The Echanting Duchess

PROLOGUE

On a bright sunny day, as the morning light dazzled the land with its soft and warm brilliance, there was a young maiden who was casually picking up some fresh wild berries at the nearby forest in the outskirts of town. 

The young maiden has platinum blonde and waist-long wavy hair, fair white skin, curvy and voluptuous body that seemed to be toned down and concealed due to her simple clothing. She has a fresh and natural glowy face with perfectly shaped brows, striking and upturned amber eyes, a sharp small nose, and pinkish thin lips. 

There was no doubt that the young maiden possessed a charming beauty that could not be easily found in the entire kingdom, like a pure white lily in the midst of a dense and wild forest. 

However, as one would look closely, it was not her astounding beauty that would leave someone astounded - it was the unusual calm and indifference that could be seen in her expression. She was exuding a certain coldness that made her appear to be aloof, standoffish, and pure - an untainted beauty that couldn't be touched nor defiled. This unusual cold trait that could not be found on an ordinary lady only made the young maiden's unique charm even more pronounced. 

This young maiden's name is Atallie Ygravet, the daughter of a count in a faraway place in the Kingdom of Hartize in the continent of Azure Sylva. 

Although Atallie was a daughter of a count, she was born from a mistress, and not from the legal wife of the count, making her life not a priority of her own father.

Despite hearing stories from before that her mother was once a favored and beloved mistress of the count, she never put any interest in all those stories whether they were true or not.

Atallie's beloved mother passed away when she was just three years old, just a few months after giving birth to her younger brother. Atallie's mother was said to be pushed on the edge of the famous roaring river near the estate of the count by one of the mistresses of Count Rodrigo.

Considering that her mother, although a mistress, was able to give birth to a healthy son, Atallie and her younger brother should have been in a much favorable situation even though their mother passed away too soon.

However, the fact that her mother was able to give birth first to a son than the countess - the official wife of the count, only brought them doom and implications rather than of fortune and bliss.

Atallie and her brother were brought away to live far from the main estate of the county. For a long time, the siblings lived in a desolate, far away place in a small property under the count's name. 

After the passing of several years, even under the lack of attention from their family, Atallie and her younger brother grew up into two well-bred children. They were able to thrive on their own while living a normal life despite the challenges.

And when her little brother reached the age of schooling, her distant and uncaring father decided to take them back. This sudden decision came from the fact that after several years that had passed, the countess never had a son of her own, and even the count's other mistresses were not able to conceive a son. The count already had enough with all the daughters, and so he wanted to take Atallie's little brother back.

Atallie was ten years old back then, while her little brother was only seven years old. Count Rodrigo Ygravet took her little brother and forcefully admitted him to a boarding school wherein he was not allowed to leave the school's premises until the graduation day unless during vacation, holidays, and emergency situations. 

Because of this, Atallie was left alone and lost her only companion. 

Even at a young age, she knew that her life would be difficult if she stayed at the count's estate all alone. For all she knew, with all the daughters that the count had, she would either be bullied to suffer or be bullied to death. Thus, Atallie made a decision to convince her father to bring her to her maternal side. And it didn't even take a lot of convincing before her father allowed her right away.