「 Some days later 」

"Poor Duke, having his lovely wife killed by a freak," a man said.

"And her hair is black... Isn't that the hair of witches?" a woman asked with her refined noble tone.

"This child is for sure cursed... Thank God she didn't come out of me," another woman added with a superiority complex.

"It wasn't me... I'm not cursed... I..." as I spoke their eyes glared at me almost as if I had committed a grand sin. Their faces were covered in darkness and the only thing I could see was their evil grins filled with pride from reaching the depths of my aching heart.

"Ophelia, how would you like to die this time? Do you want your head to be cut off?" I gulp as I hear these words.

'Who is talking? Who is there?' I wondered as the expressions in the nobility member's faces looked bigger and more terrifying.

"Maybe you'd prefer burning since that's all you know, right?" it's a female voice.

Suddenly, flames rise from the floor and I see myself being engulfed in them once again. My mind was panicking and my body became stiff as a stone. Tears flew down my face but were quickly dried by the overwhelming heat of the flames. 

 

"No!" I yell loudly as my eyes open and I am greeted with the pearly-like ceiling from the Whartons mansion.

My whole body was covered in sweat and I quickly sit straight and start analyzing it. There weren't any burns on my body but I could swear I was in the middle of the fire. I knew it since I felt my whole temperature rise as the flames consumed me. I felt everything as if it was all happening once again.

"Is everything alright milady?" one of the maids asks behind the door.

"Yes, I'm fine. I still need to rest a bit more," I politely reply while trying to conceal the trembling in my voice.

"Very well, if you need anything milady please let me know," footsteps growing further away are heard, and then everything was silent again.

I could feel my limbs tremble almost as if they were still being burned and this sensation was not going away. Slowly my eyes started to picture the flames around my body and I knew I was becoming insane.

After launching my body out of the bed desperately I crawl onto the small desk and pick the letter opener, right before stabbing a bit of my inner thigh with it. Blood started to pour out and the numbing my body was feeling from those imaginary flames soon disappeared only to give birth to a new type of pain.

The letter opener falls onto the floor and I lean my torso on the table while clenching my fists and teeth from this suffering. Then, after a couple of minutes, my body relaxes as I had gotten used to the throbbing on my left leg. Tears fell down my cheeks as a massive headache consumed me.

"Ah... How insane am I..." these words come out of my mouth several minutes later, right before a psychotic laugh escapes my grasp. My right-hand pushes my hair backward as I straighten myself on the cold chair.

A familiar sound is heard and my eyes travel to the bed just to see the black cat looking at me with his ruby eyes. He was sitting while glaring at me, witnessing everything and I could swear that, the way he kept on staring, was almost as if he was amused to see this show unfold.

Somehow he found the Duke's estate and as I was walking towards my room yesterday after lunch I saw him, standing still in front of the big wooden door.

'It was almost as if he was waiting for me...' I thought. With all my emotions I didn't take the time to consider how he had found me but truthfully, I didn't care.

"Right... I should name you..." I mumble as I get up from the chair and lean on my right leg. "Nero. That's your name now" the cat meows almost as if complaining about my choice but once again, he is just a cat.

'Shit,' as I look around I see the confusion I had created: the bed was a mess and my light beige dress alongside the chair and the carpet, had several bloodstains. I could feel the blood drip from my inner thigh onto the floor in a small river guided by gravity. 

'This is going to be bothersome,' someone knocks on the door and I gulp.  

 

✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽

 

"Ophelia dear, I heard you got hurt opening up some letters from your family this morning, are you alright?" the Duke asks me during lunch.

"It was only a scratch your grace, in fact, you can barely call it a wound," I state politely as he kindly smiles.

"Are you still intending to go to Lady Catherine's ball?" Mace asks with his eyes filled with concern for my well-being.

"Yes, it is a great opportunity to be with my sister, I miss her dearly," a smile is drawn on my lips and even though Duke bought my lie I could see that Mace hadn't believed a single word.

I've been in this mansion for a couple of days but I still needed to portray the role of a kind younger sister just so I can attend all the balls and social gatherings of the high class. They are all troublesome and a waste of time however I need to become friendly with Layton Verne, my husband from my 2nd life in order to get rid of him.

"I will go with her father so you won't need to worry," Mace adds and I understood that I was unable to attend alone as I had originally planned. The Duke's second son was smart, that was an undeniable truth. 

'I need to be careful around him,' even though, so far, everything he had shown me was nothing but pure kindness, I knew that I couldn't be fooled by such feelings and words.

