1 Chapter 1
"I am Fiona, daughter of Leona Delavin." With only a few words, she was accepted by them.
Under the blue sky, Catherine Devilla was on her knees. She can barely move her body because of pain that embraced her whole body from different kinds of beatings she received from the soldiers.
She could hear people's scream that she deserved to die because she was evil and she is a monster that will only bring disaster to the empire just because an oracle told him.
"Die."
"Just die already."
"You evil woman!"
"Catherine Devilla."
She felt nothing at that time because she was so tired trying to explain herself that she isn't a monster nor that she'll bring a disaster but no one ever tried to listen to her even her father. The only one who stayed until his last moment was her maid.
She couldn't see clearly because of the blurred vision but she could still dimly see people screaming out of their lungs as if she had done something terrible to them. She slowly moves her head to look all around, she looks up only to see his father together with his other daughter.
Her long red hair and red eyes that resembled their father made everyone think that she is not the real princess of the Grand Duke.
For one last time, she smiled at him and whispered the word "daddy" for the last time, she tried to memorize his father's face but she cannot clearly see his face anymore. Her visions became blurrier maybe because she's dizzy, she felt her head spinning.
"My lady…" her maid cried, she felt sorry for her lady. She knows how hard she tried to be liked by the people around her. The maid watched her grow up into a fine woman hoping she could be loved by her father and the first brother of the House Devilla.
The maid clenched her fist as she gazed upon Grand Duke Devilla - the father of the lady she's serving, the anger enveloped her heart since the moment the Grand Duke ignored Lady Catherine's effort. The lady longed for her father but he never reciprocated the love of her daughter.
Lady Catherine look upon the woman beside her father right now. A big smirk was plastered on her lips – she's really happy seeing Catherine in that situation she created.
If only she hadn't shown up. A thought that has been lingering in her mind for some time now.
"It is only right that you pay for your sins and crime."
For some reason, she can clearly see his red hair and his red eyes. If what her eyes serve her right, she knows that man who just spoke – it is her first brother but for some reason they are not that close for the reason that his first brother does not bother talking to her at all. She cannot recognize the voice but she can recognize the red hair since there are only one family who has red hair and that is the House Devilla.
That is known as a trademark for the House Devilla but for some reason, she didn't have red hair rather she has blonde hair and blue eyes that she got from her mother's side.
She smiles at her brother but a cold stare is what she received. She has no idea what's made them hate her so much to the extent that she was ignored at their house but when some commoner girl who had shown up and claimed she was the daughter of Grand Duke, she was accepted right away and replaced her.
She got all their attention by having the red hair and the red eyes and even she cannot deny the fact they look the same – like a girl version of her father, she is Fiona.
She did everything she could in her power to become the perfect daughter. She studied to prove her worth that she belong to that family because she wants to be complimented by her father but she didn't hear anything from him, even when she is sick, there's no father on her side when she opens her eyes.
"Zein," she called her maid.
"Yes My Lady…"
Tears fell down on her cheeks. She could not speak immediately because she felt as if there is something blocking her throat,
"I want to be buried beside my mother's tomb…"
"My Lady…"
She can no longer hold her tears for her lady, it's heartbreaking to see that the person she treasured the most all her life is now on the verge of death. She wanted to hug her but her hands were tied so the only thing she could do was to lean on her lady to reassure her that she was not alone. She wanted to wipe those tears. She felt the pang in her heart, she's crying in silence. You cannot hear her sobs like she's so used to crying without making any sounds.
"Thank You…" the last thing she uttered to her maid before the Knights dragged her to the guillotine, an apparatus to behead someone for her execution.
Her tears didn't stop falling from her eyes that made her visions blurrier. She then looks up to his father who steps down at the execution table with Fiona. That lady is looking at her.
She could see the lady smiling and the lady mouthed.
"Oh, poor thing."
"You must pay your sin with your life. Proceed to the execution." Her firts brother's voice that made her realize how stupid she is to believed that she could get her father and firts brother love her.
How stupid of me. Her mind is laughing right now. That moment when she starts remembering the people she loved and stayed by her side.
"Clyden," She whispered, the name of her Second Brother.
I hope that Clyden won't see me like this. Please, be safe my little brother. That's what she thought but then there's a loud voice that boomed, she searched from where the voice was coming from and there she found her brother.
"No, no. Please, father…" she smiles, at least I have him who believes in me until the end and he never abandons me. Our father immediately turns his head to the soldier and motions to drag him away. He struggles but he cannot do anything but to just scream like it can save her sister.
"You will regret this father. You will all regret this. I will fucking make sure you will remember this day that you abandoned my sister." his screams and his cries that at the least part of her, it made her happy.
Be safe my brother, please.
Now, thinking back, she didn't give her little brother that much attention when she had the chance and now she's regretting it. She regretted the time when she begged for attention and love from her father. It is making her crazy thinking that her father hated her like she does not exist but when Fiona appeared, they gave her all their attention.
She is disgusted by the fact that her father threw her away like some trash and accepts Fiona, she treasures her the most. She could still hear what the lady whispered last night.
"Actually, I am not his daughter." She looks at the lady wide open. She wanted to speak but her mouth was firmly gagged. She struggles but it was a hopeless act since she is chained up.
"It just that I look exactly the same with your father that she accepted me and when Uncle Damiel brought up the possibility that someone purposely replaced her daughter, he believed that and the fact that I have the same magic as them and you…" she laughed evilly as if it is the most entertaining thing for the lady.
"The truth is that I was just borrowing your power or more likely I am stealing it and when you finally die, your power will become mine and no one will know that I am not his daughter."
She tried to struggle but it was futile.
Fiona smiled at her. "One more thing, the oracle is nothing but a lie, that you, the fake daughter of Grand Duke Devilla will bring disaster."
"I have nothing to say anymore. See you at the execution tomorrow, my sister." The lady stood up and left like she's done with her business. There's a lot of questions in her mind right now but she has no one but herself.
Everything is making her numb from the pain she's feeling physically and emotionally. She was so tired that she wanted this to end to stop the noise of these people. She didn't know them, they didn't know her.
One more time, the loud voices of people demanding to kill her became louder because they believed that she is a sinner. At that moment, she still wishes for her father to turn and save her.
If only I can have a second life, I will not beg nor ask for their attention anymore.
At that moment, the view turned upside down with the sound of blades cutting through the air. As the blood flowed out from her neck, her maid's scream was heard by everyone; you can hear and feel the pain as the red blood spewed out on the ground.
"My lady…"
"Sister…"
Those were the screams of people who believed in her that she cannot do and will never bring disaster to this empire.
"Father…" Fiona clung onto her father's arms acting like she's sad about what happened to her sister. The Grand Duke consoles her and hugs her, he's doing what a father will do but she never once did those things with her first daughter, the 'first princess' of House Devilla.
Lady Catherine never acted without dignity because she was expected to act with dignity. She is expected to be a fast learner. She never once congratulated her nor greeted her on her birthday, never did he come when she's sick or hurt.
She had never become a father to her daughter and now he's acting sweet and protective to a woman that she met just two years ago.
She was raised as the only princess of House Devilla.
She wanted to hear her father compliment her. Be concerned for her. She lived her 18 years of life begging for her father's affection but it was all ruined when she appeared.
