After Reincarnation, I Married My Ex-Husband's Uncle

Episode 1

"What the hell is going on? Why did I come back here?"

As I opened my eyes and saw where I was, I cursed internally... To make you understand, I would have to start telling my first story and why I am cursing so deep...

In my first life, as far as I can remember, I was a beautiful lady of high society. I was stunning, with long silver hair, a slender figure, gray eyes, and skin as white as snow. My family held the same power as royalty and we always maintained good relations, as a clash between both forces would be catastrophic for our kingdom. The ones who would suffer the most in a civil war would be the low-income people.

My family was at the top of the nobility ranks and consisted of my father, Duke Gerald Liberto, a tall man with hair similar to mine, as well as my siblings; my mother, Duchess Francesca Liberto, who possessed an unmatched beauty, although none of her children inherited the reddish color of her hair or her fiery ruby eyes; my brother, the successor to the duchy, Marcos Liberto, and my sister, Margaret Liberto, who were twins and looked so much alike. And then there was me, Melanie Liberto, the youngest of the Liberto family. At a glance, my family resembled copies of my father, with my mother being the only one who stood out.

I was raised in extravagant luxury, just like my siblings. However, they were righteous, honest, and noble-hearted, bringing glory to the duchy... On the other hand, I was just a spoiled brat, selfish, and greedy, wanting to control everything. There was a reason why I became so full of myself from an early age. Initially, I surrounded myself with friends and maids who took advantage of my position, as my parents and siblings were always busy with their duties and didn't pay much attention to me. They always offered to take me with them, but I preferred being a lazy bum. However, this wasn't the main reason why I believed I was superior...

During that time, it was customary for a priest from the temple to be invited to each family's celebration when a new member was born, be it from a rich or poor family. The priest would bring good omens, not just for the newborn, but for the entire family.

For my birth, the omen was incredibly good, too good. It was said that I would be the most important lady in the empire and would sit on the empress's throne. So, I grew up with that burden on my shoulders, a burden that only I in the family took seriously. My relatives would just laugh, which filled me with rage.

Thus, I grew up isolating myself from my family, with bad company, believing that I had the empress's position secured... And yes, that formula was never going to end well.

When I turned nineteen years old, after a year of begging, I managed to be engaged to the crown prince. At that time, I despised the emperor, who happened to be the prince's uncle. The monarch had imposed a law prohibiting marital agreements with minors and engagements were not to be forced by anyone in the family; he personally signed the engagement contracts to prevent nobles from selling their daughters. I hated him at that moment because I had wanted to be the crown prince's betrothed since I was very young.

On the other hand, I don't know much about why the emperor's nephew was chosen for the throne instead of a successor to the emperor... I just remember hearing that the emperor was suffering from a severe illness that prevented him from conceiving an heir.

It was a person who died young, a little before I met my tragic end.

I know he was loved, as from a very young age he was on the battlefield, bringing glory to the empire, reclaiming territory that belonged to us and preventing more unnecessary wars. Everyone mourned his death, especially considering his young age, I believe he was about twenty-six years old. It was a sad story, but at the time I didn't pay much attention to it. I never saw him in person, I only remember hearing his voice once, but I never saw him personally. He was very reserved, but ultimately a good monarch, a stark contrast to his successor.

After the emperor passed away, the prince was crowned and it was expected that he would marry. After two years, I achieved my goal and we got married. The truth is, there was never any love between us. He hated me for pressuring him into marrying me, and I only desired power. Along the way, I trampled on others, mistreated them, made deals with insignificant nobles... among other things that deeply embarrass me to this day.

As expected, all the actions of my twenty-one years of life led to the end of my first life. I sat in the empress's seat, but only for one day.

The next day, I learned that the omen of my birth was not just the pretty words that my family had told me, there was something more... the prophecy said that I could be the most important woman in this kingdom, but I could also be the most hated and bring death to my entire family... Who would have thought that these things were so accurate... The morning after my coronation, all my crimes were uncovered, and I, along with my family, were taken to the guillotine.

My heart ached every time I saw a family member's head roll... How foolish I was, if only I could turn back time... I only remember their faces rolling and my tears falling, while the prince, now emperor, watched everything from his box with a smile, and by his side, a twelve-year-old girl. Because the first thing he did when he became emperor was to abolish all the laws imposed by his uncle.