《Villainess With A System [Temp. Dropped]》 [1] Evory Marina Blanchette Ebony didn¡¯t want to die. She didn¡¯t want to live either. Though, it seemed to be chosen for her since she was born. An orphan since she was little, she didn¡¯t know who her parents were. The only thing she had was her name. Nothing she ever had in life was her own. Lately, though, she had something. She had worked up enough money for a small apartment. [System Message: Host¡¯s death will occur in approximately 59 seconds.] Laying on her stomach, with a knife embedded in it. A burning and sharp sensation plagued every second of her reality. She kept gasping and gasping for air. Ebony was hyperventilating. The cold and rough concrete floor of her new apartment was one of the only things keeping her mind sharp. Ebony lifelessly looked down at the floor, and then towards her chest. A small locket was there. Ebony willed her body to move with all her might, to grab the locket, to even twitch, but nothing ever happened. Nothing ever happened how Ebony wanted it anyway. Her body wouldn¡¯t listen to her, unsuccessful grunts came out instead of any movement. Frustrated tears began to well up, and she tried to stop them, but they began to overflow and break past the tough wall she had put up. Years of suffering and pent-up frustration, and she couldn¡¯t even get one little thing. She had nothing again. She was going to watch herself die, a permanent death. [System Message: ******** has taken pity on you, a replacement body is being searched for.] ¡°Shut up¡­¡± A raspy and shaking voice sounded. Ebony realized the situation she was in. She wasn¡¯t able to move; no one would ever see her again. No one could help her. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks, and she shakily watched her blood spread across the concrete floor. She didn¡¯t want or need pity; She didn¡¯t need that. Ebony only wanted something, anything. It didn¡¯t matter in the end, though, what Ebony wanted or needed, it didn¡¯t matter how much she would cry. Ebony was going to die. [System Message: Suitable body has been found. Death will occur within 15 seconds.] Was it all for nothing? Was everything for nothing? Ebony¡¯s vision went blurry. She could no longer watch herself die. [System Message: Death will occur within 10 seconds.] ¡°Stop¡­¡± That was the last word Ebony was able to say. Stop her from dying. Stop her from crying. Stop taking everything away from her. Stop time, let her go back. For once, Ebony wanted to live. She wanted the little old apartment with concrete floors. She wanted something, anything would do. [System Message: Death will occur within 5 seconds.] Her mind was screaming now, for everything she had ever wanted. The unprocessed grief and greed was the only thing she had left. The intense sharpness of the knife seemed to be digging into her harder. Stop it. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop! Stop! I said stop it! [System Message: Death has occurred. Consciousness has temporarily ended. Rebooting.] [System Message: Soul has been woven into the new body. System initializing.] [System Message: System has initialized. System loading¡­] [System Message: System has loaded.] [System Message: Welcome to Flaun, Ebony.] *** Ebony¡¯s eyes fluttered open. Warm sunlight filtered into the room and hit her eyes. She gently sat up, leaning her back against the bed¡¯s headboard. She rubbed her eyes and realized she had just wiped away tears. She paused, and wore a confused face. She was crying? Ebony never cried. A giant room surrounded her. An all red-themed room, with an elegant feel. She was on a king-sized bed that was in the center of the room. A changing area was in the left corner from where she could see, a giant mirror next to it. To the right of her was a door. She glanced to her side and found a bell above the nightstand, hanging off a board. Though, it seemed too high for her to reach. There was also a washbasin with a damp cloth hanging off of it. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Where is this¡­?¡± ¡°I swore I was on the floor¡­¡± Wait, floor? ¡°Why was I on the floor again..?" A sharp, burning pain materialized on her stomach, and at the same time gave her an intense headache. Letting out painful grunts, She clutched her stomach, and the pain soon faded into nothing. The headache remained though, she tried to think of the floor again, but the headache got stronger. Her mind was preventing her from knowing something important. A floating message appeared in front of her eyes, and soon a monotone voice resounded, reading the message out loud. Ebony jumped. [System Message: Many of the host¡¯s memories were deemed too strong. Forceful blocks have been added] Host¡­? Forceful blocks? Ebony attempted to poke the floating message in front of her, but when she touched it, it disappeared. Something was seriously wrong with her. A floating message? Seriously¡­ her condition had been getting worse lately. Pushing her auditory and visual hallucinations aside, Ebony slid out of the bed she was in. She needed to¡­ do something. Her head hurt again. She knew she had to do something, but didn¡¯t know what she had to do. That same wall was blocking her again. ¡°Where is this¡­¡± Another message appeared in front of her, and Ebony jumped once again when the same monotone voice rang out once more. [System Message: You are in the Blanchette Estate.] ¡°Blanchette Estate?¡± Ebony suddenly realized something important. Whenever she would ask questions, that strange monotone, robot-like voice would answer her. If it wasn¡¯t a hallucination, then maybe it could help her. Maybe it could help her remember¡­ Ebony hesitated ¡°Excuse me...Why am I here? Did someone rescue me?¡± Ebony scratched the back of her head, what did she need rescuing from again? Ebony got no answer from the robot voice. ¡°Ridiculous. Who thinks they can communicate with a hallucination¡­¡± Ebony suddenly paused and ran her hand over the back of her head once more. Her previously rough hair was now soft, very soft. She sniffed some of it, and it smelled like flowers. What? What is this¡­ She looked down, and her previous short black hair was gone. It had been replaced with dark scarlet hair with a few black streaks that fell down to her mid-back. It had a clean shine to it, which was also unlike what her hair usually looked like. ¡°This is¡­¡± Ebony remembered the mirror in the corner by the dressing area. She ran to the other side of the bed, toward the mirror. Ebony took in her appearance. Her malnourished body was now healthy and had a fair amount of curve on it, which was slightly accentuated by the nightgown she wore. Her face was heart-shaped, and she had a sharp jawline. A healthy tan, with a slight brown tint to it. There were two things though; that were the most alarming; one was that her plain brown eyes were now a bright red, the color of rubies. The second thing was because of how beautiful she appeared to be. Ebony¡¯s hand slid all over her face, pinched, and poked it. This was real. Ebony¡¯s old appearance could never compete with this one. To be honest, they were leagues apart. ¡°This girl¡­ who is she? She looks familiar.