The wheels of time, once revolved backwards, begin to accelerate.
"Offer your life to the guillotine."
I felt my neck stiffed for a bit when I woke up feeling cold from all over my body.
That same dream again, it was a nightmare that I will never forget.
I thought I was dead, that my life has been ended, but it didn't end just like that. Someone heard my request and made me come back.
I stretched my small hands and laugh, I can still see the blood on my hands. The wounds from the tortures I got, I can still see how my nails was torn off and how my hands was broke.
The pain keeps knocking my inside, trying to tell me that they all should pay for what they've done.
I comb my hair using my left hand and all the dark memories keeps flashing in my mind.
The pain, betrayal, and death.
Everything is still vivid, I can still feel the pain from my body when I was beaten to death using a chain and thin sharp whip.
I turn my head on the mirror that I broke earlier. My face looks shattered when I stare at my face, I'm sick of it.
I heard a knock from my door before it opened and Gwen entered carrying a tray.
The image of her dead body refreshed on my eyes as I followed her moving closer to me.
"My Lady? Is there any problem?" she asked when our eyes met.
I know for sure that she was dead when the time didn't reversed.
I couldn't hold still, thinking that everything is just an illusion.
She was there, protecting me but I couldn't even protect her.
I pulled her closer and hugged her.
"M-My l-lady? "
I closed my eyes firmly, trying to forget the image of her dead body.
No, it was only a dream. A nightmare that tells me what will happen in the future, I know... but, the pain, I can still feel it.
I hurriedly ran to the door and went out from my room leaving Gwen with her startled face.
I ran down the stairs, wearing my nightgown without any slippers on my feet.
I kept moving my head side by side to find them, to find my parents.
When I reached the backyards where I heard the voices of the knights scouting the manor, I hurriedly ran and my eyes was welcomed by the knights, with their upper bodies naked.
I froze when all their eyes looked at me simultaneously.
They stare at me before they quickly put on their clothes.
They were in a daze when suddenly my father and mother came. Mother was clinging on my father's arm and when their eyes met mine, I hurriedly ran to them and hugged them.
They are alive, they're here, on my arms.
"Ali? What's the problem?" mother asked.
I felt my body rose and realized that Father carried me on his arms. Their eyes are on mine, looking at me with worry and surprise.
"Darling? Did you had a nightmare?" father asked and caressed my cheeks.
I moved my gaze repeatedly to them before my eyes starts to watered making me burst a cry.
"Yes, I had a nightmare. It was very scary that I don't want to sleep again, " I says sobbing on my father's chest.
It was a nightmare that I didn't want to dream again.
I don't want to repeat that dark memories, I don't want to see them dying on me.
"My Lady! Oh my, I didn't know that she was with you my Lord."
I heard my father chuckled when Gwen came running on her sweat.
I bit my lower lip and sniffed before letting out an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Gwen, I just missed my mama and papa."
All of them looks surprise as well as the knights who wasn't expecting my words. I know, in my past life I was a brat. I always want everyone to apologize in my stead even if it's my fault, but it's different now.
Everyone of them, the knights, the servants, and my parents, I will protect them at all cost.
Even if it means being the villainess towards the Empire.
I smiled widely, as bright as the sun to show them how grateful I am.
"Everyone, thank you!" I says.
I stopped when suddenly the knights were acting like they were about to die. Gwen's face was red and I heard my father and mother chuckled before embracing me.
"You're acting odd darling, I should buy plenty of nightgowns for you if it means you're going to act like this. Oh, you're on barefoot, " mother teased making me embarrassed.
I forgot that I went out with only my nightgown without my slippers.
Everyone of them are my treasures, they will never have the same destiny in the past. I will do everything I can to protect them, my D'aureville people.
"That's odd my lady, you've been telling me to prepare light colored dress, but why are you telling me to burn it all?" Gwen asked.
I paused moving out the dresses from my closet and looked at her who was making a confused face.
"I don't like it anymore. Tell mama that I will only wear dark colored ones," I ordered.
She brushed off her hair before she nods. "What about this?"
She lifted the hanged long white silver dress.
I felt the numb on my throat when I suddenly remembered the image of the person who gifted the dress.
My eyes went down and I closed my eyes firmly, I felt my hands trembles as I tried fixing my expression.
It's okay Talia, it's not yet the time.
I swallowed hard before giving her a smile, not only did I realize that my smile was totally dark making her stepped back for a bit.
"L-Lady T-Talia?" she stuttered.
I gulped and laugh awkwardly.
"Sorry," I apologized.
She stares at me before she let out a quick breath. "Don't apologize my lady, I was just startled."
Going back to the dress, I took the dress from her and ordered her to burn the remaining dresses.
When she left, I threw the dress on the bed and stares at it longer.
