Roselle’s POV
I sat still inside the bathtub, surrounded by water that had gone from hot to warm and was now slowly turning cold.
Yet I still refused to get out.
I was lost in my thoughts.
Confusion had completely taken over my mind.
I knew I was supposed to be dead.
No.
I was dead.
I remembered the sword piercing through my chest.
I remembered the pain.
I remembered Alan standing over me as my life slowly slipped away.
And yet, here I was, sitting inside a bathtub in a strange room that didn’t belong to my world.
Apparently, this was what a bath looked like here.
I had tried to understand the strange shower the lady had pointed out earlier, but after staring at it for several minutes without figuring out how it worked, I had eventually given up.
My pride wouldn’t allow me to wait for her to come and bathe me, so I had climbed into the bathtub myself.
Now, I have been sitting here for far longer than necessary.
I wasn’t even sure how long it had been when I finally heard the bathroom door open and close.
“Ma’am, your tea is ready.”
It was the lady’s familiar voice.
I quickly climbed out of the bathtub and walked toward her.
I was completely naked, with no idea where I was supposed to find clothes.
The only place I had seen any was in the room outside.
The moment she saw me, her eyes widened.
She immediately hurried toward me and wrapped a large white cloth around my body.
“Dry yourself with this, or you’ll catch a cold.” I held tightly onto the cloth.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
For a moment, I wasn’t sure if she had heard me.
Then she smiled slightly.
“You’re welcome.” She stepped away before returning a moment later with a cup in her hands.
“Here. Your detoxifying tea should help warm you up, so drink it.” She handed the cup to me.
Warmth spread through me, not only from the hot tea but also from the care behind her actions.
A smile almost escaped my lips, but I quickly stopped it.
I wasn’t used to being treated this gently.
“What’s your name?” I asked, mostly to break the awkward silence.
“Eva.” She answered without hesitation.
I had been hesitant to ask.
I wondered if it would seem strange for someone like me to ask the name of someone who appeared to serve me.
But she answered so naturally, as though there was nothing unusual about my question.
I nodded.
“Eva…” I repeated the name silently in my mind.
I had always believed that kindness should never go unrepaid.
I didn’t know who this woman was or why she was being so kind to me, but I silently made a promise to myself.
One day, I would repay her kindness.
For now, I simply sipped the bitter tea until I finished it.
The moment Eva saw the empty cup, she spoke.
“I need to get you dressed so you can join everyone downstairs for the funeral.
I already explained to them that you would need an hour to gather yourself before coming down.” She paused before adding, “And don’t worry.
I didn’t tell anyone what happened earlier.”
I looked at her.
I hadn’t realized until then how much relief those words would bring me.
“Thank you.”
She smiled before walking toward the large wardrobe.
After looking through the clothes for a moment, she picked out a black gown and turned toward me.
“I think this would suit you best.” She handed the dress to me.
I stared at it for a moment before taking it.
Putting it on was another struggle entirely.
I had spent years wearing armor, something I could put on almost without thinking.
But this dress had so many strange parts that I had to fight with it before finally managing to put it on properly.
Eva looked me over once I was finished and nodded in approval.
“Perfect.” She then turned and led the way toward the funeral.
The moment I stepped out of the room, I realized that the house was much larger than I had first imagined.
The hallway stretched in both directions, with several doors leading to different rooms.
Everything looked expensive, from the polished floors beneath my feet to the paintings hanging on the walls.
But I barely paid attention to any of it.
My mind was filled with questions.
Questions I desperately needed answers to.
Who was I?
Who was Roselle?
Who was the man whose funeral I was about to attend?
And why did everyone seem to know me when I couldn’t remember any of them?
Eva walked a few steps ahead of me, guiding me toward the room where the ceremony was being held.
As we approached, I could hear voices coming from inside.
My heart began to beat faster.
An unfamiliar anxiety crept over me.
I didn’t understand why I was nervous.
I had walked into battlefields without hesitation.
