"For one final time, would you dare to give me a final dance?" Lucien asked, a small smile etched on his face as he bent his head, placing a soft kiss on the back of Vivienne's hand.

Her heart skipped a beat as her finger twitched under the feeling of Lucien's soft lips that seemed to take forever to separate from her skin.

He glanced up at Vivienne, his eyes practically piercing into her soul, despite her fear and hatred towards Lucien, she couldn't stop her face from becoming a bit flushed under his gaze.

At the end of the day nothing would change the fact Lucien was known for his ice cold beauty, it was said he came first when ranking the appearances of all the royals.

Vivienne had finally managed to cut ties with Lucien now that she was engaged to his elder brother, but she found herself being swayed by Lucien's request for a final dance to put a peaceful end to their relationship.

At the end of the day there was a time they were truly friends, Vivienne found herself unable to refute her once friend as she gave a small nod, brushing her blonde hair behind her ear.

As the next song started Lucien took her hand and guided her to the dance floor, as they gracefully danced, Vivienne was reminded of times she'd laugh while dancing with him.

She glanced up at him, opening her mouth to speak, but her words were cut short as she coughed, feeling something coming out of her throat. What came out of her mouth was her own blood as Lucien unveiled the dagger concealed in his sleeve, stabbing Vivienne in the in the back.

Lionel who was watching his fiancé dance with his younger brother froze, his face darkening as the glass he was holding in his hand shattered, his hand dripping with blood as he felt his heart drop.

Before he could even process what he was doing he was already in front of Lucien. Despite the murderous look of fury in Lionel's eyes, Lucien could only cockily smile at his brother, letting Vivienne drop to the floor before kissing his blood stained fingers in mockery.

"Lucien, it's seems you never learn when to quit" Lionel breathed out, his teeth gritted as he shook with rage. 

"Despite your disgraceful blood and behavior you were allowed life, I turned a blind eye, as at the end of the day you are my younger brother.." Lionel said with a bitter laugh.

"It seems that was a mistake as you still fail to learn your place. Your birth was a mistake to begin with, and I plan to fix that very mistake." Lionel spat coldly, his hand gripped around Lucien's throat, pinning him against a pillar.

Lucien's face was beginning to turn purple but the crazed look in his eye and his cocky smile never left his face.

"My death won't bring back what you lost, that alone will comfort me in hell," Lucien gasped out with a grin on his face.

Lionel's eyes darkened as he pulled out his sword, stepping back a bit before viciously swinging his sword into Lucien's neck before slicing cleanly through it.

The grand ball room went silent, most people turning their faces and others beginning to smile at the sight of Lucien's head severing from his body.

And like every villain Lucien met his befitted end as his body dropped to the floor, making a thud sound as blood spilled across the marble floor.

++++

Everything in life is balanced.

Where there is prey there is predators.

Where there is good there is bad.

Where there is light there is dark.

Where there are heroes there are villains.

If the life Lucien Valmont lived was a novel, it would be clear who the hero was. 

His older brother, Lionel, was most befitting of the title hero. 

The third prince of the Valor empire was Lionel Valmont. He was kind hearted, unlike most nobles he never saw those of different classes below him. He would never use the suffering of the poor for his own gain. He had a heart of gold.

His pure heart was never unrewarded, as he was known for his luck. Every war he led ended in victory, every deal he proposed was accepted by any and all empires, he turned the Valor empire into a well loved country. Lionel had everything he wanted in life.

It was said his heart was so pure he could hold no hate. 

That was the one thing people were wrong about. It seemed his heart had enough room to hate atleast one person.

His younger brother, Lucien Valmont, was the one and only person Lionel truly hated. Lucien would never claim he was innocent, in fact he knew that most people hated him for a reason.

After all where Lionel was the hero, Lucien was the villain. 

He earned the title of the mad prince of the empire, it was said that if Lucien ever was to take hold of the crown, the empire would fall into ruins under the lead of the insane tyrant.

Lucien wasn't always feared.

In fact there was once a time in his childhood where people would out right curse his name and filthy blood without any fear.

