Catherine's POV

I sat at the vanity by the window, gazing at the roses outside.

Even in the darkness of the night, the castle remained beautiful. The roses bloomed passionately, their beauty undiminished by the arrival of the night.

"Snap," I reached out to break a flower. I looked at myself in the mirror, placing the rose into my hair. The fragrance wafted to my nostrils, but my eyes were cold.

"Smile, Catherine," I commanded myself in my mind.

In the mirror, the muscles at the corners of my mouth slowly tugged, forming a smiling expression. It reminded me of the woman who always smiled in my memories.

"Catherine, smile,"...