「 Back to the present 」

"Where are we headed, master?" Jade questions after we walk inside the carriage. 

"We are going to the Wharton's house since that's where I am living now," he looks at me confused, "I'm going to be married to Terrel Wharton, the Duke's first son." 

"I see... Is he a good man?" from his question I could understand he was trying to see who were my foes and who were my enemies. 

"No. He is in the capital as we speak but when he returns he will rape me," I reply just to see Jade's eyes widen with surprise. 

'Is he surprised because of my naturality...?' thinking on it, it is not usual for a woman to say things like this so easily. 

"Did that happen... In your other lives?" I noticed the insecurity that was hidden behind his words. 

"Yes," I replied instantly. Jade's eyes looked curious, almost as if he wanted to know more but I couldn't show my cards so soon. Even if he was loyal to me, he was still a stranger, an outsider, a human with a heart-shaper than a knife, "There is also another troublesome person, Bradley Trace, he is my older sister's fiancé."

"What did he do...?" he questioned me but I just glared at him. 

"I don't think I need to explain myself to you," maybe I was being too cautious, maybe Bradley was just someone who had a small crush on me that would soon fade away, however, he was a problem, an eyesore. 

"I will heed your orders master, however, I am yours, I have many uses so make sure to use me to my fullest," as I hear those words I become conflicted. 

'So you will do everything, even carry the burdens of taking a life or listening to my worries is it?' I knew exactly what his words meant and so, without noticing, a painful smile is portraited on my lips as I understood that this man was nothing more than a tool for my success. 

"We've arrived, milady," the coachmen speaks loudly. 

"Bradley might be outside, make sure to watch him closely," I state right before hearing the door unlock. 

Jade leaves first and then I follow, just to see both of them stretching out their hands in order to escort me. Bradley was ignoring the slave's presence completely as if he was nothing more than a small ant that he could squish whenever he wanted. 

I grab Jade's hand, making Bradley's attention shift to the man he had ignored before. 

"And who are you?" I could see Bradley's cautious glare analyzing every single bit of his opponent. Both Jade and I remove our cloaks. 

"Make sure to wash them thoroughly," I state to Olivia right before turning my attention to the annoying fly that lingered, "He is my personal guard."

"If you needed a guard, I could've sent one of my own, Lady Ophelia," Bradley couldn't hide how displeased he was, it was almost as if he felt threatened by this platinum-haired man.

'Well it is only natural, Jade is quite a gorgeous man himself,' I think as I glance over at him again just to see his chocolate eyes focus on Bradley.

"I wouldn't dare to bother you with such trivial matters, my lord..." I reply politely and, as Bradley was about to reply, Olivia comes back announcing that the dinner had been served.

✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽

The table was quiet and its silence felt overwhelming. Jade was standing next to the other servants. Bradley was eating but his gaze kept on finding me, almost as if nothing else around him mattered.

"Who is this man you've brought home Ophelia?" the Duke takes the opportunity to ask carelessly while glaring at the silver-haired man.

"He is my new personal guard, my lord," I knew that bringing a slave to the house without getting permission from the Duke beforehand was something rude but even then it was something I had to do, "I'm sorry for not letting you know, hope you will forgive my rudeness," I get up from my chair and bow.

"It is quite fine my dear, let me know if you might need anything else," his kind smile made my heart relax as I sat back down. To be honest I wasn't expecting him to accept this stranger in his house so easily but his naiveness when it comes to family is terrifying. I had seen it in my other lives but somehow, it seems that it is even worse now. 

'There's no way he would let this go with a simple apology if it was one of his sons...' I knew I wasn't special and I knew I wasn't part of the Wharton family officially yet, however, the Duke already considered as his child, 'That must be it... There is no other explanation.'

I look across the table and see both Mace and Ralph eating their meals carefully and politely. The little boy in specific was trying his hardest to not make any mistakes due to Bradley's presence. As I watched them eat I kept on feeling a heavyweight on my chest.

'If they live or die... That has nothing to do with me anyways,' I revoked my conscience from intervening in this family's matters. I knew that, if my plan would go smoothly, then Terrel would be out of the picture soon, however, that doesn't mean their lives are safe.

"Milady! We've got terrible news," Olivia walks into the dining room in a rush right before trying to catch her breath. Her skin was flushed from running and her hands held a letter with the Criswell's symbol in it. 

"Calm down Olivia, what happened?" after calming down her body, she hands me the letter.

[Dear Ophelia,

Amanda has come down with a high fever. She is begging to see you.

Your sister might not make it for long.

Come by as soon as you can.

Your father, Alvin Criswell]

"Burn it," I immediately order, without giving much thought to the matter. 

"But milady... Your sister... She might die!" her voice was one pitch higher than normal and I understood that she was overflowing with emotions. Her eyes were stressed as she looked at me like I was a coldhearted person. 

"Remember your place, Olivia," she shudders after seeing my heartless expression. Her body begins to shiver as she averts her eyes from mine, "Disobey my orders one more time and you will get punished accordingly," my sharp voice made her gasp.

"I'm sorry milady!" without any hesitation and restrain she kneels and begs for forgiveness. 

The eyes were all on me. Everyone here knew that this behavior was punishable as her status is way below mine.

