TDRL 02

Chapter 2

When she opened her eyes, she was in a world full of light.

Aiana was lying on the floor, looking up at the ceiling. Instead of the cold stone walls of a prison, she saw the bedposts with a feathered canopy.

She shot upright and looked around. Luxurious furniture came into view. It was the kind of room a noble lady would occupy.

What happened?

She sat up, then unconsciously opened her mouth.

“Diabel? Are you there?”

No answer came. As silence stretched, memories slowly began to surface.

She had been in prison. She had spoken with Erez, and after that, Diabel had come to her. What had he said? He had definitely…

She bit her lip hard as the memories returned. Hatred and rage surged up to her throat in an instant.

…Diabel must have joined hands with Rosell.

His composed attitude and neat attire proved it. If he hadn’t betrayed her, how could he be so perfectly fine?

And yet, she still denied it. Diabel—that Diabel—could never betray her.

After losing her entire family, all that remained for Aiana was Diabel.

She had been married, had a husband and a child, but they were not her family.

When the Rosell family slaughtered her relatives, Aiana barely managed to escape the mansion.

But that wasn’t the end. The attackers still pursued her. She asked for help from several families she knew, but none would aid her.

The only one who took her in was the Barony of Pasito. She thought they were showing her kindness—but there was no such thing as kindness without a reason.

The Baron of Pasito had an only son, well past marriageable age but still unwed, for he was an imbecile.

No noble family would send their daughter to the Pasito household. By that point, one might think they would simply buy a commoner wife, but the Baron insisted on a noble bride.

Then they heard news of Aiana. Though fallen from grace, Aiana still bore noble blood.

So the Baron took her in. “Bought” would have been a more accurate word.

Even an imbecile might have been tolerable if he were a kind person. But her fiancé was a cruel man. Laughter and screams never left the mansion.

He reveled in violence and pleasure. Before Aiana came, the maids had served that role. Some had been beaten to death, others had vanished after becoming pregnant.

And to him, Aiana was no different from a maid.

Even before entering the bridal chamber, Aiana was flogged. There was only one day left until the wedding night, but her fiancé couldn’t wait and tried to rape her.

The way he grinned, baring his teeth, disgusted her beyond measure. She would rather die than marry such a creature.

When Diabel heard that Aiana had almost been violated, he was outraged and wanted to kill the eldest son. He knelt before Aiana and pleaded.

“Let me kill him. Let’s run away together. Anywhere. I will find you a life better than this one.”

At those words, Aiana felt as if she had been saved. With Diabel beside her, she felt she could endure any hardship.

If not for what he said next, she might have truly run away.

“I will protect you, Lady Aiana, even at the cost of my own life.”

Even at the cost of his life.

At that, her heart sank. She felt as if she had plummeted from heaven into an abyss in an instant.

The Rosell family was still hunting her. The only reason she was alive was because the Pasito family protected her—who knew what would happen if she left?

Moreover, if she killed the eldest son and fled, the Pasitos would not sit idle. It was as clear as day what punishment Diabel would face for killing their son.

If she left, Diabel might die.

She couldn’t bear that. She hated the thought of Diabel dying even more than she hated the thought of her own death. She had already lost everyone precious to her. If she left and Diabel died…

Slowly, she pushed Diabel away from her chest. He looked at her as if asking why. With a tear-streaked face, Aiana smiled weakly.

“No. It’s fine. I’ll stay here. I’m tired of sleeping on the streets.”

Smiling faintly, Aiana voluntarily walked into the bedroom of the man who had tried to rape her.

She wanted to die. She wanted to run away. But she endured. When she thought of Diabel, she could endure. If she endured, she could escape Rosell’s clutches.

To Aiana, who had lost all her family, Diabel was her only friend, her only ally, and her only family.

She loved him. Whether it was romantic love, familial love, or the faithful devotion of a liege to her loyal retainer, she couldn’t tell.

Even as scandals plagued her at social gatherings, even as her sisters-in-law called her a whore who didn’t know her place, even as she bore the child of a rapist—she endured because Diabel was there.

And yet… you sold me out.

A sob nearly escaped between her teeth. Aiana bit her lip hard. She must not cry. Crying would change nothing.

There was no knight anymore to comfort her when she wept. She had to endure alone.

Just as she was struggling to compose herself, knock knock—a small rap at the door, and it opened.

Aiana turned her head quickly. The person who entered was a middle-aged woman in a maid’s uniform.

“Lady Aiana, please wake up. The master is returning, so you must prepare quickly.”

The maid spoke so kindly that Aiana was momentarily taken aback. Moreover, the face was familiar—the same face she had seen thirteen years ago.

It was Sophie, the head maid who had served the Rihaph family.

Sophie had also died on that night of tragedy thirteen years ago. Aiana had witnessed it. She had seen it with her own two eyes, heard it with her own two ears.

“Oh my lady, why do you look so unwell? Did you have a nightmare?”

“A… nightmare?”

This situation itself felt more like a dream. Why was a dead person standing before her? Sophie, utterly unfazed, was pouring water into a washbasin.

“Still not awake? Today is the day the master returns, remember? You must hurry and get ready.”

