Matilda Yap/Lady Prescott

[SECOND LIFE]

The second life I remember was where I was born as Matilda Sandrine Yap, a modern woman on Earth.

I was an heiress for a huge Asian conglomerate and I was married to a business tycoon. But it was an arranged marriage and for me, it was something similar to a "business contract" only. Plus, my husband was gay. He just used me to cover-up his sexuality.

Knowing that, I still married him. I wanted a child so bad. But because of my husband's sexuality, we never slept together. We just opted for artificial insemination. It was successful and I got pregnant. I thought I would finally be a mother again.

But when I was only three months pregnant, the plane I was riding crashed and I died.

When I "woke up", I was back to the first life I still clearly remember.

***

[FIRST LIFE]

Before I became Matilda Sandrine Yap, I was born as Matilda Prescott the only daughter of Duke Maverick Prescott. We were one of the few higher nobles of the Moonchester Empire.

As Lady Prescott, I was snobbish and ambitious. In my first life, I wanted to be the empress. But from the very beginning, it was already impossible.

The Moonchester Empire had a strict tradition. The royal family married only within themselves. That meant that the current emperor, His Majesty Aku Moonchester was engaged to Her Royal Highness Nia Moonchester his very own twin sister. According to their beliefs, marriage within the royal family would keep their bloodline "pure."

As if giving up on my dream to be an empress wasn't bad enough, my father had to choose Kiho as my fiance. He wasn't a noble so he didn't have a family name. Worse, he was feared in the empire as the Captain of the Black Serpent Knights.

Kiho was dubbed as the emperor's "shadow beast." Rumors said that the Black Serpent Knights, led by their ruthless captain, did "dirty jobs" for His Majesty. That included countless killings, of course.

But despite Kiho's bad reputation, I still followed my father's wish and married the captain.

I did that to gain the emperor's favor. The High Priest that His Majesty trusted said that Kiho's child would be a special existence to the empire. But the problem was it would be hard for an ordinary woman to carry the "Serpent's child" in her womb. Fortunately, the High Priest saw a prophecy about a "dark-haired" woman that would be able to give birth to Kiho's son.

I possessed the darkest hair among the noblewomen in the empire. And thus, my father who was a part of the Royal Faction, arranged my marriage with the captain.

In hopes of gaining the emperor's favor, I married Kiho.

***

A year after my dull and loveless marriage with Captain Kiho, I gave birth to our son that he named 'Winter.' But Kiho was almost never home because he was always in a never-ending war to protect the emperor.

In short, I was the one who raised Winter by myself. The moment I noticed the emperor's interest in my son, I vowed to myself that I would "create" a perfect child a child that would be more than enough to be the emperor's heir. If I couldn't be an empress, then being the future emperor's mother didn't sound bad.

For the sake of my renewed ambition, I decided to make my son sit on the throne.

To support Winter, I betrayed the trust of Princess Nia, the emperor's twin sister-slash-fiance and exposed her secret to the public. After the scandal, the royal princess was exiled from the palace. His Majesty begged the higher nobles to spare Princess Nia's life.

During that time, I had become the voice of the Royal Faction. In exchange for the princess' life, I asked His Majesty to choose an heir. Of course, none of the noble kids was deserving enough for the position other than my very own Winter.

That was how my son became the emperor's heir.

Back then, I was so happy that I didn't notice that I was creating a monster.

Winter wanted to be a good son but he couldn't help developing hatred towards me, his own mother, for his cruel upbringing. As a result of the internal conflict, my son developed a split personality caused by stress. In front of me, he was dutiful. But when no one was looking, he would turn into a vicious criminal. Sadly, it all happened when he was only twelve years old.

But eventually, Winter would be saved by another woman.

***

Lucina Morganna was a lower noble with a beautiful face and long black hair. The first time she appeared in the Royal Capital, she created a fuss. In the empire, it was very rare to have dark hair, much more a black one. Other nobles who hated me for my arrogance claimed that Lucina Morganna was the true woman in the prophecy.

They weren't wrong though.

