I went completely numb. I could see flashbacks of the time of my death, feel the emotions I had then, and the same fear that drenched me in blood now soaked my feet in the blood of others.
"I warned you, right?"
"I warned you not to choose this path."
"Are you getting a taste of the medicine you've chosen, Bernice Balliol? Or are you still going to pretend the duchess acted? Bernice Balliol Alexavier Agnes?"
It was him, the Lunar God, speaking inside my head.
"Stop invading my thoughts, you stalker god!" I shouted, clutching my head. His words were causing me pain, no matter how hard I tried to ignore them.
"Why? Did I make you see the reality? Or can't you see how Alexavier Agnes sliced their necks without hesitation? Tell me what's making you shout so much. Is it your pride?"
Pride? No, it wasn't my pride. Pride had never been an option for me, not now.
"What are you trying to say?" I asked.
"What am I trying to say? Don't you already know? I've shared my thoughts with you before. I'm here to tell you to stop being stubborn and come to me, be my holy knight, and serve me. No one will harm you that way," he repeated his offer.
"You still haven't given me a reason."
"You still haven't told me why you want me to serve you," I asked again, knowing that this time, just like before, I wouldn't get a straight answer. But silencing him was necessary for my peace of mind.
"Bernice, I'm trying to save you," he said, and I felt a pang of pain with his words. Why?
"Save me?" I smirked. "Why are you lying?"
"Is telling me the truth so difficult? Do you think I have the power to kill a god like you just because I've learned how to wield a sword? Are you afraid of me or something?"
"If not, why lie? Did you forget what you said when you first appeared before me? Didn't you say I shouldn't have returned to the past? Didn't you say my fate was to die and I wasn't supposed to live? Then how can you lie, saying you want to save me when you've already killed me once, in the most brutal way? Do you expect me to believe your nonsense? No, I can't."
"Bernice!" he shouted at me again.
"Lunar, the god of the moon, I will never obey you, even if you kill me again. So, stop bothering me."
Soon, his voice vanished, and I felt my head becoming lighter without his presence.
"Master, what happened?" It was Erios.
"I couldn't connect with you for a while. What happened?" he panicked.
"Nothing," I replied with a forced smile. But I had forgotten that Alexavier was still standing in front of me, holding the bloody sword that continued to drip with blood.
"D-Duke," I stuttered, addressing him.
"Madam, you can do whatever you want in this place. There won't be anyone to disturb you anymore," he said while giving me a sweet, loving smile. But no matter how hard I tried to ignore it, I couldn't help but notice the blood splattered on his shirt and the blood-stained sword.
"Is it Noxua?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied and walked out of the room.
"Clean this. Make sure not to bring these types of maids again unless you want to face the same fate," he ordered Grant before leaving.
Had he always been like this, acting so decisively? What I knew from my memories was that he was brutal on the battlefield, but in reality, he rarely spoke unless it was absolutely necessary, such as when he had assigned me the duties of the Duchess.
"Duchess, come with me! I will show you your room," Grant said politely. He showed no signs of fear despite witnessing the scene and the Duke's behavior.
"Erios, come with me!" I called to Erios.
"No, I've already prepared a room for him at the end of the floor," Grant said, looking at Erios.
"I want to stay with the Master," Erios said, hiding behind me.
"Mr. Erios, I know you are not as young as you're pretending to be. So, make sure you stay within your limits unless you want to end up like those who are now dead," Grant said with a straight face, making the situation even more unsettling.
"Do I look like I'm scared of him?"
"Oh, you aren't? Then let me ca—"
"No, I will go," Erios changed his mind abruptly.
"What made you change your mind?" I asked through our mental connection.
"That person is scary, as well as that sword."
Scary? Sword? How?
"I can't explain it, but for now, I can only advise you to stay away from him. He doesn't give off good vibes. I sense a dark aura around him. No, it can't be called a dark aura, but I can see blood on him," Erios replied through our connection.
Blood? I was sure he was thinking about blood because he had been sent to the battlefield when he was barely fourteen. From what I had heard, he was the last one to return from the battlefield, barely able to lift a sword twice his size.
"I can't say for sure, but he is something. You better stay on guard," Erios warned.
Erios left for his room, and Grant showed me to my own room. It was decorated differently this time, giving off a much better atmosphere compared to the previous one that was tailored to his taste.
"I will send someone to help you get ready."
"Please make yourself comfortable."
"The Duke will come as soon as he finishes his work," Grant assured me before leaving.
The Duke was coming? Alexavier was coming? What a joke.
It will be another day, much like the ones I experienced in the past, where I sleep alone without even a glimpse of his shadow entering the room, let alone him coming to me voluntarily.