The room was dark, with only a sliver of light filtering through the slightly open curtains. The crackle of flames in the fireplace that Lyonnel had lit before leaving resonated throughout Hera's room, but the warmth from the fireplace didn't reach Hera's bed, leaving the girl feeling somewhat cold.

Hera was still stiffly resting on the bed, her eyes closed, waiting for her uncomfortable body to feel better before doing anything other than sleeping again.

A black shadow approached Hera, reached out a dark mist that slowly turned into a hand, and touched the stiffly lying girl's forehead.

“I remember something again.”

The hand jerked in surprise.

The dimly lit room was enveloped in silence. Hera opened her eyes and turned to face Zane, waiting for the guy to explain everything.

“He had already warned me about this. Because you triggered the memory about how you died in your brother's hand, the other memory will be easily triggered if you come across something that reminds you of them, like how the news about your painting makes you remember your death by fire.” Zane explained as he brushed away the hair on Hera's forehead before pulling his hand away.

“Zane... how come I haven't felt your presence in the last few days? Did you abandon me once more?” Hera said it in a lighthearted tone, as if it were something she would normally say to Zane.

Hera didn't see Zane's clouded expression because of the dim room. Yet she still feels that her words had upset him, but Zane was always like that. He would act as he pleases and ignore Hera.

“Remembering that memory makes me feel a little bit hate towards you.” Hera lifted herself to sit on her bed with her back toward Zane. “Not as much hatred towards those repulsive voices that still rang in my ears. I'm wondering why…”

“Hera…” Zane cut her off before she could say anything further. His tone was pitiful, as if he didn't want to hear the rest of the girl's remarks. “Don't even think about it. I made a mistake at the time. I swear I'll never do it again.”

“You made a lot of promises this time. I'm wondering why…” Hera chuckled, but her voice sounded hollow. “But, you know, people aren't that easily changed. Not even me after all those chances.”

“... You have changed, Hera.” Zane expressed his thoughts that he had since observed Hera in this lifetime. Instead of seeming delighted with Hera's changes, his expression revealed his concern.

At first, he assumed Hera's small shift in attitude was due to the fact that they had sealed her memories. But something was off in Hera's attitude. She seemed to be keeping a lot of things from him.

Like how Hera wasn't supposed to know anything about that woman and her wicked group, let alone know how to reach them. But what she did yesterday to that woman's underlings made him think that Hera might really be starting to remember things from her previous lifetimes, but hiding the fact from him.

That makes Zane question if she already remembers how their relationship was in their previous lifetimes. Since that the only memories he made sure his friend sealed or, better yet, erased permanently from her mind.

“I wonder why…”

“Don't wonder anymore.” Zane interrupted Hera again.

“Alright then…” Hera stepped onto the cold wooden floor and went to open the curtains, allowing the daylight to brighten her room. “Let's discuss what I should do with Freya…”

Zane knitted his brows. “What would you do to her?”

“Well... I'll have to leave at some time…” Hera tapped the ice-cold window pane with her fingers. “It won't be easy for me to go this time with Freya here. I wouldn't worry too much about the siblings because they still have to go with their father after... you know. But what am I supposed to do about Freya?”

Zane already had an idea of what Hera may do with Freya in the future. That's why he let her accompany them. But, up until this moment, he had never said anything to Hera, at least not until this issue came up.

“Why don't you bring her with you?”

“Hmm... I don't think she would like that. Don't you remember that she'll be Mrs. Shin's replacement when she retires? She's been waiting for this moment for a long time. How could I possibly ruin her chance?”

“So you want to send her back to the Silverna Mansion? How will you persuade her to leave you again?”

Hera turned around with a saddened expression on her face, and Zane immediately knew what was on her mind. He shook his head and approached Hera. “Don't just make people hate you just because you want to disappear from them! I'll persuade her if you truly don't want her to come with you.”

At the very least, Zane knew that much about Hera, as if that were the only thing she could think of whenever she tried to run away. Make everyone who was close to her hate her to the point that they wouldn't care if she disappeared.

Hera was accustomed to all the hatred she received from her family, and she didn't mind accepting the hatred of others if it meant she could disappear from their lives once more.

Hera gave a faint smile and nodded.

Zane, on the other hand, let out a deep sigh and couldn't stop himself from patting Hera on the head. “Just don't make anyone hate you in this life. I will handle them for you.” He promised her.

Soon after, there was a knock on the door, which rendered Zane and Hera silent as they turned their gazes to the slowly opening door.

Freya entered with a tray of warm lemon water and sandwiches. Her eyes were red and moist for some reason, but she still managed to hold a smile on her face.

“Lady Ruth instructed me to bring you some food and drink, milady, because you had missed breakfast.” Freya set the tray on the table that had been moved near the fireplace, then took up the thick coat that was thrown over her arm and gave it to Hera. “This is for you in case you still wish to wander about the garden later.”

“... You know about that?”

“Of course, milady. I always wait and watch over you from behind. Sometimes Lady Rayla will also be there.”

“Then why won’t you approach me?” Hera tilted her head and then smiled warmly. “You don’t have to wait for me anymore. I'll inform you whenever I go for a walk in the garden so that we can walk together. Okay?”