The anger in my heart keeps burning, the promises keeps refreshing in my mind.
Now I realize how stupid I am for falling in love with his words. Everytime the butterflies would dance in my stomach when he spout his flowery words, deep inside him he was mocking me.
That fucking crown prince. He let me fall for him yet in the end, his promises was just an illusion just like his confessed love.
That seconds when the guillotine cut off my head, his eyes were cold and didn't even show a small glint of sorry.
"My Lady?"
I heard a knock from the door.
I immediately walk towards the door and gently opened it.
It was Butler Caryon.
"Yes?" I asked.
He bowed before giving me a greeting smile. "The crown prince is here, he's waiting for you in the living room."
In exchange of the greeting smile he gave, the words he said was like a knife stabbing my inside.
I thought that everything would be easy because I already know their true faces, but it was too hard just by hearing his title.
When was it? When was the last time I felt so happy hearing his name? I don't want to remember it.
I raised my head and walk confidently to the living room. My eyes moved on the boy who was sitting on the sofa with nothing but emotionless face.
He was always like that, giving me a cold stare and a cold gestures.
How did I fall in love with this heartless man?
I clenched my fists to hide my emotion before letting out a plastic smile.
"Greetings to the future sun of the Sylvestre Empire, " I says and bowed.
He was tapping his right finger while his chin was resting on his left palm. He looks uninterested when our eyes met, that cold stare again.
I'm so sick of it.
He's just three years older than me yet his aura was totally the same as his father.
Both ruthless and enigmatic.
I sat on the sofa in front of him and gave him the same look as what he was giving to me.
His lips moved and a glint of grin was shown on his lips.
"It's been a while Talia," he says making me froze for a bit.
It's like his words are telling me that it's been a while since I last saw him, that day when I died on the guillotine.
"Yes, it's been a while." My tone was full of bitterness and my eyes were soaked with emotions.
I want to kill him.
He crossed his legs before his eyes darken. "Why are you giving me that look?" he asked.
I flinched and breathe heavily before giving him a warm smile.
"What's wrong your highness?" I asked back.
It's still not yet the time, I haven't started yet.
"Talia did you forget? It's my birthday."
My heart beats rapidly staring at him with nothing but shock.
What?
What the hell?
So what? So what if it's his birthday?
I laugh awkwardly, I don't really know what he's thinking. I don't exactly remember the younger him, what did I do on his birthday? What—
I stunned realizing that the younger me was bold enough to give him a kiss on his birthdays.
Stupid, so stupid.
"Talia. "
I flinched when I heard him called. His tone was soft yet his eyes were still cold, how could he look at me like that?
"H-Happy birthday your highness!" I greeted with a smile on my face.
Don't make me laugh, I don't want you to have a happy life.
Not in this lifetime.
He stand up and went closer to me before he held my hand on his knees. He gave it a soft kiss and looked at me with ablaze, desire, and the look of the person who was going to take an oath.
"I haven't done this right?" he asked.
Instead of excitement, I shivers down to my spine and tried to fixed my expression. Never break down in front of him, not to him.
His eyes changed and darken when I didn't respond to him.
"You, are you angry?" he asked.
I shook my head and closed my eyes firmly before giving him a look that I'm not angry.
Even if I am, I will never show it to him.
"What are you doing your highness? Please stand up," I says acting like I'm worried, but I'm not.
He chuckled. "I thought you're angry, I wouldn't want you to get angry. I will always make you happy, I promise."
My mind went blank, that promise again. The promise I once thought was true, but rather a lie.
How could he promise me such word? Happiness? Fuck you.
"Really? That's too sweet of you your highness," I says hiding the bitterness of my tone.
Let's see how you're going to play your highness, let me play with you until you lose everything.
Just like what you did to me.
