Reborn As His Biggest Regret

The First Move

Selene could not sleep

The silver chess king sat on the table, right in front of her, reflecting the faint candlelight, and beside it was a strip of dark blue silk

Two pieces of evidence, two impossible truths, and one terrifying possibility. Lady Evelyn Ashford, her mother.

“No, it can't be. How is that possible?” Selene said in her mind. The woman who raised her could not be the same person who destroyed her

She remembered warm hands comforting her after having nightmares, she remembered birthday celebrations when everyone else had forgotten, she remembered the woman who stayed when the world had taken everything else away from her, but then, Andrea's voice could not stop echoing in her mind : “The enemy was within inside”

Selene closed her eyes. The truth had killed her the first time, and she is not willing to let it happen again. This time, she would not wait for the truth to find her. She would hunt it

The next morning, she made a decision. She would test everyone, starting with Lady Evelyn. She spread a rumor through the servants, a rumor she knew would reach the right ears : The princess has discovered who poisoned Lady Luna

Within an hour, the entire palace was filled up. Servants whispered, nobles watched carefully

For the briefest moment when Selene entered the breakfast hall, her adoptive mother's hand froze around her tea cup, only for a second, but Selene was observant, so she noticed. A normal person would have missed it, Selene did not, before she could investigate further, a servant approached her

“Lady Selene, someone wishes to see you” " the servant said. Selene followed the servant to a hidden corridor near the old wing of the palace.

And there was an elderly man waiting. The moment Selene saw his face, her heart skipped. She remembered him

He was Thomas, a royal servant who had worked for her father, but Thomas had died years ago. “Lady Selene,” the old man said, with tears filling his eyes

“My princess,” he said. The title made her freeze. “Who are you?” Selene asked. “I served your father before his death,” the man replied. Selene's expression hardened. “My father died in an accident,” Selene said, then Thomas looked away

“That's the lie they created,” he said. The environment suddenly felt cold. “What do you mean?” Selene asked. Thomas put his hand inside his coat and handed her an old envelope. “Your parents were murdered,” he said.

Selene looked at him, those words would have shocked her, but somehow deep inside she already knew that. “Who killed him?” she replied. Thomas looked around nervously : “People who feared what your family represented” he said

He looked at the silver chess piece hidden beneath her clock, his face changed immediately. “Where did you get that?” he asked. Selene remained silent.

“The chess court,” Thomas said. The name sent a strange chill across through her. “What is this? she asked. “An organization that has existed longer than this kingdom” he replied, then Thomas lowered his voice: “They do not sit on thrones, but kings obey them. They do not carry swords, but kingdoms fall because of them”

Selene looked at the chess piece. “And my parents discovered them,” she asked. “Your father discovered they wanted something from you” He said

Her eyes widened. “Me?” she asked but before Thomas could answer, footsteps echoed. Someone was coming. Thomas immediately stepped back. “Do not trust anyone who tells you they are protecting you,” he said as he looked at her sadly. “Sometimes the cage is built by the person holding the key.” he said then disappeared

That evening, Prince Brandon found Selene in the palace garden. “You've been avoiding me,” he said. Selene did not turn around. “Perhaps I have been busy,” she replied. Brandon came a step closer “You believed I betrayed you” he said. Those words were quiet, but they carried a lot of pain

Selene finally looked at him. “Did you?” she asked. He had no answer, that silence hurt more than she expected. “I protected you yesterday because I couldn't watch it happen to you again,” he said. Her eyes widened again. “Watch what happens again,” she asked, confused. Brandon looked away.

“I have been having dreams, " he said” Selene stood still. “Dreams about what?” she asked. “About you,” he replied. I see you standing there alone, everyone accusing you, everyone against you, then” he said as his voice became lower. “And I see myself doing nothing,” he replied

Selene felt it because that was exactly what happened. “I tried to reach you that night,” Brandon continued. “What night?” she replied. He looked at her. “The night everything ended,” he said. Selene was staring at him in shock.

"I was locked inside the palace, someone made sure I couldn't leave," he said. His eyes filled with regret. “When I finally escaped, he said, it was already too late.”

For the first time, Selene wondered if the story she remembered was incomplete, but she refused to forgive him, not yet

“Even if you are telling the truth” she whispered: “I still died alone” She said as those words destroyed him, but she left him there. Brandon looked at her as if she had struck him, and Selene hated that a part of her still cared

“You are looking for answers” Andrea's voice came from behind. Selene turned. He stood beneath the trees, calm and unbothered, as if he had not just appeared out of nowhere. “You know about my parents,” she said. Andrea was silent. “Tell me,” she replied. “You are not ready,” he said as Selene stepped closer.

“Stop deciding what I can handle” she said, and for the first time, Andrea's expression softened

“It is the reason you survived,” he said. Selene froze. What does that mean? Andrea pulled out half a broken necklace from his coat. Selene froze because she recognized it, her mother's necklace

Andrea looked at her. “When you died, you were holding this,” he said. Nobody knew about this

"Who are you?” Selene asked again, Andrea's eyes became pale. “Someone who failed you once” before Selene could question him, a bell rang around the palace, but it was not a celebration bell but an alarm, a royal announcement.

The voice of the palace messenger echoed through the kingdom: “By order of His Majesty, Lady Selene Ashford is hereby placed under investigation for treason” Selene's blood immediately ran cold. The palace doors were shut immediately, and guards surrounded the garden.

Brandon stepped forward. “What is the meaning of this? he asked. Andrea did not look surprised, instead, he looked at Selene. “They know,” he said, then took a short pause. “That you remember.” Andrain said

The guards raised their weapon, and for the first time since returning from death, Selene understood. The enemy was no longer hiding, they were coming for her.