Chapter 69: A Strange Dream

"It's a boy, Your Ladyship!"

I was panting, exhausted, before I opened my eyes. "Huh...?" I asked, wondering.

Hold on... I thought I was in the ancient forest? Where was I? Where was Niccolo?

Did we lose in the competition?

I gasped when I roamed my eyes around and saw that I was being surrounded by lots of maids while lying down in my bed.

I was confused for a moment. What the hell was happening?

I even lowered my head to see my legs being spread. I even felt a striking pain between my legs as if a watermelon had come out of my cunt. Lastly, a shrilling, piercing cry echoed in my ears.

What...?

What was happening?

"He got your features, my lady!"

I snapped back when a woman, covered with blood, approached me and bestowed me a... crying baby pup?

My heart caressed when the baby pup was in my hands as he slowly stopped crying the moment he felt... me?

Was that the right term?

I looked at it. An instinct kicked inside me as soon as I saw him. However, this turmoil of emotions crept inside me, baffling me about what was happening.

I meant... why must I hold this?

"He did not even get his features from his father..." I said coldly out of nowhere.

That certainly made me gasp, horrified, since I did not say that. It was never my intention to utter those words!

As if... As if someone was controlling my body.

No, wait... Was this my body in the first place?

But if I was in a different body... Why did I hear my voice, but it seemed mature and distant? I sensed coldness in it.

"My lady, do you have a name for your son?"

My body moved on its own accord. I even dropped my chemise to expose one of my breasts. I was confused and did not know what was happening to me.

As if somebody possessed me!

Was this really me?

But I never got pregnant! Why was I holding a newborn infant and letting it latch at one of my nipples?!

What the hell was happening?!

"Why do I have to name him when he does not resemble his father?"

My jaw dropped at the coldness of my voice. Why was I looked such a cold-blooded person? This was not me!

Please!

What was wrong?

The maids exchanged glances. Even the midwife was surprised at my words. But they did not say anything.

"Why does he have to inherit mine?"

I coerced myself to look at the baby pup's features. My eyes widened seeing that... he had my features.

Hold on... Was this my mini-me?

I was... pregnant? But... I remembered taking fertility control! I was not supposed to be pregnant!

I tried to move, but I realized that I couldn't. I felt like... I was trapped inside this body, and someone was controlling it on my behalf.

I felt like I was only looking from her perspective, but I couldn't move on my own. My movements were restricted.

"Get this thing out of me." I flinched at my words. My chest rose up and down since my voice was being used here.

And why did I feel resentment toward that child? Why was it blooming inside my heart?

What was this feeling?

This felt wrong...

"Yes, my lady..." One of the maids stepped forward to take the baby pup from me.

The door swung open. My head turned at the woman with jet-black hair and sparkling ocean-blue eyes. Our eyes met as she smiled at me.

"My, my... I heard you had given birth to a baby boy, sister. Allow me to see my nephew!" she exclaimed.

Huh? Sister?

This woman was... my sister?!

But that was impossible! All Cantavalle children must suppose to have cognac eyes, not ocean-blue eyes.

I did not understand what was happening.

I was baffled as to why I felt familiar with her. It felt like... I had seen her before.

Did I know this woman?

Why did I feel a strong aura around her, as if she came from a powerful rank?

"Leave us," I told the people around me, and they paid heed to it. They bowed and quietly left this chamber.

I followed this woman, who was my so-called sister, as she sauntered her way to the cradle. She was giggling and brushed her knuckles on the baby pup's cheek.

"He looks a lot like you," she said as she glanced at me. Her eyes were beaming with happiness. "Congratulations!"

My lips stretched to a bitter smile. I had a bizarre feeling about why I was supposed to feel this.

"I am not going to accept that child, Ragriel." I almost gasped. So, this woman's name was Ragriel. "He must suppose to inherit his features from his father, but he did not!" My voice raised. There was bitterness, sorrow, and abomination blooming inside my heart.

Why? Why did I feel the ill feeling?

Why couldn't I halt this body from spouting such nonsensical words?

The woman named Ragriel had her jaw dropped at the words... I uttered. That was not me who said that, so why must I claim that I said it?

Ragriel cleared her throat. "Have you thought of his name?"

"Do you think I even care?"

She sighed. "Then, I shall think of a name that suits my nephew." She smiled and turned at me. She hummed and stroked her chin. "Aha! How about his name should be—"

"I am not interested to know his name," I said through gritted teeth. "He is not even worth it. He should have his father's features! But he did not!" When I raised my voice, the baby pup jumped to his feet and slept peacefully in his cradle.

I felt bad. It was not me who did that. My heart was breaking into two the moment the baby pup almost cried.

