Selen woke up with a start. Her heart was pounding in her chest and the sheets were soaked with sweat.
She spent five long minutes looking around her. It was definitely her room at Ravenhurt Duchy. Had she just been dreaming? Or had she really traveled back in time after committing suicide? Layla and her whole story? Had she dreamed it all?
The confirmation came when she realized she was holding the sword Layla had given her. She jumped up and went to look at herself in the mirror. It was her, with her black and silver hair and green eyes, and yet she felt like a different person.
The door opened and a maid entered.
"Princess, are you already up? I'll prepare your bath."
The maid set breakfast on the table by the window and went into the bathroom.
Selen sat on her bed and tried to gather her thoughts. The sword was there, so everything that had happened was real, and now she had to do everything she could to make all the people who had hurt her pay.
She sat down on a chair and ate her breakfast while mentally replaying her conversation with Layla.
Layla wanted to destroy the empire and kill all the descendants of Artheris and Belladore, which, she had to admit, fit perfectly with Selen's agenda. The only problem was that her magic didn't work on those bastards...
She jumped and tried to feel her magic. It was there, her saintly powers were already within her. Perfect, she thought to herself. Her magic might not work on most of her enemies, but it would be of great help to her.
"Your bath is ready, princess."
Selen got up and followed the maid to the bathroom. As soon as she walked through the door, she felt nauseous.
She didn't understand what was happening to her until a memory flashed through her mind.
It was while she was chained in her room in the palace. Damian had come to see her one evening, and even though the room was plunged into darkness, she recognized him before he even spoke, thanks to his scent.
He had climbed onto the bed and started touching her and whispering words in her ear.
"I've been dreaming about you for so long, Selen. I always knew that you saw me as your brother and nothing more. But if only you knew, one of the tiles in your bathroom is loose and it leads directly into mine. Yes, if only you knew how many times I've enjoyed watching you being washed by your maids."
Selen remembered that night very well, one of the many nights when she was no longer herself. She looked into the bathroom, trying to find exactly where that bastard Damian was watching her from. Was he there right now, behind that wall, waiting for her to undress?
"Princess, are you feeling well? You look pale."
"Everything's fine. I'll take my bath in another shower room, this one smells unpleasant."
The maid seemed surprised by this comment, but she didn't make the mistake of correcting her mistress.
"Very well, princess. I'll prepare your bath in the next room."
Selen stood in the middle of the bathroom for a few minutes before leaving and closing the door.
After taking her bath and getting dressed, Layla sat down at her desk to read her correspondence.
"You are having tea this afternoon with the Duchess and Prince Damian, Princess."
Selen almost laughed out loud, it was so pathetic. Having tea with those two? What next?
"Tell them I'm indisposed today and for all my classes this week too. I want to rest."
The maid looked surprised once again. Selen never neglected her classes. She worked tirelessly to be the perfect empress, but that was the old Selen. Today she had other concerns.
When the maid left, Selen went to fetch a map of the empire, which she spread out on her bed. Destroying an empire like this would take time, strength, and above all, allies.
Fortunately for her, no one knew the empire's internal politics better than she did, and above all, she had a year's head start.
There was only one thing she could do to begin her revenge: leave the Duchy of Ravenhurt.
She already knew how she was going to do it, and as for her destination, she circled the Duchy of Clover in the north. That was where most of the fighting against the heretics took place.
The Duchy of Clover had always been the empire's sword, defending its borders for centuries, although with the increase in heretics, things were looking complicated. If there were people who could help her in her revenge, it could only be the heretics.
They were said to be a group that believed neither in God nor in the saintess, so if they weren't the perfect allies for her revenge, she didn't know who would be.
What's more, she had other reasons for going north. It was a remote region where no one knew her and where she could learn how to wield a sword.
She pulled the sword Layla had given her from where she had hidden it and contemplated it for a few seconds.
Yes, Clover was known for its invincible warriors with swords, and she needed that to kill her enemies with her own hands.
The only problem with her plan was Duke Clover. He was known to be an extremely distrustful man and a genius with a sword. It was said that he had killed his uncle and all his relatives who wanted to take his place as duke after the death of his father and brother. Besides, his father and brother had been killed by heretics, so they would inevitably be on opposite sides, Selen thought.
She would have to be careful not to attract his attention when she was there. For her part, she didn't care if the heretics were bloodthirsty murderers.
Even the devil himself could become her ally if she was sure he would help her in her quest for revenge.
After spending the entire afternoon devising her plan, she decided to take a short nap before dinner.
When she woke up that evening, all her senses were on alert. She turned her head to her right and barely managed to stop herself from conjuring up a magic sword when she saw her brother.
She jumped up and tried to calm her racing heart. What was this psychopath doing in her room?
"The maid said you were sick, little sister, but I have a feeling it's much more serious than she let on."
Selen's hands were clammy, and she knew she must be as white as a sheet.
"What are you doing here, Damian?"
"My little sister is sick, of course I came to see you. Let me see if you have a fever."
He reached out to touch her forehead, but Selen dodged him before she even realized it.
"I feel better now. Please leave, I'd like to rest."
Damian pouted and burst out laughing.
