A Night Worse than Death - Chapter 2

Chapter 2

It would have been nice if it was a dream.

However, Aleisha’s death was not a dream. And now, this reality was also not a dream.

“—shia. Aleisha!”

Aleisha, who was sitting in front of the mirror, was startled by the nervous call.

She instinctively straightened her back. Through the mirror, a middle-aged woman with silver hair curled up was seen. As soon as her gaze met Aleisha, the woman glared at her.

“Can’t you make up your mind? You have to leave for the Imperial Palace soon, but what if you’re absent-minded like this?”

“Sorry. I have something to think about for a moment.”

“What are you thinking?”

When she tried to make excuses, her stepmother, Patricia scoffed at her. “I care for you as much as I can, but you can’t thank me. What a lazy kid… Sarah, bring it here.”

“Yes, madam.”

At Patricia’s orders, Sarah held out a tray. Fresh flowers and tiny diamond pins were placed on the velvet-lined tray.

Patricia grumbled as she stretched out her hand to the fresh flowers.

“I can’t believe you collapsed before the important event of marriage to the imperial family. Do you know how worried I was that you wouldn’t get up?”

Aleisha squinted as Patricia picked one of the flowers, one of the most blooming, though not at all matching with her reddish hair.

‘It’s the same as picking the purple stalk. It’s not a dream either.’

She quietly grabbed the hem of her skirt so that no one noticed.

Everything was running the same…

As she remembered… Same as two years ago.

After the assassin’s sword sent by Franz stabbed her in the heart, Aleisha awoke again. It didn’t mean she was back from the brink of death. Somehow, she was back a week before the wedding.

At first, she couldn’t believe it.

But, she had no choice but to admit it when she saw everything and people moving according to her memory.

The exact reason was unknown, yet it seemed to be a reaction to the curse, which used her life.

“Don’t worry too much, Mother.”

“How can I not worry? If you do well, our family can survive.”

“Wait.”

Aleisha lightly intercepted Patricia’s hand as she tried to insert the stalk into her head.

“I think jewels are better than flowers.”

“A flower is better than a small jewel.”

“No. I like jewelry.”

Patricia glanced at Aleisha with a questionable expression. It was because when her daughter, who was not normally interested in clothes or accessories, insisted on jewelry, she eventually frowned slightly.

“If so.”

Patricia pointed to the diamond pins at Sarah.

Aleisha gazed through the mirror as Sarah put the pins in her hair, and she gave a determined look.

She has no choice but to marry the Second Prince for the sake of her family. It was impossible to cancel the marriage with the imperial family at this point.

Still, at least, she wouldn’t repeat the mistake she made once.

Following Patricia’s insistence from her last life that she should emphasize the innocence of a country girl, she adorned her hair with fresh flowers and set off for the Imperial Palace.

The vivid flowers withered as she went from the mansion in the Ambrose estate to the Imperial Palace. Because of that, she had to meet Franz with a withered flower hanging from her head.

Franz, who was waiting for the Princess at the entrance of the Imperial Palace, turned his head to see that shabby figure. He disappeared, ordering the Princess to be guided to a detached palace in a voice brimming with embarrassment.

Therefore, Aleisha was forced to head straight to the villa, on her own, without Franz’s escort. The future Princess stayed in the detached palace for a month before the wedding even began.

This month’s time was a time for the future Princess to adjust to the Imperial Palace. And, most importantly, it was a time for her to build affection with the Prince.

However, disappointed with Aleisha’s first impressions, Franz never visited her private palace. The first time she saw her husband’s face was at the wedding.

It was the first and the last…

“It’s pretty good.”

When her hairdressing was done, Patricia glanced through her as if judging.

The diamonds embedded in her hair braided to the side to maximize the volume and shone from different angles each time she turned her head. It made her feel as though she had brightly, shining sprinkled stars on her hair.

“Thank you, Sarah.”

Aleisha gave a brief thanks to the maid and headed to the bed where her dress was unfolded.

Patricia chose an overly gorgeous ruffled dress.

“Wear this. It should be at this level to stand out in the Imperial Palace.”

“A flashy thing is enough for a headdress.”

Aleisha cut off Patricia’s opinion and picked up a simple dress as she stood up. When Patricia saw the dark purple velvet dress, she hated it.

“Are you going to go to the Imperial Palace wearing something like that? That cannot do. If you do that, it’s like you’re painting our family a mess!”

“After all, when I arrive at the Imperial Palace, I have to change everything. So, comfortable clothes are better. I have to ride a horse-drawn carriage for three hours.”

“Still, that’s not okay! You’re going to wear that drab thing with no lace decorations on it? Are you crazy?”

“Sarah, help me get dressed.”

Nevertheless, she ignored Patricia’s dramatic cry and gestured with her hand to Sarah.

