**Love... How can one truly explain such a feeling? When and where do you meet your first love? Is it a blessing or a curse to lose your heart to someone?
What can a ten-year-old girl truly understand of the world? Especially when the boy she falls for is the Prince of the kingdom, and she is the "forgotten" daughter of a Duke. This is the story of a girl who grew up in solitude, only to find an "angel" who took her breath away. But is he her destiny, or the beginning of a beautiful tragedy?**
I: The Duke's Neglected Rose
The Duchy of La Sole was a place of breathtaking beauty, defined by a palace surrounded by rare and vibrant flowers. To the outside world, the Duke's family was the pinnacle of aristocracy—cheerful, wealthy, and powerful.
But within those walls lived Liliana la Sole, the eldest daughter. Despite her cold beauty and extraordinary talents, she was a ghost in her own home. In a family that seemed to have everything, Liliana was superfluous. No one sought her company, and no one offered her affection. Her only solace was the flower garden, where she spent her days lost in books. Because of her isolation, the servants whispered a nickname for her: the Lonely Flower.
Liliana often escaped the suffocating silence of the estate to walk through the town. Since her family rarely noticed her presence, no one ever stopped her.
On one such walk, she saw him.
He was a boy so handsome that the world seemed to stop. One look at his face made it impossible to turn away. At that moment, ten-year-old Liliana felt her heart stir for the first time. She had fallen in love with a stranger.
"Please, do not wander too far, Your Highness," one of the men accompanying him said.
"I know," the boy replied, his voice calm and melodic.
Liliana stood frozen, unable to take her eyes off him. Entranced, she began to follow them, unaware of the risk. Suddenly, one of the boy's bodyguards sensed a presence and looked back. Liliana snapped out of her daze just in time and ducked into an alleyway, her heart racing.
On her way back home, she passed a nondescript building with its doors ajar. From within, she heard a sickening sound—the crack of a whip—followed by a man's harsh voice.
"You think you can run away just because you know how to fight?" the man spat.
"She'll fetch a good price," another added. "We can sell her to a Marquis or a Duke."
Liliana peered inside and saw a girl covered in blood. Despite the pain, the girl remained silent, her jaw set in defiance.
"Enough!" Liliana's voice rang out, cold and commanding. She stepped into the light, her gaze icy. "If you hit her again, I will call the guards."
The men turned, surprised to see a ten-year-old girl standing there.
"Look at this ragamuffin!" one laughed. "Leave now, little girl, unless you want to take her place."
Liliana raised her head, her piercing blue eyes locking onto his. "If you do not release her this instant, you will find yourself shorter by a head."
The man sneered, raising his whip toward Liliana. "And what could a brat like you possibly—"
"Wait!" the other man shouted, grabbing his companion's arm. He looked at Liliana's golden hair and regal stature. "Look at those eyes... that hair. She is the daughter of the Duke of La Sole."
The atmosphere shifted instantly. The men froze. Liliana didn't flinch.
"I want this girl sent to the Duchy of Sole immediately," she ordered. She turned to leave, then paused, looking back over her shoulder. "And don't you dare touch her again."
The men were paralyzed. They couldn't explain it—whether it was her noble blood or the sheer chilling authority in her gaze, they were powerless to argue.
The next day, the men arrived at the Duchy. The servants, acting on Liliana's prior instructions, took the girl and paid the men off without a word to the Duke. They led the girl to the garden where Liliana sat among her flowers.
"What is your name?" Liliana asked.
"Rianna," the girl whispered, her head bowed.
"Who are you? You don't look like a commoner," Liliana observed, her gaze sharp.
Rianna realized she couldn't hide the truth from this girl. "I am the daughter of Baron de Corte. After my family's downfall, I was left alone... and sold into slavery."
Liliana walked over and gently lifted Rianna's chin, forcing her to look into her eyes.
"From this day on, I will call you Ria. And you... you will be my shield."
Ria blinked, confused. "Your shield? But how?"
"You will understand when the time comes," Liliana said with a confident, hopeful smile. "I want you by my side to protect me. But first, you must heal."
Ria looked at her with wide, questioning eyes.
"How old are you?" Liliana asked.
"I am twelve."
"Do you want to learn how to fight properly?" Liliana's voice became serious. "You will learn to master the sword. You will take revenge on those who destroyed your family. In exchange, you will stay with me forever. What is your answer?"
"Yes!" Ria's voice was firm. "I want to fight!"
"Anna!" Liliana called out.
A fifteen-year-old maid appeared. Anna had been chosen by Liliana's late mother; she was wise, loyal, and the only person Liliana fully trusted.
"Take Ria. See to her wounds and give her a place to rest," Liliana commanded.
As they walked away, Liliana watched them, a small, knowing smile on her lips. "We will meet again soon, Ria."