Chapter 1

The Elias clan hated anyone with impure blood. In my previous life, my fiancé Derek Elias, the clan heir, went against the elders and insisted on marrying Ella Hart, a human girl, to be his duchess.

The elders were furious. They tore out her throat right in front of everyone and served her body at the table.

I couldn't stand by and do nothing, so I secretly made arrangements to look after that girl's family.

But on our five-hundredth wedding anniversary, Derek crucified me and drove an aspen stake through my heart.

His eyes were blood red, his fangs sharp and gleaming. There wasn't an ounce of warmth in his gaze. "If I hadn't been forced to marry you, Ella wouldn't have been dead.

"These five hundred years, every time I looked at you, I felt sick. Tina, go to hell and pay for your sins."

That was when I finally understood. He had always hated me. The affection he showed was nothing more than an act born from fear of my family.

Now I was back at the ball where he was supposed to choose his wife. However, this time, I stepped into the spotlight and danced perfectly.

*****

When the dance ended, the whole crowd buzzed with whispers. Many nobles here were known for their dancing. They looked at me with admiration, just like Queen Marilyn. Then they started whispering.

"Queen Marilyn threw this ball to find a wife for Prince Derek. Having Tina Francis open the dance definitely means something."

"The Francis clan is powerful too. They've got a ton of talented people."

"If Tina lands the prince, her family's set."

Queen Marilyn had a pleased look on her stunning face. She called me over and, right in front of all the vampire nobles, patted my hand. "Your dance was elegant but also lively. You must have worked hard on it. I love it."

In my previous life, right before I left for the ball, my mom reminded me how much was riding on this.

My dad was barely connected to Count Francis. He might as well have been a stranger. Life was hard for her, and I was her only daughter, as well as her last hope.

She told me I had to do whatever it took to stand out and become Derek's fiancée. If I could become duchess one day, she'd finally get some respect from the Francis family.

I'd believed every word. For three months before the ball, I practiced dancing nonstop, day and night. Even when my feet were raw and bleeding, I dragged myself up to keep going.

All that work paid off. Queen Marilyn loved what she saw, and that very night, she had Derek and me engaged on the spot.

So when I found myself back at that same ball, I made sure to shine brighter than ever. I did it for my family. And I did it for the girl who died so horribly in my previous life.

Queen Marilyn smiled warmly. Her long, dark purple nails gently curled around a strand of my hair as she looked at me softly.

She said, "Good girl, you have always been so well-behaved, smart and gentle. I think you are wonderful. Would you be willing to be engaged to Derek?"

I looked down and spoke softly, "You're flattering me, Queen Marilyn. It's my honor to hear that. And I would be happy to marry Prince Derek one day."

She saw how obedient I was and felt even more pleased. Her eyes were gentle, and her lips curled into a warm smile. "Then it is settled. Derek is sure to be happy."

Everyone's attention shifted to the striking young man standing behind Queen Marilyn. With his sharp features and piercing gaze, he cut a tall, elegant figure in his black tailcoat, looking refined and composed.

When I looked at his cold and distant eyes, memories from my previous life flashed back. My whole body trembled with rage. My nails dug into my palms hard enough to draw blood.

"I will do whatever you say, Aunt Marilyn," Derek said. His voice was so flat that I couldn't tell what he was feeling.

That simple answer sent a shock through me. He had been back in time, too.

In my previous life, when Queen Marilyn tried to arrange our marriage, Derek had scoffed, "Aunt Marilyn, you are being too hasty. As an Elias, I'm not desperate enough to marry some nobody from a side branch."

Back then, my shy face turned pale. He looked down on my family and on me.

But my parents were counting on me. Even though the Francis family had power, we still lived a miserable life. Only if I married Derek and tied our families together would the main branch of the Francis family finally accept us.

So even though I was humiliated, even though I felt worthless, I swallowed my pride and went along with it.

Queen Marilyn's always been kind. She saw me getting torn down and defended me. "I've watched Tina grow up. She's sweet, she's got class, and she knows how to behave. She's more than good enough for you. If you don't like it, come talk to me."

And so the engagement was settled, even though Derek didn't want it.

After I got home, I spent the whole night wide awake, drowning in regret and replaying every painful moment.

The next day, trying to appeal to his tastes, I gave him a parchment-bound poetry collection I'd struggled so hard to get.

Derek glanced at it, snorted, and said, "You call this junk a gift? Looking at it makes me lose my appetite."

Before I even had time to feel hurt, it disappeared.

I searched everywhere for it, and eventually, I found it sitting in Derek's room.

I thought he was tough on the outside but soft on the inside. I thought he simply did not know how to express himself. So I tried even harder to take care of him.

Homemade scented balms. Hand-carved glass ornaments. Rare monster scales I risked my life to hunt. If he liked something, I gave it to him.

But instead of marrying me, he brought home a human girl, Ella. He said, "Ella is the love of my life. My duchess is her and only her."

The clan elders were furious. Right in front of him, they bit through Ella's neck and ordered her liver to be cooked and served at the table.

"Prince Derek, you must always remember your noble status."

"Only the blood of Count Francis is worthy of our family. Your duchess can only be Tina Francis."

They forced Derek to swear loyalty and to eat the internal organs of the girl he loved, one agonizing bite at a time.

Derek didn't cry at all. Instead, he locked himself in his room for an entire month.

I couldn't stand it, so I brought him food and water. Behind the scenes, I quietly took care of Ella's family.

Then came the day he inherited his title and our wedding day. Vampire hunters suddenly invaded my family's lands and slaughtered my entire clan.

Derek looked furious and disgusted. He comforted me and felt sorry for me. He swore he would get revenge for my family. I believed him completely.

But then he tricked me into a ritual circle and trapped me with holy water and silver flames. It badly wounded me.

He then ripped out my fangs. During the day, he threw me into the sunlight to burn. At night, he handed me over to newly turned vampires. Those low-level vampires bit me, degraded me, and took out all their sick urges on me.

Right then, my vampire healing powers felt more like a curse than a gift.

And when he finally got bored, he ordered them to nail me to a cross and drive a stake through my heart. I actually felt relief.

Even as I was dying, he would not let me have peace. He said, "If I hadn't been forced to marry you, Ella wouldn't have been dead.

"These five hundred years, every time I looked at you, I felt sick. Tina, go to hell and pay for your sins."