Chapter 61: Chapter 61: A new beginning or not
Damien closed his eyes, his lashes wet, fighting back tears. Betty’s brows furrowed as she watched him struggle to hold them in.
"Are you going to answer me? What happened to her?"
Emma gently lifted Betty’s chin, her fingers soft against her skin. "Dear... you don’t need to hide it anymore. They already know who you are."
Betty’s eyes widened, blinking rapidly. "What do you mean by that?"
"Lilian told everyone," Emma whispered, guilt flooding her voice. "I’m a terrible mother. I never considered the footage could be fabricated."
"Huh..." Betty’s body trembled, tears pooling in her eyes.
Emma’s heart pounded as she saw that familiar expression, the one that haunted her dreams, blaming her every night.
---
{Huh... where am I?}
Betty looked around in confusion, panic flashing in her eyes when she realized she was floating, staring down at the body she had possessed all this time.
Her gaze dropped to her hands: long, delicate fingers, creamy white skin.
{Whose hands are these?}
"I... I miss you so much."
Her thoughts froze. The voice came from below; the body she had occupied was now sobbing in Emma’s lap.
A soft, bitter chuckle escaped Betty’s lips as she watched the reunion.
{So this is the end for me, huh? The original owner’s back. Didn’t she say she was dead before?}
Damien leaned against the wall, tears spilling despite his efforts to stop them. He wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
’The family fell apart in just one week... Why did Lilian do this? Father had a heart attack and died.’
He drew in a shaky breath and turned toward the door, stepping outside to stare at the foggy sky.
’Lilian... she went mad in the end. Kept screaming someone was controlling her... and then she jumped from the third floor.’
"MOTHER!"
The sudden scream jolted him. His eyes widened, panic flashing across his face.
"What happened?!"
He rushed inside and froze. Emma sat slumped, a serene smile softening her features as her eyes dulled.
"Mother! Wake up, please!" Betty sobbed, clutching Emma’s lifeless hand in desperation.
Betty stared at Emma’s fading gaze, her spirit hovering nearby. She reached out, but her hand slipped through Emma’s body like mist.
{Was this... the ending of the novel?}
Tears welled as she nodded to herself.
’When the Thomsen family learns the truth... Emma dies in grief. That was the last line.’
"Ahhh! Mother! Please, don’t leave us alone!"
Betty sighed, watching Damien and the original Betty cry in anguish as her own form began to fade.
{Hah...}
---
"Hong, let’s go. Master’s soul has returned."
A white orb appeared in Calista’s hand as she gently caressed it.
Shu Hong, seated beside the unconscious Sophia, nodded and placed her palm over Sophia’s chest. A crimson orb slipped free, landing in Calista’s other hand.
The space around them began to fracture, the small world shattering piece by piece.
---
A woman in flowing white robes sat upon a golden throne, her hair cascading like molten sunlight. Her gentle eyes fixed on the blue globe floating before her.
"Hah... I can’t let my blessed child die between them again. If that happens, I’ll have no choice but to destroy this world."
Her expression hardened as she suddenly sensed a presence.
"Who’s there? Show yourself before this goddess!"
Golden energy flared around her as the void before her cracked open.
"Hey. Are you the goddess of this world? We need a little favor from you."
The voice was calm, yet carried such overwhelming authority that her knees nearly buckled.
’What is this pressure?! I can’t even use my divine power!’
A shadow stepped through, and her eyes widened in confusion when all she saw first... were little feet. The crushing force vanished.
"Eh...?"
Her head tilted up, and she froze. She blinked. Rubbed her eyes. Looked again at the little child.
"HAH! Are you disappointed?" Calista sneered, glaring at her.
"N-No! I would never!" The goddess waved her hands nervously. "Solara would never dare!"
"Hmph. So your name is Solara?"
"Yes, Lord." Solara bowed deeply, trembling. Her strength was nothing compared to this being.
Calista lifted her hand, revealing the white orb. "I need you to reincarnate this soul into your world. Her memories are already erased. Give her a random past. That’s all."
Solara hesitated, voice faltering. "But... that will be difficult."
"Difficult?" Calista’s eyes narrowed dangerously. "Haven’t you done this before?"
