"It's... The Prime Minister's daughter has suddenly arrived for a visit. Your Highness, the Imperial Concubine, I must ask you to withdraw for a moment." Elaine lowered her head, her voice strained. The last few words were almost a whisper, as if she were swallowing them.
Ashley Bowen knew that until her marriage to Yuri Sinclair was announced to the nation, she had to remain hidden.
'If I have to hide, I'll hide.' She didn't think it was a big deal.
"Alright. Where is Miss Thorne now? Should I leave the Palace of Tranquility, or...?" Ashley Bowen acted as if she didn't mind at all, but that was a lie. Then again, she shook her head. 'What's there for me to mind? The Third Prince and I are just a "contract" couple, husband and wife in name only, not in practice, right?'
Although Yuri Sinclair had never explicitly called it a contract marriage, Ashley Bowen knew it was. Their hearts both belonged to other people; how could they possibly sustain this marriage with love?