¡± She examined her appearance closer, thinking. [System Message: That is you.] ¡°I¡¯m not an idiot¡­¡± Ebony paused, what if this was an almighty god? What if she just was disrespectful to an all-powerful god by accident? ¡°I meant what¡¯s her name¡­sorry¡± Cough. ¡°I want to know her identity.¡± [System Message: Evory Marina Blanchette.] ¡°Are you¡­ kidding me?¡± Ebony¡¯s intense bookworming had now come back to bite her. It all made sense now. The expensive room, the new beautiful appearance, and the new name. Ebony was now Evory Marina Blanchette, the villainous character she read in a book once. ¡®Book¡¯ would be speaking too highly of it though; the ¡®book¡¯ was just for the author¡¯s fantasies, as the plot was too cliche and bad to be good. In Flaun, you either can use divine powers or can use magic, which makes up Sword Paladins or Magic Paladins. There are six magical elements, Earth, Fire, Wind, Water, Light, and Dark. Evory Marina Blanchette was a high-class villainess who could only use fire magic, one magical element. It¡¯s common for people to be able to use 2-3 magical elements, but rarely people could use divinity. But for Evory¡¯s family, most of them could use 4-5 of the magical elements. Evory only being able to use one was the biggest disappointment to her family, and to the nobility. Since Evory''s mana core was much bigger than the average, she was wed off to the 1st prince at an early age. The marriage was brought into question later when her magical abilities were revealed. This, of course, was a part of what made her villainous. The second thing that led to her villainous behavior was how Evory was infatuated with the 1st prince. Unfortunately, he fell in love with the female lead, Ariel. Evory was consumed by her jealousy and attempted to poison Ariel, but it didn¡¯t work. Her plot was exposed, and she was killed by the crown prince. To be fair, Ariel wasn¡¯t even a great main character. She was too naive and dense to realize when any of the male leads were making a move on her. The only thing special about her, that made her the center of attention, was the fact she could use all magic, and divinity, which is only found out later through another stupid plotline. This made her a target from day one at the academy, especially since she was a commoner. Ebony, now Evory had many questions. ¡°What do I call you¡­¡± Evory suddenly recalled how it always said ¡®System Message.¡¯ ¡°System¡­ excuse me¡­ what part of the novel have I entered in?¡± [System Message: The Host has entered approximately a week before the main storyline begins.] ¡°A month before the academy gets attacked¡­ or my first death flag¡± Evory rubbed her temples. One month into the academy life, there was a tournament. In the simple author¡¯s mind, it should have been meant to showcase combat ability and show the character¡¯s growth. Unfortunately, like always, their fantasies went out of control. During the tournament, a demon attacked the academy slaughtering almost half of the student body. During this time Evory was hiding and used Ariel as a meat shield. Ariel out of distress figured out she could use divine powers and killed the demon. She was then praised as a hero. Evory¡¯s bullying became ruthless after that. To make it worse¡­ It was only found out later that Evory was really trash at magic. The new death flag wouldn¡¯t be her using Ariel as a meat shield since of course, the Ebony version of Evory isn¡¯t that dumb. The new death flag that Evory would have to face would be that she can¡¯t defend herself from a demon attack. Evory sighed and sat back down on the bed. [System Warning: The Host¡¯s body is fragile.] ¡°What does that mean¡­¡± Without any warning, a fit of aggressive coughs seized her. Black blood spat out each cough, and her chest began to give out. Eventually, once the coughing was over, enough blood was on her hand to drip off of it. ¡°What the hell¡­¡± Another cough was let out, less blood this time. ¡°... is this?¡± [System Message: New death predicted, Countdown: 6:23:57:00] Isn¡¯t it too early for this?! [2] Status [System Message: New death predicted, Countdown: 6:23:57:00] Isn¡¯t it too early for this?! Evory watched the blood in her hand drip off of it; it slowly dribbled down her arm. The blood was unlike normal blood; it was thicker, the color black, and extremely cold. It chilled her arm and hand to the touch. Her hand and arm began to shake from the sheer chill it gave. ¡°Shit¡­ is this really my blood?¡± [System Message: Yes.] Evory examined the older system message again. A week. That¡¯s how long until she would die again. This blood was definitely a hint to why. Evory trembled in anger, she had just returned to life, and she only had a week left. She was instantly reminded of her place in the world, the way nothing ever went as she wanted. Evory sighed and held her blood-covered arm far in front of her. She didn¡¯t want to get any blood on the pale nightgown she was wearing. Evory stood up and walked towards the washbasin, scrubbing the blood off her. ¡®This seems¡­ a little suspicious¡¯ The washbasins water had now become a diluted black. Not to mention, the water began to smell, presumably from the blood. Evory¡¯s nostrils flared up, and she plugged her nose. ¡®It even smells¡­ this really isn¡¯t normal. What is happening to this body?¡¯ She glanced at the washbasin again,¡°...I¡¯ll need to throw the water out somewhere.¡± The bedroom door burst open. ¡°My lady! You¡¯re already up, yet you still haven¡¯t gone to breakfast yet?¡± The angry maid gripped her arm and proceeded to drag her out of the room. Evory was taken aback. ¡°You haven¡¯t even changed into a presentable outfit for the lord and young lord. How irresponsible¡­¡± She kept chattering on. Was it normal for a young lady to be treated like this by a maid? Evory didn¡¯t assume so, and a strange feeling inside of her assured her of that. ¡°... You¡¯re lucky you have me, you know. Without me, you would¡¯ve been sleeping still...¡± Evory suddenly heard a familiar monotone voice. [System Message: Skill ¡®Noble¡¯ has activated.] ¡°Stop,¡± Evory spoke without meaning to. The maid stopped right in front of a big white door. ¡°...Excuse me?