Chapter Four: Another Life

Lyra's birthday was held at the royal palace. This alone shows how powerful the Duke's Household is. Not just anybody can hold a celebration for themselves at the royal palace unless they're very important to the Kingdom, is a member of the royal family, or they have a special bond with the Emperor. Lyra's family has the first one and the last.

In the Avgí Kingdom, there is only one duke. While other kingdoms have at least 3 or 4 dukes to govern over different parts of their kingdom, the Avgí Kingdom only has one. Surprisingly, even with only one duke, they're still able to stand in the top 3.

The Duke's Household is one of the main pillars supporting the Avgí Kingdom along with the Prime Minister. Good thing that all three of them have a good relationship with each other.

"We're here. We shall go greet the Emperor first." The Duke said.

Lyra nodded.

As they were walking to greet the Emperor, Lyra could feel stares coming from all directions. 'Why are they staring at me so much.'

Lyra was oblivious that they were staring at her in awe. She looks like a goddess was the thought that everybody around her had in mind. Good thing that they arrived and were standing outside waiting for the emperor to permit them to enter.

"The Emperor said that you may enter." The soldier bowed politely to them.

The Duke just nodded his head then enter.

"Greetings, your majesty." All of them said at once.

"No need to bow, you all may rise." Even though Lyra saw the emperor quite often in her past life, she can't help but still admire how good-looking he is. He's over 30 years old yet still looks 20.

Everyone likes good-looking people after all.

"Long time no see, my friend." The Emperor said to the Duke.

"Long time no see indeed." The Duke said in agreement.

"Haha, today is Lyra's 5th birthday. What would you like, my dear?" The Emperor was waiting to see what she would say. The Duke would often praise Lyra in front of the Emperor. He wanted to see how Lyra would respond. Girls her age would say a doll, dress, accessories, and stuff like that. Would she say something else or respond the same as girls her age? Lyra could see that the Emperor was testing her. She wanted to say something normal like a doll but she doesn't fancy those sorts of stuff so what? She has always wanted to look in the royal library.

"I want access to the Royal Library." Lyra has always wanted to study the different kingdoms but the books around her weren't really helpful. But the Royal Library was different, they have books that people normally can't get their hands on.

"Haha, a simple request indeed. Granted, you shall be allowed to go to the Royal Library, come and go as you please." Lyra didn't fail to impress the Emperor.

"Thank you, your majesty." Lyra bowed happily.

"Why don't you three go and look around the palace. Your mom and I have to discuss something with the Emperor." The Duke said.

"Okay." All three of the siblings went outside and started walking around the palace. "Come look over here, look at this tree! It's so pretty!" Violet said.

Lyra and Oliver walked over to Violet. "The tree is indeed beautiful." Then suddenly, memories flashed before Lyra:

Memories:

"Lyra, stop playing that game so much. Start focusing on your work instead."

"Let me play a bit more, I'll do my work later."

Her friend just sighs. She regrets showing this otome game to Lyra now. "LOOK! The Villainess is being killed! This is so not fair! The villainess was my favorite character! WHY!"

"Lyra, the villainess is fated to die, that's why she's even there in the first place. Her role is to make the prince and the heroine fall in love."

"The heroine is just a white lotus! She keeps getting all the hot guys then dumping them cause they didn't have that much power compared to the prince. She keeps acting like she's the victim. The prince is also a bastard for killing his fiancee."

"True."

"I feel sorry for the villainess. She was being played her whole life."

"I must admit, I do feel bad for her, but that's her fault for clinging onto false hope."

"But it's the damn prince's fault for even giving her hope in the first place. If he loved the white lotus so much then he should've cut off all connections with the villainess. He should've told her straight to her face but no, instead he just went behind her back to have an affair with the damn white lotus!"

"But if he did that then he wouldn't have the Duke's support. He needs the Duke's support to ascend to the throne after all, with the Duke's support, he's sure to ascend to the throne."

"I still don't like him, he's a bastard."

"Mh, I agree. The villainess caught them in front of the tree for the first time, the prince denied it at first but he got more and more confident that she wouldn't leave him so he started showing off in public."

"I really feel bad for the villainess."

End of Memories.

"Lyra, are you okay?" Oliver asked worriedly.

It took a while before Lyra responded. "Ah, I'm fine." Even though she said that she really wasn't. She was confused. She had another life before her past one? And that life was also related to this life? In that life, she played a game, she saw that she was the villainess who was destined to die for the protagonists.

'I had another life before my previous one?'

'Why did I suddenly remember it now?'

'Am I really fated to die no matter what?'

Lyra kept thinking about the memories that she just had that she didn't even realize her siblings were calling her name.