wariness of my family

I opened my eyes on the 3rd of Elethien, Year 842, eight years before the guillotine fell.

I was thirteen again.

My younger brother, Siaca, was only six.

And my sister, Dia de Vellore, had just graduated from Ardeval Crown Academy—the most prestigious noble school in the Aertheyan Empire.

Everything was as it once was.

I stumbled to the mirror, heart pounding.

No bruises. No torture marks. No cold cell.

Only the reflection of a girl with aqua-blue hair that shimmered like sunlight on water, soft pale skin, and green eyes that once glittered with joy. But the innocence… it was gone.

I was back.

But not the same.

I ran—barefoot, breathless—down the halls of our estate.

At the breakfast table, my family was laughing, unaware of the future awaiting them.

I flung my arms around Siaca.

He squealed in surprise as I buried my face into his small shoulder, sobbing.

"Jia?" my mother gasped. "What happened?"

I turned and rushed into her arms next.

The scent of her lavender perfume broke me all over again.

Father rose from his chair, Dia's fork clattered to her plate.

They were alive.

Still here. Still warm. Still breathing.

Relief flooded through me like a tidal wave—

And then, everything went black.

I fainted in my mother's embrace, whispering the only truth I knew:

> "I won't lose you again."

++++++

When I opened my eyes again, I was in my room.

The silk canopy above me fluttered faintly in the morning breeze. Everything was so familiar—yet it felt like a dream I was afraid to wake from.

I sat up slowly. My hands were trembling.

There was a soft knock, and the door creaked open.

"Jia?" It was Dia, her voice gentle, concerned. She stepped in, her usual poise now laced with unease. "You scared us. Are you… alright?"

I nodded. "Just a bad dream," I whispered.

That was all I could say. The truth would make me sound mad. No one would believe I had lived and died twice.

Soon, my mother came in, placing a cool hand on my forehead. Father followed, worry in his eyes. Even Siaca clung to the doorway, peeking in with big, tear-brimmed eyes.

"I just... missed everyone," I said, forcing a smile.

They believed me—for now. But I could see the worry etched into their faces.

And yet... they were alive.

I had eight years.

Eight years before the empire destroyed us.

Eight years to unravel the hidden plot behind our execution.

Eight years to protect the people I loved.

I wasn't strong. I wasn't the heroine.

But I had time.

And this time, I would not be silent.

> I, Jia de Vellore, the extra who was never supposed to exist—will rewrite the tragedy they wrote for us.

The days after I fainted passed in a blur of tender worry.

Mother hovered around me with gentle hands and whispered lullabies. Father softened his tone, letting the work pile as long as I ate beside him. Dia kept trying to distract me with silly gossip from Ardeval Crown Academy, and Siaca refused to sleep anywhere but my bed.

I had forgotten what it felt like to be loved so wholly.

For now, I let myself melt into that warmth.

Because I knew it wouldn't last.

This time, I would not waste my second life simply enjoying what would be lost. I had to act—quietly, carefully. I couldn't raise suspicion. Not yet.

But there was one question that haunted me more than anything.

> What happened to Mother after we died?

She was the only one who wasn't executed.

She was taken away—by my uncle, a man I barely remembered.

A man who, in this life, hadn't yet returned.

They called him Kaeron de Vellore—my father's younger brother.

Once heir to a portion of our lands, but ruined by gambling, alcohol, and bad debts. Grandfather, the founder of Vellore County, had expelled him years ago and struck his name from our records.

He disappeared.

But during our execution… he returned. Only to take Mother and vanish again.

Was it mercy—or betrayal?

Was he a coward running again?

Or a player in the shadows of the empire?

I didn't know.

But I would find out.

> First, I needed to gather information—about him, the people he owed, and the places he might return to.

And to do that…

> I had to become the perfect daughter of Vellore.

Warm. Smiling. Innocent, yet strong and powerful enough to protect my family.

So no one would ever suspect what I was truly planning.