"Yes, but... I was planning to introduce a transmigrator in the future—"
Before she could finish, dark red wings unfurled from Calista’s back. The sky itself dimmed as crushing power rolled across the throne room.
"Are you refusing me?"
"N-No! I’ll do it!" Solara shrieked, nearly falling from her throne. Her face drained of color.
"Good." A pleased smile curved Calista’s lips. "Don’t tamper with her soul’s potential. Leave it as it is. You’re not capable of granting her any."
---
"Lady! Please! Breathe deeply!"
Hurried footsteps echoed through the chamber as panicked maids scrambled.
In a nearby cradle, a newborn stirred, grey eyes blinking blankly at the ceiling.
{Where... am I?}
"Head Maid, the lady has passed away."
An elderly woman in glasses nodded coldly, showing no emotion.
The baby tilted her head at the voices. A face appeared above her, peering down with a frown.
"Announce that a boy has been born, the heir of the Darknight family," the Head Maid commanded.
A young maid stammered, horrified. "But... miss, she’s not—"
A flicker of black light gleamed in the Head Maid’s eyes. "What did I say?"
The maid shivered. "Y-Yes! I’ll go announce it!"
When the maid left, the Head Maid’s face softened. She stroked the baby’s cheek gently, though her eyes hardened once more.
A dark aura erupted from her hand, sinking into the baby’s body.
’This will do, lady. I did as you instructed. I hope you live well in heaven.’
---
"Swoosh, Slash."
A kid around five was swinging his sword, hands holding the weight of the sword easily.
"SLASH." A White slash erupted on the last swing, shattering the dummy.
"Uff, finally reach the second circle." The child wiped the sweat from her face expressionlessly.
"Young master Bennett, your father is expecting you."
Bennett nodded coldly, not glancing at the butler, putting the sword on the rack, she picked her half cloak from the table and put it on her shoulder.
"Let’s go," she walked past the butler.
Walking toward the main hall, Bennett ignored all the servants coldly, not showing any emotion.
’What did that man want from me?’
---
"Knock, knock, Master young master is here."
Bennett patiently waits outside as the butler knocks on the door.
"Come in." A cold voice said from inside.
"Bam."
"You called, Sir."
The man sitting on his work chair nodded, gesturing for her to sit down.
"Sit, boy, today we will go to the royal palace. You have reached the age of five; it’s time to swear loyalty toward the crown prince."
Bennett looked down at the table, her hands clenching into fists beneath the table, her face remaining neutral.
"Yes, sir," she said and stood up and turned to leave.
Aldric, seeing her leaving, said before the door closed.
"You’d better become a powerful boy before becoming an adult, you have to fight me at that time, and only one of us will be alive, and if I win, I will make sure to give you a painful death."
---
Standing outside, Bennett looked over her shoulder toward the closed door and said without emotion.
"That won’t be true, because I will be the winner and the one to cut your filthy head."
She walks straight toward her room and closes the door.
"Lily, prepare formal clothes, I’m going to the palace."
The black-haired maid nodded, stammering, "Yes, young master." Bennett stopped when about to pass her and said.
"Lily, I have said it before, if you want to live in this house without oppression or bullying, you need to learn how to hide emotions." After saying it, she walked past her.
Lily looked down sadly, then clenched her fist in determination.
"Don’t worry, master, I only show emotions to you."
Bennet paused her hand on the bathroom door, an inconceivable smile on her lips.
"You should also not show me emotions; you should learn to suspect everyone."
"Bam." She closed the door after entering the bathroom.
Lily, around seven years old, looks down her lips, twitching her eyes, watering, she mutters.
"Master, I want you to be happy, like you make me after rescuing me from those animals."
---
"Sigh."
Bennett rubs his hair and starts unbuttoning her shirt. With a flick of her finger, her grey hairs turn long, her face and body become feminine.
’The grey magic is really tiring, thank god it is not as sinister as dark magic.’
"Tap, it feels good to bathe after training." She holds the warm water in her rough palm, and she sinks completely in the water.
’I hope the crown prince will not order me to kill an innocent to prove my loyalty.’