When Kiho met Lucina, he fell in love with her at first sight. After they confirmed their feelings for each other, he asked me for a divorce. I thought I didn't need him anymore since Winter had already become the emperor's heir, so I gave my husband the freedom that he wanted. But of course, I divorced him on a condition that Winter's custody remained mine.

Our son promised that I would be his one and only mother. But since he needed the best training to be the future emperor, I let him stay at his father's mansion with his new wife.

It was the biggest mistake I made in my first life.

Winter was soon won over by Lucina Morganna. She "fixed" my son and made him realize how terrible of a mother I was by becoming a good stepmother to him. In the end, my own son stopped listening to me. When Winter disowned me, I lost my power and influence in the social circle. I also became a laughingstock for the nobles.

I blamed my misfortune to Lucina Morganna and made several attempts to kill her. I even begged Kiho to take me back. But in the end, Kiho and Winter discovered my crimes.

The emperor still holding a grudge against me after I wronged Princess Nia sentenced me to death by public execution. During my last moments, before my head rolled off the ground, I looked at my family one last time.

Kiho and Winter didn't look sad at all. They only looked relieved. It seemed like Lucina Morganna had taken good care of my ex-husband and son the job I failed to do.

The very moment before I lost my first life, I felt regretful.

I wondered how my life would have turned out had I become a good wife to Kiho and a good mother to Winter? Would we have become a happy family? Maybe, maybe not.

***

While living as Matilda Sandrine Yap (my second life), my memories as Lady Matilda Prescott (my first life) had stayed with me vividly. I didn't want to be sad and lonely like her so I promised myself that I would build a family of my own.

But in my second life, I never met a good man. Maybe it was my bad karma for the crimes I committed as Lady Prescott. But I didn't give up on having a child. That was why I married a gay man. I thought having a child would finally make me happy.

I guess my sins in my first life were too heavy for me to have a peaceful life.

Because for some reason, when I "woke up" after I died as Matilda Sandrine Yap, I have returned to my previous life as Lady Matilda Prescott.

***

[PRESENT LIFE]

"Why am I back as Lady Prescott?" I asked in frustration while looking at my reflection on the mirror.

I woke up in my old room in House Prescott. If I'm still living with my father, that only means that I'm not yet married to Kiho. I'm not even sure if I have already met him in this timeline.

Honestly, I'm still in shock. Is this a form of punishment from the heavens? Well, I can only be sure of one thing.

"Winter, I'll be a good mother to you this time," I whispered to myself while placing a hand on my tummy. "But before we meet, I'll be a good partner to your father first."

I don't have any intention of stealing Kiho from Lucina Morganna. But I want to meet Winter again and for that to happen, I need to marry the captain first. Or should I just let him get me pregnant without marriage, then run away from him with my baby?

Just how should I change my life this time?!!!!

Begin Again

TILLY finally believed that she really went back in time the moment she saw Duke Maverick Prescott during breakfast a while ago.

The duke is only in his late forties and he's probably just as fit as most young men in their twenties. Also, her father is still considered handsome despite his age. The duke's youthful look and vast wealth attract noblewomen all over the empire. But still, her father refused to remarry. Apparently, he's still in love with her late mother.

['Why am I the only one in the family with dark hair?'] Tilly asked herself while looking at the huge family portrait hanging on the gallery wall. ['My mother and father both have platinum blonde hair.']

Thankfully, she looks like the carbon copy of her mother. She also got her father's purple eyes. If not, she'd probably think that she was adopted.

"My lady, is everything alright?"

Tilly turned to Isabella the young maid that she grew up with.

['Even Isabella has light-colored hair.']

The young maid has light brown hair, pale skin, and freckles on her small face. They're both nineteen years old but Isabella looks small for their age.

Well, Tilly is pretty well-endowed compared to other ladies around her.

When she hit puberty, her body changed abruptly. Now she has ample breasts and thin waist that is emphasized by the corset she wore. And under her heavy dress hides her round and firm bottom, as well as her creamy long legs that she used to be so proud of.

