From the beginning, the first thing Stella recalled was pitch darkness. The noises around her sounded so distant and far away. As she gave it some time, the sound grew clearer: the wheels grinding over gravel and rhythmic hoofbeats as the carriage rolled forward. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she wasn’t able to lift them right away. All the memories of the past felt like a dream, a long one. Yet Stella remembered every single detail vividly. All the joy, sorrow, and regretful moments were etched deep in her heart.
Bit by bit, Stella felt her body waking from its long slumber.
The blurry patches of her vision faded. She blinked several times before her sight adjusted to her surroundings. She was in the carriage, spacious and luxurious. Stella glanced out the window and saw she was drawing closer to this familiar, large manor. The carriage gradually slowed before it came to a stop. Once the door opened, she was greeted by a composed middle-aged servant.
“Welcome to the Chevalier estate, Lady Stella.” He lowered his head. “His Lordship and Her Ladyship have been expecting your arrival.”
“…”
Without a word, Stella stepped outside and was met with a sudden bright light of midday, almost blinding her blue eyes. Her silky, jet-black hair caught the light, giving it a subtle glistening glow. As the scene before her came into focus, she exhaled softly as she stood before a massive white manor.
“This is the main manor of House Chevalier, where the main family branch resides.” The butler explained. “This will be where you’ll reside.”
“…I see.” Stella turned, and her eyes met the servant’s with quiet grace. “I wouldn’t like to keep both Lord and Lady Chevalier waiting. I would love to give them my sincerest greetings to them.”
“Very well, ma’am.” The servant lowered his head. “Please follow me.”
Stella followed into the manor, walking once again through these familiar corridors until they arrived at the Marquis’s study. The servant informed his lord of her arrival and led her inside. The young noble strode evenly into the room and stood before the Marquis and Marchioness of Chevalier. Their eyes tracked her every move with unreadable gazes, but that didn’t bother her.
“It is my pleasure to meet you two again.” Stella lowered her head, bowing with practiced grace and a soft smile. “I hope Lord Chevalier and Lady Chevalier have been well.”
“You’ve grown since I last saw you.” Marchioness giggled as she gazed at the young alpha. “I believe the last time we met was at Ophelia’s debutante ball.”
The middle-aged woman recalled meeting Stella almost two years ago. Stella Albrecht, now 20, had grown into quite a charming alpha for her age. Before the conversation could digress further, Marquis Hugh offered his condolences to Stella.
“First and foremost, we would like to offer our condolences for Duke Cedric’s passing.” Marquis Hugh sighed, wearing a dejected look. “I understand that it must have been hard for you and your siblings. No one could have expected the duke’s sudden departure.”
Just a week before, her father, Cedric Albrecht, was the Duke of Northland who governed the entire nation. He had passed away in an accident as he was travelling back to the Albrecht estate in the middle of the night. Based on the findings so far, it was speculated that the carriage had slipped and fallen off the cliff. Unfortunately, there were no survivors. The incident was now under investigation by her eldest half-brother, Anthony Albrecht, who recently inherited the dukedom.
“We hope that you’ll be able to make yourself at home.” The Marquis offered a soft smile as he gazed at the young alpha. “If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to inform our servants.”
“I genuinely appreciate your kind offer, Lord Chevalier,” Stella said.
Her father’s passing was sudden, and Stella had barely had time to grieve before Anthony sent her off to marry the daughter of House Chevalier. It was nothing but a political marriage meant to reinforce the long-standing alliance between the two houses. The arrangement had been made by Anthony and his Dowager Duchess Yvette without her consent.
Stella had already known their intention to get rid of her, since they had long despised her and her biological mother. Now that Anthony held the power as the duke, he didn’t hesitate to remove them at once. Just before they could discuss any further details about Stella’s arrangement here, a knock interrupted their conversation.
“I’ve arrived, Father.”
The voice belonged to a young lady, but Stella recognized it at once. Her tone was firm, edged with quiet confidence, just as she remembered.
“Good timing, come in.” The Marquis smiled as the tall young lady strode into the study. “I’m certain you remember my daughter from the debutante ball.”
When Stella turned, her eyes widened at the sight of the pink-haired lady standing before her. After a few breaths, she caught a sweet scent of lavender drifting from the omega. She shared the same pink-shaded hair and deep green eyes as the Marquis.
“It’s been a while since we last met, Lady Stella.” The lady lowered her head into a perfect bow before lifting her gaze to meet hers. “You can call me Ophelia. I hope we’ll get along.”
“—!”
It was just as Stella remembered. Ophelia Chevalier, the Marquis’s eldest daughter, was a year older than her. From today onward, they would be fiancées. The young alpha was at a loss for words. As Stella stared into those deep green eyes, a bloodied, familiar face flashed before her. Her entire body tensed up as her heart went through a rush of emotions. A mix of disbelief, grief, relief, and regret. For a few seconds, gazing into those eyes felt like an eternity.
“I-I…It’s been quite a while since we met.” Stella’s lips parted to speak, almost stuttering. “…You can call me Stella.”
“Oh my, how cute.” Marchioness chuckled as she glanced over at the young alpha. “Is Lady Stella, perchance, stunned by our daughter’s beauty?”
Marchioness noticed Stella had been staring at Ophelia, long enough for others to notice. It was a good sign to them, since they had worried about whether the two would be able to get along. Stella exhaled softly before she turned to face Ophelia again.
“My apologies, that wasn’t my intention,” Stella said. “I hope I didn’t make you feel uncomfortable.”
“Not at all.” Ophelia gave her a soft, gentle smile. “I’m glad that I’ve made a good impression on you.”
“Ophelia, how about you take Stella to her room and give her a tour of the manor?” The Marchioness brought the rim of the cup to her lips. “This would be a good time for you two to get to know each other.”
“I will, Mother.” Ophelia smiled as she asked Stella to follow her down the corridor.
The pink-haired omega led the way, with Stella following right behind. Ophelia introduced each room and area as they passed, but the alpha’s mind was focused on something else entirely. Her eyes stayed on Ophelia, unable to look away. Everything so far had unfolded exactly as she remembered from her previous life, from the very moment she had woken in the carriage. Stella paid little attention to the tour, since she already knew the entire layout of the Chevalier manor. In her previous life, she had lived here for three years.
Stella was still in disbelief, with a part of her mind wondering if this was a dream, just another cruel trick created by her own guilt, but the mellow scent of her pheromones pulled her back to the present. The more she felt this world through her five senses, the more she came to terms with the fact that this was the new present.
She was back in the past.
“That’s the general layout of the manor. It may feel overwhelming at first, but I’m certain you’ll get used to it soon.” Ophelia stopped and turned to face her. “We also have two gardens, if you would like to see them.”
“I would appreciate that,” Stella replied with a light nod.
“Lovely.” Ophelia smiled as she turned to face the path ahead once again. “We still have time before it is lunch. Father and Mother would like you to join us, so you could meet the rest of the family as well.”
“That’s very kind of the Marquis and Marchioness,” Stella said, her tone still carrying formality and distance, and Ophelia seemed to notice that.
As the couple walked down the familiar path, distant memories returned to Stella, haunting her once again. That familiar, bloodied face emerged. Ophelia’s long pink hair, stained by her own blood. Her rigid, listless body resting in Stella’s arms.
Those memories only reminded Stella of her true purpose here.
In her previous life, she had once lived here with the Chevaliers, and she faced nothing but brutality and oppression. Her sole focus was to survive in this cold, cruel place. But this time was different. Stella came with a new purpose—to save Ophelia.
…It’s my turn to repay the favor. This time…I won’t let you die.