"What are you sorry for?" I question her. Olivia's body shudders. 

"For disobeying your orders milady."

"Rise," we both get up and I glared as Olivia straightened her dress, "You seem to lack education," her attention is focused on me once again and, as her head rises, I slap her right cheek harshly. 

Olivia bites her lower lip and grabs her dress while trying to hold her tears at bay. 

"If more letters arrive from them... Burn them," Olivia couldn't speak as her nerves were flowing through her body. 

"As you wish," she bows down and quietly heads outside to burn the letter. 

"I'm afraid I have to ask for your forgiveness, your grace, my lords," I bow down slightly just to see the Duke's glare on a couple of servants that were busy gossiping about the situation. 

"Do you have anything to say?" I glare at them while speaking coldly right before the Duke was able to intervene. They grow quiet, "At least you are wise." 

"I take you know what your order implied," Duke Wharton cuts a piece of his steak while looking at me. I knew he was warning me about this decision. 

"I am aware, your grace, but I hope you respect my decision," of course, the Duke, being the lovable family man, knew the consequences of my actions. The only way my family could contact me currently was through letter and, if I burned them all, I would become unreachable.

'They can always send letters to the Duke, as they always have done...' I drink a bit of water. 

"If that's what you wish dear..." he smiles warmly, "I almost forgot, Terrel sent a letter, he is very anxious to meet you." 

A shiver runs down my spine right after hearing that devil's name. My heart raced as if there was no tomorrow and my hands lost all their strength, making my tableware fall onto the table. My insides were twisting and turning while trying their best to hold on for dear life. 

"Are you alright Ophelia?" Mace asks but I could barely talk. 

"I seem to be unwell if you will excuse me, your grace, my lords," I get up and leave the room hurriedly. 

I knew he was alive, I knew Terrel was real but hearing his name from the Duke's mouth, hearing that he sent a letter talking about me, just made everything seem closer than what I originally thought. 

'Is someone following me...?' I left in a hurry so the servants didn't come with me, however, I could hear footsteps getting closer, 'It's here...!'

"Are you alright Ophelia?" at the sound of that man's voice I stop. I turn my body and see Mace, sweating as much as I was from walking around searching for me. 

"I will be after a good night of rest, my lord," I avert my eyes, "If you'll excuse me," I quickly head to my chambers, leaving Mace behind. 

I close the door behind me and lock it. My body leans on the door while trying to recover its strength. 

'Calm down... It's alright... Calm down...' I manage to settle my emotions and head to the bed, sitting on the bright white sheets.

As I saw my reflection in the mirror, my body couldn't help but tremble. The 'me' appearing in that object was filled with bruises, scars and her soul had left her body. It was me, from all those times he used and abused me.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to punish him. I wanted to kill that perverted smile that he carried on his lips.

'I hate him. I hate him. I hate him.' the words kept on repeating in my mind as if they were a melody.

"Meow," Nero appears and rubs itself on my dress, waking me up from my daydream. 

I clean my tears hurriedly as I hear voices on the other side of the door. After straightening my dress slightly, I unlock the door. 

"Are you alright milady?" the maids enter, showering me with their concern while Jade looked at me from afar. 

"Yes, I will be," I smile politely, "I would like to rest." 

"Of course milady," the maids head towards the closet. 

"Jade," I walk towards him as he followed me with his eyes silently, "You need to carry two people from now on."

"Yes master," he replies politely. I wasn't expecting that he was so well behaved since he was a slave but, truthfully, I was surprised. 

"Eat properly, rest and train, become stronger," I state right before smiling and closing the door, leaving him outside.  

The maids finish dressing me and soon head towards their posts. I was finally alone. 

'Why would the Duke want me to come back...?' my mind begins to wander as I recall the letter that was delivered. In my other lives, the Duke never contacted me after I moved to the Wharton's, not even when I begged for his help with Terrel, 'So why...?'

I knew there was no reason for the Duke to ask for my return to their mansion without any proper reason. Even then, I hadn't done anything out of the ordinary, or anything that might compromise his "plan", whatever might it be. 

'Could it be true...?' I began questioning myself if Amanda's plight was not a farse but instead the real truth, however, that woman wouldn't beg to see me in her death bed, 'Was she poisoned?' this was a possibility but there was no one that wished to harm the Duke's child since she was an important chess piece for the majority of the nobles. 

I look towards the window, as my body relaxed within the pearly sheets and comfortable mattress. 

No matter how hard I think or how I twist this scenario, in this life, there is only one key factor that changed: 

'Bradley Trace...' I never thought that the Duke would think this silly interest he possesses in me is a threat to his plans, 'I need to get rid of him.' 

That man was able to upgrade, he was no longer an eyesore, in fact, he was now a problem that needed to be revoked from my life, whether he liked it or not. 

✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽

「 Hours before, at the Criswell's mansion 」

"Father... What happened to him!?" Amanda's obnoxious voice echoed in the room as Alvin's mind wandered off somewhere.

The Duke was worried about the outcome of this situation. He had been so careful throughout the years, setting up encounters, making the right trades, creating the perfect pawns, and now, everything was about to be ruined by that child. 

'How could this happen...?' Alvin could only hear the voice of his thoughts.