"-Flaudette-"
A baby??
My eyes widened as if they were about to pop out. Alodia laughs at my reaction.
Didn't I die? Don't tell me... My heartbeat raced as if it was having a speed match with Alodia's mouth, fastly spouting how pretty I am.
I was reborn...?
I couldn't believe it...I'm alive again...
How did it happen? The last thing I recall was having a blood bath after getting slashed by that dirtbag. Did I just get back at the time? Or this is another lifetime? Whichever the answer it doesn't matter anymore... As long as I won't get to live it miserable like the last time.
This time will be different...I will do it differently now.
5 years later
"Beautiful daughter of mine! look at her gorgeous purple eyes! Isn't she got it from me?" My father's spiky mustache pricked me a hundred times as he kept on kissing me every second.
How can he be so obsessed? He was like that in my past life but not until my stepmother, the duchess who was famous for spreading gossip, has announced to everyone that I was the result of my father's betrayal of her with a servant. Subsequently, my father received much criticism and started to look at me differently as if the fault belongs to me.
Why did she try so hard to shame me? Simple, I was earning a lot of compliments and attention from nobility for having such a pleasant face and her daughters were not having that treatment. The duchess destroyed my image having me treated as good as other servants. No matter how wealthy our ducal family, the funds and golds can't deal with something as natural as a face. Honestly but not to be a meany, the Duchess and her daughters have unattractive figures which suit their attitudes.
The majority of spending my time belongs to reading and studying. While sipping milk in the library, one question si circling my mind. How can I get away from my doom? I died at the age of twenty then so, I only had sixteen years to die. But it's not going to happen again. I'll do anything to prevent it. I need some time alone at a quiet place to decide my best plan.
First, I need a plan, of course first thing is to leave this place. I can prevent my death if I leave this place before I die so I will not be able to become a concubine of that crazy dog. I will not be famed and not going to have a miserable death.
Shivers crept to my body as I remember his eyes, his fiery golden eyes that burned my courage to tell him the truth. I swear I will leave this place without seeing his face.
Ugh, just thinking about his face can cause me a painful stomach ache...
Just wait Zachael, you dog...I going to get out of this place away from you...
But how can I escape this place? Where I'm going to live then..? Crap! Didn't living alone homeless somewhere is much dangerous..!? I'm just a weak noble lady!! How can I live alone? I even have my servants to help me take a bath, to dress properly and I can't cook! If I left, then starving in street will the most likely ending for me!!
My head is starting to ache after a lot of thinking. Knowing that the outside world is too unknown to me. It's like stepping into a landmine!! Leaving this place is a total suicide...
How can things be so hard for me... Come on! I just want a happy life...I'm such an unlucky person...
Wait... I'm not that stupid to leave without having a single penny with me... I need to learn to earn my own money...! Yes, that's right... To leave this place I need to learn how to survive.
Questions filled my head. First, how can I make money? I need a job. What job can I have? A job that is a weak lady like me can handle... I need to think about where I'm good at... I am good at...eh..ah...hmm...NOTHING!!!
I suddenly felt pity for myself, I'm not going to survive if I'm like this. Ugh! How can I be so useless?! After a few moments of comforting myself, I proceeded with my plan evaluation.
Come to think of it, I always liked books and I'm knowledgeable in herbs using them as medical tools. I'm very interested in herbalism! I finally found I job I loved! In my past life, I was really interested in this but I stopped...
A flash of memory came back to my mind
--( "What are you doing?!" Stepmother glared at me tightly holding my wrist, resulting my hurtful look as the glass flask I was holding fell out of my hand, making out a dangerous floor filled with broken pieces of glasses with green liquid.
"You! Did nothing but embarrass our family! Oh, I forgot, you weren't part of it!" Tears streamed down my cheeks.
"Forgive me...mother" Crying is all only I could do. I shouldn't have tried to make an ointment.
"Don't call me mother, you disgust me! Well, it's alright you are just showing your natural trait, acting like a servant just like your mother!" She grinned at me as she let go of my wrist with a disgusted look. I was so scared.
"Hey! You there! Take this filthy girl and locked her in her room! No lunch nor dinner at all!" She ordered the servant and the servant dragged me, not showing any respect as if she was dragging someone lower her status.
I was crying, cold and darkness embrace me as the door loudly locked.... )--
I shook the thoughts out of my head, I won't let it happen again. Never again, I will never let them insult me and my plan will not going to be hindered by them.
I have decided. I will learn everything to be an herbalist as my job in the future.
I need to prepare everything now that I still have the power of being a noble. But I need to hide my intentions from my family, I know that they won't let me have my happy ending that easily, I realized there are so many villains in my life, and of course, the evilest of all is that bastard Zachael.
I hate him, I will never want to meet him again. I'll prevent everything and the most important is to avoid is our meeting. That's right, I meet that dirtbag when I was 16 at the debutante of his little sister, the imperial princess. All I have to do is not to attend that banquet, and our paths will never cross. Just thinking about it makes me refreshed.
I suddenly grinned at my thoughts.
I already know my plan. It's the best plan ever and I can't believe how smart I am!
It was a plan where I'm going to live my life to the fullest and die old in my bed. Spending my meantime here in this cimmerian manor, I'm going to be an intelligent person and learn all things to survive alone that is enough for me to drop my noble status and leave this depressing place to live like a normal happy person.
Perfect.
I was so happy, surprising Alodia with my wide smile. Maybe she thought I was creepy smiling widely alone.
Whatever.
Having a secret room is one of my plans obviously to hide my main plan. I need to find a secret room.
As I was walking Alodia keeps on following me. Ugh, why is she following me around?! I can't find a secret room because of her! How do I get rid of her...? Should I run? My legs are small! Surely she can catch me within a second.
Oh, I know...
"Ahh! Alodia I see a rat!! There there! Catch it!" I pointed to the corner and Alodia starts to panic, quickly went to catch it. I take the chance and run away and it's a success! How can I be so good at plans?
Breathing heavily I run out of the mansion and the knights just ignored me, they didn't respect me at all since they looked at me like a servant. I don't care, having their lack of respect is beneficial for me.
I'm not sure but I heard that the western side of the manor is unused by anyone. I need to check it out. While running I passed on a tree and my destination was visible to my sight.
"Hey! Watch out!!" Those words roared in my ear and everything goes black.
What happened.....