyes wouldn't regenerate. Something was blocking it.

When the pentagram beneath her stopped glowing, she rose to her feet. She turned one palm upward and pressed a nail deep into the skin until blood welled up, then flipped her hand so the drops fell to the earth.

"Zih Maha Ujohk mun parekne herl, hula erlaken parenzhe fhot mah," she chanted.

Her blood pooled on the ground, spread outward, and darkened into a slick of shadow. From it, two forms emerged — dogs made of darkness, their eyes burning red.

"Go," she ordered.

The hounds moved forward and she followed. She could have marched back to the kingdom and slaughtered everyone in it. But no — she needed to recover her full power first, and find a way to reclaim her sight. Until then, the king and his beloved could live in peace.

"I don't forgive. I just wait for my prey to think they've won." She let out a low laugh, spinning once amid the dark trees.

Since she'd reincarnated in this body, the least she could do for the real Luciana's soul was to deliver the revenge those two traitors deserved.

"Onix, Nox — find me a way out."

But after walking for what felt like hours, her body began to give out. The real Luciana's body had been frail, its regeneration painfully slow, and the burst of magic she'd used to accelerate the healing had only drained it further. Just as she reached the edge of the forest, her legs buckled and she collapsed, unconscious.

Back at the palace, Kael's assistant entered the king's study looking troubled. Three days and three nights had passed, and Luciana was still outside the palace walls. It was starting to worry him. Even her two handmaidens had begun asking questions — they'd seen the king drag Luciana into the storm that night, and though they'd begged him to reconsider, he'd made it clear she wouldn't return until Eloisa woke up.

"The court is talking, Your Majesty. If word of this reaches Duke Sandoval, you'll lose half the court," Diego warned.

"Let them talk. The official story is that Lady Sandoval is at a rest house, being attended by competent physicians," Kael replied.

Diego's brow furrowed. He knew better than anyone what had actually happened, and he hated watching Kael punish the woman who'd sacrificed her sight for him — all because the king's mistress kept getting hurt.

Diego nodded and left the study. But instead of returning to his quarters, he went to a secluded corner of the palace grounds and handed over an envelope along with a pouch of coins.

"Deliver this personally into Duke Sandoval's hands at the northern base. When you return, the other half of the payment is yours," he ordered.

The hooded figure nodded, tucked the envelope away, and climbed into a carriage that disappeared into the night.

***This work has been signed with NovelToon, and piracy such as reprinting without permission is strictly prohibited.***

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***