I enter the Duke's chambers, nanny was already present there.
I hope she hasn't told anything weird to him...
The Duke was a large man with a scar across his face. He's the type of person parents warn their kids to stay away from.
Hahaha...I feel the hair on my neck standing up.
"Father I want to talk about something" I gather up all my courage and say.
"The nanny has already told me about it" even his voice is deep and scary...
"My daughter, there hasn't been anything in the world I denied you off. When you asked me for a doll, I bought you the finest and the most prettiest doll to ever exist!"
"Father...nanny said that boy is a half between an elf and a human. Isn't it bad to keep such a dangerous creature near us!?"
"Hmm that's true but higher the risk better the reward! If we can brainwash that dog to obey us then not even the imperial family can touch us!" He smirked.
"But father..."
"Caroline, one day you will become the empress and rule this empire but don't forget that the empress is second to the emperor. Unless you have power over him, you won't be able to control him! And we can exactly do that using that slave!"
Yes! This arrogance was the exact reason for your downfall!
Caroline was obsessed with the crown prince Rion.
It is said that she saw him for the first time when they were 10.
"It's pretty. I want it." That was all she said. And that's all it took for the duke to get them engaged. He gave her everything she wanted no matter what it might be.
In truth, little Caroline was only attracted to his gorgeous red hair, common in the imperial family. She loved pretty things, he was like another pretty thing in her collection.
But when the female lead Sophia appeared, everything changed. The crown prince Rion fell in love with her and cancelled the engagement.
Enraged, Caroline used her Trump card Eric to kidnap and torture Sophia.
He made her fuck countless men and turned her into his own sex toy so she wouldn't be able to return back to Rion.
But it only backfired Caroline as it is said that the nun had divine magical powers that healed black magic. And when Eric had sex with her it cured his brainwashing slowly and made him fall in love with her. It was a plot fit for an 18+ novel.
Then the Villain Eric kills the same Villainess he was devoted to.
Hah! How ridiculous!
I couldn't help but find it funny...How must Caroline have felt when the same man who loved and obeyed her....killed her so brutally because of another women?
"My daughter what are thinking?" The Duke broke the silence. I realised I was zoning out again.
"Father...I want to give that slave to the Duchess Roseanne. She said that she wanted a son so I want to erase his brainwashing and make him her son"
"The Duchess of Arguens? But why erase his brainwashing? It would be great if he always obeys the Vorsacks even as an Arguens!"
Because I need him to forget me! If he remembers what I have done to him, I'm dead!
"No father I just want him to live as the son of the Duchess, not as a slave of the Vorsacks! I want him to forget everything that has happened over here and live like the son of Arguens" I say.
The Duke seemed to be surprised.
"I didn't realise you cared so deeply about the Duchess."
"Yes, she's like my mother after all" I smile. I know the value that sentence holds.
He bites his lip hard drawing blood at those words.
The Duke was an evil man who didn't think twice to kill innocent people if it means he would get what he wants.
But even such a ruthless man like him was only a human.
He fell in love with a beautiful woman from the neighbouring empire. She was an innocent and naive girl who had never hurt a living being in her entire life.
She was Caroline's mother, Zerlasha.
She married the duke and moved to this empire with him, not guessing a damn thing about his reality.
She only found out about his true nature much later after Caroline was born...
The Duke was responsible for numerous crimes, from slave trading, sex trafficking, murders, dacoity and even illegal sale of drugs.
The innocent Zerlasha couldn't accept any of this. She was a pious woman with strong faith, she couldn't tolerate so many evils!
And slowly she went crazy...
"I have married a vile beast! You deceived me!" Zerlasha screamed holding knife to little Caroline's neck.
"Let her go Zerlasha, calm down!" the duke screamed. Servants and mages surrounded her with their weapons raised towards her driving her into a corner.
"Let her go? If I let her go! She'll turn just like you and I can't allow that! I'll kill her here!" The sharp knife cut Caroline's neck slightly making her skin bleed.
"Zerlasha! don't you dare touch my daughter!!!"
"She's not your daughter! She's mine! I won't let her become like you!"
"Mother...I'm scared..." Caroline cried with her faint voice. Her green eyes were filled with tears. She looked exactly like her mother...
The look on Zerlasha's face changed instantly. Tears gushed down from her eyes, as she removed the knife from her throat and hugged Caroline to her chest.
"What was I doing? How can a mother do this to their own child...?" She cried.
Her embrace was warm, it calmed Caroline down too.
Taking the chance the Duke ordered the knights to restrain her.
But just in that moment, she pushed Caroline away and slit her own throat with the knife.
"NOOOOOO!!!" The Duke screamed. He rushed towards her but the damage was already done. She fell in his arms as blood gushed out of her throat.
"Take care of our daughter, Valis" she touched his face with her bloody hands and smiled. She looked as beautiful as he saw her for the first time. She was an angel who fell in love with the devil and she had to pay the price with her life!
Her hand dropped down from his face, she was no more.
Little Caroline watched as The Duke cried for the first time in his life hugging her dead mother's body in his arms.
I could see her memories because I was in her body...
But Caroline how must you have felt when that happened? Doesn't your dead mother's face still haunt you no matter where you go?
Are you really the Villainess everyone makes you?
Or are you just a lonely girl with everything in the world, but nothing at all?
It must be that terrible emptiness that drove you to own people and call them yours, even if their love was fake.
You were never really free from those haunting memories filled with deep emptiness...You are just like me.
In my past life, I studied really hard to impress my parents and always listened to them. But on the inside I felt an aching emptiness, I felt so lonely and burnt out.
I wonder what was the reason I was reborn in your body? Was it to save you from this nightmare? Was it to live freely?
Yes that's right. I'll save you, I'll save us.
"Aunt Roseanne was mother's best friend. I want to do something for her...Consider it as doing something for mother!" I said
The Duke's gaze softened. He promised to give everything in this world to his daughter and make her happy after he lost Zerlasha.
"Alright, you may do as you wish. Nanny prepare for that boy's erasal of memories and I'll send a letter to the Duchess regarding this situation."
"Oh and one more thing father, cancel my engagement with Rion for I do not wish to marry him anymore."
"What? Why so?? Don't you wish to rule this empire!?" He asked in disbelief.
"No, I want to live a free life. Being an empress is a huge responsibility, I'll inherit this duchy when I grow up and just live as Duchess Vorsack..." I said.
The Duke just stared at me in surprise.
"You have changed, Caroline"
The nanny looked at me filled with awe too.
"I sure have" I smiled.
I was taking bold steps towards freedom. I am not going to loose here. The Villainess will get her happy ending for sure!
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