Chapter 1
669words
My sister, Jessica Lawrence, squeezed my hand and whispered the names of guests into my ear.
She's my full-blooded sister, cursed with a weak constitution. When I left the mountains a year ago, she was still bedridden. Now she's blossomed into a graceful young woman, though her delicate features still bear the shadows of her illness.
"Sister, that's the Personnel Minister's son, and beside him is…"
I nodded absently, my gaze locked on a figure dressed in white, tucked away in the corner.
He sat alone, detached from the room's chaos as if existing in his own private universe. The celadon teacup in his hands looked even more exquisite against his elegant, well-defined knuckles.
He acknowledged no one, keeping his eyes downcast, long lashes casting delicate shadows beneath them.
Holy hell, he was gorgeous.
Exactly, perfectly, one hundred percent my type.
I elbowed my sister and nodded toward him.
"Who's that gorgeous guy?"
Jessica followed my gaze, paused, then broke into a knowing smile.
"Sister, that's Robert Lawrence, the most brilliant scholar in the capital. His family's quite ordinary, though. He's just here escorting his father today."
Robert Lawrence.
I rolled his name around in my mind. Same surname as us, but definitely not from any noble branch—probably just coincidence. I couldn't recall any character like him from the novel I'd transmigrated into.
Perfect.
A weight lifted from my chest.
At the banquet, my father, General Victor Lawrence, was already three cups in and parading me before his colleagues.
"Look here! This is my daughter, Amanda Lawrence! Studied martial arts in the mountains for ten years! Can drop a bull with one punch!"
I forced an awkward smile while mentally groaning: Seriously, Dad? Could you be any louder?
Mother sighed, patting his shoulder as she explained to everyone, "Amanda's just a bit spirited, that's all."
Yet my eyes kept wandering back to that corner.
Robert Lawrence remained silent throughout, offering only slight nods when approached, speaking barely a word—like some flawless jade statue come to life.
But damn if that aloofness didn't make him even hotter.
The banquet finally dragged to a close.
I dragged Jessica back to my quarters and shooed away all the servants.
"Jessica, spill everything about this Robert Lawrence. I want his entire life story—hell, go back eighteen generations if you can."
Jessica laughed at my shameless demand. She settled down, taking her sweet time pouring us both tea.
"Sister, why the interest? Don't tell me you've fallen for him already?"
"Damn right I have," I declared without a hint of girlish shyness. "Let me be crystal clear—that man, I want him."
Jessica choked on her tea, coughing violently before finally catching her breath.
"Sister! Y-you can't just say things like that!"
"Why the hell not?" I shot back. "I like him, so I'm going after him. What should I do instead? Wait until someone else snatches him up, then cry myself to sleep? In Amanda Lawrence's dictionary, 'regret' isn't even a word."
If you want something, you grab it.
Jessica stared at me, her eyes wide with both shock and admiration.
"God, Sister, you're fearless."
I arched an eyebrow and leaned in. "Now spill everything you know about him. I need to plan my attack."
She couldn't resist my badgering and finally shared everything she knew about Robert Lawrence.
After hearing it all, I was even more determined.
Clean background, brilliant mind, ice-cold demeanor—absolutely my ideal type, like he was custom-made for me.
I clapped my hands, battle-ready.
"It's settled then. By tomorrow, every soul in this capital will know that I, Amanda Lawrence, have set my sights on Robert Lawrence."
My sister's face was a perfect blend of worry and barely contained excitement.
And me? With Robert Lawrence's ice-cold face burning in my mind, I felt a wildfire raging in my chest.
Imperial City, I'm back.
And Robert Lawrence? You're mine.