¡± There was a moment of silence, and the maid was frozen. ¡°Are you deaf?¡± ¡®...I didn¡¯t want to say that, what¡¯s going on?¡¯ The maid¡¯s face warped with shock, ¡°N-No of course not!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, you just insinuated that I was lazy. Is that really what a maid should be saying toward the one they¡¯re serving?¡± [System Message: Skill ¡®Intimidate¡¯ has activated.] ¡®Skill?¡¯ The maid quickly noticed the shift in her master¡¯s behavior. She took on the demeanor of a servant again. ¡°... I¡¯m very sorry, lady.¡± The maid bowed her head down slightly and hid her expression. ¡®Is this what a true noble acts like¡­I didn¡¯t want to say any of that, but I was right anyway.¡¯ Evory scoffed, the fake apology didn¡¯t matter to her. She could already guess the face the maid was wearing, the anger, humiliation. ¡°Don¡¯t forget this; I could easily replace you. Let''s continue then.¡± The maid stared at her with a blank face, Evory let out a sigh. ¡°Are you going to go with me, or without me?¡± Evory sincerely hoped the maid was going with her. Even though she had shown her disrespect, she knew her way around the mansion. The maid unfroze from her apparent shock and waved her hands rapidly ¡°Ah! No- it¡¯s just that we¡¯re already here¡­ lady.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ***** Evory entered the dining room and saw a long wooden table with an older man at the head of the table and a younger, slightly less refined man to his right. ¡®That must be Evory¡¯s father and brother then¡­ but why do they look nothing like her?¡¯ Evory¡¯s father had gray hair, with purple eyes. Her brother had light brown hair with the same bright purple eyes. Upon further examination, their eyes were both a narrower shape than Evory¡¯s round eyes. ¡®Compared to Evory¡¯s red eyes¡­¡¯ Her older brother looked at her and hid a twisted smile by wiping his mouth with a napkin. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you would come here in such¡­¡± He looked her up and down, ¡°attire.¡± Hmm. ¡®An older brother was never mentioned in the book¡­¡¯ [System Message: Skill ¡®Mind of Steel¡¯ has activated.] ¡®Another skill¡­¡¯ ¡°Yes¡­ well, we¡¯re family, so I assumed it didn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡®Why would there be rules on clothing in your own house¡­ Besides, it¡¯s just a nightgown.¡¯ Evory¡¯s brother looked her up and down once more, and narrowed his eyes. He was examining her new behavior. ¡°Lucas. You know her eccentricities by now, no need to make any comments.¡± Her father also wiped his mouth with a napkin. ¡®What is this, a public shaming? I didn¡¯t have time to get ready anyway¡­¡¯ Lucas nodded and Evory simply scoffed. She moved to take her seat to the left of her father. The plate in front of her had plain vegetables; she didn¡¯t even have a glass of water. Evory glanced ahead and examined her brother¡¯s plate. His had waffles on it, covered in a thick sweet syrup. [System Message: Skill ¡®Noble¡¯ has activated.] Evory narrowed her eyes at this and waved a servant over. ¡°Get me what he¡¯s having.¡± Everyone in the room paused what they were doing. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry?¡± The servant shook like a leaf. Lucas smirked and glanced at her father in response. ¡°Do I have to repeat myself to every servant in this house before my message comes across?¡± ¡®That seemed a little much-¡¯ ¡°I¡¯ll pay for this mistake with my life!¡± The servant got on his hands and knees, bowing to her. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Evory was stunned, she had only scolded him. Or the skill had scolded him. Anyway, why would Evory kill a servant? Was that a regular hobby she had before Ebony had possessed her? Evory looked down at the servant and gently tapped his back. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go that far over one mistake¡­ just get me some waffles, please.¡± Evory let out a small sigh, how did the original Evory act in this house? Lucas looked her way with an apparent frown. ¡°Of-Of course!¡± The servant sped off quickly, grabbing her plate on his way. The table began to eat once more. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t do anything like this again¡­¡¯ Evory let out a small sigh. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like waffles,¡± said her father. Evory paused. She didn¡¯t have the slightest clue what the original Evory enjoyed. ¡°...My tastes changed.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Her father resumed cutting into his eggs and Lucas gave her a dirty look. The breakfast was slow after that; the only somewhat interesting thing is when the servant went back in. When he entered the room again with her new plate, Lucas began staring at her. He was examining her, clearly questioning many things. In the end, he looked dissatisfied and glared. **** Breakfast had ended. A different maid was leading Evory to her room this time; she looked younger. The maid pushed Evory¡¯s bedroom door open, ¡°Call me if you need anything, lady.¡± Evory nodded and the door was gently shut behind her. ¡®That was really¡­ too stressful. Has Evory always been treated like this?¡¯ The breakfast with her family provided useful insight into her status in the home. Evory collapsed onto her bed, looking up at the ceiling. She began to organize her thoughts. Evory didn¡¯t look like her family at all. There could be a reason she was mistreated after all... Is it possible she was adopted? ¡°Hmph.¡± Evory rolled onto her side. She needed to know more about the original Evory. ¡°System, is there any way to find out more about Evory?¡± [System Message: Say ¡®Status¡¯ and everything about the Host and Evory can be found.] ¡°...Status.¡± A slight chime was heard, and then a floating screen appeared in front of Evory. ¡ª-------------------------------------------- Name: Evory Marina Blanchette Age: 16 Titles: Villainess, Reincarnator, Favored by [???], Secret Patient, Contractor of Flames Death Countdown: 6:22:54:32 Level: 1 MP: 100/100 Mana Core: SS [Blocked] STR: 10 [F] DEX: 15 [E] INT: 25 [C] If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. LUK: 1 [F] VIT: 2 [F] SP remaining: 0 Skills: Fire Monarch [SS] , Manipulate [E] , Intimidate [D], Noble [S], Body of Steel [F], Mind of Steel [C] ¡ª-------------------------------------------- ¡®This is all so much. Let¡¯s start with the titles¡­¡¯ Evory tapped on one of the titles, and a closer menu with a description appeared. [Villainess: Your villainous deeds have not gone unnoticed. A notorious reputation follows you wherever you go.] Evory rolled her eyes; she could fix that. She just needed time¡­ and by the looks of things, her time was quickly running out. Evory tapped on the next title. [Reincarnator: Pitied in your final moments with no one there for you, you were given another chance.] ¡®I really dislike this one. It does give me some hint on my death, though.