I had faced enemy armies without allowing fear to control me.
So why did walking into this room make me feel this way?
I didn’t have time to think about it.
The moment I stepped through the doors, the voices inside gradually faded.
Dozens of people turned to look at me.
I stopped for a moment, slightly puzzled by the sudden silence.
My eyes moved across the room.
Everyone was dressed in black.
Men stood in groups, most of them looking serious and alert.
Some wore suits, while others wore black clothing that looked more practical.
But what caught my attention most were the weapons.
I had seen weapons before, of course.
But these were nothing like the swords and bows I was accustomed to.
Several men had them hidden beneath their clothes, while others carried them openly.
My anxiety disappeared almost instantly.
It was replaced by something much more familiar.
Thrill.
The same thrill I felt whenever I entered a war tent filled with commanders, knights, and Generals.
The same feeling I experienced when I walked into a room and immediately knew that every person inside was capable of fighting.
I studied the men carefully.
Their posture.
Their movements.
The way they watched the room.
The way their hands remained close to their weapons.
They reminded me of soldiers.
Not exactly like the soldiers I knew, but close enough.
The familiar feeling eased something inside me.
For the first time since I had opened my eyes in this strange world, I felt a little more at ease.
Perhaps this world wasn’t as unfamiliar as I had thought.
Perhaps, despite everything that had changed, there were still some things I understood.
My eyes immediately began studying the room as I resumed walking to my seat.
Two entrances.
Several windows.
Men positioned near the doors.
More men scattered throughout the room.
I counted them without even realizing I was doing it.
Old habits.
Whenever I entered an unfamiliar place, I always looked for the exits first.
Then the weapons.
Then the people most capable of causing trouble.
I had done it countless times on the battlefield.
Apparently, death hadn’t taken that habit from me.
Everything about this world had felt unfamiliar and foreign until I entered this room.
The tension.
The weapons.
The alertness in everyone’s eyes.
For the first time since waking up in this strange body, I felt almost comfortable.
Back in my old life, the constant pressure from generals and commanders had often frustrated me.
But now, I found myself almost pleased by it.
This was the one thing that didn’t feel completely foreign.
Eva leaned closer.
“Ma’am?” I turned to look at her.
“Are you alright?” She asked.
I nodded.
“I am fine.”
She looked relieved, and I turned my attention back to the room.
Even after taking my seat, I continued watching everyone.
Then I noticed something strange.
These people weren’t behaving like mourners.
They were watching each other.
Measuring each other.
Or perhaps simply waiting.
Whatever had happened to the woman whose body I now occupied, it was obvious that her death or rather, her husband’s death had placed this entire family in a dangerous situation.
Then my eyes landed on the coffin.
It stood at the center of the room.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
I slowly stood and walked toward it.
I stopped in front of the coffin and looked down.
A man’s face stared back at me.
He looked peaceful.
Too peaceful for someone whose death had caused this much tension.
I stared at him for several seconds.
There was no recognition.
Yet the moment I looked at him, something strange happened.
A sharp pain suddenly spread through my head.
I staggered backward and grabbed the edge of the coffin.
The memories disappeared as quickly as they had come.
My breathing became uneven.
That man…The same man lying inside the coffin… He was her husband.
No.
He was my husband.
At least, that was what the memories were telling me.
I looked at the people surrounding me.
Nobody seemed surprised by my reaction.
They were all watching me with a mixture of pity and curiosity.
Then someone spoke.
“Mrs. Roselle DeLuca.” The person greeted me with a slight bow.
I froze.
Mrs. DeLuca.
The name echoed inside my head.
Roselle DeLuca.
That was who I was now.
I looked back at the dead man.
My husband.
I had gone from being General Alice of Winchester to becoming Roselle DeLuca, the widow of a dead man whose family seemed to be surrounded by danger.
I almost laughed at the absurdity of it all.
But before I could process everything, I heard a small voice behind me.
“Mama?”