It was morning.
Eurielle woke up just like any other normal day.
She didn't even know that her father and those other three were plotting something regarding her in the middle of the night.
Two weeks later, there will be a banquet held in the Imperial Palace.
And on that day, the Grand Duke's plan will finally take effect.
They will take the throne from the emperor and destroy the royal family. Especially the prince.
After that, they will crown Eurielle as the emperor.
Eurielle is entirely clueless of what's ahead of her.
*Knock* *Knock*
Nathalia entered the room.
"Good morning, my lady."
"Good morning, Nathalia." Eurielle responded.
"A letter arrived for you. It's from Lady Brown." Nathalia stated as she handed the letter to Eurielle.
Eurielle received the letter. She stared at it, uninterested.
"Lady Brown..." She unknowingly muttered Abigail's surname.
As Eurielle opened the letter, she smelled a certain scent coming from it.
'Perfume?'
Surprisingly, its smell was faintly familiar.
"!!!!!!"
"Read books."
"Don't miss out your meals."
"Sleep early."
"Take a bath everyday."
"Don't even try to escape."
Eurielle remembered.
It was her last life.
That scent... It was the same. The same smell that came from those scented papers that was sent everytime she receives her meal.
"Nathalia, please read it for me. It smells... unpleasant."
Eurielle wondered, how come the scent was similar?
Is it merely a coincidence?
"Will do, my lady." Nathalia replied. She looked at the letter and opened her mouth.
"Good day, lady Deidamus. I would like to invite you for tea the day after tomorrow. I have something to talk with you about. Sincerely, Abigail Brown."
Abigail? Asking to meet with Eurielle? It was seriously out of nowhere.
Eurielle felt troubled.
Abigail Brown was the least of the people whom she wants to see right now.
She feels strange whenever she sees Abigail.
"....I see."
"And there's also another letter from the Crown Prince."
"The Crown Prince?" Eurielle raised a brow.
"Yes. Do you want me to read it for you?"
"Please."
"Eurielle Deidamus. You are hereby summoned in the Imperial Palace. Show up in the imperial garden at exactly 2pm sharp."
*Sigh*
Yet another trouble came.
'What does he want from me?' Eurielle silently thought as she leaned on her pillow.
She thought she was doing everything correctly.
When she realized that she was the so-called villainess in this world, she didn't care about it. She didn't care about the Eurielle Deidamus' real identity and acted as herself.
She didn't harass nor bully Abigail Brown who is the heroine, and didn't bother Gabriel either.
Why is it that the moment she didn't involve herself with them, the more they get involved with her?
That was the one thing that Eurielle noticed from the past events.
"Nathalia, what is this feeling?" She asked.
Eurielle wanted to know what she was feeling. She never experienced feeling this kind of emotion in her last life after all.
"Please describe it, my lady."
Eurielle's heart felt heavy. "I don't want to get involved with anything. And thinking about those troublesome people makes me sigh deeply."
Nathalia immediately understood it.
"What you're currently feeling is tiredness and exhaustion, my lady."
"Really? So, being tired feels like your heart is heavy?"
"Yes."
'I'm... Tired?'
That's right.
Eurielle took her own life in the last life because she was tired. Tired of being trapped.
But thinking about it, she never felt something like this at that time.
"I understand. What time is it?"
"It's almost 1pm."
"Oh. Where's my father?"
"He's working."
"I see. Help me prepare. I'm.. going to the palace."
"Yes, my lady."
.
.
Imperial Palace...
.
.
It took half an hour to arrive in the palace.
As Eurielle got off from the carriage, an attendant escorted her to the imperial garden where she will meet with the prince.
Eurielle was wearing a pale green dress. She looked like a new leaf with her appearance and her beauty was as always, gorgeous.
"His highness is waiting for you inside." The attendant informed.
Eurielle just nodded in response.
With that, she opened door and entered the imperial family's exclusive garden.
"Finally, you're here."
"I greet his highness." Eurielle curtsied.
The last time she saw him.. it was the time where Clayton beat the sh't out of him and manipulated his mind to forget that event.
Gabriel frowned as he looked at her eyes.
Those deep, black eyes used to stare at him full with emotions. She used to glance at him with a never-ending obsessed gaze from afar.
But now, he couldn't see it anywhere.
Gabriel strode towards her and stood in front of her.
"Your highness?" Eurielle tilted her head.
He looked down at that pretty, small face and slowly, his hand caressed her cheek.
Eurielle didn't know how to react. No, she doesn't know what to react.
"May I ask what you're doing, your highness?" She pushed his hand away from her face.
"You- you're avoiding my touch?" He glared, as if it was the first time that Eurielle did that to him.
'What... Is he talking about?' Eurielle was confused.
"What is it that you want to talk about? Please say it now." Eurielle didn't want to stay at this place any longer.
She felt.. suffocated.
Yes. Just like that small space in her last life, she felt like she almost couldn't breathe in this beautiful garden.
"Seriously... You've changed. You always craved for my touch back then." Gabriel muttered as he covered his eyes out of frustration.
"Sorry?"
"What happened to you? Why are you like this now?" Gabriel grabbed her shoulders harshly.
'It hurts.'
"What are you talking about, your highness?" Eurielle had no idea why he was acting like this all of a sudden.
"Your eyes. You don't look at me like you used to back then. And your words. You say things you don't actually say. And your actions.. everything. You suddenly changed the way you acted. If you are doing this to grab my attention, fine! You did it! Why are you constantly running around my mind like a bug?!"
"Huh-?"
"Two weeks later, Abigail and I are getting engaged." He added.
"Then, congratulations...?" Eurielle blankly stared at him.
Gabriel looked at her with unbelief.
She had no reaction. She would usually lash out whenever Abigail is mentioned from his mouth.
"You're not Eurielle. Who are you?"