Chapter One: Whispers in the field

Do you believe every choice has its own consequence?

I never thought much about it, not until it happened to me. Every day, we make decisions—small, seemingly insignificant ones. But what if even the smallest choice changed everything?

That morning, I made a decision. It wasn't about what I ate or where I went, but something far more subtle. A choice that didn't seem important at the time.

I didn't realize it then, but each step I took, each action I made, would lead me down a path I couldn't turn back from.

Maybe, if I was given the second chance, could I change it?

Could I change myself?

Could I change the choices?

Do I really have the power for it? Or is it just my ego?

---

It is the early 13th century in derous empire.

It was just another day. I woke before my father could see me, slipping quietly from my bed and into the morning air. The sun had barely risen, and the world was still draped in a soft, golden haze. As I made my way to the field to pick flowers, my long red hair tumbled free from its bun, cascading around me like a fiery curtain. The breeze caught it, sending it dancing in the wind, a fleeting moment of freedom.

And then, there he was.

Adrian. Standing in the middle of the flower field, his presence as much a part of the landscape as the flowers themselves. He was my flower, my life, the reason I kept going. The sight of him always made my heart flutter, but I kept my smile hidden, focusing on the task at hand.

As I bent to pick the blossoms, I felt his gaze on me. "Any bruises?" he asked, his voice soft but laced with concern.

I shook my head, a silent reassurance. No bruises today. No signs of the pain I carried. Not today.Not yet.

He stepped closer, his presence steady and comforting. With gentle hands, he began to braid my hair, each movement deliberate, as if weaving his care into every strand. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down my spine, but I kept my eyes lowered, focusing on the flowers at my feet.

"Adrian," I whispered, my voice barely audible against the wind. "If someone were to see us... I would be dead."

He chuckled softly, the sound as familiar as the rhythm of the seasons. "Seriously, Em? That's why you should run away with me."

I didn't answer. The words caught in my throat, tangled with the weight of the life I could never escape. No matter where I went, no matter how far I ran, my father's shadow would always find me.

---

The village where I lived was small, nestled at the edge of the forest, its huts huddled together as if to find warmth in their closeness. Only my house stood apart, larger and better than the rest—a reminder of who I was, and who I could never escape.

My father, the village chief, ruled over everyone with a cruel hand. He hated me more than anything. The cold, unforgiving glare in his eyes when he saw me was enough to send a chill through my bones. Whenever he found me, it was never a question of what I had done, only how much he could make me suffer.

He was oblivious to the things that mattered to me, the parts of my life he would never understand—the moments like this one with Adrian, where I could find a fleeting sense of peace. He knew nothing of us, and I intended to keep it that way.

---

Back in the present, I couldn't answer Adrian's question. I couldn't find the words. Instead, I looked at him—at his dark, black hair, the way it caught the light, and his ocean-blue eyes, so clear and honest that I knew I could never lie to him.

But today, those eyes held something else. Something different.

Before I could gather my thoughts, the unmistakable sound of hooves reached my ears. My father was coming. His horse's heavy steps were as familiar as his voice, and just as full of authority. He knew I picked flowers in the forest, but he could never see me with Adrian.

"Hide," I whispered, panic rising in my chest.

Adrian obeyed instantly, disappearing into the trees just as my father's shadow loomed over me.

"What are you doing?" His voice was cold, devoid of any concern, as his dark eyes narrowed on me.

I froze, too terrified to meet his gaze. "I... I thought flowers... would make the chief happy..." My voice faltered, a weak excuse that I knew he wouldn't believe.

With a swift movement, he dismounted and grabbed me by the hair, yanking me toward him. His hand was as cruel as his words. He took a shard of broken glass from his saddle, its jagged edges catching the light like a weapon.

"This is what makes me happy," he sneered, pressing the glass to my fingers, where I'd been picking the flowers.

Pain exploded in my hand, but I couldn't scream. If I did, he would return, and it would be far worse. He was gone before I could even breathe a sigh of relief, leaving me in a daze, blood dripping from my fingers.

Adrian didn't waste a second. He rushed to me, tearing his shirt without hesitation, and wrapped it tightly around my injured hand. His face was tight with anger, but his touch was gentle. The blood stained his shirt, but I couldn't bring myself to care.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to tear at my dress, to scream for help, but if my father noticed... If he knew, it would be the end of me.

Soon, night fell, its cold embrace tightening around me. "I have to return to the hell..." I thought, my heart heavy with dread. I couldn't go back with Adrian's shirt wrapped around my fingers, not after what had happened. But I had no choice.

Blood continued to seep from the wounds in my hands, a cruel reminder of my father's anger. As I entered the house, I was met with a sight that froze my very soul.

My father's body lay there, lifeless, sprawled across the floor. My mind couldn't process it at first. His head... it was missing.

The emotions coursing through me were a strange mix—relief, fear, and confusion. But then, my eyes fell upon the shattered glass, the blood staining the floor—and the vision of myself, sitting beside the body, my hands soaked in the blood that wasn't mine.

I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. My vision blurred, and then the pain of the slap struck me across the face.

"Hah...gh...ah..." I gasped. Was it a dream?

"Sir Shen...?" My father's henchman appeared, his sneer a harsh reminder of the life I was trapped in.

