"Is it true your mother poison you?"

I froze to his sudden question. How did he know?

"I want to hear you now that you're conscious"

Did I say something when I wasn't?

"Ruyi"

I looked at him with surprise. Ruyi – when was the last time anyone spoke my name.

"Is it true?"

His hand was still holding my cheek when I nodded quietly. I did not look up into his eyes. I didn't want to see his disbelief or pitied expression.

"For how long?"

I didn't respond.

"Ruyi"

I was growing weak to the way he said my name, because he had been the first to say it so warmly. The name was given to me by my mother but quickly forgotten as I grew older. I can't remember the last time she said my name.

"Not sure... Maybe seven"

"Maybe?"

"It was the first time Ruyi saw mother put white powder in the porridge"

I spoke each word carefully, afraid that the Prince will be angry.

"Ruyi was sick for three days after that..."

"And no one called for the doctor?"

"The doctor said it was the flu..."

When Prince became quiet, I wondered if he believed me.

"Were you sick all the time?"

"Yes..."

All entire childhood had been spent mostly in bed.

"Why didn't she just kill you?" He said it so matter-a-fact.

"She needed Ruyi..." I answered tiredly. "Without Ruyi, she will not have anyone's pity... Without Ruyi, she will not have the Marquess' pity..."

When he didn't say anything else, I wondered if he had understood what I was trying to tell him.

"Sorry..."

He lifted my chin and our eyes met.

"Why are you apologizing?"

"You've been deceived by father... You were promised the best daughter but were given the worst..."

"I should kill them all"

I knew my confession would bring trouble for my mother. Now that the Prince knows, the Marquess and his family will face his anger. It had never been my intention to confess. For me, I had long resigned myself to bring the secrets to the graves.

"To treat you like this" He held me so tight in his arms while he spoke fiercely against the side of my head. "Ruyi, those bastards, they are not your family. That woman is not your mother. And that man is not your father. No parents will treat their child like this"

In that moment, I understood two things. One, the man grew up with people dotting and loving him. He felt angry for me since my parents did not give me the same love he had.

"I will never let them, let anyone hurt you again"

And two, he was not the one who poisoned the food.