The Price of Departure

Ophelia was helped up at dawn to prepare for the engagement ceremony, the pain having dulled from the aconite powder she'd taken.

Thick layers of gauze tightly bound her wounds, while she doused herself in heavy perfume to mask the lingering scent of medicine.

Ophelia's face was deathly pale, so the maid dusted a heavy layer of powder on her cheeks and painted her lips with rouge.

At first glance,