¡¯ Evory glared at the title before moving on. [Favored by [???]: Your soul has been favored by [???], you have been granted this system out of love.] ¡®So this title gave me the system. This one is good, but who was I favored by?¡¯ Next. [Secret Patient: Not letting anyone know your sickly status, you confine yourself to your chambers, forever suffering alone.] ¡®Hmm, slightly ominous. Also, it looks like Evory has been sicker for much longer than I thought.¡¯ Evory tapped on the final title. [Contractor of Flames: ??? ] ¡®¡­ It¡¯s hidden. Anyway, this must be at least somewhat important for me not to be able to access it.¡¯ Evory was curious. ¡°...System, why is some information hidden from me?¡± [System Message: Some information is hidden from the host because of a lack of knowledge.] ¡®This could make sense¡­ I just need to confirm something.¡¯ Evory rolled onto her back again, ¡°System, if I learn more about this world or about Titles, will I be able to view the hidden information?¡± [System Message: Correct.] ¡®Hmmm, looks like going to Flaun Academy will help a lot then. If I can even make it there...¡¯ Evory scoffed. Pushing past the hidden information issue, she examined the rest of her status. ¡®It looks just like a game display¡­ Level 1.¡¯ ¡®Ah wait, if it¡¯s like a game then I can level up and get better abilities. I¡¯ll be able to protect myself.¡¯ Evory then stared at her current abilities with a blank face. ¡®This is all¡­ trash. Especially this¡­¡¯ [Mana Core: SS [Blocked] ] ¡®I knew Evory had a great mana core, but why would it be blocked?¡¯ Normally, someone¡¯s magical abilities were based on their mana core. The smaller the mana core you had, the more inferior magical abilities you would have. Likewise, the bigger the mana core you had, the more pronounced magical abilities you would have. That¡¯s why it didn¡¯t make sense. In the novel, Evory was known for having a giant mana core but was barely able to use magic. She was even called a disappointment. It especially doesn¡¯t make sense because of her mana core being [SS] Ranked. Her mana core shouldn¡¯t even be blocked¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll figure it out later, but first, I need to get my basic stats up and take a look at my skills.¡¯ Evory¡¯s eyes slid down to the bottom of the display and began to read her skills and their descriptions. ¡®An [SS]?!¡¯ [Fire Monarch: Fire bends its will to you and serves you as its temporary master.] ¡®Isn¡¯t this¡­ really good?! But wait, why didn¡¯t the original Evory use this in the novel?¡¯ ¡®Evory could¡¯ve been a very strong magical paladin with this, so why was it never mentioned?¡¯ [Manipulate: You can turn any situation you want into a favorable one, using lies, or any other means.] ¡®This was a common skill Evory would use in the novel. She would turn her bullying into a favorable situation for herself whenever she got caught. I have a hunch I¡¯ll use it later on.¡¯ [Intimidate: Use your status as a high noble to intimidate others] ¡®Isn¡¯t this just bullying¡­ this seems useless.¡¯ [Noble: The art of nobility has been engraved into your bones. When you are around others, no matter the status, you will act noble.] ¡®This explains everything. My skill wouldn¡¯t let me be mistreated by servants, so it took over.¡¯ During breakfast, Evory¡¯s body automatically knew the posture for sitting and eating. She also spoke with a practiced eloquence. ¡®Definitely useful, I won¡¯t have to learn any etiquette.¡¯ [Body of Steel: Any knife/sword attack will not be able to hurt your body. Your skin will be as tough as steel. MP Needed: 50 per use] ¡®Why would Evory have something like this? The novel doesn¡¯t mention Evory getting stabbed until the end of the book¡­¡¯ [Mind of Steel: Any purposeful mental attacks don¡¯t affect you. Malicious words do not affect you.] ¡®Oh, this activated during breakfast¡­This is also something that the original Evory shouldn¡¯t have. The original Evory was easily provoked and didn¡¯t fail to remind others of their place.¡¯ Evory¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Could it be¡­ Could some of these skills be based on my past life?¡¯ ¡®That would explain the Mind of Steel¡­¡¯ Evory sighed and looked at her basic stats again. The most worrying thing was her vitality. Typically in games, vitality represents how much health a player will have. This is especially important during boss sequences and such. But¡­ Evory¡¯s was terrible. [VIT: 2(F) ] ¡®It doesn¡¯t even have to tell me it¡¯s an ¡®F¡¯ rank. I would¡¯ve already assumed that.¡¯ Hmm¡­ ¡°System, is my vitality low because I¡¯m sick?¡± [System Message: Yes. A doctor is highly recommended.] ¡®Looks like I¡¯ll have to find a doctor, and the sooner the better.¡¯ Evory sat up from the bed, and rang the bell, summoning a servant. The same young servant from earlier entered her bedroom. ¡°Yes, my lady?¡± ¡°Is there a doctor in this estate?¡± ¡°Ah.. yes, but why?¡± The servant paused, and then wore a face of extreme distress, ¡°Could it be? Are you sick my lady?!¡± ¡®She seems genuinely worried¡­ does she like Evory? She could be useful¡­¡¯ ¡°No, I¡¯m fine¡­¡± Evory paused, ¡°You, what¡¯s your name?¡± The young maid brushed a short brown strand of her hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m Bella, my lady!¡± She said that softly, but with a little excitement. A slight flush appeared on her cheeks. Evory continued, ¡°Bella¡­ help me get dressed. I¡¯m going to get a checkup done.¡± Bella¡¯s face brightened, ¡°Y-Yes my lady!¡± **** Bella had dressed Evory in a simplistic but elegant red gown. It was a much better upgrade compared to her gray nightgown which she had been previously wearing. ¡°In here, my lady.¡± Bella shuffled to the side like a baby chick and opened the door for her. ¡°...Thank you.¡± She whispered into Bella¡¯s ear, and then entered the Doctor¡¯s office. Bella shut the door, and Evory looked around the room. It smelled of strong lemon, and there was no one inside. There were lots of cupboards, counters, and a few seats throughout the room. In the center, there was a desk, presumably for checking in. ¡®I guess I should wait¡­¡¯ A few minutes went by, with no one coming. During this time, Evory sat on the patient chair and simply gazed out the window to pass the time. Finally, a tall and lean man with deep eyebags entered, holding a basket of bottled herbs. He was mumbling things to himself and set down things on a counter to the right of Evory. He swept his long pale green hair back and adjusted his glasses. ¡°Excuse me-¡± He visibly jumped. ¡°Oh- Oh my! I am so sorry! I didn¡¯t notice you in here; you see I can¡¯t really see so it causes issues sometimes! What can I do for you? Oh wait, do you want tea? Oh no-¡± Evory stood up, and dusted off her gown, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± She looked him up and down, ¡°Are you the doctor here?