“Master… do you mean Father?”

“Oh dear, my lady. Did you stay up late last night?”

“…”

“Washing your face will help you wake up.”

Aiana stared blankly at Sophie. Sophie helped her up and led her to the washstand.

The clear water gave off a floral scent. Aiana gazed dazedly into the basin.

The still water reflected a lovely face. Fine blonde hair fell to her chest, and her skin was fair and clear.

But more than such changes, something else shocked Aiana. She was certain she had been a woman in her thirties who had borne a child.

Yet the person in the water was clearly not a grown woman. It was a young girl, just barely out of childhood, looking back at her with startled eyes.

The mansion bustled with preparations to welcome the master home after a long absence. Though the manor was already spotless, the servants fussed and cleaned relentlessly, terrified that even a single speck of dust might have been missed.

Amidst the atmosphere of a small festival, only Aiana stood rooted to the spot like an outsider. She could not yet simply rejoice in this situation.

I’ve gone back to the past.

It was unbelievable, but she could see no other explanation. The dead servants were alive and moving, and she had returned to her childhood.

Am I actually dreaming?

The word “lucid dream” came to mind. Could this be a sweet yet cruel dream shown by a god just before death? Would she wake up the moment she felt relieved?

As she was lost in thought, a voice spoke.

“Aiana, what are you staring at?”

Startled, she spun around. A young man with blonde hair and blue eyes stood there. Aiana looked as if she had seen a ghost.

“Lloyd… brother?”

Lloyd, the eldest son of House Rihaph, her sturdy pillar of support. The image of several soldiers driving their blades into his torso flashed before her like a seizure. Lloyd spoke with a worried voice.

“What’s wrong, Aiana? Are you unwell?”

“…No, brother. I was just thinking for a moment.”

Aiana barely regained her composure and smiled. Lloyd grinned back.

“So what were you doing here?”

“Looking for someone.”

“Who?”

“Well… Diabel.”

“Diabel?”

Lloyd tilted his head slightly, as if he had no idea what she meant.

“The guard with black hair.”

“You must be mistaking him for someone else. There’s no guard with black hair.”

At Lloyd’s words, Aiana was genuinely taken aback. No Diabel?

While she stood speechless in shock, Lloyd glanced out toward the terrace.

“Father seems to have arrived. Let’s go down, Aiana.”

Following Lloyd’s gaze outside, she saw several carriages racing toward the mansion in the distance.

Aiana accompanied Lloyd down to the first floor. In the lobby stood boys and girls in luxurious dresses and formalwear.

The eldest daughter, Cecilia; the second son, Blair. The children with golden hair and blue eyes were as beautiful as characters from a painting.

Confronted once more with those who had died, Aiana stopped in her tracks. Tears threatened to spill. Cecilia saw Aiana standing still and smiled warmly.

“Oh my, Aiana. What are you doing there? Come here.”

Her eyes, as if filled with the sky itself, were brimming with affection for Aiana.

Aiana approached Cecilia hesitantly. Her expression was a mess from holding back tears. Cecilia spoke, alarmed.

“Aiana, are you okay? Are you hurt somewhere?”

Cecilia carefully cupped Aiana’s cheeks. Blair, too, spoke with concern.

“Sister, are you all right?”

The warmth touching her cheeks, her sister’s scent, the worried gazes of Blair and Lloyd.

Surrounded by the three of them, Aiana finally felt relief.

Even if it was a dream, she didn’t care anymore. Even if it was a false illusion, it was fine. If she could see her family’s faces again like this, she would gladly be deceived.

This was her reality. Everyone was alive, everyone was happy…

“The master has arrived!”

At the cry of Head Butler Edwaldo, the children turned their gazes toward the front door. The mansion’s main gate burst open. Several carriages were visible outside.

The door of the largest and most ornate carriage opened, and Wilhelm Rihaph, the lord of Rihaph, appeared.

“Welcome back, Father.”

“Thank you, Lloyd. Was there any trouble at the mansion?”

“No, Father. You’re rather late this time.”

“There was a small issue in the territory.”

Listening to the exchange, Aiana felt a strange sense of déjà vu.

This conversation, this scene. This day… Something important had happened on this day. Something seemed about to surface from her blurry memories, but then it vanished beyond a fog.

The memories swimming beneath oblivion soon took shape at the sound of Wilhelm’s voice.

“Ah, and there’s someone I’d like to introduce to you. Come out.”

At Wilhelm’s words, a person inside the carriage stepped out. A tall, black-haired man.

He appeared to be in his early twenties. Judging by his attire, he wasn’t a noble, but he was a handsome man with an elegant air reminiscent of a noble scion.

“This is Diabel, whom I’ve hired as a guard.”

Diabel placed his right hand over his chest and bowed his head slightly.

“An honor to meet you. Young master, young ladies. I am Diabel, starting today as a guard of House Rihaph.”

With those words, Diabel raised his head and smiled at the Rihaph children. Aiana’s eyes met his.

“I look forward to your goodwill.”

That was it. She remembered. Today was the day her father returned home after a month away—and the day she first met Diabel.

And one month later, House Rihaph would be annihilated. All except Diabel and Aiana.