She remembered that during her first life, she enjoyed the lustful look the men in the empire threw her way.

['Ah, I also remember that Kiho used to get into fights because of that.']

Despite their loveless marriage in the past, Kiho was a protective husband. He was stoic but he was always respectful of her. Her ex-husband got into a lot of fights against other noblemen to protect her honor.

Too bad she took Kiho for granted then because of her fixation on the throne.

['I can't even remember why I wanted so much power back then.']

"My lady, what's the matter?" asked Isabelle in a worried voice. "You're too quiet today. Are you still upset because of His Majesty's official engagement with Her Royal Highness?"

Tilly blinked in surprise.

['Ah, that's right. In this timeline, the emperor just announced his official engagement with the princess who also happens to be his own twin sister.']

She remembered that in the past, she sulked for several days after the news broke out. She was so upset because she lost the chance to be the empress then. Not that she stood a chance.

Anyway, Tilly was thankful that she got reincarnated during the time that her behavior was still acceptable. Well, she used to throw tantrums every now and then. But acting like a spoiled brat was common for noble children so the servants in House Prescott were able to tolerate her.

If her memory served her right, she only started to act like a crazy woman after she gave birth to Winter.

"Fortunately, I already got over it," said Tilly to Isabella in an effort to reassure the maid that she's fine. Then, she turned to the family portrait again. She couldn't take her eyes off of her mother's beauty. She wasn't saying that just because she looked like her mommy. Lady Marianne Prescott just happened to be a stunning woman when she was alive. "I'm just wondering why I was born with dark hair when both my parents have light-colored hair."

She has dark chocolate hair. Sometimes it looked completely black. But when hit by sunlight, it becomes a lighter shade of brown.

['Unlike mine, Lucina Morganna's hair is completely jet-black.']

She gently shook her head to drive her thoughts away from Lady Morganna. As far as she remembered, she wouldn't meet the other lady in this timeline yet. They were meant to meet a decade later.

"If it wasn't for your dark hair, you wouldn't have been chosen to marry the scary captain of the Black Serpent Knights," said Isabella in a scared and worried voice. "My lady, you're going to meet the captain very soon, aren't you? That must be the reason why you're restless."

She was reincarnated a few days after the emperor and her father agreed to marry her off with Captain Kiho of the Black Serpent Knights. His Majesty told the duke about the prophecy.

['According to that prophecy, Captain Kiho's child would become a special existence to the empire. But only a woman with "dark hair" would be able to carry his child in her womb.']

During her first life, she only felt rage when her father told her that she must marry Kiho.

Duke Prescott was loyal to the royal family so it was a big honor for him when his daughter was chosen for a role that would serve the empire favorably. Because of her father's loyalty to the throne, he didn't listen to her when she said she didn't want to marry the captain. She secretly hated Kiho for simply accepting the emperor's "request."

Well, that was how she took the news in the past.

But right now, she's not scared or angry.

"I'm actually looking forward to it," said Tilly with a smile. When she turned to Isabella and saw the maid's disbelieving look, she laughed softly. "Captain Kiho may not be that bad, Isabella. Most of the time, rumors are exaggerated for entertainment purposes."

Isabella blinked in surprise. "My lady, this is very different from your reaction the first time you heard about the news of your engagement."

Tilly just smiled as a response.

After she was reborn as Matilda Sandrine Yap in the modern world, she learned the importance of family. She was lucky enough to grow up in a household filled with love. Her parents from her second life loved each other genuinely, and that was the reason why she wanted to build her own family then. Unfortunately, her parents died when she was only in her early twenties.

Anyway, even if she was happy in her second life as a modern woman, she still wasn't able to forget her first life as Lady Matilda Prescott. She lived in regret every single day.

She thought she would be able to make amends with her past if she became a good mother. Plus, when she reached her late twenties in her second life, her maternal instinct kicked in. She longed for the child that she mistreated as Lady Prescott. Because of that, she became desperate to be a mother. Unfortunately, she lost her baby.