¡± ¡°Oh- the doctor? No! No- I mean I will be- Maybe- one day!¡± He chuckled, ¡°Anyway, no-¡± Suddenly, the door to the doctor''s office swung open. A huge chunky looking man walked in with a prideful expression, twisting his mustache. ¡°Ah, Vince, what did I say about you talking in my office?¡± The man glanced at Evory; a frown then became permanently attached to his face. He turned to Vince. ¡°Get some tea for our guest please¡­¡± ¡°Certainly! Right away!¡± Vince rushed out of the doctor¡¯s office, leaving Evory and the doctor all alone. Tick. Tick. Tick. ¡°I presume you¡¯re the estate doctor, am I correct?¡± She crossed her arms. Tsk. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m the humble doctor here, what can I do for you, lady?¡± ¡°I¡¯d like to request a check-up. I think I might be ill.¡± He turned around and began to sort the bottled herbs, ¡°That can¡¯t be.¡± Evory dug her fingernails into her hand. ¡®That can¡¯t be? He didn¡¯t even check my condition.¡¯ Her eyes bore holes into his back. [System: Skill ¡®Noble¡¯ has activated.] ¡°Is it hard?¡± He froze and turned slowly. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Evory uncrossed her arms and gracefully sat back down on the patient chair. Enunciating her words, ¡°I said, Is it hard to do a check-up?¡± The door flung open again, Vince holding a tea set. The tension between them dissipated slightly. ¡°...Of course not, lady.¡± He glanced at Vince and then gave her a bright smile. The doctor then sat in the doctor seat across from her. Evory dug her nails into her hands again, she was being belittled over and over in this house. ¡®How frustrating.¡¯ [System Message: Mind of Steel has activated.] ¡°I-I-I am so sorry! I couldn¡¯t find the tea set and I had to have a maid help me! Then, I got stupidly lost, and I had to run around looking for this room!¡± The two looked at Vince struggle to set up the tea set and shakily pour them tea. ¡®This guy¡­¡¯ Evory rubbed her temples, and Vince served the tea to them both. ¡°Vince, you may go now.¡± She waved him off. ¡°O-Of course! Lady!¡± He then ran out of the room, off to who knows where. **** Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick The doctor let out an awkward cough. ¡°...So,¡± He set down his teacup, ¡°What would you like the checkup on?¡± ¡®He¡¯s in such a rush¡­¡¯ She silently sipped on her tea, opened her eyes, and said, ¡°Everything.¡± He stood up abruptly, ¡°Everything?! What about my work?! I won¡¯t have time to get anything done!¡± ¡°Just because you have power doesn¡¯t mean you get to abuse it!¡± He scolded Evory. Evory hated yelling. She set down her teacup and looked him dead in the eye. [System Message: ¡®Intimidate¡¯ & ¡®Noble¡¯ has activated.] ¡°Is that so¡­ My knowledge must be lacking.¡± Evory let out a small chuckle. ¡°I didn¡¯t know a doctor could talk to a lady in that tone.¡± She sipped on her tea again. ¡°Y-You!¡± He pointed a finger at her. ¡®Intimidate isn¡¯t useless after all!¡¯ ¡°By the way¡­ I thought it was common knowledge that a checkup was for everything. You seem to be in quite the rush.¡± His finger began to shake. ¡°You- I¡¯m an Earl! I also have power; you don¡¯t get to force me to do what you want!¡± ¡®All this over a small checkup¡­¡¯ Evory let out another humorless laugh, ¡°An Earl? Only an Earl?¡± ¡°Where on Flaun do you think you are?¡± She smirked. ¡®This is the Blanchette Estate¡­ A duke¡¯s estate. Really, his stupidity even amazes me.¡¯ ¡°I am the daughter of a Duke and engaged to the 1st Prince. Who on Flaun do you think you¡¯re talking to?¡± He began to shake. ¡°Let me rephrase what I¡¯m asking you¡­ Who do you think I am?¡± ¡°You, you are¡­¡± Evory smirked and began to sip on her tea again. She loudly clinked it back down. ¡°Earl, I am very forgiving, but don¡¯t forget your place.¡± She then sat up and began to leave. ¡°Wh-Where are you going?¡± ¡°None of your business, I¡¯ll be coming back later. I hope you¡¯ll have more clarity about your position by then.¡± She gently opened the door and shut it behind her. **** Shivers were sent down Evory¡¯s spine. ¡®It looks like I¡¯ll need to find a new doctor¡­ I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll forget how I humiliated him today. This skill keeps forcing me to stand up for myself¡­¡¯ She glanced around the empty hallway. Bella wasn¡¯t outside the door, and Evory had forgotten the way back. ¡°I should¡¯ve called her¡­¡± She mumbled under her breath. Suddenly, Evory felt her chest caving in again and felt a cough begin to build up. Her breath became more shallow, and Evory covered her mouth with her hand. ¡®Not here! The blood that comes out is¡­ ¡¯ Evory frantically searched the hallway for an empty room. She spotted what seemed like a dusty laboratory door and flung the door open. Evory hurriedly closed it and then collapsed on the floor in front of it. Her head became fuzzy and her hearing gradually faded. The built-up cough released, and black blood was forced out of her body. She pressed both her hands in front of her mouth, trying to catch the blood and reduce any possible noise. Fortunately, the coughs didn¡¯t last as long and less blood came out. Evory was breathing heavily, attempting to catch her breath. She leaned against the doorframe. The sound made its way into the world again, and her vision cleared up. ¡°...Lady?! Lady?! Can you hear me?!¡± Evory was alert and darted her eyes upward. It was Vince, the apprentice that wouldn¡¯t stop talking in the doctor¡¯s office. ¡°Lady?!¡± He was staring straight at her; his eyes traveling to the thick and dark blood dripping down her mouth. Then, to the blood that got all over her now shaking hands. [3] Burn Her Vince was staring straight at her; his eyes traveling to the thick and dark blood dripping down her mouth. Then, to the blood that got all over her now shaking hands. ¡®Shit!¡¯ Vince¡¯s eyes went blank for a moment, narrowing. Evory suddenly noticed he wasn¡¯t wearing his glasses because of his eyes. They had a bright golden color to them before, twinkling like stars when the light hit them just right. Time seemed to slow down for both of them. His odd demeanor ceased, ¡°...Lady! Are you alright?!¡± Vince turned around, scrambling around the room. Evory managed to catch her breath. ¡°...Yes. I just need a minute.