The rain wouldn't stop.

It poured over the marble courtyard of the Royal Palace, washing the stone steps with cold water and crimson streaks.

Hundreds of nobles stood beneath black umbrellas, their faces hidden behind masks of disgust and curiosity.

At the center of the courtyard stood a young woman in a torn white dress.

Elara Valemont.

Her wrists were bound.

Her dark hair was soaked, strands sticking against her pale face.

She could barely feel the cold anymore.

She had spent the last three days in a dungeon.

Three days without proper food.

Three days listening to people call her a traitor.

And now...

She was going to die.

A royal knight stepped forward and read the decree.

"Lady Elara Valemont, you have been found guilty of conspiring against the Crown, assisting enemy forces, and murdering members of the royal court."

A murmur spread through the crowd.

Elara slowly raised her head.

"Murder..."

A bitter smile appeared on her lips.

"I never killed anyone."

Her voice was weak, but the courtyard became strangely quiet.

She looked toward the nobles she had known her entire life.

Some looked away.

Some smiled.

Others whispered behind their hands.

Then she saw her former best friend.

Rosaline.

Standing beside the royal family.

Rosaline wouldn't look at her.

Elara's heart tightened.

"So this is what friendship was worth."

Her eyes moved again.

And then she saw him.

A tall man standing several steps away from the royal family.

Black hair.

Cold gray eyes.

A dark military coat bearing the crest of House Ardent.

Duke Lucien Ardent.

The Black Wolf of the North.

The man everyone believed had betrayed the Crown.

The man Elara had once feared.

Their eyes met.

For a moment, everything around her disappeared.

Lucien's expression remained unreadable.

But his eyes...

They looked strangely sad.

Elara frowned.

Why?

Why would a man like him look at her that way?

The executioner approached.

"Any final words?"

Elara looked toward the throne.

King Adrian sat silently.

Queen Celestine looked sorrowful.

Crown Prince Cassian stood beside her.

The man who had once promised to marry Elara.

The man she had loved.

Cassian wouldn't even look at her.

A quiet laugh escaped Elara.

"How pathetic..."

Cassian finally looked at her.

Their eyes met.

"You should have trusted me, Elara."

Her smile disappeared.

"Trusted you?"

Her voice trembled with anger.

"You were the one who gave them the evidence."

Cassian's expression hardened.

"You brought this upon yourself."

Elara stared at him.

Then she understood.

There was no one coming to save her.

No one believed her.

No one cared about the truth.

She closed her eyes.

"If I could go back..."

The executioner raised his sword.

"I would never trust any of them again."

The blade fell.

Darkness.

Elara expected pain.

Instead...

Warm sunlight touched her face.

She slowly opened her eyes.

A familiar ceiling appeared above her.

Gold decorations.

White curtains.

The Valemont family crest.

Her breath caught.

She sat upright.

Her heart pounded.

"This..."

She looked around the room.

Her old bedroom.

The bedroom she hadn't seen in seven years.

Her hands trembled as she rushed toward the mirror.

A young girl stared back at her.

Long dark hair.

Clear skin.

A familiar violet ribbon around her neck.

She touched her face.

"No..."

The door suddenly opened.

"Lady Elara?"

A young maid stepped inside.

"You'll be late for breakfast."

Elara stared at her.

That voice.

That face.

She remembered this morning.

She remembered exactly what happened next.

Today was the day of the Valemont family's invitation to the Royal Palace.

The same invitation that would eventually change her life.

The same event where she would first meet Lucien Ardent.

Elara slowly looked at the calendar on her desk.

Her hands went cold.

Seven years earlier.

She had returned to the past.

A second chance.

A second life.

Her reflection stared back at her.

The frightened girl from the execution was gone.

Elara slowly smiled.

This time...

She would not make the same mistakes.

She would not trust Cassian.

She would not become Rosaline's puppet.

And she would certainly not let herself be executed.

But there was one thing she didn't understand.

If she had returned seven years into the past...

Why could she still remember Lucien's expression before she died?

Those sad, almost desperate eyes.

As if he had known something she didn't.

Elara's smile faded.

She whispered to herself:

"Lucien Ardent..."

Outside her window, the palace bells began to ring.

The same bells that had once announced the beginning of her downfall.

This time, they were announcing the beginning of her revenge.

And somewhere in the Royal Palace...

A young Duke Lucien Ardent suddenly stopped walking.

For reasons he couldn't explain, he had the strange feeling that someone was thinking about him.

He looked toward the distant Valemont estate.

And for the first time that morning...

He smiled.

"Interesting."

The palace bells continued to ring.

Elara stood before the mirror, staring at the fourteen-year-old girl reflected in it.

Seven years.

She had been given seven years.

Seven years to change everything.

Her fingers tightened around the violet ribbon at her neck.

No more trusting blindly.

No more letting others decide her fate.

"Lady Elara?"

