Cassian Valmont
The execution platform was silent that morning, the air filled with tension, dew and the occasional drizzle of rain.
This silence was not because anyone pitied him but because they all hated him to the core and they had gathered here today, beneath the stage staring at him with a mixture of disgust and pure hatred as they threw rotten vegetables and curses at him.
“Traitor!”
“Murderer!”
“Monster!”
The chains around his wrists rattled softly as he slowly lifted his head up and swept his eyes across the crowd before finally settling on the royal viewing platform.
They were all there.
His family, his former comrades and even the people he had once saved were all standing there and not a single person looked at him with a shred of trust or sympathy.
Not even one.
They all stared him down with contempt as if they all believed he was the one who had committed the said crime.
Then his gaze finally landed on the man standing beside the king.
The Crown Prince.
This was the person he had protected for years, the person he would have died for and done anything for…..the same person who had personally approved his execution.
Their eyes met and the prince’s expression remains as cold as ever before he muttered a single word.
“Proceed.”
That one word instantly had the executioner moving and he raised his blade high up into the skies and at that moment, countless memories flashed through his mind.
The sacrifices he made, the missions he completed and the accusations he endure…everything!
But alas, in the end none of it mattered …..nobody believed him.
Not even once.
A bitter laugh escaped his lips as tears filled his eyes.
“If there is a next life…..”
His gaze darkened with pure hatred.
“….I’ll become the villain you all wanted me to be.”
The blade fell on him and pain unlike anything he has ever felt washed over his entire body but before it could do more damage….
Darkness swallowed everything.
___________________________________________________
A sharp gasp filled the air as he sprang to his feet and held his head with a pain filled expression on his face.
“You useless bastard.Are you napping here?
Pay up and get out of my shop!!” A voice pulled him out of fear and his head snapped up, eyes roaming around the entire place in confusion.
Where….where am I?
Am I not supposed to be dead?
How did I get here?
The smell of bread assaulted his nose and his blurry eyes quickly cleared as he glanced around in confusion.
Flour covered shelves filled with different varieties of baked goods, crowded tables, the familiar heat that came from the ovens out back.
Wait…isn’t this….the bakery from ten years ago ?
But….but how did I get here?
Ten years ago in this same bakery was when all my problems started and it was the beginning of my downfall.
His vision darkened at the sight as he practically growled out.
“I really came back…”
Then suddenly—
A cheerful voice exploded inside his head.
[Congratulations!]
Cassian froze at the unexpected voice in his head and quickly glanced around in search of the culprit but found nothing.
[You have died in a highly entertaining manner!]
“…What?”
How did they know that he was reborn?
His blood ran cold in his veins as he almost fell down from his chair.
[Evaluating final life performance…]
[Unjust execution?
✓]
[Betrayal by family?
✓]
[Framed as a traitor?
✓]
[Unresolved grievances?
✓]
[Potential for future drama?
✓]
[Excellent!]
Cassian: “…Who are you?
Show yourself!”
[The Kingdom Gossip System.]
[The number one source for scandals, rumors, secrets, conspiracies, affairs, corruption, and other forms of premium entertainment.]
[Welcome to the Kingdom Gossip System.]
[Our motto:]
[If one person knows, it’s a secret.]
[If two people know, it’s gossip.]
[If I know, it’s public information.]
[Binding successful.]
W–what?
System?
What’s that?
[Too many unnecessary questions.
Don’t you want to know something more important?]
[New Gossip Discovered.]
[Bakery owner Hans has hidden illegal narcotics beneath the cellar.]
What?
Oh so in my past life, I had been right about this man but with no evidence and everyone disregarding my words as nothing, they had left me with an enemy.
A strong one at that.
When he had attacked me later that year and tried to kill me, I fought back and somehow managed to murder him and everyone refused to believe that I had done it as self defense.
They thought I was just doing it because I had felt disrespected and humiliated that what I had told them hadn’t turned out to be true.
As if he cared about his reputation.
But this is quite good.
Villain right?
Good, he would make them suffer for what they did to him in my past life and what better way than to make use of this Gossip system.
Whatever it is.
[New Gossip Discovered.]
[King Aurelius’ fifth Concubine is currently in the arms of a guard and they have been going at it for quite some time now while the King is in court.]
King Aurelius’ fifth concubine is currently cheating on him with a guard?
How is this even possible?
And how am I hearing such gossip?
Are you sure I won’t be silenced just for hearing all these?
[Don’t worry, this space is safe!]
[New Gossip Discovered.]
[King Aurelius almost caught them but they got away with it and he doesn’t suspect a thing!!]
What the—
The whole place went up in an uproar at that same time as people began to talk over themselves and point fingers and his brows furrowed.
I wonder what’s going on with everyone today.
Standing up, he quickly paid for his meal and left the bakery shop behind.
Walking down the streets of the Capital Of Aurelia, he sighed as he quickly took a short route back to my family home and as soon as he stepped past the gates and entered one of the gardens surrounding the entire Count Valmont’s estate, he found four people waiting there for him.
His father, Count Valmont.
His mother, Countess Valmont.
His younger twin sister, Lysander and his father’s pregnant concubine, Freya.
“Cassian, come here right now and explain!” Father’s voice filled his ears and his gaze cut across to him, filled with so much hate.
Father’s face flashed in front of his eyes, mixing with that of the same man who had stood by and let him die for crimes that he had never even committed.
And even helped convict him.
Let’s start with hi—
“Are you deaf?
You stupid boy!
Don’t you hear me?!
Come here immediately and kneel down before I beat you up!” Father’s voice cut through his thoughts and he glared at the man before he sneered and turned to leave but then—
[New Gossip Discovered!]
[Concubine Freya’s pregnancy does not belong to the Count.]
What?
Wait a minute.
My father’s favorite concubine cuckolded him?
How can the pregnancy not belong to my father??
If it doesn’t belong to him then who does it belong to?
A guard?
[Even better.]
[It belongs to Count Valmont’s residing brother, Coleen.
And they didn’t start today!
It’s been going on for a very long time!]
Uncle Coleen is the father of the child Comcubine Freya is carrying and this had been happening for a very long time?
Under my father’s nose?
This is gossip of the century!!!!
[It was even by accident that she got pregnant with her first child and it turned out to belong to your father!]
He spluttered as he turned to Freya in shock.
So she had been frolicking behind my father’s back for years?
And my father had been…..Meh, disgusting!!
What a big green hat my father is wearing.
“What?
Freya, is what he said true?” Father asked, turning to his pregnant concubine whose face had turned ashen with fear at hearing her secret affair being aired out so easily.
“How did you kn—No, it’s not.
He’s lying!!
This is your child!” She tried to pacify the Count but that little slip up at the beginning was enough for a man like Count Valmont to realize that what he had just heard was true.
His face had darkened with rage as he stepped forward and grabbed her tightly by the throat.
“How dare you sleep with my brother?
You little bitch!!” Father roared in anger and he glanced around in question only to find may servants gathered around and whispering while pointing fingers towards father, Freya and him.
How had he discovered that so quickly?
And what was up with the servants?
Well, whatever.
Shaking his head as his father called for his brother to be brought down by whatever means necessary, he began to walk towards the front doors that led into the main building.
He had to get things ready for what he wanted to do that night because if there’s anything what he wanted to do needed, it was preparation.
Tell me what you think!