Rebirth
Luciana's POV
The huge castle was silent except for me.
I knew he had left again.
I wanted him to go.
I couldn't keep him here any longer.
He hates me...
"After everything I did... after all the times I protected him... I still couldn't compare to a puny, filthy commoner."
My voice was barely louder than a whisper.
Blood stained every corner of the castle.
Bodies lay scattered across the white marble floor like crimson flower petals. The bright red against the pristine white was blinding... almost mocking.
Perhaps it was laughing at me.
Perhaps it was telling me that I had loved the wrong person.
That I had been a fool.
My gaze dropped to the sword buried deep in my stomach. Blood soaked through my once-pure white wedding gown.
Oddly enough...
I felt nothing.
I was the Warrior Princess of Areithsy, praised throughout the kingdom for my beauty and brilliance.
Yet here I was...
Broken.
"Hahaha..."
A hollow laugh escaped my lips as I collapsed onto the cold marble floor.
My heart overflowed with hatred.
With regret.
With resentment.
"If... if I could go back..."
"I would never have loved that bastard."
Those were the final words I spoke before darkness swallowed me.
Just as my vision faded, a familiar voice echoed through the castle.
A voice I would recognize even if I had turned to ashes.
"Luciana!"
The voice trembled with panic.
With pain.
It wasn't the cold voice I had known for over ten years.
"Please... don't go..."
Strong arms lifted me from the blood-soaked floor.
Warm tears landed on my face.
In my final moments...
I finally received the warmth I had spent a lifetime longing for.
"I'm sorry... Please..."
"She said she wouldn't hurt you..."
"Your parents said you would be fine..."
"I'm sorry."
"I shouldn't have trusted them."
"I love you... okay?"
"I love you too much."
"But I couldn't be with you..."
"I'm just a spy..."
My thoughts froze.
What...?
I wanted to ask countless questions.
Instead...
Blood spilled from my mouth.
"Luciana...!"
"No... No! Please!"
His desperate cry became the last sound I heard before everything turned black.
Luciana's POV
"My head..."
A painful hiss escaped my lips as my hands flew to my temples.
It hurt.
Everything hurt.
My body felt as though it had been crushed into pieces.
Slowly, I opened my eyes.
Wasn't I dead?
The unfamiliar room made me frown.
Its strange decorations and bizarre objects were unlike anything I had ever seen.
Where...
Was I?
Before I could think further, the bedroom door burst open.
Several men dressed in black suits rushed inside.
Leading them was a handsome man wearing a ridiculously flashy gold suit.
Without warning, he lunged toward me.
Instinct took over.
I threw a punch.
He narrowly dodged.
"Luciana! What the hell?!"
His voice was surprisingly deep compared to his youthful face.
Confused, I opened my mouth.
"What?"
The voice that came out wasn't mine.
It was calm...
Smooth...
Elegant...
Nothing like the voice I remembered.
The man clicked his tongue.
"What?"
"Really?"
"I saved your freaking life, and the first thing you do is try to kill me?"
"If you hadn't rushed into that fire after that fool Aurelian, none of this would've happened."
"You should be thanking me."
Before I could respond, countless unfamiliar memories flooded into my mind.
The pain nearly split my head apart.
The man before me was Damien.
The childhood friend and personal assistant of this body's owner.
The owner...
Luciana Devereux.
A Mafia Queen.
This wasn't the Kingdom of Areithsy anymore.
This place was called Vinat Country.
Just like me...
This Luciana had devoted her life to a man who never loved her.
She imprisoned him.
He tried to escape.
A fire broke out.
She rushed in to save him...
And died.
Coldness filled my eyes.
The pressure I unconsciously released forced every man in the room onto his knees.
I would not make the same mistake twice.
If the heavens had truly granted me another chance...
I would never waste it.
"Where is he?"
My icy voice echoed through the room.
Damien sighed.
"He's in his room."
Then he rolled his eyes.
"Resting."
"Is he awake?"
The question immediately darkened Damien's expression.
"For God's sake, let go of that fool!"
"He's not worth it, Luciana!"
I ignored his complaint.
"Is he awake?"
"How would I know?"
"I'm not his assistant."
He pointed toward one of the kneeling men.
"You."
"Go check if that fool's awake."
"Yes, Sir!"
The man hurried out of the room.
"You may all leave."
"The fuck?"
"No thank you or anything?"
Damien threw up his hands dramatically.
"I seriously wonder why I'm still with you."
With an irritated snort, he walked out.
The others followed.
Only after they left did I relax.
How was I supposed to change clothes with them watching?
I walked toward the vanity mirror.
The reflection staring back at me made me pause.
It was...
Me.
Almost.
The face was identical to the one from my previous life.
Only sharper.
Colder.
More arrogant.
The kind of face that warned others not to come close.
"Aurelian..."
"Are you ready for round two?"
My fingers gently brushed my cheek.
Then my expression darkened.
"Mother..."
"Father..."
"You still owe me answers."
After sitting there for several minutes, I finally stood.
Opening the wardrobe, I found nothing but black clothing.
It seemed this Luciana and I shared similar tastes.
The only time I had worn white...
Was the day I died.
My wedding day.
The day a sword pierced my stomach.
My fingers tightened around a black windbreaker.
For a brief moment...
A twisted smile curved across my lips.
Then I released it.
I quickly changed into the outfit and studied myself in the full-length mirror inside the walk-in closet.
Beautiful.
I always had been.
And always would be.
The closet itself was magnificent.
Unfortunately...
I had no time to admire it.
"This time..."
"I'm not letting go."
Without another glance behind me...
I stepped out of the room.