Freya smiled and nodded, but her gaze was fixed on Zane, who was still standing at the window. The man looks at her without blinking and points out the door, as if he wanted to talk to her about something.

“I'll return when it's time for dinner, Milady. Please finish your meal.”

Freya hurriedly left the room and slowly closed the door. When she turned around, Zane was already in front of her. “I thought she was just going to leave Silverna mansion and stay here permanently.” She let out a hushed cry. “Where will she go? The outside world is a horrible place. What if something happened to her?”

“Don't worry. I'm going to be there for her.”

 

---

 

At first, Ruth wanted to show Hera the painting, but she couldn't help but wonder why Aria gave that dream to Grena and why she was able to dream the adult version of Hera. Her mind was full of it and she didn't have any time to actually tell Hera about the painting.

But it doesn't matter, they still have tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. There is still plenty of time for them to do something together and show Hera many things, like the painting of her.

That night, Ruth slept after she took her dose of medicine and had no knowledge of what would happen to her granddaughter.

When night fell, Hera came out of her room wearing the coat Freya had given her earlier. She didn't do much today other than spend time in her room, have dinner with Ruth and Lyonnel in the dining room, and write a letter to Emma and the other orphan children.

Hera tiptoed around the not-so-big mansion. This time, she simply let her footsteps guide her to room after room, looking for something in the mansion. She had informed Freya before that she would not be going to the garden today. She only hoped the girl would believe her.

Deep in her heart, Hera knew what she was looking for. So, by the time her hand reached out for the last door to her mother's art room, Hera took a deep breath and mentally steeled herself to see what painting triggered her to remember that certain memory of death.

That now hazy memory seems incomplete for her. Hera needs to find a reason why there is so much hatred deep inside her heart after her not-so-called fever, as well as who was the soothing voice that calmed her heart.

As she pushed the door open and switched on the light, Hera's mind went blank as she saw her own portrait in the middle of the room, surrounded by empty canvas.

...

Hera's gaze was blank. Her heart seemed to stop beating as she saw the painting slowly morph into herself lying on the cold ground, blankly staring at her.

Seeing her body covered in bruises and blood gave Hera the chills, but she couldn't take her eyes off herself, who was slowly losing consciousness. She could remember the pain she felt that night as the rest of her memories from that night surfaced.

That night, no one heard her cries for help. She screamed and wailed, attempting to get away from the two men who were holding her constantly struggling body down.

She screamed and cried, hoping that someone would come to her rescue, hoping that someone would kill the two bastards. But when no more sound came out of her mouth, she bit her lip until it bled, holding back a whimper that made the two bastards laugh even harder.

“I want to kill them.” Hera continued repeating those phrases in her head, trying to distract herself.

Hera averted her gaze. She didn't want to keep looking at those memories. She didn't want to see herself staring right at her with lifeless eyes.

Her eyes were misty, her ears were ringing with repulsive voices.

“Who can resist? You want it too after seeing her painting.”

“It's okay, she's a nobody. We can silence her if she tries to report it.”

“I don't think that is necessary. I think she is no longer alive.”

“Tsk... you killed her.”

“And you were involved in the murder. You planned everything because you saw the painting and found out she was real.”

“What are we going to do with the body?”

“Just burn the body.”

Hera glared. She stepped back when she saw two dark figures standing over her lifeless body. Her face was expressionless, yet there was a flicker of terror in her eyes.

Hera clenched her fists tightly. She simply couldn't get over the agony of being burnt alive.

Hera could feel sorrow welling up deep within her heart, followed by the other feelings she had that night: despair, fear, disgust, emptiness, and then pain.

The smell of gasoline and then a spark of fire exploded in front of her eyes. The fire slowly burned her bruised and bloody body.

A scream was heard. Hera closed her eyes tightly with both hands covering her ears. She fell to her knees and started mumbling something, trying not to hear the screams of pain that rang out in the darkness, and the cries of the girl holding out her burning hands to Hera.

But she couldn’t handle it anymore. At that moment, Hera let out a horrifying scream that turned high-pitched and couldn't be heard.

The shadow beneath her feet shifts away from her.

Zane drew Hera closer to him right away. He saw her pained expression and the girl's crimson face. “I told you not to do this.” He whispered in a shaky voice.

But Hera couldn't listen to Zane, who kept calling her name frantically, trying to wake her up from her own nightmare.

Slowly, the heat began to flow through her body again. Now Hera could feel her skin and flesh scorched, and she was unable to move. Her organs began to fail gradually. Hera could hear her own last heartbeat before everything went dark.

Hera was unaware of what happened next and allowed Zane to carry her away.

Just as Zane did after each of her deaths, when he finally came and carried her lifeless body away.

Zane supported Hera's limp body. As the man looked up, his gaze collided with Lyonnel.

Lyonnel was awakened by his sister's screams. In alert, he immediately ran towards the sound, carrying a small dagger he always carried around.

By the time he found Hera inside their mother's art room, a familiar yet unknown man had already picked her sister up and stared at him coldly before slowly walking past him while carrying Hera.

Lyonnel was startled and bewildered as he watched that man back that slowly disappeared from his sight, just like in his nightmare.

By the time he snapped out of his daze and went to Hera's room, the man was already waiting for him in front of the tightly closed door, as if waiting for him.