Chapter 1

The wheels of time, once revolved backwards, begin to accelerate. 

"Offer your life to the guillotine."

I felt my neck stiffed for a bit when I woke up feeling cold from all over my body. 

That same dream again, it was a nightmare that I will never forget. 

I thought I was dead, that my life has been ended, but it didn't end just like that. Someone heard my request and made me come back. 

I stretched my small hands and laugh, I can still see the blood on my hands. The wounds from the tortures I got, I can still see how my nails was torn off and how my hands was broke. 

The pain keeps knocking my inside, trying to tell me that they all should pay for what they've done. 

I comb my hair using my left hand and all the dark memories keeps flashing in my mind. 

The pain, betrayal, and death. 

Everything is still vivid, I can still feel the pain from my body when I was beaten to death using a chain and thin sharp whip. 

I turn my head on the mirror that I broke earlier. My face looks shattered when I stare at my face, I'm sick of it. 

I heard a knock from my door before it opened and Gwen entered carrying a tray. 

The image of her dead body refreshed on my eyes as I followed her moving closer to me. 

"My Lady? Is there any problem?" she asked when our eyes met. 

I know for sure that she was dead when the time didn't reversed. 

I couldn't hold still, thinking that everything is just an illusion. 

She was there, protecting me but I couldn't even protect her. 

I pulled her closer and hugged her. 

"M-My l-lady? " 

I closed my eyes firmly, trying to forget the image of her dead body. 

No, it was only a dream. A nightmare that tells me what will happen in the future, I know... but, the pain, I can still feel it. 

I hurriedly ran to the door and went out from my room leaving Gwen with her startled face. 

I ran down the stairs, wearing my nightgown without any slippers on my feet.

I kept moving my head side by side to find them, to find my parents. 

When I reached the backyards where I heard the voices of the knights scouting the manor, I hurriedly ran and my eyes was welcomed by the knights, with their upper bodies naked. 

I froze when all their eyes looked at me simultaneously. 

They stare at me before they quickly put on their clothes. 

They were in a daze when suddenly my father and mother came. Mother was clinging on my father's arm and when their eyes met mine, I hurriedly ran to them and hugged them.

They are alive, they're here, on my arms. 

"Ali? What's the problem?" mother asked. 

I felt my body rose and realized that Father carried me on his arms. Their eyes are on mine, looking at me with worry and surprise. 

"Darling? Did you had a nightmare?" father asked and caressed my cheeks. 

I moved my gaze repeatedly to them before my eyes starts to watered making me burst a cry. 

"Yes, I had a nightmare. It was very scary that I don't want to sleep again, " I says sobbing on my father's chest. 

It was a nightmare that I didn't want to dream again. 

I don't want to repeat that dark memories, I don't want to see them dying on me. 

"My Lady! Oh my, I didn't know that she was with you my Lord." 

I heard my father chuckled when Gwen came running on her sweat. 

I bit my lower lip and sniffed before letting out an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Gwen, I just missed my mama and papa."

All of them looks surprise as well as the knights who wasn't expecting my words. I know, in my past life I was a brat. I always want everyone to apologize in my stead even if it's my fault, but it's different now. 

Everyone of them, the knights, the servants, and my parents, I will protect them at all cost. 

Even if it means being the villainess towards the Empire. 

I smiled widely, as bright as the sun to show them how grateful I am. 

"Everyone, thank you!" I says.

I stopped when suddenly the knights were acting like they were about to die. Gwen's face was red and I heard my father and mother chuckled before embracing me. 

"You're acting odd darling, I should buy plenty of nightgowns for you if it means you're going to act like this. Oh, you're on barefoot, " mother teased making me embarrassed. 

I forgot that I went out with only my nightgown without my slippers. 

Everyone of them are my treasures, they will never have the same destiny in the past. I will do everything I can to protect them, my D'aureville people. 

"That's odd my lady, you've been telling me to prepare light colored dress, but why are you telling me to burn it all?" Gwen asked.

I  paused moving out the dresses from my closet and looked at her who was making a confused face. 

"I don't like it anymore. Tell mama that I will only wear dark colored ones," I ordered. 

She brushed off her hair before she nods. "What about this?" 

She lifted the hanged long white silver dress. 

I felt the numb on my throat when I suddenly remembered the image of the person who gifted the dress. 

My eyes went down and I closed my eyes firmly, I felt my hands trembles as I tried fixing my expression. 

