I am the Duchess!

Chapter 3: Execution

"What a bitch"
"Attention whore"

I could clearly hear the insults being thrown at me, as I was being led to the execution plaza. The feeling in the plaza is... heavy. Never did I expected things would go this way.

.....

"Helena Doukas, the former-Empress of the Empire. You have committed adultery and treason against the Emperor. You have therefore committed a grave sin befitting of death. You are hereby stripped all of your titles and sentenced to death"

Is this the end of me? No... I haven't done anything wrong. I was falsely accused by the Emperor! I thought he was truly in love with me! I never knew he was just playing with me. God, what have I done to deserve this? I know I was such a villainous person but I was never evil!

[2 years ago]

It was a sunny day, I was having my usual afternoon tea in the pavilion. It is another bountiful year for the House of Doukas. It's another year of bountiful harvests in our domain. God truly favors the Empire. A little later, I could see the Duke walking towards me from afar.

"Good Afternoon, what bring you here Father?"

The butler alongside him, unveiled a portrait of a young handsome man.

"Helena, this is your future husband. The Crown Prince of the Empire, His Highness Rudolf von Hohenberg"

"Treat him well, you are destined to be the Empress of the Eternal Empire"

Hm, not bad looking. As long as he's handsome I'm fine with it. I hope he has a good personality though.

[6 months later]

"Helena, I wanted to introduce you to someone"

Hm?..

Perhaps, a new suitor? No, wait. Who is this woman?

"This is your long-lost sister, Marie. She may not share the same mother as yours. I hope you treat her as a real big sister would."

"Yes.. father"

I was.. well you know. Shocked, and also dissapointed. My Father, whom I looked up to. Would have a child with another woman. My mother, the former Duchess has long been gone. But still, it hurts.

.......

[end of flashback]

Little did I know... my life suddenly started to go for the worst at that time. I became.. a wicked woman. I loathed my sister, who was of humble origin. And the fact that she's a bastard, didn't helped either. Every time we we're in a social gathering, I would humiliate her. Throw a cup of tea in front of her in public, pushed her into the stairs. Which nearly took her life.

Me, being a daughter of a Duke, and the Crown Princess. Everyone tolerated it, even if they didn't want to. People made rumors about me, but it didn't matter anyway. They can't say it in front of me, they're too scared to do that. That's the power of my authority. Finally, the day of our marriage came. I was so ecstatic that my wedding became the "Wedding of the Century" and followed by a grand coronation as the Emperor and Empress of the Empire. It attracted numerous foreign dignitaries all over the continent and all the aristocrats of the Empire.

However, the night of the wedding was my ultimate downfall. The Crown Prince, or shall I say the Emperor. Schemes successfully in accusing me of sleeping with a Guard from the Imperial Guard and leaking supposed 'government documents' to another country. I was.. framed up. Marie.. my little fucking sister. And the Crown Prince. Those two bastards. Marie tried to be nice to me and placed a drug in my cake, which made me asleep. I woke up naked .. with a man that I recognized from the Imperial Guards. And, the Crown Prince appeared in the exact moment of my supposed 'adultery ' with his loyal aides.

A lady-in-waiting of mine served as a witness of accusing me of leaking 'documents' of the Imperial Treasury and giving it to the neighboring country...

It was all.. FABRICATED.

The Crown Prince surely fabricated those, and the lady-in-waiting's statement must been Marie's doing.

"Any last words? Helena?"

"..N..one"

The executioner then took me to the execution site.

God, why have you forsaken me? I know I have sinned. Please, grant my only wish. Forgive me and give me another chance.

Rudolf, ... Marie. I will never forgive you.

....

[END OF FLASHBACK]

"!!!!"

"MY LADY! You're awake! Thank God!!

"How long, was I asleep for?"

"My Lady, it was a week."

A week?!

"Thank God, you are fine. Everyone was worried including the Duke. I'm calling the doctor right away Milady. Please, excuse me"

Why does it feel surreal? Like I was the one who experienced those? Helena, who are you really?!

Then it hit me.

I WAS Helena, I've lived as Helena and reincarnated to my previous life in Earth as Elaine. And here I am, I am once again back to this world.

Rudolf.. Marie.. I will never forgive you. I swear, I will exact my revenge to you two. I will never be played again. You two will regret for doing this to me in my past life. I was given a new life, and I sure will make use of this!