Lucien was the illegitimate prince of the empire, his mother was a young maid who seduced the emperor and birthed his child, successfully becoming a concubine. 

But nothing could erase her past, her background went on to make her one and only son the embarrassment of the empire.

It was already a shame for nobles to have illegitimate children, so one could imagine how much of a shame it would be for royalty, who prided themselves in their bloodline, to have that very bloodline ruined.

Lucien grew up being mocked and disrespected, he was aware from a young age no matter what he did he would never be respected.

So if he couldn't get respect.

He intended to get fear.

The young prince at the age of only eleven committed his first murder.

He slit the throat of a maid who dared to disrespect his lineage. 

Seeing the fear on their faces of people who once treated him less than a human was addicting. It was easy for this to become a habit.

After all who would punish this prince?

The emperor didn't care what Lucien did as he was intent on acting like he never had an illegitimate son.

So with this free rein Lucien would kill anyone who so much as glared at him, and to those he couldn't kill, such as nobles, he made sure to ruin them.

He was the villainous prince of Valor.

Lucien and Lionel were often compared as opposites, if one wanted peace the other wanted war.

The only time in their lives they saw eye to eye was when it came to the daughter of the grand duke, Vivienne Callisto.

Lucien was obsessed with her to an unhealthy point, forcing her to spend time with him by threatening those around her.

In his eyes the only thing that was truly his, was her.

So when he found out the one she loved was Lionel, Lucien went mad.

In his eyes, if he couldn't have Vivienne, neither could his brother, after all he knew he had to way of competing with his brother, he knew his whole life he could never compare, so why even bother when he could just break the toy they both wanted?

On the day of their engagement party Lucien made his appearance, during the party he attempted to assassinate her.

Lionel, the man who has never once shown anger, exploded in rage, at that moment he decided to put an and to it all.

He beheaded Lucien with his sword.

Like a perfect story, the villain was defeated by the hero.

It should have been a perfect ending.

That was until Lucien's eyes opened once again.

++++

The feeling of the sharp blade piercing into Lucien's skin was still vivid as his eyes shot open, his heart violently beating in his chest as his adrenaline rushed, a smile painted on his face as he panted.

His smile twitched before slowly dropping as he came to his senses, he shouldn't be alive. The feeling of his head dropping to the floor before losing consciousness was still vivid enough for Lucien to relive if he closed his eyes.

Not only would it be impossible to survive that, there would be no way that Lionel would let Lucien live regardless.

Lucien sat up, his eyes glancing around the room before realizing he was in his childhood bedroom.

His eyes caught on the mirror and he simply frowned as he stared at the young boy in the mirror, the boy's cheeks were slightly caved in as he showed slight signs of malnutrition.

His eyes were a dark red that resembled ruby red jewels, his hair was as white as snow, signifying his royal blood, although unlike his siblings whose hair were more of a platinum blonde, this boy's hair was pure white, just like his paternal grandfather.

In any other case this would be seen as an honor, but seeing as this young boy was the son of an affair, it was only seen as proof of his dirty blood.

Lucien's eyes narrowed as he watched his younger self in the mirror, raising his hand to confirm what he was seeing was indeed his reflection.

Lucien's lip curved up in mockery as he let out a laugh of disbelief, his voice coming out young and immature.

He was sure he wasn't dreaming, this was all real... and he was also sure the last 19 years of his life wasn't some prophetic dream as well, after all Lucien has never dreamt before in his life, his nights were always dreamless.

The only option Lucien was forced to accept was he was somehow in the past, after dying he out of all people was given another chance in life.

Was he given another life to repent for his sins and make things right?

Lucien could only laugh.

Even if it led to his life ending the same way, or even a worse ending, Lucien had no intention to  change for the better.

In fact now in the body of his nine year old self with 19 years worth of memories, he only intended on becoming worse.

After all he was the only person in the world who knew what the future held, he had ten years worth of information he could use now, he had the power to become the tyrannical king people feared he could become.

And this time he didn't intend on losing.