It's okay Talia, it's not yet the time. 

I swallowed hard before giving her a smile, not only did I realize that my smile was totally dark making her stepped back for a bit. 

"L-Lady T-Talia?" she stuttered. 

I gulped and laugh awkwardly. 

"Sorry," I apologized. 

She stares at me before she let out a quick breath. "Don't apologize my lady, I was just startled."

Going back to the dress, I took the dress from her and ordered her to burn the remaining dresses. 

When she left, I threw the dress on the bed and stares at it longer. 

The anger in my heart keeps burning, the promises keeps refreshing in my mind. 

Now I realize how stupid I am for falling in love with his words. Everytime the butterflies would dance in my stomach when he spout his flowery words, deep inside him he was mocking me. 

That fucking crown prince. He let me fall for him yet in the end, his promises was just an illusion just like his confessed love. 

That seconds when the guillotine cut off my head, his eyes were cold and didn't even show a small glint of sorry. 

"My Lady?" 

I heard a knock from the door. 

I immediately walk towards the door and gently opened it. 

It was Butler Caryon. 

"Yes?" I asked. 

He bowed before giving me a greeting smile. "The crown prince is here, he's waiting for you in the living room."

In exchange of the greeting smile he gave, the words he said was like a knife stabbing my inside. 

I thought that everything would be easy because I already know their true faces, but it was too hard just by hearing his title. 

When was it? When was the last time I felt so happy hearing his name? I don't want to remember it. 

I raised my head and walk confidently to the living room. My eyes moved on the boy who was sitting on the sofa with nothing but emotionless face. 

He was always like that, giving me a cold stare and a cold gestures. 

How did I fall in love with this heartless man? 

I clenched my fists to hide my emotion before letting out a plastic smile. 

"Greetings to the future sun of the Sylvestre Empire, " I says and bowed. 

He was tapping his right finger while his chin was resting on his left palm. He looks uninterested when our eyes met, that cold stare again. 

I'm so sick of it. 

He's just three years older than me yet his aura was totally the same as his father. 

Both ruthless and enigmatic. 

I sat on the sofa in front of him and gave him the same look as what he was giving to me. 

His lips moved and a glint of grin was shown on his lips.  

"It's been a while Talia," he says making me froze for a bit. 

It's like his words are telling me that it's been a while since I last saw him, that day when I died on the guillotine. 

 "Yes, it's been a while." My tone was full of bitterness and my eyes were soaked with emotions. 

I want to kill him. 

He crossed his legs before his eyes darken. "Why are you giving me that look?" he asked. 

I flinched and breathe heavily before giving him a warm smile. 

"What's wrong your highness?" I asked back. 

It's still not yet the time, I haven't started yet. 

"Talia did you forget? It's my birthday." 

My heart beats rapidly staring at him with nothing but shock. 

What? 

What the hell? 

So what? So what if it's his birthday? 

I laugh awkwardly, I don't really know what he's thinking. I don't exactly remember the younger him, what did I do on his birthday? What—

I stunned realizing that the younger me was bold enough to give him a kiss on his birthdays. 

Stupid, so stupid. 

"Talia. " 

I flinched when I heard him called. His tone was soft yet his eyes were still cold, how could he look at me like that? 

"H-Happy birthday your highness!" I greeted with a smile on my face. 

Don't make me laugh, I don't want you to have a happy life. 

Not in this lifetime. 

He stand up and went closer to me before he held my hand on his knees. He gave it a soft kiss and looked at me with ablaze, desire, and the look of the person who was going to take an oath. 

"I haven't done this right?" he asked. 

Instead of excitement, I shivers down to my spine and tried to fixed my expression. Never break down in front of him, not to him. 

His eyes changed and darken when I didn't respond to him. 

"You, are you angry?" he asked. 

I shook my head and closed my eyes firmly before giving him a look that I'm not angry. 

Even if I am, I will never show it to him. 

"What are you doing your highness? Please stand up," I says acting like I'm worried, but I'm not. 

He chuckled. "I thought you're angry, I wouldn't want you to get angry. I will always make you happy, I promise."

My mind went blank, that promise again. The promise I once thought was true, but rather a lie. 

How could he promise me such word? Happiness? Fuck you. 

"Really? That's too sweet of you your highness," I says hiding the bitterness of my tone. 

Let's see how you're going to play your highness, let me play with you until you lose everything. 

Just like what you did to me.