"My lady—" "I'm not in the mood Gwen, tell Mama that I want to have my dinner inside my room." I cut her words off. She looks confused when I walk pass on her and went straight to my room. I'm pissed, so much that I want to kill right now. He was playing with me, I didn't realize that he was like that. It's disgusting, the way he smile and the way he looked at me, it's making me vomit. I immediately wash my hands roughly until I can no longer smell his scent on my hands. I tore the dress I was wearing and threw it on the trash bin. As I looked my face on the mirror, my eyes are red because of frustration. I can't believe I was such a stupid lunatic woman in the past, I fell in love with someone disgusting. His touch and his kiss, I can still feel it. I growled and jumped on the bed to erase my frustration, but it gets worse. Hades Sylvestre, the elde
The chirp sound from the bird resting on the tree makes me calm in the middle of having his presence. He was reading a book while crossing his legs, not even giving me a slight glimpse. I sipped the tea from the teacup and elegantly put it back on the table. The sound of the wind, the sound of the trees, all of it was too familiar to me. I turn my gaze on the side where the big tree and a swing can be seen, the memories of my young self hiding behind the tree while staring at Hades, reading on his book while sitting on the swing, it flashed inside my mind. I remember how my young self was head over heels to have his attention, I fell in love with him because of the thought that he was meant for me. Since the day I was born, I was crowned with the Crown Princess title since I am the only woman with the highest nobility in aristocrats table. I was destined to be in his side
"These are the servants that was sent by the Crown Prince, they are all well-trained to fulfill all your needs."The Butler arrived earlier inside my chamber together with these unfamiliar servants, all of them were looking like a doll standing with no emotion on their faces.Isn't it funny? To see how Hades created these servants just for me? Well, it's not like I don't know his purpose, he sent these servants to guard me and to report everything I am doing to him.I tapped my fingers on the table, looking at them from head to their toes.All of them are exactly the same, from their emotions to their looks. I wonder what sort of families do they came from?"Is there anything you wanted to say my lady?" the Butler asked.I crossed my legs and observed them, each one of them should have at least one emotion to be seen.They're good at hiding, it's a 100% scale from one to ten that they
It was around afternoon when Fara told me that the banquet for the celebration of Hades's 16th birthday will be today.That's why I am here right now, sitting in front of the mirror while Fara was doing my hair.My twelve-year-old appearance is exactly the same as what I remember, a beauty of a young lady.There's nothing new, I still have the beauty that can seduce other men. My eyebrows furrowed when Pursues's face suddenly flashed inside my mind, that night when he kissed my hand."Fara," I called."Yes, your Highness?" she answered. She's still not yet done doing my hair."What do you think of me? Am I pretty?" I asked.She looked on the mirror, seeing my face before her eyes went back to my hair. "You're not just pretty your Highness, you're the most gorgeous among the noble ladies."I pouted. "It's not like you've seen all the noble ladies." Especially that woman, the woman I've been wa
I was holding my skirt firmly as I ran across the hallway from the exit of the banquet hall. The only thing that matters for me is to do my revenge, to make them pay for what they've done in the past, but how could he act like that? What changed him? When I reached the hallway to the nearest entrance near the library, I saw Fara leaning against the wall and when her eyes found me, she immediately walk towards me. "Your Highness, the librarian already left and this place is already secured just like what you ordered." I removed my heels before entering the library. Fara was holding my heels before she locked the entrance door of the library. I immediately walked towards the area where the history books of the Sylvestre are kept. My eyes landed on the bookshelves with the crest of the Imperial Palace, it's exactly the same as the past. This area has always been a s
"It's a great morning my Lady," the Butler greeted before he led me inside the dining hall.I was welcomed by the two princes, Frontier Sylvestre and Caspian Sylvestre. They were eating silently when I entered the dining hall, it looks like they doesn't really give any interest to their surroundings.I silently sat down on the dining chair beside Caspian. I tried not to make a noise when I started lifting my spoon and knife to slice the steak."How old are you?"I paused when I heard Frontier's question. I looked at him and realized that he was looking at me, is he asking me about my age?"I'm twelve your Highness," I answered.His lips parted before giving me a slight smile. "I'm thirteen, Caspian is the same but I'm two months older than him. Do you like horse riding?" he asked.I shook my head before eating the spoon of sliced steak and broccoli. In the past, I always lo
I heard the loud noise from the outside realizing that father was already back from his trip. I immediately ran outside while holding the book I was reading and eventually saw my father entering with a child beside him. My eyebrows furrowed. "Father, who's that?" I asked trying to hide my irritation. His eyes found mine before he started to whimper like a puppy, what the hell? "He's going to be your brother," he answered before he carried the child on his arms. It's not like the child can't walk so why would father carry him. I scoffed before rolling my eyes. I can't believe it, that child? As my brother? It triggers me to pull his body away from my father's arm, I don't like him. "Honey, you're back." Mother went down from the stairs and stopped when her eyes found the child on father's arms. "He's Trevor honey, he's going to be our son." "Wait, Trejhan you didn't told me
We arrived at the Palace by the help of sir Ocea. He said that Hades receive the notice of my absence in the palace and thought that I was at the D'aureville manor.Fara was carrying Trevor on her arms, she insisted on carrying him since Trevor fell asleep when we were on the carriage."Thank your Sir Ocea," I said with a smile on my face.He seems to be in daze, I tried waving my hand in front of his face to wake him up.His eyes blinked for a moment before he bowed with panic. "It's a pleasure to serve you, your Highness."It appears that he needs a better rest since he's about to lose his energy.Fara was following my steps when we reached the entrance door of the Emerald Palace where I am staying. It's the palace that was given to me by Hades himself, a Palace for Princesses.I was about to open the door when suddenly Fara pulled me at the back of the wall near the pine trees.I hissed when I s