“Episode 1”
“No! He’s not dead! The child was just a little tired, that’s all, he’s actually healthy. So, don’t take the child away from me…! He’s my only hope… He’ll soon smile at me… My only hope,” Diana pleaded.
“Diana.”
“Please… You took everything from me… But why do you want to take the child too? Why…! Don’t do this, please….”
Whether she felt her words were futile or not, Diana knelt down and sank to the ground.
“I’m begging you… Don’t take the child… Just the child… Please…!”
But despite her pleas, Rixio took advantage of her moment of weakness and took the child away from her.
“Aaaah!!”
“Enough.”
“…Why… Why are you taking everything from me? Why… Why.”
“Because he’s dead. He’s already dead!”
“…No… He’s not dead. That day… I safely gave birth to the child… On a day when the rain was falling steadily, the child was born crying…”
At that moment, when Diana tried to crawl towards Rixio to retrieve the child, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her head and collapsed where she was.
“M-My head… My head hurts too much… Ah….”
Experiencing an excruciating pain she had never felt before, Diana curled her body up in agony.
“Diana. Are you okay?! Tell the steward to cremate the child. Leave nothing behind, including the child’s belongings.”
“No, no… Don’t… Don’t do this… Just the child… Just don’t take the child away from me… Please… Please.”
Tears filled her face unbeknownst to her. Despite her desperate pleas, her vision blurred, and Rixio had already handed the child over to the steward.
Like a bug crawling on the ground, she raised her hand, but Diana’s body was swallowed by darkness.
Forgotten memories, memories she wanted to forget, flooded over her with the darkness.
***
If someone were to ask if she was happy, Diana could have said she was happy back then.
“God loves me.”
Even when she suffered verbal abuse from her father, even when she was punished for being a useless child, she prayed with the necklace tightly clasped around her neck.
“Please, please, let my life shine.”
Towards the goddess, Bréanna, who always guided her on the right path. After praying, her empty heart felt full.
Diana. Diana Anzréa.
Born as the second daughter of Lord Anzréa, she grew up hearing her father’s words to be helpful to the family. All she had was a small plot of land left by her ancestors, but the greed of Lord Anzréa, a nobleman with a name only, was excessive.
That greed grew stronger when a younger brother was born to Diana. He wanted to pass on the family to his son, with the desire to save the family. Therefore, he raised his daughter like a commodity.
Fortunately, Lord Anzréa’s two daughters were born with beautiful looks. Therefore, Lord Anzréa sent both daughters to every party held in the empire. Each time, numerous noble gentlemen were drawn to the two daughters. Their beauty sparkled even more each day.
But Lord Anzréa’s greed was not satisfied with that.
In the end, after dozens of parties and with money, Diana met a man at a party as her father wished.
“What’s your name?”
“Diana.”
“I’m Rixio. Rixio Paul Bebitro.”
Rixio Paul Bebitro. He was the second son of a duke.
The man whom her father had wished for so much. And the man Diana fell in love with at first sight. Rixio couldn’t take his eyes off her either. Diana was captivated by his fervent gaze for the first time.
And that day, the two of them deeply entwined each other.
“Why did you choose me?”
“Because your hair… It’s as beautiful as starlight.”
Rixio, who kissed her lips as her soft hair flowed down, slowly moved his lips to her eyes, enchanting her gaze.
“The fact that I am contained in this faded gold is lovely.”
“Do you love me?”
“Is love important? What matters is that we are looking at each other at this moment.”
Enchanted by his charming words, Diana experienced her first love and fell for him deeply, like falling into an endless abyss. They even set their wedding date a month after meeting at a party.
Diana was happy. She had married the man she loved. She couldn’t be sure if he truly loved her, but he did his best.
But dreams are meant to be shattered eventually.
The happier she was, the more cruel it became.
On the night Diana arrived at the Grand Duke’s mansion for her marriage, a man with his face covered in a mask appeared before her.
Although he resembled Rixio, there was a different vibe emanating from him.
“Who are you?”
Despite Diana’s urgency to call someone, the man remained calm.
“Aren’t you curious? Why Rixio chose you.”
“Leave. Before I call someone.”
For a moment, Diana felt perplexed. She tried to grip the rope tighter, but…
“It’s because he saw the face of his lost lover in you. In the end, you’re just a substitute.”
“How…How dare you say such things!”
“Is it sinking in now? Perhaps you’re starting to listen a little.”
Although it was evident that she should chase away the suspicious man, Diana’s hand couldn’t easily move. Because of his words that seemed regretful whether heard or ignored, Diana couldn’t resist her curiosity. Her instinct couldn’t overcome her curiosity.
Watching Diana, who held the rope with thin hands without moving, the man slowly approached.
“Since childhood, there was a woman Rixio considered his destiny. But she died in an accident.”
“Why do you think your marriage to the Grand Duke was prepared so quickly? Because it was meant for someone else.”
His voice had a strangely convincing tone. It felt like everything he said fit perfectly.
“He’s truly a heartless man. To place a woman who resembles his beloved… with the same hair and eyes… in the vacant bride position.”
Diana’s neck, which had been still, slowly turned.