¡± ¡°Ah, Lady, here!¡± He handed her a dripping wet handkerchief. ¡®Why is it so wet¡­¡¯ Evory wiped her arms and hands down. In the meantime, Vince grabbed his glasses off the counter and placed them on his face. Vince then offered Evory a hand up, and her shaking hand accepted it with grace. ¡°How long has this been happening for, lady?¡± He held pity in his eyes. ¡®Good question.¡¯ ¡°For a while now¡­ I don¡¯t have an exact timeline.¡± ¡®That lie might be too obvious so just in case¡­¡¯ Evory clenched her fists and lowered her head. She began to shake and then¡­ stray tears fell from her eyes. [System Message: Skill ¡®Manipulate¡¯ has been activated.] ¡°I-I just don¡¯t know what to do!¡± A seemingly endless stream of tears fell from her face. ¡®I hate crying¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh-oh Lady!¡± Tears began to fall from Vince¡¯s face as well. He clearly gained a false narrative of how she must have been suffering in pain alone. A pity party was formed in the dusty lab that day. **** ¡°... So at least once a day, you cough up blood like this?¡± Evory was now sitting on the only stool in the office; she pitifully nodded. ¡°Oh-Oh my lady!¡± ¡®Please don¡¯t start crying again.¡¯ ¡°I may not be the most experienced doctor, but, would you allow me to examine you?¡± Evory examined his face. No hint of malice was evident, so she found nothing wrong with his offer. Evory nodded. ¡°Then, please hold out your wrist.¡± Evory¡¯s arm was still slightly shaky, but she held out her arm for Vince. He pushed his fingers onto her veins and closed his eyes. A transparent golden light surrounded him. It slowly traveled up Evory as well, starting in her arm, then going all the way down to her legs. It was warm and her shakes ceased. His thumbs moved from place to place and even though his eyes were closed Evory could see the eyes behind the eyelids move in sync with his thumbs. The transparent golden light circled her chest and a sharp pain appeared there. ¡°... Found it.¡± He said with a smile. The golden light dissipated and so did the sharpness residing in Evory¡¯s chest. Vince¡¯s eyes slowly opened and he simply tilted his head at her. ¡­ ¡°Did you discover what was wrong?¡± ¡°Ah- Yes! Lady, you see-¡± Vince suddenly paused. Then he moved forward towards Evory, leaning in towards her ear. Vince¡¯s hair was tickling her neck. His body was pressed against hers; she felt his hot breaths travel along her neck. He smelled like the forest, which was probably because of the various herbs he works with. ¡°We can¡¯t speak of this here¡­¡± He whispered gently. Vince placed a card in her hand and moved away from her. ¡®What¡¯s this?¡¯ She suspiciously looked at Vince and he playfully shrugged in return. Evory then glanced down at the small card in her hand. It was a blank white card with seemingly nothing special about it. Vince pointed toward the door and Evory quickly got the hint. She stood up and made her way there, hiding the card inside her long sleeve. ¡°T-Thanks for chatting with me, Lady! I hope you can visit soon! Well- Whenever you want o-of course!¡± He opened the door and gently pushed her out. Evory turned around, and the door was shut in her face. ¡°This guy¡­¡± Evory glared at the door, hoping it would reach Vince¡¯s eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you knew Vincent, sister.¡± ¡®Vincent? I thought his name was Vince¡­¡¯ Evory spun around, her brother was there, towering over her. His eyes were filled with the same malice as before. ¡®What? Am I a curse?¡¯ ¡°I hope you don¡¯t kill him,¡± Lucas said with a genuine voice. ¡®Was Evory¡¯s hobby that bad? Everyone keeps mentioning it.¡¯ ¡°He has been quite¡­ useful to me. So please, if you¡¯re going to kill him, do it later.¡± Lucas sneered at her. She decided not to respond at all. From her experience, people like this would leave you alone if you didn¡¯t give them attention. ¡°...¡± Evory brushed past him and began to walk off. Lucas grabbed her wrist and tightly squeezed it. ¡°...What are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, Evory.¡± She scowled at him, ¡°Let me go, Lucas.¡± [System Message: Skill ¡®Mind of Steel¡¯ has been activated.] His tight grip released with a smirk, ¡°Be more careful with what you do. It seems you want rumors to spread about you and a Doctor¡¯s assistant.¡± ¡®Did he see Vincent when he gave me the card? He was very close to me, so I guess misunderstandings could happen...¡¯ ¡°Next time, visit with a maid. Also¡­ I¡¯d prefer it if you didn¡¯t threaten our Estate¡¯s doctor.¡± Evory grit her teeth. ¡°Of course, brother.¡± Evory then quickly spun around. She gracefully walked down the hallway, away from her brother; certainly not letting her annoyance show. With every step she took, Evory still felt his sharp gaze following her. *** ¡°Phew.¡± Evory let out a breath that she had been holding ever since he appeared. ¡®Crazy bastard¡­ He even threatened his sister. Was he watching me? Also, how could he have known about me threatening the doctor? He must¡¯ve had to have visited him¡­ Did Lucas visiting have to do with why he was in such a rush?¡¯ There were lots of unanswered questions Evory had, but first, she needed to find a way back to her room. ¡°This house is seriously too big¡­¡± She mumbled. She was in a hallway that split into three other directions like a maze. To make things worse, the wallpaper and flooring were all the same. ¡°My Laaaa-ddyyy!¡± An out-of-breath voice was heard throughout the empty hallway. Evory turned to her right and saw Bella running towards her. ¡°...Bella?¡± She said with a little shock in her voice. ¡°My la-¡± She breathed in, ¡°-dy!¡± ¡°I was so worried about you! That doctor¡¯s assistant had me running around trying to help him, and then he suddenly disappeared. So I tried to find him, and then couldn¡¯t, so I went to find you!¡± Bella was genuinely worried, anyone could see that by just listening to her or by looking at her face. But, Evory still had an ounce of suspicion for Bella. The original Evory wasn¡¯t a good person, at all. She frequently would abuse maids and other types of servants. So why would a maid, the people she often mistreated, like her? For power? Money? Something wasn¡¯t adding up. Nonetheless, she did run to find her, so it did score her some points with Evory. Evory gently smiled and pat her on the head, ¡°Thank you.¡± Bella¡¯s eyes lit up and Evory imagined her like a puppy with a tail wagging. ¡®Someone this devoted has a reason to be. I¡¯ll keep her by my side just in case.