The dream followed her through countless moments of neglect. At formal gatherings, where the important families of the demon kingdom met, she was paraded like a prized possession in front of her parents, but the moment they turned away, the nobles whispered behind her back. They saw her as an outsider, a mixed-blood child, neither fully fairy nor demon. Despite her parents' power and status, the prejudice of their world couldn't be erased so easily.
Even as a child, Rebecca sensed it. The coldness. The way people's smiles never reached their eyes. The hollow greetings. She was an outsider, and no matter how hard she tried to belong, she would always be seen as different, unworthy of real affection from anyone but her parents.
Rebecca stirred in her sleep, a faint frown crossing her face. The sadness of the little girl seeped into her heart. The love she had felt from her parents was real, but it wasn't enough to fill the emptiness left by the cruel world around her. No wonder the original Rebecca had grown up bitter and closed off, her emotions twisted by the isolation she had endured.
As the dream faded, Rebecca was left with a heavy sense of pity for the girl whose life she had inherited. Despite her privileged status, despite the love of her parents, the original Rebecca had grown up emotionally starved, left alone to fight her battles in a world that didn't want her.
Rebecca stirred awake, her eyelids heavy and the faint remnants of her dream still lingering in her mind. Slowly, she opened her eyes, feeling the warmth of the morning light filtering through the curtains. The vividness of the dream, the young girl's loneliness and bitterness, still clung to her thoughts.
She lay there for a while, processing what she had seen. The original Rebecca had felt such deep isolation, the coldness of those around her cutting into her young heart. But as Rebecca thought more about it, she couldn't fully agree with the girl's resentment.
The people around her had ignored her, yes. They had turned their backs and refused to show her affection or warmth. But… was that really the worst thing?
Rebecca sighed softly, sinking deeper into the mattress.
She could have ignored them right back, she thought. If the people didn't want to care, she could've done the same. Why let their coldness poison her soul?
Having loving parents—that should've been enough. It was more than enough. A pang of sadness crept into her chest as she considered this. Parents' love is everything, she thought. And the original Rebecca had been lucky, so incredibly lucky, to have had that love.
Rebecca herself had never known that warmth. As a child, she had grown up without parents, without anyone to care for her. No one had protected her, and the world had shown her nothing but harshness from the start. If she had parents like that—parents who truly loved her—she would've cherished them above all else.
She closed her eyes again, the weight of her own past brushing up against the remnants of the dream. The original Rebecca had been fortunate in ways she hadn't even realized, and maybe, if things had been different, she could've found happiness despite the cruelty of others.
But instead, the original soul had grown bitter, pushing away even the love she had. That was something Rebecca couldn't understand. To her, having just that one piece—a family who truly cared—would've been enough to survive, no matter how the rest of the world treated her.
The loneliness, the anger… they were there, yes. But from Rebecca's perspective, they didn't have to consume the girl's entire being.
As Rebecca slowly shook off the lingering feelings from her dream, she heard the door creak open, interrupting her thoughts. The butler entered the room, his expression blank at first, but when his eyes landed on her sitting up, fully awake, a look of surprise flashed across his face.
The butler, clearly not expecting his usually lazy and bedridden mistress to be up so early, was momentarily at a loss for words. He blinked, then quickly regained his composure. "Madam... You're awake," he said, his voice polite but clearly stunned. His eyes shifted toward the untouched food on the small table beside her bed, noting it had gone cold. "How was your sleep last night? Are you feeling hungry?"
Rebecca, still a bit groggy but aware she needed to start her act, nodded softly. She knew she had to play her part carefully—if the butler suspected anything odd, it could raise questions she didn't want to answer. Inwardly, she took a deep breath. This was her moment to set things in motion.
She looked up at the butler with a soft, almost hesitant expression. "Who… are you?" she asked gently, her tone deliberately light as if she was genuinely confused.
The butler's face froze, his eyes widening with shock. It was clear that he hadn't expected that response.
The butler stood there for a moment, eyes narrowing in thought. His shock faded quickly, replaced with something colder. He wasn't truly worried about Rebecca. His real concern was the child, and how this strange situation might make things worse for the boy who had already suffered so much.
Without saying much, he nodded once and backed away. "Wait here," he said, his voice flat and emotionless. He left the room, hurrying out, not for her sake but because he didn't want any trouble for the boy.
Rebecca could hear his voice outside, talking quickly to someone. She sat up a little, preparing herself. The door opened again, and a younger man walked in. He looked calm, like he was used to dealing with serious situations. He didn't seem too concerned about her either, just focused on his job.
Rebecca realized this must be the butler's son, the doctor. He came closer, checking her with a careful look, like he was trying to figure her out.
"Madam," he said, keeping his voice steady, "I heard you've woken up and might have lost some memories. I'm here to check on you, to see if everything is okay."
Rebecca stayed quiet for a moment, then nodded softly. She knew she had to keep acting like she didn't remember much. The butler hadn't really cared for her—he was worried about the boy. If she wasn't careful, things could go wrong very quickly. She needed her plan to work.