['I don't know why and how I came back here but one thing is for sure: I won't make the same mistake I did in the past. I will treasure Kiho and Winter in this lifetime.']

"Tilly, what are you staring at the portrait for?"

Tilly turned around and was greeted by Duke Maverick Prescott.

Her father looked dashing in his dark tail coat, an outfit that befitted a higher noble like him. Every single accessory on him also screamed of luxury. Well, the duke owned a "mining company" of spirit stones. Those are a type of gem that has magic stored in them.

Ah, right. In this world, magic is prevalent. Most of the nobles in the empire were born with Mana or magic ability.

She was also born with magic ability but her Mana wasn't powerful enough for combat.

"Greetings, Father," said Tilly politely with a little curtsy. "I apologize for making you wait."

Duke Prescott walked towards her and stood in front of her, then he turned to Isabella and dismissed the maid. When there were only the two of them, he looked up at the huge portrait behind her. "Tilly, do you miss your mother?"

"Every single day, Father," she said truthfully.

Lady Marianne Prescott died when the carriage she was riding in went out of control and fell into a cliff. Tilly was only seven then. During her first life, she didn't remember her mother that much because of her selfishness.

But now that she was back after living another life in the modern world, she had learned to appreciate her family.

Her thoughts were cut off when the duke's gaze landed on her face.

"You must be feeling that way because of your upcoming marriage," said her father in a gentle tone. "I am nothing compared to your mother but I'm also your parent, Tilly. As your father, I wish you all the happiness in the world. And I know that you can achieve that by fulfilling your duty as a noble. If you marry Captain Kiho and give birth to his child that will one day become the pillar of the empire, it would be a great honor for our family."

She already lived in a modern world where women had more rights than the ladies born in an empire with outdated customs, so hearing what her father just said didn't sit well with her.

But she had to remind herself that she wasn't in the modern world anymore. It sucks to follow outdated customs for a second time but she had to if she wanted to fit in. Plus, she wanted to be with Kiho and Winter again anyway.

['I must endure.']

"I understand, Father," said Tilly with a small smile. "I will fulfill my noble duty for the honor of our family and the empire."

Her father's face lit up in surprise. "You have this air of maturity around you now, Tilly. I can't believe you're the same girl who cried her eyes out when His Majesty officially announced his engagement."

Okay, that made her cheeks flush with embarrassment. "Let's forget about that, Father."

The duke laughed heartily.

['Let's take advantage of his good mood.']

"Father," said Tilly in a sweet voice. "Can I have a time with only myself before I officially meet Captain Kiho next week?"

***

['I MISSED the smell of the sea.']

Tilly couldn't help by smile while looking at the vast sea before her.

She's currently at a port town called Atlenta. It took her five hours via carriage before she got there. Surprisingly, her father allowed her to wander around without a knight or a maid.

['Maybe he feels guilty for marrying me off with a man I haven't met yet.']

Anyway, since she was alone, she wore a black hooded cloak over a casual street dress. To hide her noble upbringing, she didn't wear any accessory. Although she had a pouch of gold coins with her.

['It can't be helped since I want to pig out tonight.']

She arrived at Atlenta in the afternoon and spent time buying ingredients in the market.

The interesting thing about the port town was the spices that could only be found there. Back on Earth, those spices were known in Asian countries. Here on Moonchester Empire, they came from the "East Continent."

She specifically went to Atlenta to eat seafood because she knew that they use spices to cook the food they serve. The restaurants in the Royal Capital serve so-so food. She was an Asian in her second life so she knew her spices well.

['Atlenta is like a little "Asian Town," if that makes any sense.']

Her thoughts were cut off when she finally arrived at the restaurant.

It's called 'Sea Feast' and it faces the pier. The restaurant is small and it looks shabby. In her previous life, Kiho brought there when Winter was seven. He took them out because she said she wanted to eat lobster that day. But when she saw the restaurant from the outside, she got mad at Kiho for bringing her to a "cheap" place. Then, she walked out on him and their son.

That was also the last time that they went on a "family trip."

