Latan, February 210th yea
The noblewomen of Seoryeong, especially the women, were excited at the news that Cyrus Carha, the North Marquis of North Realm, would soon visit Seoryeong.
Many rumors followed Cyrus, who ascended to the marquisate at the youngest age among all the previous marquises.
One of the most exciting rumors for the women was that he was as beautiful as the moon majestically floating in the night sky.
After the news of Cyrus’s visit became known, the women of Seoryeong gathered and gossiped about him constantly.
“His face is as lovely as a pearl.”
“I heard Princess Charlotte of the Empire’s capital is no match for the North Marquis.”
“Even in the dark, his silvery hair shines like the moon.”
“And his eyes—people say they look like rubies. There are secret portraits circulating, but they say none can fully capture the beauty of the North Marquis.”
“I want to see the North Marquis use ice magic. Is it true that he can create magnificent ice sculptures out of nothing?”
“Magic…? If the North Marquis would create an ice flower just for me, I’d have no regrets.”
They all spoke these words, knowing well that nothing of the sort would happen.
Marquis Cyrus of the North was stunningly handsome as if descended from heaven, but inside, he was known for being as cruel and cold as a ruler of hell.
“It’s said he killed a dancer secretly sneaking into the garden at night.”
“Princess Charlotte of the Empire’s capital reportedly ignores his greetings.”
“Have you heard the rumor that he likes men? He always carries alchemist Isaac around.”
“The Emperor himself seems to want to make the North Marquis his son-in-law, but someone like us doesn’t stand a chance.”
Cyrus, who had caused a stir in the Seoryeong social circles, was already hiding inside the Duke Bronte’s mansion.
He sat atop a large tree within the estate, with Isaac, the subject of many rumors, beside him.
The weather was still chilly, and the branches were bare without leaves, but no one passing by the mansion noticed them.
Cyrus sat comfortably on a thick branch, gazing coldly at a window inside the mansion.
The gaze of the person inside was icy and sharp, as if capable of piercing through anything with just a look.
Unlike Cyrus, Isaac’s eyes sparkled with interest as he spoke.
“Is that child the daughter born from the Marquis and Rachel? She looks a mess, but she’s pretty. She somewhat resembles her father, the Marquis.”
“…”
“By the way, that girl is really pitiful. If she had stayed in the Eastern Realm, she would have been a princess, but she’s here in Seoryeong, being treated like that… Lady Bronte is quite cruel. Is that what she should do to her own daughter?”
As Isaac said, the young girl beyond the window looked forlorn.
Her tangled hair from not washing properly, her emaciated body from hunger. The maid’s clothes she wore were too small, revealing her thin arms and legs.
Her room was just a desk with no bed, and she had been confined there for days, unable to come out.
Her routine was to look outside briefly through the locked window or to eat the meal brought in once every other day.
It was a situation that should evoke sympathy from anyone, but Cyrus’s eyes showed only coldness as he watched her.
Isaac looked at Cyrus, his long-time master and friend.
“Even if she’s the daughter of the Marquis and Rachel, who could be enemies of your parents, she’s innocent. What does she know? She looks like she can’t even get proper food.”
“Hmm.”
For the first time, a faint expression appeared on Cyrus’s face.
A cold line formed on his crimson lips.
“It seems she doesn’t know everything.”
Cyrus’s impression of her was different from Isaac’s. His feelings, when he looked at her, were not of pity but something more complex.
Her indifferent gaze unbefitting a 16-year-old girl, her unshaken expression despite the rude attitude of the maid bringing her food, and the aura she emitted when gazing out the window—there was something inscrutable about her.
Being the daughter of the Marquis and Rachel already made him dislike her, but her unnatural presence further irritated Cyrus.
Her bright blue eyes, shining like sapphires, seemed to hold something Cyrus could never have imagined.
“Ugh…”
At that moment, Isaac sighed.
“The maid is bringing food and trash again to Ariana’s room.”
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
A room with no bed except for a single desk.
Ariana sat upright on a wooden chair, wrapped in an old blanket.
Her light sky-blue hair, small white face, elegant eyebrows, large eyes, deep lake-like pupils, small upturned nose, and round, red lips made her look like a typical 16-year-old girl, yet her gaze told a different story.
The hatred and pain reflected in her eyes were uncharacteristic of a noble young lady at that age.
Ariana stared coldly at the desk before her, but what she saw was different.
Memories of desperately wanting love, only to be exploited; painful days; and death.
“Has it already been four days?”
Ariana didn’t understand what had happened.
The rough feeling of the rope tightening around her neck was still vivid, yet somehow she found herself back in 12 years.
Back to the moment she was imprisoned in her room, falsely accused of stealing her mother Rachel’s necklace.
Confused and panicked, but the feelings quickly subsided.
