Ch-3

The next morning felt no different.

The same cold room. The same pale light slipping through the curtains. The same silence that had always surrounded me.

But I was no longer the same.

I lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, letting the memories settle—memories that didn’t belong to a child, yet were now mine to carry again.

The pain, the betrayal… it all felt distant and sharp at the same time.

Slowly, I pushed myself up. My body was small, weak, unfamiliar. My hands—tiny, fragile—rested against the sheets as if they didn’t belong to me.

But they did now.

And this time, I would use them differently.

A soft knock echoed through the room before the door opened without waiting for a response. A maid stepped inside, her expression stiff the moment her eyes landed on me.

“You’re awake,” she said. .

I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I watched her. The way she avoided getting too close. The way her gaze lingered on my hair before quickly looking away.

Nothing had changed.

“…Yes,” I replied quietly.

Even my voice sounded smaller. Lighter.

Weak.

The word echoed in my mind, but I didn’t react. Not anymore.

“Get ready,” she added, already turning away. “Lady Evelyn wants to see you.”

Mother.

Of course she did.

I slipped out of bed without another word, moving slowly, carefully adjusting to this unfamiliar body. Each step felt strange, but my mind was steady. Focused.

When I entered the main hall, the atmosphere felt just as suffocating as I remembered. Servants moved quietly, avoiding my presence as if I were something unpleasant.

At the center stood my mother—and beside her, Rosaline.

Perfect, as always.

Rosaline noticed me first, her lips curving into a faint smile. Sweet. Harmless.

A lie.

“Aurelia,” my mother called, her voice sharp, impatient.

I stepped forward and stopped at a proper distance.

“…Mother.”

The word left my lips easily. Calmly.

For a brief moment, silence followed.

I saw it then—the flicker of something in her eyes. Not warmth. Not care.

Confusion.

Because I wasn’t trembling. I wasn’t looking down.

I was simply… standing.

“Stand properly,” she said coldly. “Don’t embarrass me.”

“I am standing properly,” I replied.

Soft. Polite.

But firm.

Rosaline’s smile faltered slightly.

The room grew still.

My mother’s gaze sharpened, clearly displeased, but she said nothing more. Perhaps she didn’t know what to say.

Good.

I lowered my eyes just enough to appear obedient, but my thoughts were clear.

This house hadn’t changed.

And it never would.

Love would never exist here for me.

I had chased it once—desperately, foolishly. I had tried to be enough. Tried to belong.

And in the end, it had led me to nothing but betrayal… and death.

A quiet breath escaped me.

Not this time.

I didn’t need their love.

I didn’t need their approval.

What I needed… was control.

Knowledge.

Strength.

Things no one could take away from me.

Rosaline stepped closer, her voice light as ever. “You seem different today, sister.”

I met her gaze.

Calm. Steady.

“Do I?”

For a second—just a second—something unreadable passed through her eyes.

Then she smiled again.

“Yes… but I’m sure it’s nothing.”

Of course she would say that.

She had no idea.

None of them did.

And that was exactly how I wanted it.

I turned my gaze away, no longer interested in the conversation.

Let them underestimate me.

Let them ignore me.

It would only make things easier.

Because this time…

I wasn’t here to survive.

I was here to change everything.

...Ch-3 Ends ...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***