But it was good her sister managed to calm him down before she turned to me.

She slowly took strides towards me. I knew that I was supposed to feel frightened, but the feeling of sorrow was lingering inside me.

I felt this before. This aching feeling...

I experienced this so many times.

It was the time Valerian died before my eyes.

I snapped back when Ragriel sat beside me and held my hand. "Dameta, please..."

As soon as she called me that, I felt like I had succumbed to a pool of ice.

What did she call to this body?

This body's name was Dameta?!

The one who was the spirit goddess and one of the daughters of the Moon Goddess?!

My body moved by jerking her hand from me before I felt my eyes start to water for some reason as despair started to bring me to the lowest point of my life. I gasped at this feeling since I had felt this before. It was painful, leading me to almost end my life for good.

What was this?

Why was I feeling sympathy toward her?

"Why cannot Mother grant my wish to allow him to live again, Ragriel?! Why cannot She let me see even his spirit form?!"

"Because you are going to deplete his spirit—"

"I want him back! I want him back!" I demanded. There was desperation smothered in my voice. I could even feel the tightening of my chest which almost led me to no breathing. "I will not see Her if She shall not fulfill my wish! And I am not going to accept that pup! Take that thing away from me, or I will kill him myself!"

"Dameta!"

I flinched and looked up to see Ragriel's angry face. "Did I not tell you our purpose as why we are born as—"

"Shut up! Mother even restricts my abilities! I want to correct everything! How can I call myself one of you if She punishes me?!"

"His mission is over, Dameta! Halt it!" I gasped when she started shaking my shoulders. "Wake up!"

As soon as she said that, I felt like my soul was being sucked away. I felt like something was calling me behind.

"Lilith... Wake up! Please!"

"Valerian?" My eyes widened when all of a sudden, I was surrounded by pitch-black darkness.

Hold on... Where was that person named Ragriel? Where was the baby pup that was already crying from their argument? Where was I?

What was happening?!

I opened my mouth to call for help, but no words were coming out of my mouth. I was getting frightened at what was happening since I did not understand why I must be in this place with no people around.

"Mother... why can't you love me as your son?"

"Demetrius?" My head turned from left to right when I heard Demetrius' cracked voice. I kept looking for it as the same broken voice I heard when he broke down.

"What else can I do for you to accept me as your son?"

"If you look like your father, then I shall rethink whether you belong to this household."

I started to shed tears at the harsh voice that sounded like mine. Why? Why did it sound like me? That was not me!

I swore! That was not me!

Someone was copying my tone! That was an impostor!

"You are weak, pathetic, and cannot even graze me a wound! Do you even have the blood of our household?!"

I covered my ears as I kept hearing my voice. It broke me. I did not want to hear anything anymore.

"Get me out of this filthy place!" I yelled angrily as my eyes were still obscured with darkness. I couldn't even see a thing. I couldn't even know where I was right now. "Please! Valerian, please help me!"

Then there was limelight appeared from afar. I also noticed that there was a man who was facing his back in my direction. I gasped since his body build was familiar. That robust features... That was...

"Valerian!" I called.

Valerian turned around as I ran towards him. But I halted when I saw disappointment written on his face. "Why? Why did you not protect our treasure, honeydew? Why did you take our treasure for granted?"

"Huh...?" I parroted, dumbfounded at his words.

He smiled bitterly. "Lilith... You have disappointed me..." With that, he turned his back on me and started walking away.

"No... Valerian... Where are you going?! Please take me with you!" I started to run faster, but I couldn't catch up to him. The more I ran faster, the more distance Valerian would have to be far from me. "Honeydew, please wait!"

When it seemed like I was catching up, I reached out to him, hoping I would manage to be with him. However, it was then that there was a hole underneath my feet that made me fall from an endless hole.

That was when I could open my eyes and got up while panting heavily. I even clutched my chest since I felt like someone was stealing my breath.

I thought I was clutching my hunting shirt, but I gasped when I saw that my upper body was covered with a bandage.

I recalled what happened. Then I hastily roamed my eyes and saw that I was still in the same cave Niccolo and I stayed at.

"What...?" My chest rose up and down as I got confused before the dream I had imprinted in my mind. That was I started to shed tears...

"Domi!"

I looked at the cave entrance upon seeing Niccolo, who was holding some tweaked branches. His jaw dropped when he saw me.

"Dominixe, you are awake! Thank the Moon Goddess!" Niccolo looked like he was about to cry as he rushed toward me. He even cupped my face. "W-Why are you crying?"

I bit my lower lip as tears cascaded down my cheeks. "Niccolo..." I started to wail in tears before I threw myself into his arms. "I had a nightmare..."