It was a stormy night in a grand county rich in fertile lands and vast forests alongside its towering mountains, where in the Count's mansion, the beautiful Countess was giving birth to her first child.
The labor had been hard; the Countess was struggling to give birth, being very young at only 17 years old.
In those times, it was normal to marry young and have children almost immediately.
The Count loved her, and his love was returned, but there are always envious people, and in this case, it was his cousin who planted doubts in the Count's mind, making him question the fidelity of his beautiful wife.
Thus, on a stormy night at midnight, the cries of a baby echoed, revealing a beautiful girl.
A beautiful girl with light eyes, porcelain-white skin, a little upturned nose, and golden blonde hair that even in the darkness shone like rays of sunshine due to its brightness; undoubtedly a beautiful girl, but there was a problem.
Her mother was not blonde, nor did she possess such fair skin, and her father, the Count, had a cinnamon complexion, dark hair, and deep brown eyes—handsome he was, yet his daughter had inherited none of his traits, which sparked the Count's fury.
This was irrefutable proof that his wife had been unfaithful, and to make matters worse, after bringing the child into the world, her mother closed her eyes, bidding farewell to life. Thus, the beautiful girl was left motherless with an uncertain future and a father who believed he was not her own.
That same night, the Count sent the child to the most secluded part of the mansion with a nursemaid; he did not care for her life, after all, she was not his daughter. If she were to die, it would be for the best; he felt betrayed and mocked in both love and pride.
That same night, the cousin took the opportunity and seduced the Count. In his pain and wounded pride, he succumbed to temptation, and eight months later, another girl was born.
This girl took the place of the true heiress, being spoiled, pampered, and adored, she became the light of her father's eyes.
Thus, condemning to ostracism the little girl born before, his eldest daughter, who from that day began to live a life filled with pain and sadness, feeling despised by her own father.
When she was still a baby, she initially grew up believing she had neither father nor mother until at the age of three one afternoon, she encountered the Count.
Upon seeing the precious girl with golden hair, he shouted that she was a bastard and not his daughter, but rather the shame of her mother, a child who should have never been born.
Drunk, the Count verbally mistreated her; that was how this little beauty learned that she was the illegitimate daughter of Count Alejandro Salvatierra.
Like many, she too did not know, but after discovering her status as the Count's despised daughter, she began to be mistreated by everyone; only the woman who had cared for her since birth treated her with affection, tending to her as if she were her own child, providing the only solace the small girl had.
From that day on, every servant, every person, knew that the beautiful girl was a bastard and that her own father despised her.
So, if the Count treated her with disdain, why would they treat her well? No one knew of this girl’s existence, and she was now condemned to mistreatment by all.
Despite believing she was not his daughter, the Count still provided her with what was necessary to live well due to her being legally his legitimate child, but since he himself declared that she was not his daughter, the servants who were supposed to care for her ignored her, and the cooks who should have supplied her with food set her aside; for them, it was shameful to serve a bastard.
And it was from then on that she understood she would not be the lady of the county, and if she wanted to live in peace—or at least as much as was possible—she would have to distance herself as much as possible from her father, her younger sister, and also from the Countess, who happened to be her aunt. Aranza Montiel was the name of her stepmother, and the name of her younger sister was Manuela Salvatierra, the little princess of her father.
The governess who was supposed to take charge of Evelyn's education was named after her mother before she passed away. In reality, she taught her nothing; the little she did teach was through harsh physical punishments, which were extremely severe.
This same governess also educated Manuela, whom she treated like the most delicate flower for being the legitimate and recognized daughter of the Count.
Thus, the little girl spent her early years until she turned eight.
Everything Evelyn learned, she learned on her own.
Evelyn was a beautiful girl, not just outwardly but also within; she was very intelligent and mature for her age. After all, who wouldn’t mature when treated harshly? Any child would.
Especially when they realize they must take care of themselves if they want a prosperous life, and the best way to avoid problems is to recognize them before they occur.
This was how little Evelyn grew slowly, with a wise and alert mind, hungry for knowledge that she acquired on her own since her father did not even bother to ensure she was treated well and educated properly.
The woman who had cared for her since she was a baby, named Josefa, had been her mother’s nurse and was now hers; for that reason, she was the only one who gave her love and protection.
But despite doña Josefa’s attempts to protect her, she could not always be by her side.
After all, Evelyn was a child, and like any child, she was very curious, so she could not be spared from suffering.
So, although Josefa wanted to shield her from all harm, resentment and envy were always present to hurt precious Evelyn. The main person who hated Evelyn was Aranza, her stepmother, who wished for her own daughter to be the only one and ensured that it would be so, poisoning the Count's heart without knowing that she would perhaps regret it far too much in the future.
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