CHAPTER 4

She hurriedly ducked her head, put her mask on, and grabbed the servant’s hand.

Luna quickly cut her off mid-sentence, saying, “It’s nothing. She just got scared when I took my mask off.”

“No, I wasn’t scared. It’s...” The servant tried to continue explaining, but she paused when Luna anxiously squeezed her hand. The servant gave Luna a questioning look, wondering why she was preventing her from telling Preston the truth.

Luna rubbed the servant's back in a comforting manner. “It’s okay. I’m sorry for scaring you. Don’t worry. I won’t take my mask off again when you're around.”

The servant gaped at her. She could not fathom why Luna would say such a ridiculous lie. With furrowed brows, Preston regarded the unusual scene before him thoughtfully.

“It's good that you have some self-awareness. You'd better hide that face of yours properly. Don’t you dare embarrass me by showing it to anyone.”

Preston did not show it on his face, but he felt a shiver run down his spine. Luna’s face had scared the servant so much that she actually screamed. It must have been a horrifying sight.

A Sigh of relief escaped Luna’s lips, thankful that Preston had bought her story. The man left the room and retreated to the first floor. He did not want to stay in the bedroom any longer after witnessing the servant’s reaction to Luna’s face.

“You don’t have any scars on your face at all. Why would you...”

Luna examined the servant from head to toe. Based on her innocent-looking face, the young woman looked to be in her early twenties. She did not look like a troublemaker, either.

“What's your name?” Luna asked. “lm Gemma,” the servant replied.

“Alright, Gemma. Listen, you mustn't tell anyone about what you saw. There’s a reason why I’m hiding my face, so please don’t let anyone know about this. Keep this a secret for me, and I'll treat you more nicely.”

“Oh. Uh, okay, I guess...” Gemma Wright replied, squirming the words out of her mouth with difficulty.

After Gemma left with the dishes, Luna checked her phone and saw a message from Grace Bector, her best friend. “Are you still alive, Luna? The King family hasn’t torn you apart, have they?”

Luna immediately typed a response. “Hoping for something bad to happen to me already, you wicked girl? Why can’t you just wish me well? By the way, how are D.S’s new jewelry sales coming along?”

Grace instantly responded, “Please, I’m just expressing my concern for you. Anyway, the new jewelry is selling like crazy. Luna, you're amazing. Your jewelry designs always end up being bestsellers. You really are a genius designer.”

With a radiant smile on her face, Luna twisted the tiny ruby ring on her middle finger.

“Well, now you know how great I am. Treat me better in the future, and you'll reap the rewards.”

“Don't worry. My heart will always belong to you, Luna. By the way, do you really plan to keep wearing the mask even when you're at the King family’s house?

You have a gorgeous face, but you hide it behind a mask, making everyone think that you’re ugly. It’s a real pity,” Grace commented.

“I'll keep wearing the mask. I didn’t choose this marriage; it was thrust upon me. I want Preston to be disgusted with me, so he has to continue believing that I’m really ugly. Then, once he has enough, he'll divorce me, and I'll be free again. In the meantime, I have to track down Leon and persuade him to operate on my grandmother. I'll only consider this endeavor a success if I manage to convince him.”

Luna only agreed to marry Preston because Gianna and Mia had threatened her regarding her grandmother's condition. Her grandmother was currently suffering from a massive brain tumour that required delicate surgery to remove.

There were only two surgeons she knew who were capable of performing this procedure. The first was Joel Roberts, Mia’s uncle, and the second was Leon King, Preston’s cousin.

Leon was a mysterious person who was much spoken of but rarely seen in public.

Before she found him, Luna was set on having her grandmother operated on by Joel. It was because of it that she let Mia have complete authority over her.

Unfortunately, Joel would not agree to operate on her grandmother unless she married Preston as a stand-in for Mia. Mia, being the proud woman that she was, refused to marry Preston because he was known to be a useless cripple.

She did not wish to wed Preston, but Gianna had her eyes set on a piece of land given by the King family as a gift for the union, so the two women concocted a plan in which Luna would marry Preston instead.

After she and Grace finished their conversation, Luna realized she was thirsty. She looked around the room for water, but there was not a single drop of water inside the pitcher that she found. She had no choice but to go downstairs.

When Luna got to the first floor, she stopped a passing servant. The house was big, and she did not know where the kitchen was, so she had to ask for directions.

“I'm thirsty. Can you tell me where the kitchen is?” Luna asked.

The servant stared intently at Luna's face, trying to see the hideous scar beneath her mask. Only when Luna frowned did she realize she was being rude.

“Of course, madam. Please follow me,” the servant replied.

Luna cast a backward glance as they walked toward the kitchen. The servant had been staring oddly at a certain room earlier. It made her think that something was hidden inside it.

Once they reached the kitchen, Luna instructed, “There’s a pitcher in the bedroom. Can you please fill it with water?”

After dismissing the servant, she poured herself a glass of water and drank it. She then walked out of the kitchen and toward the direction the servant had been staring at earlier.

The door to the room was slightly ajar.