A Twist of Fate

Lily Evans flipped through the illustrated booklet with hope. Each new page reignited her optimism, but as she turned it, disappointment followed.

Hope and disappointment intertwined again and again. Lily watched as the booklet grew thinner, but still found no news of Lana Evans.

Even when she finished the booklet, Lana Evans was nowhere to be found.

Lily's face turned pale.

Xenia noticed and comforted her, "Your Highness Princess Lily, in fact, it's a good thing that Miss Lana isn't in this booklet."

Lily sighed. She understood what Xenia meant.

Most of the girls in the booklet had been hurt so badly they couldn't even speak to identify themselves. If Lana was inside, it would mean something terrible had happened to her.

Now, not seeing Lana brought disappointment, but also relief—a tangled mix of emotions.

On the other side, Lily looked up to check White Pete's progress.

She saw White Pete had reached the last page of the booklet, his eyes fixed on a little girl in the drawing, his expression oddly intense.

Lily Evans went over to take a look. The girl in the drawing wasn't Lana Evans, but a stranger.

The little girl looked about Lana Evans's age, her eyes full of timidity. She seemed just like the others in the portraits, but White Pete's reaction to her was intense.

"Xenia, where did you find this girl? Where is she now?" White Pete suddenly grabbed Xenia's arm, his eyes wild with urgency.

Xenia was startled, but remembering this man was Princess Lily's trusted aide, she answered without getting angry: "I found her in an underground brothel. The girl was beaten until she was blind and deaf, but her features were quite fine. I wasn't sure if she was Miss Lana, so I had someone take good care of her. Why, is something wrong?"

White Pete's voice trembled. He slumped into a chair, eyes glued to the portrait, covering his face: "She... she... If I'm not mistaken, she should be my daughter..."

"Your daughter? Mr. White, I've never heard you mention having a wife," Lily Evans exclaimed in surprise.

White Pete let out a heavy sigh. "That was many years ago. Back then, I was young and fearless, traveling through the Kingdom of Chu. I saved a noble lady, and we fell in love, secretly pledging ourselves to each other. But her family looked down on me as a wandering craftsman and sent men to beat me up, dragging my wife back home. I was badly injured and unconscious for days. When I recovered, I went looking for her, only to learn she had been cast out for being pregnant. I searched everywhere, but she had disappeared. Later, I snuck back to her hometown, and her relatives told me that, ashamed and pregnant, she jumped into a well and took her own life. I was devastated and left Chu for Jin, hoping to forget."

As White Pete spoke, he pointed excitedly at the portrait. "She looks just like my wife, and her features resemble mine! I'm a master of disguise—I notice these things. Judging by her age and appearance, she must be my daughter! Xenia, please take me to her!"

Lily Evans quickly said, "Mr. White, don't worry, the girl is being well cared for. Xenia, please take Mr. White to meet his daughter!"

White Pete looked gratefully at Lily Evans, then rushed out with Xenia to find his daughter.

Lily Evans watched White Pete's departing figure, feeling moved. She hadn't expected that in searching for Lana Evans, she would accidentally help reunite White Pete with his long-lost daughter.

Belle said, "Princess, now that Mr. White has gone off to reunite with his daughter, I doubt he'll be back today. What about your mask?"

Lily Evans shrugged generously. "Let them have their reunion. As for the mask... Forget it, I'll take a day off tomorrow and call it a lazy break."