¡¯ Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Possible enemies in this case. Evory glanced down at her bashful expression with cold and calculating eyes. Bella couldn¡¯t have seen this, though. ¡°Bella, could you escort me to my chambers? I¡¯m feeling quite tired.¡± She said with a warm smile. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Of course! Right this way!¡± **** Evory arrived at her bedroom away and waved Bella off. ¡°Wait- Um, my lady¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡®Are her true colors going to show now?¡¯ Evory¡¯s eyes narrowed. ¡°You asked for my name earlier¡­ Does that mean that you¡­¡± She was mumbling a little. Bella was acting much more bashful than before. Evory just tilted her head, waiting for Bella to finish. ¡°Does that mean that you¡­ accept me as your personal maid?¡± ¡®It was like this? Calling a servant by their name is more important than I thought¡­¡¯ Truth be told, Evory didn¡¯t know what to do. She had to take responsibility for her actions since she had obviously misled her. Bella was useful, sure. But, if Evory said yes to this then she would most likely have to take her with her to Thaun Academy. If Bella was a spy then every one of her actions would be reported to whoever she was working for. ¡°Ah- Um, It¡¯s okay to not give me an answer right away!¡± ¡®What is this a confession?¡¯ ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll respond to your question later¡­¡± Bella¡¯s shoulders drooped, and she seemed to be sulking. Was that the wrong answer? ¡°Of course¡­ have a good rest, lady.¡± **** Evory was now alone in her chambers. ¡®For now, I¡¯ll save the matter of Bella for later. I need to figure out why Vince gave me that card.¡¯ Her cheeks slightly flushed remembering how he had given her the card. She wasn¡¯t used to that kind of intimacy. Evory pulled the card out of her sleeve and reexamined it. The card was still blank, but looking closely, she realized it wasn¡¯t blank at all. The writing was all in a light yellow. ¡®The writing is just extremely hard to see¡­¡¯ Evory recalled what Vince had said as she left. ¡®He wants me to visit soon. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go tonight, as there might be eyes on me. I¡¯ve been acting too unlike the original Evory¡­ I¡¯ll need to cool off and wait for the attention to shift off of me.¡¯ Her mind wandered, and she sat on the edge of her bed. Evory put the suspicious card inside her pillowcase. She was exhausted and her muscles were aching from just walking around. ¡®It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be checked up on¡­ I can just take a quick nap and gather my thoughts later. Just being in this world for a few hours exhausted me. I¡¯m worried I might pass out from exhaustion if I stay up any longer.¡¯ Evory climbed under her sheets and laid her head down on the soft pillow. Exhaustion quickly crept up on her. Before she fell asleep, though, she saw a sliver of a system message. [System Message: New death det¡­] **** ¡°Evory!¡± The door was slammed open. Evory was startled out of her nap. Her head was rested on the small table, and she lifted it slowly, looking the intruder in the eye. A built man with light blue hair stomped his way in. ¡°What an unexpected visitor.¡± She sneered at the man. ¡°You!¡± He angrily roared. He gripped her neck, choking her. She could see his veins bulging on his forehead. He slammed her against the wall, leaving her feet dangling midair. ¡°What did you do?!¡± His fingers pressed in harder, suffocating Evory faster than before. ¡°What- Do you mean?¡± She raspily managed and clawed at his hands. Evory felt her consciousness waning, and she gasped for air. The man released his hands, and she fell to the floor with a thud, gasping, tears coming down her eyes. What was odd though was her twisted smile. ¡°Don¡¯t play coy! I know you Evory. I know every single thing you do! So why? Why did you poison her?!¡± ¡°She touched what was mine. She should¡¯ve known better.¡± Evory let out a low laugh. ¡°Mine?¡± The look in his eyes changed in less than a second. His eyes became cold, he unsheathed his sword and bloodlust was thick in the air. Evory backed up against the wall, using it as support, she shakily stood up. ¡°You promised me. You promised me you would be mine. Ever since that day¡­¡± He finished her sentence. ¡°I¡¯ve been yours?¡± He humorlessly laughed, ¡°Are you an idiot? That promise was for when you had potential. The potential to be the greatest paladin there is!¡± He slammed one of his arms against the wall; the other held his blade against her neck. She was trapped. Like a fox, Evory leaned in, letting the blade just slightly cut her. She left her lips hanging right in front of his. ¡°You know you want it.¡± She let out a deep and deranged chuckle, ¡°Just be mine already.¡± His cold eyes closed, and he leaned in, their lips touched. Their kiss was passionate, as rough as the waves in a turbulent sea. The sword lowered, and Evory wrapped her arms around his neck. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Everything was hers. But then she felt it. A sharp sensation came from her stomach. Then the sharpness mixed with a burning sensation. A burning sensation that slowly got hotter and hotter. She felt as if she were on fire, that she might melt. The sensation was the same as the one she felt when she was a child. She pulled away from the kiss, ¡°You¡­¡± Evory crumpled to the floor and shakily watched her white dress turn red. She watched her blood escape from her body and pool around her. ¡°I could be praised as a hero now.¡± He said, watching the blood leave her body. ¡°It burns. It burns. It burns! What did you do?¡± She angrily yelled, fueled by the fire-like sensation spreading all over her body. ¡°What did I do?¡± He scoffed and folded his arms. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? I killed a¡­¡± **** Evory shot out of bed in a cold sweat. She shakily pulled down the sheets and checked her stomach. She felt the same pain the old Evory did in the dream. Leaning over the bed, Evory vomited up her breakfast. Nausea filled every inch of her body. Evory clearly remembered that sharp pain and the burning the original Evory felt. It was disgusting but familiar. ¡®A nightmare¡­ I felt all the pain she did in the dream, though.¡¯ Evory shook her head. ¡®How long have I been sleeping?¡¯ Looking through one of the windows, Evory saw that it was dark out. ¡®No one came for me? Not even Bella? She must¡¯ve had a reason. Oh, maybe what I said earlier today upset her¡­¡¯ A crackling of flames interrupted Evory¡¯s thoughts. She looked forward, and a maid was squatting, her back turned to Evory. She was watching the fireplace intently. ¡°Oh¡­ my lady. You¡¯re awake?¡± It was Bella. Evory slightly relaxed and let out a breath. ¡®I can¡¯t put my finger on it but something feels¡­off.