During her second life, she realized that Kiho probably brought her at Sea Feast because he knew that the food there were great.

She went at that restaurant to find out if her guess was correct.

"Welcome, dear customer," said a smiling young lady when she entered Sea Feast.

Then, the friendly waitress ushered her to a table beside the window. Like she expected, the restaurant isn't full. Aside from her, there were only a group of eight young men occupying the two tables beside hers.

The young men all wore a black long-sleeved shirt as if it was their uniform.

['They must be colleagues or something.']

"Two king crabs please," said Tilly to the waitress after she asked for her order. "And one huge glass of beer. Thank you."

She has low alcohol tolerance but she loved pairing seafood with beer. She specially loved crabs and beer together. It was one of her guilty pleasures when it comes to food.

"Miss, do you have a companion?" asked the waitress in a worried tone. "One king crab weighs four kilograms. Its body is even bigger than your face, dear customer."

Tilly laughed softly at the waitress "warning." "I can manage."

***

TILLY loved seafood.

The two giant king crabs on her table made he really happy. The waitress wasn't lying when she said that one crab was bigger than her face. But she also didn't lie when she said she can manage.

In fact, she was able to chow down all the crab legs in ten minutes.

['The crabs here are so good. They're sweet and not salty. Now I know why Kiho brought me here in the past.']

She was already tipsy just from one glass of beer. But the crabs were so delicious that she asked for another glass. She was really having a good time

but something was making her uncomfortable.

['Why are they looking at me?']

The young men on the other table were respectful enough not to approach her. But they were watching her with full curiosity and amusement. They weren't even trying to be discreet.

Plus, they were talking loudly about her.

"She's really good at eating crabs."

"This is the first time I saw a lady finish two king crabs by herself."

"And she's using her hands."

['I can hear you.']

Of course, she had to use her hands (that she washed thoroughly first). How else was she supposed to get the crab meat? Plus, she was really good at cracking crab legs.

It was kind of tiring to separate the legs from the body by twisting and pulling but it was worth it. There was an insane amount of meat in the legs. Her tummy was so happy that she just let her fellow customers watch her as if they were looking at an animal in a zoo.

['These amateurs don't know anything about eating crabs.'] Tilly said to herself while rolling up the sleeves of her cloak and dress. ['Let me show you how it's done.']

This time, she broke the body of the crab in half with her bare hands.

In her surprise, her "audience" applauded her as if breaking the crab was a huge feat. The young men clapped their hands and the others even whistled in admiration.

"She really eats well."

"Amazing. She's eating with her bare hands but she still looks elegant."

"Could she be a noble?"

"Nobles don't go to shabby restaurants to eat, fool."

"Our restaurant isn't shabby!" yelled the waitress at the young men.

The guys had the decency to apologize.

"But hey. Do you know whom the lady reminds me of?"

['Why do I feel like I'm doing mukbang here?'] Tilly asked herself while eating the crab meat from the body she just broke in half. ['They make me feel like I'm a celebrity.']

She's talking gibberish now. Perhaps it's the alcohol. She should finish her meal and go home before she gets completely drunk.

['Now, let's move on to my favorite part of a crab.']

She saved the best for last.

By that, she meant the claws. The meat in the crab legs was a popular choice. But for her, the sweetest nuggets of meat were in the claws.

['Argh.']

Unlike the body of the crab, the claws were hard to break.

['I knew this would happen so I brought my secret weapon.']

"My lady, let me help you."

Tilly was surprised to receive help from a familiar voice just as she was pulling her "secret weapon" from the pocket of her cloak.

When she looked up at the owner of the ~undeniably~ low and husky voice, she got the biggest surprise of her life.

['Hot damn.']

Captain Kiho is standing in front of her while offering a small wooden mallet to her.

['He's still as handsome as I remember.']

He has chestnut hair a color of deep brown with red hues that complements his pale skin. To be honest, he has an immaculately handsome face that she finds it hard to believe that people are afraid of him.

['Well, he rarely appears in social gatherings. Plus, because of his bad reputation, a lot of people are too afraid to look at him properly.']