She had little time to wonder why this was happening.
Whatever the cause, she was back in the past, given another chance to live.
-“You were just born wrong, Ariana.”
They denied her existence, but someone had allowed her to live once more.
“Then I’ll keep living.”
A cold smile appeared on Ariana’s lips and then disappeared.
“I’ll make you regret having brought me into this world, making my existence live until now.”
Ariana clenched her hands tightly on her knees.
She heard the footsteps of a maid approaching down the corridor.
She knew exactly what was about to happen today.
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
Her past life.
Ariana only wept.
Because her mother refused to believe the truth, because she was afraid of disappointing her, because the darkness of the late night was frightening even without a lamp.
Later, when Helena’s maid Luigi brought spoiled food, Ariana refused to eat it and was beaten.
That was what happened today in her past life as well.
Luigi brought leftovers from the kitchen, and Ariana refused to eat the rotten smell, finding it repulsive.
Luigi kept trying to force her, and Ariana’s resistance grew louder.
At that moment, Lady Bronte passing by saw the scene and asked what was going on.
With Helena standing beside her, she gently placed her hand on the lady’s arm and said with a worried voice:
“She took my necklace and was kept in her room for a while, Mother. I told her to reflect while eating with the maids, but she’s still stubborn and unrepentant.”
If Rachel’s words were true, her punishment was not excessive.
In many households, after stealing, confining someone in their room and making them eat less to reflect was common practice.
Lady Bronte believed Rachel, but Ariana rebelled.
“No, Mother. I didn’t steal the necklace. I swear!”
It was a mistake.
Someone must have placed it there (probably Luigi), and the necklace was found deep in Ariana’s only desk drawer.
Lady Bronte, concerned with appearances, reputation, and proper noble conduct, was furious. She ordered Luigi to give Ariana a beating.
Ariana cried, insisting she hadn’t stolen anything, even as she was whipped by the maid. Enraged by Ariana’s unrepentant attitude, Lady Bronte ordered her to be confined for another week.
That night, as Ariana, exhausted from crying, fell asleep, Rachel came to see her.
Rachel looked down at Ariana and said:
“Ariana, today I am truly disappointed in you. Even if you didn’t steal it, you should know how to forgive your sister for her mistakes. I wanted you to cherish your sister…”
The person who claimed Ariana stole Rachel’s necklace was Helena. Even if Helena lied, Rachel wished Ariana would forgive her.
Not wanting to disappoint her mother, Ariana immediately knelt and begged for forgiveness.
“I’m sorry, Mother. I was wrong. Please don’t be disappointed in me.”
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
As Ariana recalled that day, a coldness crept into her blue eyes.
‘I was so stupid. Why should I care about that woman’s disappointment?’
During the founding of the Kamellia Empire, Dongryeong, who achieved great merit, was trusted the most by the emperor among the vassal states of the east, west, south, and north.
Especially, the current emperor trusted and cherished Dongryeong, so the Western Marquis tried to sow discord between the Emperor and Dongryeong. He married his daughter, Rachel, to the Marquis of Dong.
Rachel already had a beloved man, but as a princess of Seoryeong, she had no choice but to marry a man she did not love for the sake of Seoryeong.
‘It must have been to avoid suspicion that I was born.’
Although the Marquis of Dong married Rachel to strengthen the alliance with Seoryeong, he probably didn’t fully trust her.
Rachel gained her father’s trust by becoming pregnant and passed Dongryeong’s information to the Western Marquis.
As soon as she handed over useful information, Rachel divorced Dongryeong and returned to Seoryeong. The Western Marquis used this information effectively to distance the emperor from Dongryeong.
-“I never wanted you to be born.”
-“It would have been better if I had died in the womb.”
Hearing these words as if brainwashed, Ariana still believed that someday her mother would love her.
If she just did well, worked hard, and proved herself useful, then her mother would love her.
It was a foolish hope.
Rachel, who resembled Dongryeong, took pleasure in tormenting Ariana.
That woman, who called herself her mother, had never truly regarded her as her daughter.
‘To realize that only after dying…’
Looking back now, it seemed like a foolish act deserving death.
Clack—clack—
The sound of the lock outside the door was heard.
Ariana wiped away her burning gaze with cold resolve and calmly looked at the door.
Without knocking, the door swung open, and Luigi entered with a tray.
As she entered, a rotten smell of food filled the room.
Did Lady Bronte not notice the stench that filled this room in her past life?
‘She probably knew. She just wanted to pretend she didn’t… but…’
Ariana watched the dirty food and trash Luigi brought with calm eyes.
‘Can I pretend not to notice again this time?’
~·~·* . *^.^* . *·~·~
Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉
Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.
Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
~~~Next Chapter~~~
Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.
See you then!!
