Seraphina stormed into her private office and slammed shut the door behind her with a thunderous crack. It echoed through the halls of Arkwright Manor.
Her silver hair shimmered faintly in the dim light filtering through shattered glass panes—remnants of an earlier outburst when she'd nearly destroyed the windows overlooking the gardens.
Dark tendrils of power coiled around her finger. They lashed out wildly, tearing apart papers on her desk, shattering vases lining the walls, and sending books crashing to the floor.
"Why does this keep happening to me?"
Her blue eyes were glassy. She reached for a stack of documents atop her mahogany table and hurled them across the room, scattering ink-stained pages everywhere.
One document floated gently to the ground, landing face-up.
Divorce agreements.
"Divorce?" she said, stomping over as she picked it up.
"How can I even divorce him now!? That insufferable bastard has conveniently lost his memory!"
Her voice rose to a shriek, reverberating off the walls. She crumpled the paper in her fist before flinging it towards the wall.
Two figures entered cautiously—one tall and commanding, clad in sleek black armour adorned with intricate silver filigree; the other shorter but equally imposing, dressed in pristine maid attire with a stern expression etched onto her face.
"Your Grace" said the first figure, Evelyn Hartley, Seraphina's second-in-command and trusted advisor. Her voice was calm. A stark contrast to the duchess.
"You must calm yourself. This isn't helping."
Beside her stood Head Maid, Marguerite, whose sharp green eyes scanned the wreckage with concern,
"Please, Your Grace. Let us help you."
Seraphina turned to them, "Help me?"
"Do you know what he's done? Do you understand how much damage that man has caused in just two years?"
Lady Evelyn crossed her arms, "I do, Your Grace. But losing control won't solve anything."
Marguerite nodded. "Yes, please sit down. We'll talk about it rationally."
Seraphina collapsed into her chair, which groaned beneath her weight. She buried her face in her hands as she exhaled sharply.
"He ruined my territories"
"Nearly bankrupted one of my most prosperous regions, Onastin because of his reckless investments. I had to clean up after him, pouring countless resources into repairing what he destroyed. And then…"
She paused to take another sigh, "Then there's the cheating."
Evelyn arched an eyebrow. "The affair?"
"Yes the fucking affair!" Seraphina said while slamming her fist onto the table.
"That disgusting human dared cheat on me with a competitor, no less! A woman who sought to undermine everything my family and I have ever fucking built."
"How could he? After everything I sacrificed for him! After waiting for him to be ready for me just for him to go fuck another woman!"
Marguerite winced visibly, "We know. It's unforgivable, Your Grace."
"And let's not forget the gambling scandal!" Seraphina continued
"He burned down an entire establishment during one of his drunken escapades. People died, businesses destroyed—all because he couldn't control himself. Two years, Evelyn. Two fucking years of unspeakable crimes, and now…"
"Now he claims amnesia. Convenient, isn't it? 'Hey look at me I don't remember jack shit'"
Lady Evelyn exchanged a glance with Marguerite before speaking carefully.
"Perhaps it's true, Your Grace. Perhaps he truly doesn't remember."
"So? Why now?" Seraphina demanded while rising abruptly from her seat.
"Why at this exact moment? Is it some ploy to avoid accountability? To manipulate me further?"
Marguerite stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on Seraphina's hand.
"We may never know, Your Grace. But regardless of his intentions, you hold all the power here. You are the Duchess of Arkwright, one of the most influential nobles in the realm. Even without the royal family's backing, your authority is unmatched."
Seraphina sighed heavily, sinking back into her chair, "You're right."
"But it still infuriates me. I married him because of politics—he came from House Whiteford, our allies. He took my name after the cheating, promising change, loyalty and support. Instead, he became a parasite, feeding off my wealth and influence while destroying everything in his path."
Evelyn tilted her head, "Let us observe him, see whether or not he's tricking us with his amnesia."
"I...supposed we can do that." Seraphina replied back.
Back in the luxurious bedroom where Aric was.
Aric woke up from his nap and his mind was foggy.
A soft knock preceded the entrance of a young woman carrying a tray laden with food and water.
"Good morning, Master Vayne..." she greeted timidly, bowing deeply. Her voice wavered slightly, betraying her unease.
Aric frowned, sitting up slowly. Something about her demeanor struck him as odd.
"Morning" he replied, "Is everything alright?"
The maid hands were visibly trembling. Without meeting his gaze, she placed the tray on the bedside table and muttered,
"Forgive me, Master Vayne! Everything is fine!" She turned to leave, covering her face with her free hand as though shielding herself from his presence.
"Wait" Aric called out, "Did I do something wrong?"
She hesitated for a moment before scurrying out of the room.
Aric stared after her in confusion, What just happened?Why did she look so afraid?
His thoughts drifted to the countless romance manhwa he'd devoured during his previous life—the ones where arrogant nobles abused their power, mistreating those beneath them simply because they could.
Wait am I… one of those bastards?
He recalled Seraphina mentioning marriage and how much she despised this Vayne,
Had he been cruel to her too? And what about the maid? Clearly, she feared him or at least, whoever he used to be.
His gaze fell upon the screen, where Ivy's glowed faintly against the digital backdrop.
[Ah, you noticed, didn't you?]
Noticed what?That everyone seems to hate me?
[Well, 'hate' might be an understatement] Ivy replied,
[But yes, your past self wasn't exactly… well-liked.]
I gathered that. Aric muttered darkly. Care to explain why, Ms Ivy?
Before Ivy could respond, her form flickered and vanished, retreating to her own space.
Are you kidding me? My own system left me alone too? What the fuck is wrong with this body!?
Alone again, Aric leaned back against the pillows, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Who is this Vayne guy really? What kind of person did he become?
In the depths of her virtual sanctuary, Ivy paced anxiously,
She accessed file after file, sifting through data streams that painted a grim picture of the body chosen for Aric.
"This is bad!" she muttered aloud, "Really bad."
The files revealed damning evidence of Vayne Arkwright's misdeeds: financial ruin, infidelity, destruction. It was as if fate itself conspired against her plans, forcing her to work with someone whose reputation was already irreparably tarnished.
"What have I gotten myself into?