And that was a shame.

If people would only look at Kiho properly, they will be blown away by his face. Well, he's stoic but that doesn't lessen his beauty.

['But more than his pretty face, his body is something that I thoroughly enjoyed in the past.']

Kiho is very tall but he's quite slender for a man of his status. Most of his enemies look down on him for being "pretty and lean" because stupid people think that only bulging muscles equal strength.

['Besides, under his clothes hides a sinful body']

And even though Kiho appeared stoic on the outside, he was actually a beast in the sheets.

Okay, she stopped fantasizing about her ex-husband when she felt her cheeks burn.

['Gosh. Why do I have to remember that?!']

"My lady?" said Kiho, trying to get her attention. "You can use my mallet to crack the claws."

Only seafood fanatics would carry around a crab mallet with them.

"Thank you, but I can manage," said Tilly in an apologetic voice. Then, she pulled out her very own wooden crab mallet from her pocket. "I have my own mallet."

Kiho looked pleasantly surprised when he saw the mallet in her hand. Then, much to her shock, his face lit up instantly. He was even looking at her with twinkle in his beautiful amber eyes. Eyes that sometimes appear as golden orbs.

He didn't say anything but the respect and admiration in his eyes were very clear.

Tilly couldn't help but wonder at his cute reaction. ['Did Captain Kiho fall in love with me at first sight because I carry around a mallet like he does?']

Impossible, right?

***

"CAPTAIN!"

Tilly was startled when the young men from the other table suddenly greeted Kiho in a loud voice.

['Ah. So those dudes are members of the Black Serpent Knights.]

Her forehead knotted in confusion. Did her father allow her to go to Atlenta "alone" because he knew that Kiho was there?

['Oh, Father']

"Keep it down," said Kiho to his knights in a low voice. Then, he turned to her. "If you'll excuse me for a while, my lady."

She just smiled and waved her hand at him.

Kiho then slightly bowed his head before he walked towards his men.

Now that her ex-husband was no longer in front of her, she let out a deep breath, She may appear calm on the outside, but she was having a slight panic attack inside. Okay, she didn't expect to meet Kiho at the restaurant.

But what really shocked her was her reaction when she saw him.

['His face and his body are still my style!']

In her memories of her past life, the thing that stuck to her the most was the time their family fell apart. Because of that, she almost forgot the feelings she had for Kiho before.

Well, she wasn't in love with the captain. But she had always been physically attracted to him. Plus, she remembered that she liked how he was so patient with her. He really tried to tolerate her when they were still married. But when she started to kill and hurt people for her ambition, he finally snapped and abandoned her. Not that she could blame him.

['Wait, I didn't come here to catch feelings.']

While Kiho had his back on her as he talked to his knights in a serious manner, she discreetly asked the waitress for her bill. As soon as she was done paying, she grabbed the last crab leg on her plate and quietly left the restaurant.

Or so she thought.

"My lady, it's dangerous to walk alone at night."

Of course it was Kiho. Obviously, he followed her. Did she really think that she could sneak away from the captain of the Black Serpent Knights without him noticing?

['Being drunk made me dumb.']

When she reached the dock where no other visible person was around, she turned around to face Kiho. He was standing a few meters away from her. The distance was far enough to not invade her personal space, but also close enough to reach her if danger suddenly befalls on her.

['He's really a knight through and through.']

"My lady, you're drunk," said Kiho in his usual monotone voice. "Please allow me to walk you home."

He was so thoughtful and everything but her mind was filled with impure thoughts.

It was the shirt, okay?

The black long-sleeved shirt that the captain wore clung to his toned body beautifully. Even the slim pants and boots that he wore made his legs look attractive to her.

['Why am I so horny tonight?']

To force her thoughts away from his sinful body, she put the crab leg into her mouth and started to suck the meat from the shell. Delicious food was always a good solution.

But then, she suddenly realized that it may look like she was sucking the crab leg suggestively when she saw Kiho gulp while staring at her mouth.

['Ah, I'm not the only one who's hot and bothered here.']

