I'll Choose a Different Path

Bree lowered her head, massaging her temples with both hands, still covered in white gloves, a part of her bridal gown. She refused to believe she had to go through this marriage again, but what was currently unfolding before her eyes indicated otherwise.

"Ah... No. This must be a dream! Or am I dead? Have I become a curious ghost following Rad wherever he goes?" Bree weighed various possibilities.

She didn't believe in ghosts, despite often hearing strange cries at night in the castle. However, who knew it could be a reality? If becoming a ghost meant haunting Rad, Bree wouldn't mind. If lucky, she might even strangle him to death, just like a ghost in the horror stories her mother used to tell.

Bree gazed at the marshland outside the window, recalling the events of her wedding day. Their journey to Marseille was not smooth; the luxurious carriage's wheels almost got stuck, and they stopped for a while at the edge of the forest. Then, the bandits attacked.

Unfortunate bandits, as Rad and his men easily defeated them.

CLANK!

Just as Bree was about to push away those thoughts, the carriage she was in shook. Bree momentarily looked outside.

"No way! This is impossible!"

Bree opened the carriage door next to her knee to look outside. Undoubtedly, they were at the edge of the forest. Bree could see the tops of a cluster of trees and rows of sturdy trunks.

"No!" Bree whispered as she saw a gang of bandits who had deliberately set a trap for the carriage to get stuck, emerging from behind the trees.

What was happening now perfectly matched what was in Bree's memory. There were about ten bandits wearing wide-brimmed hats and cloth covering their faces, wielding thin and sharp swords.

Bree opened the door, stepped down, and stood next to the carriage to make sure all of this was a repetition. This dream felt so real.

"Am I destined to relive the most annoying period of my life by becoming a curious ghost?" Bree muttered softly.

"You're asking for death!" A loud shout was heard.

It was Rad, and it was exactly the same; Bree remembered his shout word for word. But back then, Bree only heard it, cowering in fear inside the carriage. This time, Bree saw Rad's angry face, pointing a sword towards the approaching attackers.

Then, as if someone threw a stone to startle them, everyone moved together, and the clash of sword blades filled the air.

Bree could only stand there, staring at what was happening in front of her. All of it was new to her. Bree's past memories stopped when she saw the bandits, then she hurriedly cowered inside the carriage, never witnessing how Rad and his guards wiped out all of them.

Back then, Bree didn't see how agile Rad moved, swiftly turning his body while swinging his sword with a face full of anger.

Bree had almost never seen Rad show emotions, except when he looked satisfied, embracing his mistress. Bree had caught him hugging another woman with a satisfied expression, and Rad knew but showed no guilt when it happened.

Bree thought his emotions were dead. But apparently not. Here, Bree saw how Rad ran towards her very quickly. Then he thrust his sword into one of the bandits who happened to be so close to Bree. The bandit had raised his sword, intending to attack Bree.

The close distance wasn't visible to Bree because she was too focused on Rad. Bree blinks slowly as the bandit's blood splatters on her face and dress. Wet.

"Do you want to die like them? Why are you outside?!" Rad scolded, glaring at Bree with eyes full of anger, while Bree stared back at him.

Rad's breath was heavy with irritation, and his face was also covered in blood splatters. Bree slowly wiped the blood off her face.

"Can you see me? I mean, am I alive?" Bree looked at the red stains on her face again. Earlier, Bree hoped she was a ghost so Rad wouldn't see her.

"Do you think I'm blind?! And you won't live much longer if you keep standing here! Get in!" Rad pointed to the carriage door, his jaw clenched tightly, as if holding back the urge to explode like a cannon.

Bree slowly stepped back into the carriage, and Rad slammed the door shut. Bree sat back inside the carriage with vacant eyes, and her mind wandered again.

One thing was certain and clear now: she was still alive because Rad saw her, and so did the bandits. Bree wasn't dreaming or a ghost. Right now, she was reliving the same life.

The same events occurred on her wedding day, with slight differences because she decided to step out of the carriage, staining her bridal gown with blood.

Bree curled her body, burying her face in her knees. She didn't understand why all this was happening. But one thing was for sure: Bree didn't want to relive it; she didn't want to relive her life during this period. She had lost so much, and her heart was deeply hurt. The wounds and pain were not something she wanted to face again.

Bree jerked and straightened up. Realizing the most important thing. She had gone through a lot of pain and loss, but now Bree knew when and how all of it would happen. Bree could prevent it.

Just like her gown, now stained with blood because she got off the carriage, different decisions would lead to different fates and different outcomes.

Bree clenched the white fabric covering her knees tightly. "I will change it." Bree muttered, then slowly smiled. A cold smile that didn't reach her eyes.

Yes, people could torment her and laugh at her suffering, but this time, it was her turn to laugh. It was her turn to feel victorious and change the course.

Revenge.

And most importantly, she had to make sure to get back at Rad and not fall in love with him. Any form of betrayal wouldn't make her heart ache without that feeling.

Bree sighed, looking back at the marshland outside. Initially, it might seem bad, but this repetition wasn't bad. Bree started to find it enjoyable.

No more innocent and obedient Bree. She would change her fate, which led to a gruesome death. Definitely.

***

The journey brought them to the Marseille castle, and it was almost midnight. Nothing was visible as the torchlight illuminated only a small section of the castle courtyard. However, Bree didn't need much light.

Even though she had only been living in this castle for a few months, Bree had enough memory details about the place.

Bree took a deep breath of the night air, fresh with a hint of the sea. The Marseille castle was indeed atop a hill, while the beach lay not far at the foot of the hill.

The place was beautiful; Bree wouldn't curse such a beautiful castle. What was wrong was only its inhabitants. But now Bree has a way to fix it.

Bree looked back at Rad's back, who was now in front of them, walking through the dim gate corridor and entering the main building of the castle.

The stone castle was still the same as Bree remembered—sturdy, cold, with a pale grey color. As they passed the dining room, Bree shifted slightly closer to the table. Quickly, her hand snatched a fruit knife from the table and slid it into the sleeve of her gown.

Bree was determined to make another difference tonight.