Ann woke up and realized that she was like a ghost—floating, unable to really go anywhere, just going with the flow.

Is this a flashback of my life before I’m dead?

Has it come to me?

Ann shuddered first before she began to observe the surrounding.

 

Calm down, Ann.

I am not seeing anything familiar from this scene at all…

And this…

This isn’t the modern world, right?

Ann calmed down enough to realize that this was definitely not a flashback of her life.

 

This looks like the castle in the game…

But there are some differences…

Ann thought to herself as her spirit was blown by a strong force to wherever it was headed. It felt as if she was sucked into a typhoon.

I have to watch whatever this cutscene is, then?

Ann could only leave her fate up to the universe, no, the system.

From then on, she really did watch the scenes unfolding.

 

*CRASH!*

“Why, why, WHYYYY?!”

A woman with messy purple hair and crazed eyes just threw every utensil available on the round, fine table. The utensils were made of high-grade materials, but it didn’t faze the woman a bit.

“Your Majesty, calm down!” A maid wanted to calm the purple-haired woman who was still in frenzy, but she was quickly pushed down to the floor.

“Scram, you lowly peasant!” The lunatic woman scolded the maid and lifted her hand up in the air.

“Think of the princess!!” The maid quickly said as she defended herself with her hands.

“She is MY child, not YOURS!” The lunatic woman became more agitated as she beat the maid.

“I know my wrongs, I humbly apologize, your Highness, please spare me!” The maid begged and begged.

Meanwhile, the other maids didn’t try to help. They whispered among themselves.

“We tried to tell you, but you still…”

“It’s best not to talk back to the lunatic queen…”

So they murmured.

 

“Mother…”

Suddenly, a small girl that looked only about three years old grabbed the lunatic woman’s skirt as her hands trembled.

“Anne!” The lunatic queen stopped beating the maid as she proceeded to grab the child by her shoulders and stared at her.

Due to how menacing her mother looked in this appearance, the small girl shuddered a bit. She wanted to back away, but she was unable to, since her mother had grabbed her shoulders. And it hurt. A little bit of tears began to appear around her eyes.

“Anne! You must not lose from that lowly bitch’s bastard sons! You’re the daughter of the formal lineage!!”

Although the small girl didn’t really understand what her mother was talking about, she could only nod.

“Only then your father will look at us again! Only then, he will love us again! You got it?”

And the small girl nodded again.

 

As Ann was digesting this whole scene, she was sucked into another place again, and another setting unfolded.

…

“Father, look, today my tutor—”

The purple-haired girl approached her father, the king, who was currently conversing with two young princes as they walked.

Without even turning to look at the girl, the king coldly said, “Later. I’m busy with your brothers.”

“Dear, won’t you look at your daughter? Her tutor praised her excellent etiquette despite the fact that she has barely turned four,” the same lunatic woman from the first scene now looked more regal—befitting of a queen, despite there was a hint of haggardness hidden in her face.

“My sons and I are discussing the politics of this kingdom now. I have no time for a mere women’s play,” the king didn’t bulge, despite the queen’s urging.

He shook his head, clicked his tongue, and muttered, “Hmph, women.”

The king continued to walk, leaving behind the queen and the princess who were only standing still in dismay.

 

…

“I can’t stand being near that crazy woman. She’s getting more and more insane, it’s annoying. It brings so much shame that she’s my legal wife, the queen. You’re much more befitting to be the queen. Still, I’m lucky that you’re here, my love. You are even willing to take care of that crazy woman’s daughter now that she’s too insane to take care of her properly.”

A man dressed in a majestic outfit said lovingly to the beautiful woman in his arm.

“What are you saying, dear? She is still your daughter. It’s my responsibility as your consort,” the woman replied as she looked tenderly at the man who was the king.

Then, she turned to look at the purple-haired girl that was playing dolls alone, with her back facing away from the king.

It was the same purple-haired girl from the first scene. But this time, she looked considerably older. Perhaps around six years old.

The same small girl noticed the woman’s stare and looked at her. She immediately flinched as she was faced with a face of contempt.

 

…

“You’re not our sister!”

“We don’t have a sister who’s too poor and dumb to drink that low-quality tea!”

Two older boys roughly retracted their hands that the small girl touched, not minding how the small girl easily fell down roughly to the ground due to their actions.

“…,” the small girl couldn’t hold back her tears.

“Princess, are you alright?!” The princess’ maid approached the princess in a fluster and asked.

“It’s all your fault! Why did you give me that tea, you lowly peasant?!” The girl retracted her arm that the maid touched in order to help her up, and yelled at the maid.