"Since when have you been chasing me away like this, Selen? You used to like me keeping you company when you were sick. You know Mom isn't the type to do that."
He approached her and took her in his arms. Selen had to bite her lip until it bled to keep from yelling at him to get off her. How could she not have realized sooner that her brother was sick? The way he looked at her, talked to her, even touched her; the fact that he had never had a girlfriend even though he was older than her.
"Damian, I want to rest. Please leave."
He kissed her on the cheek and got out of bed.
"If you need anything, call me. You know my room is right next door."
Selen waited until he had left before running to the bathroom and vomiting with all her might. After she had finished, she went to look at herself in the mirror. She took a tissue and wiped the place where her brother had kissed her with all her strength. She finally exhaled deeply and looked at herself in the mirror.
"Never again," said Selen to herself.
A week passed, and Selen had finished preparing for her departure. She only had one thing left to do. Something she had pushed back on for far too long. After waking up a week ago and realizing that she had gone back in time, she knew she would have to do it sooner or later.
Selen took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
"Who's there?" shouted a voice from inside.
"It's me, Selen. I came to see my sister."
The servant who opened the door was so shocked that she looked at Selen up and down, probably to confirm if it was really her. It also had to be recognized that in five years, Selen had never shown up at the Arie gate.
"Please come in, princess. Princess Arie was about to have dinner, but she will talk with you."
Selen entered and sat in front of Arie. The latter fixed his joined hands on his knees. It was clear that the situation was beyond embarrassing.
"I know that it may seem a little strange to you, but I came to see how you were doing, Selen finally said to break the silence.
Arie suddenly looked up at her with a surprised expression.
"I'm fine, thank you. I heard that you are sick, I hope you have recovered. "
So, the whole house had assumed that her isolation this week was due to an illness. It seems that it was rare for her to spend a whole week without going out.
"Yes, I'm fine. I... I came to tell you something. In fact, I wanted you to know that I don't hate you."
Arie jumped at her words. She lowered her eyes, and Selen knew that she had to hold back her tears.
"The reason why I never came to see you is because I was indifferent to your presence. The first time you came to the duchy with your father, I hated you, it's true, but I know that you were just a child and that you surely have your own reasons... And..."
"Stop, you don't need to do that. I know very well that my presence here has disturbed more than one and that you also had your reasons. You could have mistreated me but you didn't do it so you owe me nothing on the contrary I... I am someone extremely selfish so even if you hate me it would be normal."
"Arie, I..."
"Nevertheless, I am happy that you don't hate me"
Selen had never seen Arie smile. She was magnificent when she did it and she smiled back without realizing it.
"I will leave you for now. You must take your dinner then have a good evening. "
Selen stood up to leave but Arie restrained her by the arm.
"Be careful, said Selen to him. Your leg..."
"Don't worry I put a prosthesis tonight. There are days when I can't walk with the cane."
"Okay but sit back. You might get hurt. "
Arie smiled at her and Selen felt uncomfortable.
"Would you like to have dinner with me? I feel like you too haven't had dinner yet so it would be nice if we could do it together. "
Selen was embarrassed but took place all the same in front of Arie. She could well grant her that since it would certainly be their last interaction before a good while.
After having dinner with Arie, Selen returned to her room to see if everything was ready. She rereads the letter she was going to leave, then places it on the table.
She had a little giggle thinking about her parents' faces tomorrow when they read it.
There she was saying that she was running away with a knight she had met and whom she had fallen in love with.
It was really necessary to be stupid to believe such nonsense coming from her but she knew that her parents would do everything for everything so that the matter wouldn't get out of hand.
She imagined her mother's head when she would discover this tomorrow. She who has always been a fervent protector of family dignity would certainly prefer to die rather than this story being made public and it is in this that Selen counted. If no one was openly looking for her then no one would find her and especially not in the northern territory where her family would not imagine once that she would go.
She managed to sneak behind the house and left through a secret passage used by the guards to sneak away.
After being outside, she headed to the entrance of the city. She must not miss the soldiers who were leaving as reinforcements for the Duchy of Clover.
Every year, the emperor sent a group of soldiers to the north to put on a good face, but everyone knew it. In reality, he relied on the Duchy of Clover to defend the north while keeping his soldiers at the capital.
Equipped with a cap that hid her long hair and dressed like a man, Selen found the soldiers in an inn not far from the exit of the city.
She quickly spotted two young women dressed as knights, a blonde and a brunette. It was fine, she was even going to have a choice. She discreetly followed the two women upstairs to the top floor, another went to the toilet while the other entered a room.
She followed the blonde into the room and before the latter had closed the door, she entered her suite.
-What is... Do you know who I am? Do you want to die?
Selen smiles before taking off his cap.
The knight took out her sword and moved towards her but in an instant Selen created a sword that pierced her heart.
"Die? You don't think so good to say. "
She looked for a glass in the room, made the woman's blood flow inside and used alchemy to take her appearance.
She only had to look for another outfit in the saddlebag of this last one and here she is transformed into an arrogant blond knight.
Selen smiles as she leaves the room. When the blonde's body will be found tomorrow, she will already be very far from here and no one will suspect anything because murders in inns in the capital were as many as there was a grain of sand in the desert...