The maid's voice pulled her back.

"Are you feeling alright?"

Elara turned.

"I'm fine"

The maid smiled.

"Your father is waiting downstairs. He said we must leave soon for the palace"

The palace.

Elara's stomach tightened.

She remembered this day perfectly.

In her first life, she had been excited.

She had spent hours choosing her dress because she believed the Crown Prince might notice her.

How foolish she had been.

This time, she chose the simplest elegant dress available.

Violet silk.

A modest pearl necklace.

No extravagant jewelry.

When she entered the dining room, her father immediately looked up.

"Elara, you're late"

"I'm sorry, Father"

Marquis Damien Valemont studied her.

Something about his daughter seemed different.

"You look unusually serious today"

Elara smiled softly.

"I didn't sleep well"

It was a lie.

She couldn't exactly tell him that she had just been executed seven years in the future.

Her father nodded.

"Stay close to your mother at the palace. There will be many important families there"

"I will"

Elara lowered her eyes.

Then she remembered something.

A small detail that had seemed meaningless in her first life.

Today, Duke Lucien Ardent would arrive at the palace.

And there would be an assassination attempt.

She remembered the victim.

A royal advisor.

The attempt would fail, but the resulting chaos would create the first secret alliance between several nobles.

Elara looked toward the window.

She could prevent it.

But should she?

Changing the future too quickly could make things worse.

She needed information first.

The Royal Palace

The carriage stopped before the enormous golden gates.

Elara stepped outside.

The palace looked exactly as she remembered.

Beautiful.

Majestic.

And filled with people who had once watched her die.

Her mother gently touched her shoulder.

"Stay calm"

Elara smiled.

"I am"

But her eyes were already scanning the crowd.

House Rosenthal.

House Devereux.

The royal guards.

And then—

A black carriage stopped near the palace entrance.

The Ardent crest was displayed on its door.

Elara's heartbeat changed.

Lucien.

The carriage door opened.

A young man stepped out.

He was only twenty-two, but his presence was intimidating.

Black hair.

Sharp gray eyes.

Tall and perfectly composed.

He adjusted his gloves before looking toward the palace.

Then his eyes moved across the crowd.

And stopped.

On her.

Elara froze.

Lucien stared at her for several seconds.

His expression didn't change.

Elara quickly looked away.

"Don't react."

She took a breath.

"He's only looking at you because you're staring at him."

Then she heard a voice beside her.

"Lady Valemont?"

Elara turned.

Lucien was standing directly in front of her.

Much closer than she expected.

She instinctively stepped back.

Lucien noticed.

One corner of his mouth lifted.

"Did I frighten you?"

"No"

"Then why did you step away?"

Elara's cheeks warmed.

"I was simply making room"

"For me?"

His tone was calm.

But there was something teasing underneath it.

Elara narrowed her eyes.

"You seem rather confident, Your Grace"

Lucien's eyebrow rose.

"You're more interesting than I remember"

Elara's heart stopped.

"Remember?"

She stared at him.

"What did you say?"

Lucien looked amused.

"I said you're more interesting than I expected"

Elara exhaled quietly.

She had almost panicked.

Lucien leaned slightly closer.

"Unless you heard something else?"

Their eyes met.

For a moment, neither spoke.

Elara could feel her face getting warmer.

Then a familiar voice interrupted them.

"Elara!"

She turned.

Rosaline was approaching with a bright smile.

Elara's expression immediately became neutral.

Rosaline reached for her hand.

"I've been looking everywhere for you"

Elara gently pulled her hand away.

Rosaline blinked.

"Is something wrong?"

"No"

Elara smiled.

"I'm simply not used to being touched without permission"

Rosaline's smile faltered.

Lucien looked away, hiding what appeared to be a small smile.

Elara noticed.

"You find this amusing?"

Lucien looked at her.

"Very"

"Why?"

"Because you're quite terrifying for someone who just told me she wasn't frightened"

Elara's eyes widened.

Then Lucien walked away.

She stared after him.

"Was he teasing me?"

For some reason...

She couldn't stop the small smile appearing on her lips.

Inside the palace, the nobles gathered for the royal banquet.

Elara watched everyone carefully.

Everything seemed familiar.

Almost too familiar.

Then she saw a servant carrying a silver tray.

Her heart stopped.

The assassination attempt.

It was about to happen.

Elara looked toward the royal advisor.

Then toward the servant.

Something was wrong.

The servant's shoes were muddy.

The palace servants wore clean uniforms.

And there was a faint red mark around his wrist.

A hidden tattoo.

The Crimson Order.

Elara's blood ran cold.

"They're already here."

She turned toward Lucien.

He was standing across the ballroom.

And strangely—

He was already looking at the same servant.

Their eyes met.

Neither spoke.

But in that instant, Elara realized something terrifying.

Maybe Lucien already knew.

And maybe...

He had been fighting this conspiracy long before she ever died.