The maid stared in horror looking at the small princess who grew to be more like her lunatic mother and her cruel brothers.

 

Ann was brought to watch scenes upon scenes unfolding.

By this time, she had realized that she was currently watching Anne—the original villainess—‘s background story. The details that were never portrayed in the game or in the bio of the character.

Arnestianne Lacey du Ermengilde was born as the youngest child of the king, who was the only daughter he had with the queen.

Meanwhile, the two older brothers she had were actually her half brothers, borne by the king’s consort.

The king apparently favored the consort who managed to give him two heirs, causing the queen to descend into madness slowly.

 

And then…

The castle was engulfed in the sea of flames. There was chaos everywhere.

“Anne… Dear Anne! Now that the slut and her sons are dead, it’s your turn to shine. But first, you must escape from this madness and survive. Go with this knight first. He can carry you and escape faster. I will definitely follow you afterwards. But don’t stop no matter what happens, alright?” The lunatic woman looked oddly relieved at this moment of chaos as she caressed the 8-year-old girl who was trembling with fear.

Despite her tears-stained face, the young Anne nodded.

“Pardon my rudeness, Princess,” the knight proceeded to carry young Anne as he began to run.

Unfortunately, not long after, the door was burst open and several people came to capture the queen.

Amongst them, the one who came to capture the queen was surprisingly the knight who looked the youngest, just around sixteen years old. But his coldness made it look as if he wasn’t just sixteen.

“MOTHERRR!!”

The scene of her mother being dragged by the rebelling forces was etched into the small girl’s memory, as it would be the last time she saw her alive.

The next time Anne saw her mother was her lifeless body that was hung alongside the captured members of the royal family.

 

Watching the scene unfold, Ann gasped.

No wonder the villainess is very hostile towards Allen!!

Allen is the one who arrested her mother!!

Yes, she recognized Allen despite him being ten years younger in this past cutscene.

What a plot…

I never knew.

 

The scene moved on quickly once more, leaving Ann with no time to be emotional.

…

In an underground base somewhere, the king and his loyal followers gathered. The knight who helped the princess escape the massacre also brought the frightened princess to the base.

“Your Highness, this lowly knight apologizes for not being able to save Her Majesty the Queen. But this lowly one managed to save the princess,” the knight put young Ann down before he kneeled.

“What did you say?” King Rueben was startled upon hearing the knight’s words. He finally turned around to see the kneeling knight and the young Anne.

The father and daughter that hadn’t really interacted often finally reunited again.

King Rueben’s hands trembled as he was about to reach to his daughter whose face was tears-stained.

“I still have a surviving child…! This is good!” He said as he hugged Anne.

Little Anne was surprised.

As far as I can remember, this is the first time he’s hugged me.

Suddenly, Ann could hear Anne’s voice echoing in her mind.

 

From then on, Ann watched how the king finally took Anne under his wings.

But it wasn’t exactly a good thing…

“Remember, they’re all lowlier than you. You’re the one who’s supposed to stand above all. Don’t forget that.”

“We have the absolute power to do everything.”

“If you see someone who displeases you or does something that you dislike, it is within your right to discipline and punish them. If you are lenient to them or show kindness, you’ll be taken advantage of. They will forget their place and will want to take what’s yours.”

“It’s my mistake to not be more strict and wary towards those lowly peasants. Now, they’ve taken my place… our place…! They’ve killed your mother and siblings…!”

“That’s why, Anne, remember. Be noble. Be vicious. Show them who’s the ruler.”

“And don’t forget… No matter what, you shall never forget the blood-debt they have and the grudge we have towards their wrong doings.”

 

…And that was how Anne grew up to be the hateful villainess she was.

The scene ended with Anne’s tantrum that backfired at her, as she lost consciousness due to it.

Oh, that’s when my soul possessed her body.

Just as Ann thought about it, she was sucked very strongly once more, with a stronger force that made her about to lose her consciousness again.

 

Before losing her consciousness, she felt nothing but sympathy towards the poor villainess who grew up in such hateful circumstances to be a twisted person full of nothing but hatred.

Her mind replayed Anne’s words and her frustration when she ‘met’ her in their consciousness’ world.

“If I am destined to be exterminated, why were I given this life in the first place?”

Right.

Her life was miserable up to the very last moment.

Even so, that didn’t give her the right to hurt others as she saw fit.

Due to it, Ann’s heart was conflicted.

She still hated the villainess’ twisted personality. Yet, at the same time, she could somehow understand how the villainess became like how she was.

 

And with that last thought, she lost her consciousness again.