BUGGLED THOUGHTS

It was too exhausting to walk back. She could still feel her legs trembling from that exhausting exercise and practice she did. She shocked her body and even pushed it to do something so vigorous when she should've handled herself in a less extensive way. 

Now look at her, each step towards the stairs makes her leg shake. The only thing that kept her holding into her place was the handle connected to the stare and Olivia's guidance for her not to fall. 

"Do you want me to have someone to assist you, young Miss?" Olivia asked, worried about her. Who wouldn't be worried when she's walking like some old woman from the outskirts with multiple complications in health? 

"No, I'm fine. Let's carry on." She said, pushing herself to walk more. Damn it, the next time, she won't be doing any hard work at all. A cheat day for her. 

After about half an hour of walking towards her room, she eventually reached her bed, dropped herself on the soft mattress and just inhaled the scent of how fresh and how it smells lavender. She just wanted to sleep at this point. 

"My Lady! The sheet is clean! Please, take a bath first. I already prepared a hot bath to soothe your body." Olivia called, helping Rachelle to undress herself and to get through the bathroom. 

"Thank you, please have my meal here. I want to eat here." She asked as she stepped inside the bathtub. The warm water hit every nerve of her, making her let out a sigh of relief as she dipped herself into the water. 

It was really soothing every muscle of hers, it also made her feel very sleepy. "Yes, Mistress." Olivia followed her desire and went out of the room, leaving Rachelle alone in the bathroom. 

Rachelle sighed, letting her body sink into the bathtub as the water enveloped every inch of her. She leaned her head on the edge of the tub, staring at the fancy ceiling above her. She's having thoughts, bothered because of how Alexander has been treating her. 

She's having mixed feelings about it. 

It's as if she doesn't even know what to do anymore. A part of her wanted to ruin him. After all the years of torment and showing favours to her step-sister, he ruined her own sister and let her fall into this shit. 

Of course, he did it because he was under the manipulation of the Duchess who controlled his entire childhood. Plus the fact that the Duke was avidly avoiding Felicia, he too did the same as it is what he observed in his environment. 

Everyone was busy tormenting Felicia to which he adapted and blamed her for everything. 

It's just that, he suddenly shows affection to her s

Is affecting something inside her. Her plans about using him started to stir, tripping guilt on her. Hell, she couldn't even think straight because of him. 

He was acting weird and it's preferable if he would rather act cocky with her. But now? He's suddenly showing how loving he is as her brother and her whole existence seems to be shaken up with whole new thoughts about whether to stop being evil towards him or continue with the plan. 

She's having contemplations and it's becoming weird. Alexander chose to deny her existence, rejected her, and cut her off from his life ever since that accident happened. He abandoned her, they abandoned her. 

For what reason should she stop her revenge on them when it was them who caused the very reason why she's doing her revenge on them?

'But didn't Liam also try to ruin Felicia?' A thought suddenly crushes her head, making her blink twice in disbelief. So suddenly? But since when? Since when was Liam being an ass to her?

She tried to remember every moment that she's been with Liam but all it showed were good memories of the two of them. Other than that, nothing happened. 

And if that ever happened somewhere in the book that she had already forgotten about, including the life that she had before, isn't she already taking advantage of him? All the connections she made towards Liam will serve as an alliance between the two of them. 

To either usurp the Dukedom, or even the country in the future. 

Liam will become her core foundation for usurping the authority that she craves, to ruin the very country that wronged Felicia. Everyone in this damn country framed Felicia and deemed her as an evil being. 

They deserve retribution, and she will do everything in her power to make it happen. Even if that means losing her own heart and emotion in the process. 

"I don't know what to do now..." She muttered, closing her eyes. To calm her thoughts from running wildly, she needed to close her eyes and meditate while submerging her body in the tub. 

She's tired of thinking already. Why must she bear the pain of everything when she was innocent? 

—

"My Lady, your food is here—Oh..." Olivia stopped in her tracks as she saw Felicia sleeping on the top, covered by the soap and flower petals on the surface of the water. 

Oh dear, she must have been tired after all the things that she did. She sighed, feeling pity over her Mistress who chose to do a hobby that is only befitting for males. She really is an odd person. 

She tried her best to carry her mistress back to her bed, wiped her off and put on a sleeping outfit for her lady before tucking her into the soft mattress, letting her rest as she deserved it. 

"Noctua!" She suddenly called the bird. She's sure that the bird is somewhere else and without any doubt, the bird then came out of its hiding place, landing on top of Felicia who was sleeping like a baby. 

"What is it? Why did a mere human disturb me from my nap?" Noctua argued, blasting a glare towards Olivia who felt very attacked by his rude comment. She swears she will cook this bird and then turn it into a rotisserie. 

"Alright, since you don't want to be in the presence of a mere human, good luck starving. I prepared something from Milady but since she's sleeping, I was thinking of giving this to you." Olivia said, rolling her eyes as she opened the lid that covered the food. 

The smell lingered in Noctua's nose, succumbing to the food's seduction as he slowly flew towards its way, not until Olivia closed the lid back to cover the food and stuck out her tongue, mocking him in that way. 

"What are you doing?! Open it!" Noctua exclaimed, glaring at Olivia as he tried to open it using the lid's handle and his claws. But Olivia refused to move her fingers on the lid, making it hard for him to remove it. 

"I said let go!" Noctua exclaimed once again, picking Olivia's finger made her pull back her hand and yelped in pain. How dare him!

"You cocky arrogant bird! I'm going to teach you a lesson!" She yelled, grabbing the bird by its neck and shaking it as hard as she could, making the bird let out weird noises. 

As they were fighting, Felicia suddenly started crying, tears running out of her closed eyes while she tossed and turned in her bed, making both Noctua and Olivia stop fighting each other and look at Felicia's direction. 

"What's happening?" Olivia suddenly let Noctua go, dropping him on the floor and ran towards Felicia who was having a nightmare. Meanwhile, Noctua just squawks, coughing because of what Olivia did to him. 

This brainless idiot is harming a holy bird. How dare she. 

"Don't wake her up...." Noctua said, whimpering as it tried to fly its way towards Felicia, making himself comfortable in her chest while facing Felicia. 

"What do you mean we can't?! We should! Look at my Lady, she's suffering from her nightmare!" Olivia argued, holding Felicia's hand while shaking her to make her wake up on her own accord. 

However, despite Olivia's attempt, Felicia didn't open her eyes as she continued to suffer from her own nightmare. "I told you, we shouldn't. It must be another occurrence of something within her. We should wait for her to wake up." Noctua said, as calm as he was while staring at Felicia. 

It must be another vision. 

—

On that same day, Liam was forced to attend a date that he didn't want to. If not for his Father who threatened him as he was about to meet Felicia to teach her how to use a sword, his Father suddenly threatened him, causing him to hate him even more. 

"Cheer up, Boss. Everything will be okay." Benjamin commented as he sat in front of Liam who was looking outside of the window in the carriage, staring blankly outside while his mind flew out of his consciousness. 

Seeing that he wasn't responding, Benjamin just sighed. As Liam's assistant and butler at the same time, he was looking even colder than he was before. He was really excited about going to the Duke's manor, if not for his father demanding such a thing from Liam, he would've enjoyed the day. 

What could possibly be the Marquis' problem as he had so much hate towards his own son, Liam?