 

✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽

 

「 The day of Ophelia's moving 」

"That bitch..." Amanda's loud footsteps are heard in the hall as she hurriedly walked towards the Duke's study room. Her eyes were filled with anger after running away from Ophelia with her tail between her legs. She was pissed at how her younger sister dared to treat her and she felt like sending her to marry Terrel Wharton was not good enough of a punishment.

"Father!" the doors are open abruptly.

"Yes, Amanda?" startled the Duke drops the book he was reading on the floor.

"Ophelia punched me in the garden. You cannot let her get away with it!" her obnoxious voice gave the Duke headaches. He knew that her eldest daughter's temperament was like the sea, ready to become unstable at any second.

"Your sister did what?" he frowns as he hears Amanda's words. Ophelia was always a quiet child and suddenly she changed her behavior ruthlessly, almost as if she had hidden a beast inside herself since she was born.

'First that incident in the library and now this... What is she thinking?' Alvin wondered as he stared at his daughter. Her nerves were clearly on the edge as her teeth had found their way into her nails, bitting them off out of frustration.

"A lady should behave accordingly Amanda," he states right before seeing her dash onto his desk, banging her hands onto the mahogany wood. 

"She is about to leave father! You can't allow her to go unpunished!" her patience was growing thinner and her father knew it, after all, he is the only man in this world who truly understands his family. 

'Why does she have to be such a child...' Alvin knew he couldn't hurt Ophelia as she was headed to the Wharton's mansion. There could be a conflict between the two houses if Terrel's fiancé appeared hurt or scared in any way, 'I can't let my plans get ruined because of this...'

"We can't Amanda. She is the fiancée of Terrel Wharton, if she arrives bruised at their house, what will that make us?" Duke was unsatisfied with the situation but he knew better. Sending Ophelia unharmed was the best course of action since he had learned that Terrel hates dealing with damaged goods. He couldn't allow this marriage to fail.

"But father...!" Amanda kept on insisting on this matter even though she was well aware of the importance of the Criswell family's image.

"That's enough. Don't you have to prepare yourself for Lady Catherine's ball?" throughout the years the Duke had learned how to calm Amanda and that was giving her what she most desired: clothes, jewelry or even letting her attend to balls. At the same time, this was nothing more than a way to help his daughter understand how to get her long-awaited revenge on Ophelia. 

"Fine!" Amanda gives up and clicks her tongue right before leaving to her chambers. 

 

As she arrives she shoves Lanna, one of her maids, onto the floor making her strain her wrist.

"Leave, I want to be alone," Amanda orders, and the maids leave reluctantly as their eyes portraited their disgust towards their master. Her graceful self is then shattered to pieces as she begins biting off her nails again in stress and annoyance.

She hated Ophelia more than anyone in this world. How couldn't she? When their mother got pregnant with her all the attention Amanda received was gone to an unborn insignificant human. Their mother and father were always caring and understanding towards Amanda but during her mother's pregnancy, it was almost as if she had become invisible. She hated being ignored and being left in the dark. Even then, her mother tried to care for her whenever she had the opportunity. The mother she loved so dearly.

 

Then after her birth, her mother died because of Ophelia, the cursed child. Amanda was furious at how that feeble human took everything away from her. As Ophelia grew up, Amanda would hear the maids talk:

"This child is so beautiful, it's so sad that she is cursed," they said.

"Lady Amanda is beautiful but her younger sister is stunning, if only she wasn't cursed..." they gossiped.

Ophelia took everything from Amanda, at least that's how she felt. She couldn't forgive her sister, in fact, at some point in time, she was tempted in murdering her younger sibling and then cover it up as an accident. Those psychopathic desires soon stopped as she overheard her father talk with one of his closest aids regarding Ophelia's marriage. 

'Terrel Wharton...? She's as good as dead then!' Amanda couldn't hide the happiness she was experiencing. Everyone in the higher circles knew that man's perversity and, that is why, even though he was 26 years old, he was still unmarried. 

A pure heart that became tainted with jealousy and regret was what Amanda had. The disgust she felt towards her sister was somewhere between hatred and love.  Her wishes were none other than to see her sister's suffering through her own eyes. Seeing her despair, beg, and obey just like the annoying piece of trash she was, ended up allowing Amanda to find a path in this perverse life. Of course, even if she didn't realize it yet, the negative feelings she harbored towards her sister were just an act to prevent the truth to come out. 

