I Fell for the Priest I Was Sent to Betray

My childhood sweetheart Darren orders me to seduce his paternal half brother, Kane, the tribe’s High Priest, so Kane will choose me at the Spring Rite—only for me to humiliate him in public. I agree out of gratitude because Darren once saved both my father and me. But on the hundredth day of the lie, I begin to see what each man truly offers: Darren treats my art and future as tools of revenge, while Kane, though he already knows the truth, still protects my authorship, recommends me to the Royal Art Academy, and leaves every choice in my hands. At the Spring Rite, I refuse to cut off Kane’s bracelet. Instead, I sever the bone ornament Darren gave me, expose the scheme, and end our relationship. A letter never sent by Darren’s mother reveals that his father never knew he existed, destroying the lie behind his hatred of Kane. I leave alone, become a certified muralist in the capital, and return a year later as the Spring Rite’s lead artist—ready to begin with Kane again, freely and honestly, from Day One.