To be continued...

The ballroom was filled with music and laughter.

Crystal chandeliers illuminated the polished marble floor as nobles moved between tables, completely unaware of the danger standing among them.

Elara couldn't take her eyes off the servant.

The silver tray trembled slightly in his hands.

A servant shouldn't be nervous.

Not here.

Not tonight.

Elara remembered what happened in her first life.

The royal advisor had been poisoned.

The attempt failed only because the servant panicked and dropped the glass before the advisor could drink from it.

But the chaos that followed had allowed several important nobles to secretly exchange information.

That information eventually became the beginning of the Crimson Order's influence.

If Elara stopped the attempt now, she might change everything.

But she needed proof.

"Don't act too quickly."

She slowly reached for her glass.

Then—

A hand caught her wrist.

Elara froze.

She turned.

Lucien stood beside her.

His expression was calm.

"What are you doing?"

Elara lowered her voice.

"Let go"

"Not until you tell me why you're watching that servant"

Her eyes widened.

He noticed too.

"You saw him?"

Lucien glanced toward the servant.

"He's been watching the royal advisor for the last ten minutes"

Elara stared at him.

"You knew?"

Lucien's gaze returned to her.

"I suspected"

"Then why haven't you done anything?"

"Because I wanted to see who else noticed"

Elara's heart skipped.

"He's investigating too."

Lucien released her wrist.

But before he could step away, Elara caught his sleeve.

He looked down at her hand.

Then back at her.

"Now you're the one holding me"

Elara immediately let go.

"I didn't mean—"

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

"You blush easily"

"I do not"

"You do"

"I don't"

Lucien leaned slightly closer.

"You are right now"

Elara's cheeks became even warmer.

She glared at him.

"You're enjoying this"

"Perhaps"

His eyes sparkled with amusement.

For someone with such a terrifying reputation, he certainly enjoyed teasing her.

Elara crossed her arms.

"Fine. If you're done playing around, we have a problem"

Lucien's expression became serious.

"What do you know?"

"Not here"

He studied her.

Then nodded.

"Follow me"

They slipped away from the ballroom.

Lucien led her through a quiet corridor.

Elara followed carefully.

She knew these halls.

She knew where they led.

They eventually stopped beside a balcony overlooking the palace gardens.

Lucien closed the doors behind them.

"Now"

He turned toward her.

"Tell me"

Elara hesitated.

She couldn't tell him about her first life.

Not yet.

"I noticed the servant's tattoo"

Lucien's expression changed slightly.

"The Crimson Order"

Elara's heart stopped.

He knew the name.

"How do you know about them?"

Lucien stared at her.

"That's what I should be asking you"

Elara looked away.

"I heard rumors"

"Rumors?"

"Yes"

He stepped closer.

"You're fourteen, Lady Elara"

"I can hear rumors"

"Not rumors about a secret organization that doesn't officially exist"

Elara said nothing.

Lucien studied her face.

"You've been watching the servant since you entered the ballroom"

She swallowed.

"You're very observant"

"So are you"

Their eyes met.

Neither backed down.

Then Lucien suddenly smiled.

"You really are different"

Elara frowned.

"Different from what?"

"The girl I met before"

Her heart jumped.

Again.

That strange wording.

"You knew me before?"

Lucien's smile disappeared.

"We've met several times at court"

Elara stared at him.

She remembered their first meeting from her original life.

But Lucien had barely spoken to her.

Why was he acting as if he remembered something more?

Before she could ask

A crash echoed from the ballroom.

Elara and Lucien immediately turned.

The assassination had begun.

They rushed back.

The servant had dropped the tray.

The royal advisor was on the floor.

People screamed.

Guards surrounded the area.

But Elara noticed something else.

The servant wasn't running.

He was staring directly at her.

His expression was terrified.

Then he whispered something.

"She knows..."

Elara froze.

Lucien heard it too.

He stepped in front of her.

"Stay behind me"

Elara stared at his back.

"Lucien..."

He glanced over his shoulder.

"Yes?"

"Why are you protecting me?"

His eyes softened.

"Because whoever he was talking about..."

He looked toward the servant.

"...I don't think they meant you by accident"

The servant suddenly bit down on something hidden inside his mouth.

Lucien's eyes widened.

"Stop him!"

But it was too late.

The servant collapsed.

The ballroom erupted into chaos.

Elara stared at the body.

Her hands trembled.

This wasn't how she remembered it.

The servant had never died in her first life.

Someone had changed the timeline.

Someone knew she was changing it.

Lucien turned toward her.

"Elara"

She looked at him.

His expression was unusually serious.

"Who are you?"

Elara's breath caught.

He wasn't asking about her family.

He wasn't asking about the assassination.

He was asking about her.

And for the first time since her reincarnation...

Elara realized that Lucien Ardent might be just as dangerous as the future she was trying to escape.

To be continued...