 

'How dare she...' Amanda's thoughts of hatred ran wild in her mind as she felt like Ophelia had won again. Her sister's smile didn't leave her mind as her frustration grew. 

In the mansion gossip was the ruler and Amanda was well aware of the ones that were related to her, even then, she wasn't a fool. There were no rumors surrounding her sister since she had always been a dull puppet who knew her place, but now, she looks like a completely different person. 

'Someone needs to show her where she truly belongs...' she thought as she clenched her left fist in the chair.

'Wait... The ball!" finally Amanda felt like all her thinking had paid off as she realized what she needed to do.

Ophelia never went to a nobility's gathering, in fact, she was always stuck at home, there was no way that she could go so, in Amanda's mind, her younger sister would definitely attend out of curiosity. 

'That's where I'll ruin her...' a bright smile appears in Amanda's red-blooded lips as she called the maids once again.

"Buy me the prettiest and most expensive dress you can find! I'll be going to a ball!" her mind was set and, as she proudly smiled from her achievements she drank a glass of herbal tea.

 

✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽

 

「 Back to the present 」

"Milady, you look... beautiful," one of my maids says with surprise.

"Thank you, Olivia," I politely smile as I hear the rest of the maids starting to gossip about my beauty.

I knew I was pretty, however, who would've thought that with the right tools one could become as stunning as a doll? My straight dark hair had two big braids that were tied in the back as my hair was held up high by some adornments, making my pale complexion contrast more with my black fringe. My cheeks were tainted with some light-pink powder while my lips were painted with the color of passion. My light blue eyes ended up popping up even more than usual due to the difference in the colors.

My dress was a beautiful crimson red with golden adornments that made my light pale breasts stand out. Embracing my slender neck there was a small golden necklace that contained a jewel whose color vividly reminded me of blood.

'Well, isn't this amusing?' I chuckle as I start to imagine Amanda's face at the ball.

 

I know my sister loves encounters of the high class so she would never miss this opportunity, however, she forgot that now I can attend them too. Of course, a fifteen-year-old girl, who still hasn't had her coming of age ceremony, can only attend a select few balls and can't drink, for her reputation's sake, but that was not something I was worried about. 

Every month I would see Amanda leave in her red or crimson dresses. She never wore any other color since they all went beautifully with her hair color.

A couple of days ago, when I heard of this ball I thought it was the perfect opportunity to land a blow on that pathetic sister of mine. She always wears the trendiest fashion and knowing her taste, the choice was very easy. After all, money was made to be spent, right?

'How embarrassed will she be when she sees me wearing the same dress as her?' this thought was indeed funny, so funny that made my stomach ache from laughing. No matter how much I thought I couldn't fully imagine her reaction and, truthfully, I was eager to see the shame on her face.

I knew that Amanda despised me. I was younger yet I was prettier than her. 

'Besides, this is my first appearance to the high society... Their eyes will all belong to me,' I thought as I began understanding the consequences of my actions.

Swiftly I get up and the maid's eyes stare at me as if they were in a trance. Part of me wondered if they were faking it to get on my good side or if I was just stunningly beautiful at that precise moment.

After looking around I notice Nero's presence under the bed and I give him a kind smile. The little kitten had become very obedient, not leaving the room and waiting for me to give him food every day. He was truly, a perfect partner in crime, even though he didn't let me pet him.

 

"Did you wait long, my lord?" Mace was waiting outside of the big carriage that would take us to the ball. After seeing me, an awkward silence was created and he looks at me dumbfounded. A smile was portraited on his lips as he stretched out his hand, helping me get inside our ride.

"I just arrived as well, Ophelia," his warm voice was lying, I could tell. Even then I knew he was trying his best to be considerate of me.

 

A long hour filled with uncomfortable silence passed and we arrived at Lady Catherine's estate.

It held a big mansion surrounded by gigantic trees with several armed guards at the door. Suddenly I felt a shiver down my spine.

'Why am I hesitant?' I knew Layton would be here, he had to be yet, I felt something weighing down my heart. 

"Are you alright?" Mace's voice brings me back and we continue walking. Part of me knew that this nervousness was because I would be meeting Layton but, if I wanted my plan to succeed, I needed to forget the past and focus on what's about to come.

Mace escorted me as we both headed right into the wolf's den, the only place in the whole kingdom where smiles hid hatred and everyone was a predator, waiting for the exact moment to attack their prey: the high nobility's gathering.