The sharp click of a woman's heels echoed down the long palace corridors as a flurry of maids hurried after her.
Her hair, glimmering under the pale moonlight filtering through sheer curtains, bounced with every hurried step. Between ragged breaths and a dry throat, she longed to slip off those confining heels—but there was no time to stop.
Without hesitation, she sprinted to the highest point of the east wing—to the wide balcony outside her room.
"Miss Vinsent, please stop!" called the guard who had faithfully served her since she personally chose him. His sapphire-blue eyes were filled with fear when he saw her draw a sword.
"Can a loyal dog bare its teeth at its mistress?" she whispered, exhaustion thick in her voice.
"Please, Miss, make this easier for everyone and just confess why you did it."
"Must I say it again? I didn't harm Anelle. I didn't poison her."
With a final, desperate plea, she begged the moon goddess to believe her. But in every gaze around her, she saw only resentment—silent accusations that she had betrayed her younger sister, Anelle.
Tears spilled like precious pearls, catching the moonlight as they fell.
Though disheveled, she hadn't lost an ounce of her grace or beauty. She refused to accept such an unfair charge. Determined, she slipped off her shoes and stepped onto the cold stone railing, drawing a gasp from the onlookers.
"Abril Vinsent! Get down from there right now!" The Duke's commanding voice rang out, freezing everyone in place.
"Not even my own father believes me," she murmured bitterly.
Through heart-wrenching sobs, Abril Vinsent stared up at the brightest stars she'd ever seen. With her final breath, she begged the goddess Selene for a better life.
That was the last thing I remember before darkness claimed me.
When I woke, I was no longer myself. The soaring ceilings and the unfamiliar comfort of the bed left me utterly disoriented.
The name from my past life had vanished from my memory, but this new name—impossible to forget—was clear as day: I am Abril Vinsent, eldest daughter of the Vinsent family... and the villainess of this story.