Chapter 3

The person who had approached was Doctor Nin, but he was merely passing by. After a brief moment, he left Regina’s room without any intention of helping her.

Pain! That’s what she felt, but it quickly morphed into a burning hatred. The father she had loved so much had been killed, and now she would fall into the hands of these criminals.

'If there is a God, I hope I can return and destroy them all!' Regina swore silently in her heart.

She continued to glare at the people who would now hang her, tears streaming from her eyes. The pain of betrayal stung more deeply than anything she had felt before. The ones she had once considered her closest and dearest had now betrayed her.

The ticking of the clock echoed in Regina's ears as the rope around her neck tightened. Her vision began to darken.

"It hurts!" Regina awoke with a sharp gasp, her breathing ragged, and her neck aching as if it had been strangled.

Confusion flooded her mind. She couldn’t understand why she was still lying on the bed, when she should have been in the afterlife, or at least she thought she should have been.

Regina stood up from the bed and approached a large mirror. She looked into it, still trying to make sense of what had just happened. Her head was bandaged, but there was no trace of the rope that had once strangled her.

This doesn’t feel like a dream, she thought. If it were a dream, why does it feel so real? Her mind spun with questions, her dizziness worsening. Suddenly, she heard something fall, and she turned her head toward the door.

"Are you awake, Regina?" Elisabet appeared at the doorway, her face softening with relief. She looked at her stepdaughter with a sad yet hopeful expression.

"Mommy, what happened to me?" Regina asked, her hand pressing to her forehead, feeling the lingering dizziness. Elisabet quickly rushed to her and helped her back to bed, sitting by her side with a concerned look.

"You didn’t answer me, Mother," Regina murmured quietly, still not fully understanding what had happened.

"Ah, I’m sorry, darling. You fell because Selina pushed you," Elisabet explained, her voice laced with regret. "But your sister didn’t do it on purpose. I hope you can forgive her for this mistake." Elisabet's eyes were downcast, almost ashamed.

As Elisabet spoke, Regina’s memory began to return, and she recalled that this incident had happened years ago. Selina had pushed her out of jealousy, resentful of how dear Regina was to their mother. It had happened before when Elisabet and Selina had lived with her family. Regina had often been the object of mockery because she was loved by Elisabet while Selina was seen as an outsider.

"Regina, are you awake?" Lion’s voice broke through her thoughts. He rushed over to her, looking deeply worried. He had spent the whole night fretting over Regina’s condition.

Regina felt a wave of annoyance toward the two people standing before her. Her head was still pounding, and she was trying to suppress her emotions. 

Behind Lion, Selina walked in, her face dark, as though she had been reprimanded. She didn’t even dare to approach Regina, knowing she had been scolded by the Count for being rude.

When Regina saw Selina’s troubled expression, she couldn’t help but smile slightly. She recalled the dream that felt so real and, surprisingly, she now felt no sympathy for her half-sister. Normally, she would have felt sorry for Selina in such a situation, but now, she was oddly content. Perhaps this was because she truly felt she had returned to the past—she remembered everything clearly.

"Selina, why are you just standing there?" Regina said, putting on an innocent face, though internally, she was mocking the woman. "Why don’t you come closer?"

Selina, hearing the words of her doting half-sister, immediately put on a hopeful expression, thinking that Regina would now defend and justify her.

"Forgive your childish sister, won’t you? You know my nature, I can be immature," Selina pleaded, her face full of innocence. Regina, however, felt disgusted by her half-sister’s pleading expression.

"Selina!" Elisabet snapped sharply. "You should apologize properly to your older sister, stop being so defensive."

"Mother, I completely understand Selina’s childish nature," Regina said, her face turning away deliberately, letting the words hang in the air. She wanted to hear Elisabet’s response.

"Well, you know me, it’s the first time I’ve done something like this," Selina said, her voice soft and pleading. "Please tell Mother and the Count that I shouldn’t be punished. I promise I won’t do it again."

"Your sister is right, Regina," Elisabet added, her voice softening. "I hope you’ll forgive her, and that the two of you will continue to get along as you always have."

"Have I spoiled her too much?" Regina asked, pushing Elisabet into a corner with her words. "She’s acting like this because she’s been pampered too much. It’s not good for her."

Elisabet blinked in surprise, clearly taken aback. She had expected Regina to obey her, but instead, her stepdaughter seemed to be questioning her.

"Mother doesn’t spoil her!" Elisabet retorted defensively. "I just want you two to get along, like before."

"Really, Mother?" Regina replied, raising an eyebrow. "But why do I feel like it’s not true? What do you think, Lion?" Regina turned to Lion, looking at him for confirmation.

Lion seemed confused. "Yes, I think so too."

Regina gave him a satisfied look, pleased that he had agreed with her. It was a small victory, but it was enough to fuel her determination.

"It seems that when Father comes home, we’ll need to talk about how Selina should behave more maturely in the future," Regina said, her voice taking on a sharp edge. "If she keeps acting like this, it will bring shame to the name of Count Deptian!"

Selina’s face turned pale at Regina’s words, and Elisabet shot her a sarcastic look. She was clearly annoyed by Regina’s attitude, especially after all the care she had given her.

"You can leave now, Mother," Regina said firmly, sending them all away. "I want to rest alone."

The three of them left reluctantly, knowing they couldn’t force Regina to stay with them when she clearly needed time alone.

Regina, now alone, took a deep breath and tried to focus on the events she had just remembered. Even though her head ached, she refused to let the pain overwhelm her. She needed to prepare for her next move.

As she lay there, thinking, she suddenly heard a knock at the door.

"Who is it?" Regina called out, her voice still shaky.

She stared at the door, trying to sharpen her hearing, hoping for a response.

"Can I come in?"

A familiar voice answered from behind the door—it was Doctor Nin!