Chapter 2

Chloe was called a "cursed child" and suffered abuse from her family, a result of a series of unfortunate events.

Sixteen years ago, in the border town of Shadaf on the outskirts of the Rose Kingdom, Chloe was born as the second daughter of Clemen, the border lord, and his wife, Isabella.

From the moment of her birth, Chloe had a large blue mark on her back. When the midwife and her mother Isabella saw it, they thought:

– This child must be under some kind of curse.

It is not uncommon for infants to have blue marks on their backs.

However, Chloe's mark was much darker compared to other infants, and since Shadaf was a remote rural area far from the capital where beliefs in curses and superstitions were still deeply rooted, the mark was almost instinctively accepted as a "curse."

The fact that the town was hit by an epidemic and famine at the same time further fueled this belief.

"Such an ugly child, disgusting," Isabella quickly abandoned her parenting duties and left Chloe to be raised by the maids.

Fortunately, one of the maids was from the capital and did not believe in such curses or superstitions. She began to raise Chloe without worrying about the mark on her back, but soon misfortune struck.

Six months after Chloe's birth, her father Clemen fell ill with the epidemic and passed away.

The shock to Isabella at that time is easy to imagine. Fortunately, her eldest son had already come of age, resolving the issue of succession, but more misfortune followed.

The next year, the epidemic continued to rage, and the number of deaths in the town soared.

The Alden family was no exception. Isabella's sister and her second son also fell ill and passed away. Isabella herself became infected and nearly died but managed to survive.

As family members fell victim to misfortune one after another, and even her own life was in danger, Isabella began to think:

– The cause of this misfortune must be Chloe's curse.

When people are struck by something unjust, they tend to blame someone. The disease was actually an infection caused by rats in the capital, and the series of misfortunes were mere coincidences, but for Isabella, it was different.

It must be Chloe's fault, no, it has to be, what a terrible child...

Gradually, Isabella began to see Chloe as a "cursed child."

Emotionally unstable and with a weak heart, Isabella could not overcome the deaths of her husband and second son and turned to blaming Chloe to vent her frustrations.

Isabella began to publicly declare that Chloe was a cursed child, and those around her started to believe it. Chloe was confined to the house and strictly forbidden from going outside.

Thus began the abuse and harassment of Chloe.

It started with Isabella, who would rage, "Your father's death is your fault!" and soon Chloe's older sister Lily and the servants joined in, attacking Chloe as a group.

Objectively, it was a tragic case of group psychology in a closed rural area, but young Chloe could not understand such things.

Continuously being told by her mother, sister, and the servants that she was a cursed child, Chloe began to believe it herself.

If there was any solace, it was that Chloe was naturally resilient and optimistic, and the maid who had been taking care of her since birth continued to encourage her, saying, "That's not true."

However, one maid could only do so much.

Moreover, when Chloe turned ten, the maid had to return to the capital due to a family emergency, leaving Chloe without any allies.

And the final misfortune.

Normally, blue marks disappear by the age of five or six, but Chloe's case was different. Although the mark became lighter as she grew older, it still remained even after she turned ten.

A blue mark that should have disappeared continued to be etched on her skin, becoming the final piece that confirmed Chloe as a cursed child.

Abused by her family and forced to do household chores and assist in the house, Chloe worked like a horse.

Chloe Alden, now sixteen years old.

Her treatment within the house was still as if she were a rag.