#19

As I sat there, the weight of my thoughts pressing down on me like a suffocating fog, something stirred deep inside. A fragment of a memory from my previous life resurfaced, sending a jolt through my entire being. It was hazy at first, but as the details came together, I could see it clearly: the duke had once adopted a child, a boy, from an auction house.

The rumors surrounding him had always been cryptic, and I had never thought much of them back then. But now, with everything I had learned in this life, it made sense. That boy—he was the hero. The one who would rise to power and change the world. The boy the duke had taken in and raised as his own.

I remembered the stories, the whispers that followed him like a shadow—how he had become the world's most powerful hero, how the original male and female leads had fought alongside him, their destinies intertwined in a way that shaped everything. But he had always been mysterious. So much of his life had been shrouded in secrecy, his identity a closely guarded secret.

But why?

I hadn't understood the significance of the boy back then. How could I have? But now, the pieces were falling into place. I could feel my heart race as the urgency of the situation became clearer.

The duke’s adoption of that boy was no coincidence. It wasn’t just a simple act of kindness. The boy had a destiny, one that would intertwine with mine.

A sharp pain gripped my chest as my emotions swirled, leaving me dizzy and breathless. I could see it now. I was here for a reason, too—because of that boy. Because I was part of this twisted fate, just like he was. And I couldn’t let it happen again.

No, not again.

I couldn’t watch him die in front of me. Not when I knew how it all ended. The memories of my previous life flooded my mind—the pain, the horror, the feeling of helplessness as I watched the duke die in front of me. I couldn’t go through that again. I couldn’t stand to be powerless, to watch history repeat itself while I did nothing.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away. No, I wasn’t going to cry. Not yet.

I couldn’t let myself be consumed by the past. I had to act. I had to find him—this mysterious boy who would become the hero. I had to bring him here, to the mansion, and somehow, maybe, change everything.

If I found him, I could change his fate. And maybe—just maybe—I could escape this nightmare. I would never have to see the duke die in front of me again.

I can’t let this happen again.

My heart pounded in my chest as I made my decision. I had no idea where to start, no idea how I would find him. But I couldn’t wait any longer. I needed to act. The longer I stayed here, the closer I was to repeating the horrors of the past.

With a deep breath, I wiped the last of my tears away.

I would find him. I would change his fate. And then, I would leave this place.

I had no other choice.

The early morning sun streamed through the windows, casting a soft glow on the floor as I walked through the grand halls of the mansion. I wasn’t thinking straight, not with everything that had happened the night before. My heart was pounding, and I could feel the urgency of my decision creeping up with every step I took.

I didn’t care that I was still in my pajamas—loose, comfortable clothes that I had thrown on in a rush. My hair was a complete mess, tousled and wild from the restless night. My bare feet slapped against the cool marble floor as I hurried toward the duke’s office, barely registering the strange looks from the servants I passed. But none of that mattered right now. All that mattered was getting to him and voicing what I had been holding in since last night.

The door to the duke’s office stood before me, and I threw it open without a second thought.

“I want to go out!” I declared, my voice firm despite the breathlessness that lingered from my hurried steps.

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