She didn't know if it was the alcohol in her system or her desperation to have a child

but she suddenly felt like flirting with him.

They were bound to get married and have a child together anyway.

"Captain," said Tilly as soon as she pulled the crab leg out of her mouth. "I can clearly see that we're both attracted to each other. Shall we spend the night together?"

Kiho remained pokerfaced but she saw panic cross his now glowing yellowish eyes. Ah, the captain was flustered. "My lady, you seem to be really drunk."

She walked towards him and when he didn't move an inch, she stood in front of him and looked up at him with a grin. "Captain, are you the type of man who will only sleep with his betrothed?"

"That seems to be the case, my lady."

He said that as if he was forcing the words out of his mouth. Plus, she could see in his eyes that he was conflicted that it was hard for him to reject her.

['Aw, I didn't know that I have this kind of effect on my ex-husband.']

Or perhaps she just didn't pay attention in the past.

"Captain, I have a solution to your problem," said Tilly in a playful voice. Then, she stood on her toes and whispered in Kiho's ear. "Let's get married."

Catching Feelings (And Fishes)

FOR today's outfit, Tilly opted for a lavender off-the-shoulders long dress. She chose light clothing because she didn't plan to go out anyway. Plus, her Mana kept her body warmer than average humans. So even if it was autumn, she didn't feel cold.

According to her father, her late mother also possessed the type of Mana that kept her body warmer than normal.

[But Father said that Mother's Mana only served as a protection from cold.] Tilly thought to herself while enjoying a cup of tea in the rose garden. [It's a shame but that's also the case for me. In my first life, I thought I could be a Fire Wielder because of my warm Mana. But it turned out that my body was just resilient to cold.]

But she thought her strange warmth had something to do with her ability to give birth to Kiho's son. Her earlier memories of the past are kind of hazy now so she doesn't remember most of it. Maybe it was because it happened a long time ago. After all, she lived a second life before she went back in time.

[I was thirty years old when I was sentenced to death in my first life. Then, I was twenty eight when I died in my second one. Currently, I'm nineteen years old. If you add them all, I've been living for seventy-seven years now. Wow, I'm old.]

"You're here, Tilly."

Tilly stood up when her father arrived. She didn't see him this morning because he was summoned to the royal palace early. "Welcome back, Father," she said politely to the duke before she turned to the maids. "Prepare another cup of tea for my father."

"Yes, my lady," the three maids answered in unison.

A few moments later, her father has joined him in her afternoon tea. He looked distressed and that made her worry.

"Father, what's the matter?" Tilly asked worriedly, breaking the silence between them. "Did His Majesty summon you?"

The duke nodded gently before he responded to her. "Tilly, it seems like Captain Kiho's decision to marry you has wavered."

Okay, that made her stop sipping from her cup of tea.

[I don't remember Kiho hesitating to marry me in the past. He just went along with His Majesty's order like a loyal knight that he was.]

"Father, did Captain Kiho express his hesitation to His Majesty?" she asked curiously. "Did the captain say that he doesn't wish to be married to me anymore?"

"No, nothing like that happened," the duke denied while gently shaking his head. "But His Majesty said that a few days ago, Captain Kiho asked him if he really have to marry you. Specifically, the captain asked if it has to be you or if another dark-haired "will do.""

[Ah, that's so Kiho.]

Unfortunately, the captain wasn't the best at communication. Plus, Kiho didn't enjoy talking much and he had a bad habit of shortening his words in a way that could be easily misunderstood. As a result, he sounded rude most of the time.

[But that's not the main problem right now.]

Have Kiho already met Lucina Morganna? In her past life, Lady Morganna was the only other dark-haired woman that the captain met. "Does it mean he met another dark-haired woman, Father?" she asked nervously. "Is that's the reason why the captain is hesitating now?"

The duke paused for a while before he put down the tea cup on the table, then he looked at her straight in the eye with a worried look on his face. "My daughter, His Majesty suspects that Captain Kiho met a woman when he went to visit a port town last week."

She raised an eyebrow when realization dawned upon her.