As Sarah was glancing between two of her master, Aleisha lowered her gaze. She was still in a corset because Aleisha had only started preparing her hair.

“Then, shall we go out like this?”

“Do whatever you want!”

Patricia, who had put her hand on her waist and clasped it, hurriedly turned around in annoyance.

Sarah asked cautiously, startled at the sound of the door slamming shut and leaving.

“Are you okay? I think the master was very angry.”

“What wouldn’t be okay?”

Sarah’s eyes widened in surprise at the cynical response. She whispered softly as she stood by the clothes.

“Miss, after collapsing and waking up… You are like a different person.”

“I’m glad.”

In response to the blunt reply, the gestures that were fastening the buttons behind her back stopped for a moment. However, before Aleisha could turn her head, Sarah gently tugged the clothes again.

It was already known to the employees that Aleisha’s personality changed after she collapsed.

She didn’t even try to act like she used to. Since she died like that, she didn’t feel the need to make such an effort in her life right now.

‘A new life must be lived anew.’

She was brought back to life, and it couldn’t be in vain.

Aleisha was determined to erase her past, which she had desperately regretted. She would no longer crave Franz’s affection, nor would she waste her life to win his favor.

Even so, the end would be stained with betrayal.

Franz had Aleisha, but only for her magic. Even if she went to the Imperial Palace, she would never run into him. So, as long as she lived in abundance and comfort as the Princess, it would be enough.

Aleisha had no regrets for Franz.

Her love died at the same time as her confession. Now, the only emotion towards him was hatred.

‘Did my curse work?’

Aleisha, who was tying her sleeves, narrowed her brow.

She suddenly wondered if the curse she had placed on Franz before she died had been well entrenched. She wished for his misfortune and a curse that prevented the neutralization magic of others.

‘If we had regressed and everything went back to the beginning, the curse might have gone away…’

Aleisha had no intention of approaching Franz to confirm the curse.

She, of course, was determined not to disappear calmly. Isn’t it too embarrassing for that?

‘Look forward, Franz. Because I’ll be a perfectly useless Princess.’

Aleisha thought she would not neutralize his magic.

It was none of her business whether he suffered from the cold of his magic or not.

No… Rather, it was what she wanted the most.

If the Princess brought in as a tool to neutralize his magic was useless. How disappointed will Franz be?

She just wished that the depth of that disappointment would be deep. Anyway, this little revenge wouldn’t last long. Franz would find a lover to replace her two years later.

But, for at least two years, he would struggle with suffering.

“Look at that. It’s like going to a funeral.”

After putting on the dress, Patricia, who had lefั, came back and said so.

As if she waited for Aleisha to cling to her, she seemed to have forced her way in

“Today is the day you leave home, so I gave it according to your will, but I didn’t know you would be so stubborn. You don’t even know your mother’s heart.”

Patricia burst into tears as she cried out with her whole body to please her.

Aleisha felt the familiar tiredness wash over that look.

“I’m sorry. You will have to get used to this in the future, so I apologize in advance. I do not intend to follow my mother’s will any longer.”

“What? What did you eat wrong…?”

Patricia was taken aback by the callous remarks, and her face contorted. Aleisha smiled softly and shook her head.

“No. My stomach is fine. But, if mother sends me a letter telling me to sneak into the second prince’s bedroom or to claim the title in that way, it will turn upside down.”

“Su, such a vulgar thing! I can’t say such a thing!”

“So. Please don’t contact me. Don’t even expect a reply.”

“Aleisha Ambrose!”

“You should call me Aleisha Ostache, mother.”

Aleisha put the imperial surname after hers and smiled. At that, Patricia gasped and started fanning herself. She then grumbled as she quickly wiped away the tears.

“How did I raise you? I went through all the hardships I had to raise you without a father! How can you rot your mother’s inside, who raised you, even if we don’t share the same blood! If the dead baron knows you’re acting like this to me…”

Aleisha lifted the shawl, letting the nagging, which did not feel sincere, into one of her ears.

The snow will fall on her way to the Imperial Palace. She had to wear a thick shawl to keep out the cold.

“Sarah, get the gloves.”

“Yes, lady.”

“Not that, the thickes—”

“Miss! Madam!”

It was the moment she was preparing to ignore Patricia, who was complaining. A knock was heard along with urgent footsteps.

Patricia, who was still pressing the handkerchief against her eyes, exclaimed in a seizure.

“What’s going on!”

“No, Madam! That…!”

The butler took turns looking at Aleisha and Patricia, who were wearing shawls, and took his breath.

“His, His Highness the Second Prince… has come!”

At the notice of the pale butler, Aleisha jumped up from her seat.

“What?”

“He said he came to meet the Miss!”

Aleisha couldn’t keep her mouth shut at the butler’s report. In her last life, Franz greeted her at the imperial palace.

He came all the way down to the Ambrose estate.