TILLY found herself transparent and floating in the air like a ghost.

Cool.

But her childlike excitement vanished as soon as she realized where she was.

It was her old living room in the house that she bought after her divorce.

"Lord Kiho, please believe me!"

Tilly flinched when she saw the past version of herself while chasing Kiho's past version while they were going down the grand staircase. Her past self was crying while her ex-husband a rigid expression on his face.

Ah, in this version, both she and her husband were more than a decade older than their current "versions."

"I really didn't know what I was doing back then!" her old self begged. Ah, right. In the past, Kiho took his father's title and surname. But she refused to call him "Lord Prescott" so she opted for "Lord Kiho" instead. "Please listen to me, my lord!"

Old Kiho turned to herself with an angry look on his face. "Do you expect me to believe you after all the awful things you've done to Winter and my new wife?"

Tilly felt a pang in her chest. Obviously, he's talking about Lucina Morganna.

"Believe me, Lord Kiho," her old self pleaded. Then, she kneeled and clung into Kiho's legs while looking up at him with a devastated look on her face. "Most of the time, I don't know what I'm doing. I feel like I've just woken up from a long and tiring dream, Lord Kiho. The last clear memory I remember was when I gave birth to our son."

He smirked bitterly. "Are you telling me that for more than ten years, you didn't know what you were doing?"

"Exactly!" she said firmly. "Lord Kiho, please believe me. I'm still the mother of your child. Will you really let me get executed?"

"You've stopped being a mother to Winter a long time ago," old Kiho said coldly. "Lucina is the only mother that my son knows."

Tilly couldn't help but cry.

It broke her heart to see and hear old Kiho say those words again. She was hurt to be vividly reminded that he stopped acknowledging her as their son's mother in the past. But the most painful thing to hear was when he said Lucina Morganna was Winter's only mother.

"Winter, I hope that doesn't happen this time," Tilly whispered between sobs while hugging her tummy. "I'm so sorry for being an awful mother in the past."

But even though she was emotional right now, she didn't miss the things her old self said.

My old self claims that she doesn't remember most of terrible things that she did. And that her last clear memory was when she gave birth to Winter.

It made sense, actually.

She didn't have a clear memory of her past life. She just assumed that she was a terrible person because all she remembered was the awful things she had done. And then, her execution.

"His Majesty won't change his mind anymore," old Kiho said coldly. "He'll have you executed for your crimes… and as his revenge for what you did to Her Royal Highness."

Her old self cried harder. "Why won't you believe me, Lord Kiho…?"

Tilly cried with her old self. She felt her pain. And she must also be confused of what was going on with her miserable life.

I swear I won't end up like that again.

***

TILLY was surprised when the "scene" changed.

This time, she found herself in a big but old room. Her old self was there with another woman who was clad in a black cloak.

"It's been a long time," the familiar voice said. Then, she took off the hood of her cloak. "How are you, Lady Prescott?"

Tilly surprised when she recognized the woman. Her Royal Highness?

She didn't remember meeting the princess this way before!

Her old self didn't look surprise though. "Your Royal Highness, why am I locked up here?"

"I just want to thank you, my dear "Tilly,"" Princess Nia said. Then, she touched her old self's face. "Thank you for telling me who your fellow Fire Mages are."

Tilly gasped at that, then she looked at her old self in disbelief. "You did what?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," her old self said in confusion, then she held her head as if she was in pain. "There are other Fire Mages aside from me?"

Tilly's eyes widened. "I found out in my past life that I was a Fire Mage?"

"Oh, you don't remember?" the princess said in an exaggerated sad voice. "Captain Denver and his guild tried to save you. But instead of accepting their help, you actually brought them to me. Thanks to that, now I have a reason to return to my rightful place. The nobles are very grateful to me after I captured the Fire Mages, you know?"

"Stop," her old self pleaded. "I'm going to lose my mind!"

Princess Nia only laughed softly.

Tilly was suddenly enraged. She knew it was hopeless but she still ran towards the princess to punch her in the face. But her fist just went through Her Royal Highness.

And then once again, the scene changed.

Dammit!

***

THIS time, Tilly found herself in a cell.

Ah, I remember this prison cell in my past life.

But she didn't remember being there with Captain Denver!

The captain was obviously beaten up. But he still kneeled in front of her old self with his back straightened up like a noble that he was.

On the other hand, her old self was crouching while sitting on the floor as if she was very exhausted– a posture that didn't fit a noble like her. The dress she wore was also very simple and kind of dirty. No wonder she looked pitiable.