¡¯ The atmosphere was off. Something was wrong, but there was no proof that anything was. ¡°Yes¡­ Bella, Why didn¡¯t you wake me up? It¡¯s dark out.¡± ¡°You were sleeping so peacefully. I didn¡¯t want to ruin that, since...¡± She mumbled something inaudible toward the end. Bella turned around and began taking small, evenly lengthed steps toward Evory. Badum. Badum. Flight or Fight. One of the key instincts that are present in every organism. That sleeping instinct had now awakened in Evory. ¡°Please just wake me up next time, no matter how peaceful I look...¡± Evory slid farther back in bed, now pressed against the headboard. The darkness of her room was covering Bella¡¯s figure, but she could still see it. Something was sticking out of Bella¡¯s hand. She mumbled something inaudible again. ¡°...I didn¡¯t hear you, can you speak up?¡± Bella stood still. ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be a next time.¡± Evory froze. ¡°It¡¯s really not funny to joke like that. I¡¯d prefer some alone time now, so-¡± Her voice was now shaking. ¡°No.¡± Bella was now right in front of Evory¡¯s bed. ¡°...Sorry?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not leaving, not until you give it back.¡± Her hands began to tremble remembering the feeling of death. The burn that spread over every inch of her body, the fire that seemed to have fun melting her flesh down into ash. Evory stared at the fireplace behind Bella with shaky eyes. ¡°Give¡­ what back?¡± ¡°My master.¡± Bella dashed forward, her body was quick, almost too quick. A knife was swung at Evory from above. She dodged at the last second; a strand of her hair was cut instead. Under the moonlight that spilled through the window, Evory saw what she couldn¡¯t before. Two large horns were protruding from Bella¡¯s head. Bella was a demon. The man-eating beasts that had originated from the Archdemons. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I notice it before?!¡¯ Evory was right under the demon now. A sharp blade was in Bella¡¯s left hand, and it was slowly swinging at her again. This time, though, aimed for her neck. She was in Bella¡¯s grasp, about to die. Alone. She would die alone again. Time slowed, and the crackle of the fire permeated through Evory¡¯s body. She wouldn¡¯t die alone again. She wouldn¡¯t let that happen. Crackle. [System Message: Skill ¡®Fire Monarch¡¯ has activated.] ¡°Burn her.¡± A pea-sized flame appeared in front of Evory¡¯s eyes. Time had slowed for everything but Evory¡¯s mind. She saw everything. The knife a few inches away from her neck, a door slamming open, a smirk forming on Bella¡¯s face. She saw her small flame. She saw her small flame grow and grow. That small flame wasn¡¯t small anymore. In less than a second, Bella was engulfed in a bright flame. Its heat radiated through the whole room and Evory was slammed off her bed, pushed to the floor from the pressure the flame emitted. High pitched piercing screams rang out, slowly becoming distorted. They were the only thing that reached Evory¡¯s ears, and she couldn¡¯t look away from the burning body. The ear-splitting screams turned to maniacal laughter, insane high-pitched laughter. Evory was sprawled on the floor. watching Bella spasm and twist with no end. The fire was dancing along every inch of her body. ¡°You¡­¡± Bella locked eyes with her as she burned, ¡°You dev-¡± A sword stabbed through Bella¡¯s throat. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± It was finally silent in Evory¡¯s room. The dancing flame dwindled to nothing. A man with white hair removed the sword from Bella¡¯s throat, putting it in its sheathe. Bella soon dissipated to ashes. Evory was frozen. What just happened? What was that? Bella? She felt dizzy and sick like she was about to keel over. The stench of Bella¡¯s body burning still filled her nose. Her skin melting off, her muscles tearing. Tears slowly rolled down Evory¡¯s cheeks. This wasn¡¯t supposed to happen. Did she do that? Was she the reason Bella burned like that? Bella¡¯s screams were etched into her mind, the earsplitting and pained screams. Evory covered her mouth with her hands, nausea filling her to the brim. Her vision was shaky. The man with white hair stepped off of her bed and walked up to her. Evory shook like a leaf. He was getting closer. Too close. What could she use to defend herself? Should she summon that fire again? She crawled backward and hit the wall; she had no escape. Evory couldn¡¯t stop trembling. ¡°I¡¯m not going to hurt you.¡± She flinched as soon as he spoke. The sound distorted in her mind. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving, not until you give it back.¡± He offered her a hand, but she just sat there, quietly shaking. Evory couldn¡¯t focus, everything was spinning. Everything was too loud, too quiet. Her view of the world was distorted. The man squatted down in front of her, ¡°I promise I won¡¯t hurt you. But we need to clean things up in here. To do that, I need to get you out of here.¡± He offered her his hand once more, Evory¡¯s vision spun just a little less. It was enough for her to see straight. Evory took his hand, and he gently helped her up. Her legs were trembling too much to stand, and she fell again. ¡°I¡¯m going to carry you since you can¡¯t stand.¡± He wrapped one of his arms under her legs and used the other to support her back. He was bridal carrying her. Evory was still frozen. She just looked straight ahead, still trembling like a leaf. ¡°...It must¡¯ve been scary, but you did great.¡± ¡®Scary?¡¯ Tears began to well up in Evory¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t just scary, it was terrifying. She buried her head in his chest, and a floodgate of tears was released. She was so scared, and no one was there to help her. The fire monstrously burned Bella. Bella had intended to kill her; she didn¡¯t show any hesitation. Evory remembered the smirk Bella wore before she was set on fire. The idea of killing Evory had excited Bella. Evory¡¯s fire was the thing that scared her the most, though. It seemed like it was devouring Bella. It danced across her flesh, consuming her. She wasn¡¯t scared because she had killed Bella, but because she had experienced that flame herself. She knew exactly how it felt. ¡°I was scared- I was- so scared!¡± She gripped his chest. This was the first time she had felt real fear since she was here. She could handle being undermined and bullied, but killed? She wasn¡¯t prepared for that. ¡°I know, I know.¡± He gently rubbed her back, comforting her. Evory¡¯s consciousness was going in and out. Her vision blurred, and she passed out; safe in the unknown man¡¯s arms.