Chapter 2: Recalling Old Memories

AMERIE did come back to the past.

After Amerie calmed down and rationalized with herself, with the fact that she did come back, she cleared her mind of thoughts.

She stared at the mirror and saw her 14-year-old self, which has a different aura than what she had exuded before.

In her 14-year-old body is her 24-year-old mind and experience, she could see it just by how her once innocent and naive eyes turned dark and cold.

She looked like she just got back from hell with how disheveled her appearance was.

Of course, she did get back from hell.

Amerie couldn't help but feel thankful to whoever granted her wish, to pay for all the regret she had before and how she wanted to make things right this time.

She was given another chance to redeem herself and change, to make her fate go around another course.

'This time…'

She will definitely change her fate.

"Young mistress, let's get you ready for breakfast." Her nanny spoke, cutting her thoughts off.

Amerie nodded at this, the shock from earlier settling down as she calmly followed her, but didn't say anything else.

The nanny called in some of the maids that were on stand-by outside as they all helped her ready herself.

Amerie was in deep thought about what to do and only to realize, seconds later, that she is now fully dressed and accessorized.

She looked at herself in the mirror, wearing a familiar pink dress with flowers adorning it, her hair brushed to the side as her eyes surveyed her reflection.

"We especially prepared that for today, young mistress." Her nanny told her as she did final touches on her hair.

Amerie looked at her, confused.

"What do you mean by that?"

Her nanny looked at her, eyebrows furrowed.

"Isn't today the day you will meet the renowned heir of the Voulir House?"

Amerie was stunned, the hairs on her neck standing up as realization hits her like bricks. She unconsciously clenched her fist and stared at her reflection, showing her slightly horrified expression.

'It cannot be…'

If she is not wrong, today is the day she will be in an accident and the inevitable will happen once again.

Today will be the day that she will meet her near-death experience and meet Keres for the first time.

She slightly shook her head and calmed herself, her breathing becoming stable as her racing heart slows down.

'No, I shouldn't be afraid. I can change my fate especially since I know what is going to happen…'

In the past, after she was treated and recovered, they found out that the Voulir House sent assassins to her carriage and ambushed her. The sole reason for this is because of their greed to obtain the land near the southern border and their territory.

The Voulir House thought that if the heiress got killed, the authority will be passed unto them as they are distant relatives of the Lovette House.

However, it all came crashing down when Keres found her and saved her.

After Margrave Lovette found out that the Voulir planned to assassinate Amerie, he sentenced them to exile whilst the others go on to meet their death by the blade.

However, that same accident tied her to Keres.

If it ever happened again in this life…

'I am not going to die in this life, surely not by his hands.'

Amerie made a decision that will avoid this accident and ultimately avoid her fate by a mere step.

"Change my clothes."

The nanny looked at her surprised by her request.

"Why? Didn't you excitedly pick this specifically for your visit?"

Amerie shook her head, her cold eyes lingering on the dress.

"I don't like it anymore. Change it."

The nanny was confused by Amerie's request but she complied with her sudden will and changed the pink dress to a darker color, one that she hadn't worn yet but fits the occasion.

It was a navy-blue dress that has a lighter shade of blue at the bottom, almost like an ombre. The ruffles on the neck and shoulder grace her skin, giving it a soft glow whilst the sleeves reach mid-arm.

Amerie looked at the dress, satisfied with how it looked on her rather than the pink dress earlier.

'I think this suits me more.'

There was then a sudden knock on the door interrupting Amerie. It slightly opened as a familiar figure came in wearing a suit, different from the people present with her.

"Lilia."

The person bowed her head towards Amerie as she spoke.

"Young mistress, your father has called for you. He is waiting at the dining area." It was her father’s secretary who informed her.

Amerie looked at her reflection once again and took a deep breath before turning towards the aide, her eyes looking intensely at her making her avoid her.

"Lead me to my father." Amerie spoke, her voice is now cold and unfeeling.

The aide was taken aback for a second because of her tone as it was harsh in her ears, she even thought that she heard her wrong.

But upon seeing the young lady with emotionless eyes looking at her, she confirmed it.

'What happened to our young mistress?' she silently asked herself but didn't bother to voice out her question.

Amerie was known as a kind and gentle child, never once did she look at people almost intimidatingly like the Margrave, but seeing her now made the aide, Lilia, wonder.

'Did the young mistress finally realize the Voulir's plans?' She pondered this as she led the young mistress.

She then mentally shook her head at this nonsense opinion.

'No. Young mistress probably woke up in a bad mood.'

She glanced at Amerie once again and noticed the different aura she exudes, almost like she was more noble, graceful, elegant…and fierce.

'Maybe…'

Lilia couldn't conclude the sudden change of Amerie but she had a feeling that this change will bring a new path to the Lovette House.

And she could feel that it was for the better.

* * *

IT was more apparent now that this is her reality as Amerie looks at the familiar breakfast she always had in the past.

Even though it was the same, compared to what she ate when Keres held her captive, this was more appetizing in her eyes than ever.

"Aren't you going to eat, Amerie?"

Amerie flinched for a moment, thinking about how Keres used to ask her that when he noticed that the bowl of rotten food was untouched.

``Eat it, Amerie. That is the only food acceptable for you if you don't behave.``

She was treated worse than a dog.

"Is there something wrong with your food, darling?"

Amerie raised her head and looked at her mother, who has a worried look on her face.

"No, nothing's wrong."

Suddenly, images of her mother's head rolling off the platform of the guillotine flashes before her eyes as she clenched her fist.

'No. That won't happen this time.' She told herself as her hand slightly shook from remembering.

Her mother smiled gently as she reaches for a plate and placed it in front of Amerie.

It was Amerie's favorite bread, along with a side of jam and butter.

"Eat up, today you'll visit Voulir. You will have a long journey ahead of you."

Amerie ate the food on her plate, along with the food that her mother placed near her, as she thought of a way to prevent her from getting into an accident and meeting Keres.

"I'm surprised that the Voulir invited us first, saying that they want to see Amerie." Mother's voice rang across the table.

Amerie's father nodded, his eyes still on the food.

"I'm sure they wanted something. The Voulir are greedy when it comes to money."

Amerie glanced at her father who just casually spoke about the greed of the Voulir like it was some unrelated news on the newspaper.

A small smile graces Amerie's lips as she looked at her father who she admired all her life, but that smile disappeared as she remembered what her father went through.

Even though Amerie's father, the renowned Margrave Lovette, was loyal to the empire and the royal family, he was eventually tortured and killed.

All because he was framed for treason.

In the end, her father kept his innocence as their people and her mother was sent to the blade.

Amerie watched it unfold in her prison room located near Keres'. He played her like a fool and as he sent her family to their deaths, eventually killing her with his own hands as well.

'I will protect my family this time.'

Since Amerie will meet Keres through an accident caused by the Voulir's, what better way to stop this from happening is by not going at all?

Amerie placed down her utensils softly as she looked at her parents, straight to their eyes. They both stopped eating for a moment and curiously stared back at Amerie.

Then, Amerie sighed before speaking.

"Mother, Father, I won't go to the Voulir."

Everyone became silent.