"What the hell is this bitch doing here?" he laughed, his friends joining in. It was only then that I snapped out of my daze, realizing I had been standing in the doorway for too long. Had it all been a dream?

The fear clawed at me as I stumbled outside. My father's men were still in the house. I couldn't stay there tonight.

The flower field, though, it felt like the only place I could breathe.

"Who would let their daughter roam the night like this?" A voice cut through the silence.

"I could never..." I turned, my heart skipping a beat.

Adrian. There he stood, a beacon of light in the dark, his face glowing softly in the moonlight. The words he spoke were always the ones I longed to hear, the ones that soothed my shattered heart."Why are you here?" I asked. "Figured you would be here" his reassuring voice told me.

Tears welled in my eyes, and before I knew it, they were falling, unchecked. Adrian wiped them away gently, his touch a balm to my broken soul.

"Want to stay in my home?" he asked, his voice hopeful, yet tinged with the uncertainty of knowing the answer before it was spoken.

Though he was only fifteen, Adrian had suffered more than most in his short life. His mother had died in childbirth, and his father had fallen in a minor battle between two villages. Now, he lived alone, doing whatever he could to survive, taking on odd jobs to make ends meet.

"I wish I could," I whispered, my voice cracking as I stared at my reflection in the small lake by the flower field. My green eyes glowed in the moonlight, but all I could see was the path I couldn't take.

Adrian knew, just as well as I did, that my answer was a quiet "no." And once I said no, it would be forever.

He kissed my forehead, his lips lingering for just a moment, a soft promise.

"Goodnight," he said, before turning and leaving me standing there, alone in the field.

I lay down amidst the flowers, my red hair blending with the crimson roses that surrounded me. The world felt distant, as though I were floating in a dream, far from the life I could never.

---

It was morning when I woke up to find Adrian sitting beside me.

"You woke up, Em," he said softly.

"How long have you been here?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

He didn't reply, but I knew the truth. He'd been there from the moment I'd fallen asleep.

"I had already picked the flowers," he added, his tone casual but with an edge of sadness.

I gathered the flowers into a bouquet, as I always did—picking them to sell, or to give to my father. It was the only way I could earn enough to be fed, to survive another day under the weight of his cruelty. I was his daughter only until I was married off... or until I died by his hand.

Adrian took my hands in his, looking at me with those serious eyes—eyes that held something unspoken, something that made it impossible to resist.

"I've never asked anything of you, except this one thing... I can't stand seeing you suffer every day. Please, Em... let's run away. There's no future for you here."

The truth hung between us, heavy and undeniable. But no matter how true his words were, I couldn't bring myself to say yes. I just sat there, in silence, my heart torn.

He stood up abruptly, anger flashing in his eyes. Without a word, he left, and I couldn't stop the feeling of helplessness that washed over me. I laughed bitterly at my situation.

A few hours later, one of my father's henchmen came to fetch me.

"Oi, chick. Come with me. Chief wants you," he said gruffly.

I knew that tone wasn't good, but what choice did I have? I followed him, reluctantly, knowing he was probably the kindest of all the henchmen.

When I arrived, I froze. A luxurious carriage stood outside my house, an unfamiliar sight.

I walked carefully inside, making no noise. The faces inside were ones I didn't recognize, but they felt... familiar, as if I'd known them my whole life.

And then I saw him. My father. Smiling at me in a way I had never seen in my fourteen years under his roof.

He came toward me, tears in his eyes. "The time has come, my baby. You have to leave your father..."

His words were a shock. I couldn't understand why he was acting like this.

But then, the truth came crashing down.

"Actually, I'm not your real father. This generous nobleman is."

I stared at him, confused, until his words began to sink in. The man standing before me—this stranger—was supposed to be my father.

I bowed to him, unsure of how to react.

He embraced me, his arms warm and comforting. "My name is Fin Greenstone."

Greenstone... It seemed like a fitting name for someone with eyes that mirrored my own, eyes as green as the fields.

Wait... my eyes were green too. Could he think I was his daughter because of that?

I was stunned, but in that moment, I knew. I wasn't his daughter, but I had to leave this hell behind.

"Hello, Father," I said quietly, a lump forming in my throat.

Fin Greenstone smiled at me, tears welling in his eyes. "The words I've been waiting for... for fourteen years."

I could see the love he held for me in his gaze, a love I had never felt from my real father.

"Pack your things. We're leaving now."

I felt a rush of joy and relief—finally, I could escape. I ran to gather my belongings, but then I remembered Adrian.

To gain something, we must lose something, right? I couldn't bear the thought of leaving him behind.

I slipped out of the back door, unnoticed by anyone, and headed straight for his house.

When I found him, I explained everything quickly, but he didn't say a word. He simply pulled me into his arms, holding me close.

"Em... Be happy," he whispered, his voice filled with an emotion I couldn't quite place.

His words sent a shiver down my spine. I never wanted to leave him, but I had to.

"I will definitely come back for you," I promised, tears streaming down my face.

With one last look, I turned and left, knowing that if I stayed, everyone would come searching for me.

I got into the carriage, and as it pulled away, I felt the weight of the moment settle over me.

This was the turning point in my life—the point where everything changed.

Just like that, I became the daughter of Fin Greenstone, Archduke of the Derous Empire.

And I only learned of his title during the journey, when I was completely shocked by the revelation.

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                Thank you for reading my story

In the future,I will make it even more better.