[Father didn't send Captain Kiho to Atlanta that night. So the captain and I met by chance?]

"The emperor also thinks that the woman in question possesses dark hair just like you," the duke continued. "Apparently, the captain seemed smitten by the mysterious woman."

Her brain seemed to buffer for a moment.

So, Kiho met a dark-haired woman in a port town last week

[The captain was talking about me?]

She suddenly remembered the fateful night she met Kiho at the port.

After she asked him to marry her, the coachman who drove her carriage to Atlenta came to fetch her. She left the stunned captain without much ado. Well, she was drunk and sleepy so she wanted to go home then. Plus, he didn't say anything.

But Kiho looked like he wanted to stop her from leaving. Although in the end, he just stood there and watch her go.

[Did I leave a strong impression on the captain for him to waver?]

Wait, did he seriously fall for her just because she had a crab mallet like him?!

She couldn't help but laugh softly at that thought.

"Tilly, this isn't a laughing matter," the duke scolded her in a stern voice. "Well, your engagement hasn't been officially announced yet. But the nobles in the whole empire have already heard about the prophecy. If Captain Kiho decided to break off your engagement, our family will be a laughingstock. It will be especially bad for your reputation, my daughter."

Of course she knew what her father was talking about.

She was the daughter of a duke while Captain Kiho was just a commoner who went up the ranks thanks to his swordsmanship. If a man with a "lower status" turned down a higher noble like her, she would be deemed "undesirable."

"Don't worry, Father," Tilly reassured her father with a playful smile. Then, she sipped her tea before she continued. "It's my destiny to marry Captain Kiho and have his son."

[I'll do anything to meet you again, my precious Winter.]

***

"LADY Prescott, your ball gown is gorgeous!" Isabella said while admiring the glamorous blue ball gown with a beaded cloak. "The color is lovely."

Blue mockingbird was the symbol of House Prescott and thus, she often wears dresses with blue shades.

Anyway, light and form-fitting dresses were becoming more and more popular now than the ones with petticoats. Still, the ladies in this world were yet to ditch the corset. But thanks to the influence of the empire's "fashion icon," the clothes for women were starting to be more comfortable to wear and move in.

[And oh. The fashion icon I'm talking about is none other than Her Royal Highness Nia Moonchester the emperor's twin sister-slash-fiance. As far as I remember, the princess and I were good friends before I betrayed her in my previous life.]

The banquet that she was required to attend tomorrow night was for the emperor and the princess' month-long engagement party. It had been weeks since they officially announced their upcoming union but the parties to celebrate it were yet to stop.

But this coming banquet served another purpose.

[Tomorrow night, Kiho and I will be officially introduced to each other.]

Actually, she has already prepared the gift for her future fianc once they meet again. She thought of the perfect present after they met at Atlenta. As soon as she got back at the Royal Capital, she went to a master craftsman and asked him to make the stuff she needed.

But after hearing what her father said about Kiho's wavering feelings, she thought of another plan to surprise him.

"My lady, you already have a gorgeous evening gown so why are you still looking at the catalog?" Isabella asked in a confused tone.

The catalog that she was browsing came from Miss Antonia's tailor shop. It was the most popular shop in the Royal Capital and Miss Antonia only makes clothes for the upper class ladies. As the daughter of a duke, she was considered as a VIP client in the store.

"I want this one," Tilly said before marking the dress that caught her attention with the fountain pen in her hand.

It was an elegant ash blue floral-embroidered tulle lace long gown. Compared to the blue gown that Isabella admired a while ago, the ash blue dress that she just chose was simple. It was also the kind of gown that other high-ranking ladies will probably ignore for being "bland."

But she knew she can pull it off just fine.

"Isabella, bring this back to Miss Antonia," she said, then she handed the catalog to the maid. "Tell them to deliver the dress to our house before the day ends."

"I understand, my lady," Isabella said politely while taking the catalog from her. "May I know what the second dress is for?"

"For catching a fish," Tilly answered playfully. "A big, sexy fish at that."