Tilly had goosebumps. "I don't remember this…"

"Do it, Captain Denver," her old self said in a tired voice. ���If you pull my memories out my mind and prove to everyone that I have the heart of the Supreme, Princess Nia promised that she would spare your family."

Once again, Tilly gasped aloud. "I knew that I had the heart of the Supreme? And I made a deal with Her Royal Highness to protect the Denvers? And most of all, that was the reason for my execution and not because of the other crimes that I committed?!"

"No, I won't do it," Captain Denver said firmly. "It's our family's duty to protect you, Supreme. We failed to do it and so, we deserve to die with you."

"Don't be a fool, Captain Denver."

"You're the one who's being a fool here, my lady," the captain said. "Princess Nia wouldn't reveal to the public that you're a Fire Mage. That's the deal that she made with His Majesty so that she could take her title back as the princess. After all, if she revealed that you're a Fire Mage, then the public would know that Winter Prescott is a Fire Mage as well. The princess doesn't have any intention or capability to carry a child for the emperor. In short, they need your son as an heir. And the heir apparent couldn't be a Fire Mage. That's the reason why they will execute you for your other crimes and not for your blood."

Tilly got angry and sad at that revelation. She clenched her hands so hard until her nails dug into her skin. "Princess Nia… you b*tch."

"The princess will still kill me and our fellow Fire Mages even after we followed her order," Captain Denver continued. "Only the higher nobles know about the existence of Fire Mages in the empire. They don't want the public to know about us so they plan to kill us in silence. Do you seriously believe that the princess would keep us alive after they executed you?"

"No," her old self said. "I know the princess by now. I'm aware that she will kill of you after I was executed."

"Then, why are you still asking me to betray you?"

"The princess will use your ability to prove the crimes I committed," her old self explained, her voice starting to have life in it. "Since she just returned, she hasn't gained back the public's trust yet. So she will need you to get the proof that she needs to execute me. My execution will be witnessed by a large crowd. That means the princess couldn't touch you easily. As soon as you're done with your job, I want you to escape."

His brow furrowed in confusion. "Escape and leave our fellow Fire Mages to survive by myself? I can't do that!"

"You have to," her old self said firmly. "Once you successfully escaped, I want you to do everything you can to tell Lord Kiho and my son about the truth. I know it won't be easy to convince them. But please do it for me."

"My lady…"

"I still don't understand what exactly is going on," her old self said in a sad voice. "My head only got cleared recently."

Anger crossed the captain's face. "It's because you've been drugged by the princess for so many years, my lady. We tried to help you several times. But she would always find a way to mess you up even though she was in a faraway place."

"We can't do anything about it now," her old self said bitterly. "They want to get my heart when I die, right? Well, I'll make sure that they won't get it."

The captain looked shocked. "What do you plan to do, my lady?"

"You told me before that the heart of the phoenix can bring me back to life after I died," her old self said. "I would use its power so that Princess Nia wouldn't be able to use it anymore."

Captain Denver suddenly had a hopeful look on his face. "Supreme…"

"I will return," her old self said in a determined voice. "I'll return and burn the whole Moonchester family with my own flame."

That made Tilly wonder.

Did I return to my previous life of my own volition?

***

TILLY couldn't look at her old self after she got beheaded.

Instead, she fixed her gaze on Kiho. He was with their son Winter and Lucina Morganna. She didn't care about his new wife though.

It broke her heart to see Kiho's cold and empty eyes as he watched her old self's head roll on the ground. Winter, despite being so young, already looked jaded. Her chest tightened to see her son look at her without any ounce of emotion.

She knew that in her current life, her bond with Kiho and Winter was different. But that didn't mean that watching old Kiho and "future Winter" wouldn't hurt anymore.

"This won't happen this time," Tilly promised herself. "Kiho loves me. And so does Winter. I feel the same way for them."

Even after consoling herself, she got hurt again when old Kiho and future Winter started to walk away from the plaza. They went there to witness her execution, then left as soon as it was over as if they just watched a show instead of her death.

They really don't care about me in the past.

She was about to close her eyes and wait for her to be sent to another piece of her memory. But then, she realized that Lucina Morganna didn't leave with Kiho and Winter. When she turned to the woman, she saw something that made her very furious.

Lucina Morganna was covering her mouth with her hand while the other was on her tummy. Her shoulders were shaking. Yes, the b*tch was laughing at her decapitated head.

Tilly. Was. Enraged.

***

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