WHEN IT BEGAN

Gasp.

Luciana suddenly opened her eyes and found herself lying on a luxurious bed inside a dimly lit room. She threw her gaze across the interior and discovered a familiar scene.

"(This looks like…my old bedroom in the Edelweiss Manor.)"

Her pale silver hair was ruffled across the cloud-like pillow where she rested her head. She turned her golden eyes down and found herself wearing nothing but a thin silk undergarment suitable for sleeping, unlike the filthy robe she wore earlier when she conversed with the shining woman.

"(My clothes have changed…)"

Luciana also noticed the suppleness of her snow-pale skin and the youthfulness of her appearance.

"(I've become younger too…How much younger though…?)"

A sudden knock from the door disturbed Luciana's observation.

"Pardon our intrusion, my lady. But we're here to prepare you as per the family head's order." spoke a gentle elderly female voice from behind the door. "May we come in?"

"You may enter!" called Luciana as she nodded to the request.

The door was opened and came bursting in a flock of women in maids clothing. They were none other than the servants tasked to attend to Luciana.

They immediately opened the curtains and let the morning light inside, illuminating the grand bedroom Luciana was in. Some of the maids began to prepare the hot bath to wash their lady and some began preparing her dress she would wear right after.

Luciana obliged to their tending and eventually got herself cleaned and dressed up for the day. She was put in a black gown that fitted perfectly with her grown curvaceous feminine body. A small veil ornament was nestling on her head which paired well with her lush flowing silver hair.

All in all, beautiful or not, her entire appearance made her look like she was preparing for a funeral.

One of the maid, the eldest one, came in front of Luciana and gestured toward the door. She was the head maid who oversaw all the maids in the estate and the one who spoke to Luciana earlier.

"Now, if you would, Lady Luciana…" said the head maid. "Lord Desmond and Master Lucius are expecting you for breakfast."

Luciana did not utter a word and simply nodded to the head maid with a cold face. She then stepped out of the bedroom and made her way to the dining room, fluttering her black dress and beautiful silver hair as she strode through the hall. 

Luciana finally arrived at the dining room and found two men already sitting there. Both of them had the same silver hair and the pair of golden eyes like Luciana's. They were also wearing black suits that paired well with her outfit. But the men still had their own features that differentiated all of the three people.

The first man was way older than Luciana and the other man. He had slight wrinkles over his face and his gaze was the most vicious and menacing of the three people. His entire visage was that of a snake and oozed with suffocating aura.

He was none other than Desmond Edelweiss, Luciana's father.

As for the second man, he was the same age as Luciana. His face looked exactly the same as hers, save for the masculine features he sported, which were the short, neatly-combed silver hair, the strong and sharp jaw, and the more-muscled frame.

That being said, his visage oozed with the same innocent feeling and great charm that Luciana possessed. But there was also something about him that painted himself as one not to be underestimated with, just like Luciana.

The second man was none other than Lucius Edelweiss, Luciana's twin brother.

Seeing the two personas in front of her, Luciana gave them a polite greeting.

"Good morning, father, brother! I hope I didn't make you both wait for too long."

"Nonsense, sister. We just sat down ourselves!" replied Lucius warmly.

"Sit down and have some breakfast, Luciana!" called Desmond. He poised a slight grin. "Fortuna knows you'll need the nutrient considering what's in store for you today."

Luciana then joined them at the table and the three engaged in a luxurious breakfast course together.

"Have you two heard the news?" asked Desmond to his children as they dined. "His Majesty, Emperor Arturos, has decreed an order to subjugate the monsters in the Grimcloud Forest."

"Really now? Which Imperial Army division will he be fielding, father?" asked Lucius.

"His Majesty is not sending the Imperial Army, my son." answered Desmond with a shook of his head. He let out a chuckle. "He's deploying his children to subjugate the monsters."

"The seven Little Suns? The princes and princesses?" reacted Lucius. "Dear Fortuna, His Majesty is eager to find his heir, isn't he?"

"And when will the subjugation take place, father?" Luciana suddenly jumped in on the conversation. Her eyes were curious, but not exactly because she did not know the answer. She simply wished to know what her father would say next.

"A week from now." replied Desmond. "The royalties will be heading out from the capital in four days."

The silver-haired woman slightly paused after hearing her father. She then nodded her head and resumed speaking to the family head.

"Let me guess," continued Luciana. "the Edelweiss family will be joining the operation."

Desmond grinned widely at his daughter's remark.

"Indeed! The Edelweiss family will be helping with the subjugation." said the family head. He pointed to his two children. "More specifically, one of you."

 "You wanted us to support one of the royalties, right?" asked Lucius. "Is that why we're holding the ritual today?"

"Indeed, my son!" nodded Desmond. "Today we will decide which one of you will inherit the Fortuna Grimoire and become the goddess's apostle."

"And one of us that is chosen will pledge our service to one of the Little Suns of the Empire…" said Luciana.

"And guide the chosen royalty to become the next emperor…" continued Lucius.

"As that is the purpose of the Edelweiss family." completed Desmond. "The one knowledge that you both already know too well, no?"

"Yes, father…" replied both Lucius and Luciana.

Desmond poured wine to his cup and raised it in front of the twins.

"Savor this moment, children!" said the father. His expression turned sinister. "For this is the last time all three of us will be sitting together as a family."

They all ceased their conversations and resumed with their meals. Meanwhile, Luciana surrendered to her thoughts.

"(This confirms it…I've returned to the past!)" thought Luciana. "(Everything happened just like how it did in my previous life.)"

Luciana observed her father and brother at the dining table.

"(From the wakeup call, the breakfast, the conversation…)" thought the silver-haired woman. "(Everything was exactly like how it went on the day when Lucius and I turned 20 and we held a ritual to choose Fortuna's apostle.)" 

She observed her twin-brother dining right across her.

"(This is the day when it all started…)" thought Luciana. "(The day when I killed my brother and became the Witch of Fortuna who would guide the world to its destruction!)"