2. Back To The Past (Part 1)

When Ariana opened her eyes again, she found that she was still breathing and lying on the soft mattress she hadn't felt in a long time. Ariana's brows immediately furrowed when she felt a strange feeling in her body.

Falling from that height should crush her body into shape. But this time, not only did she no longer feel any discomfort in her entire body, but Ariana also realized that she could again move the parts of her body that should have been paralyzed by the poison she had consumed.

Can fall from a height cure the poison lodged in her body? Ariana thought it was impossible. Ariana never knew that there was such a method to neutralize poison that even the best doctors couldn't cure. Not to mention that her body was too fine for someone who had just fallen from a height.

Ariana tried to get up when by chance the door in the room was opened by someone.

"You are awake, Lady Aria. Please allow me to call the doctor first."

Nothing can describe Ariana's surprise when she saw her grandfather's butler, James, enter her room before he finally came out again. The man should have died not long after her grandfather died. Ariana watched with her own eyes as his corpse was stuffed into the coffin.

A hint of hope rose in Ariana's heart as she looked at the man. Maybe, Ariana thought. She was in the afterlife and actually seeing her family again. Ariana was in no hurry to get up as she waited for the man to return to her room again.

While waiting, Ariana finally had a chance to take a closer look at her body. Her adult body shrunk and returned when she was two or thirteen years old. In the past, her parents always told her that a person who had died would turn into a person in their happiest year. Seeing her body, Ariana began to believe that she really did die and became a spirit when she was still young right now.

The door opened again and James came in with a doctor behind him. Even though Ariana was a little weird because doctors even existed in the afterlife, she still didn't refuse when the doctor started examining her with a serious expression. Still, in a daze, Ariana looked at James' face with a longing look. In her grandfather's cold residence, only James was constantly trying to make her comfortable in that place. Unfortunately, Ariana is so blind to realize the efforts of the people who love her in the past. Ariana was too focused on trying to get her grandfather's attention to ignore that James cared about her as long as he was alive.

"I'm sorry, James."

Suddenly getting an apology from his little lady, James smiled gently as he patted the girl's little hand.

"It's all right, Lady Aria. I'm certain that The Lady herself is shocked by everything that's happened recently. It's my fault for not paying enough attention to you. I hope you will forgive my shortcomings."

Ariana's eyes softened when she heard James' words. "Yeah, I was really surprised," She whispered weakly as she recalled the last moment before her death. Everything suddenly unraveled so easily before her death. Emilio and his mother betrayed her family, her miserable territory after she was poisoned, and the fact that her family's death occurred due to interference from a third party.

Tears involuntarily welled up in Ariana's eyes as she recalled all of that. She was really ashamed of herself. Blinded by love, she can't even see the evil schemes of the person she trusts and loves.

Seeing his little lady suddenly cry again, James felt his heart sliced ​​as he looked at Ariana with a sad look.

"Does Lady Aria feel uncomfortable? It will be over soon. Shall we make The Lady's favorite chocolate cake when you get better? We can make it together. I always remember that your chocolate cake is the best in the whole kingdom."

Ariana tried her best to stop her tears as she watched James desperately trying to comfort her. The saying that her cake is the most delicious cake in the kingdom has always managed to cheer up Ariana in the past. It would be a lie if Ariana said that she didn't miss that kind of little entertainment. Her lips attempted to form a smile, as the girl did her best to nod at James.

"Mr. James, Lady Aria is in a stable condition for now. Please just make sure Lady Aria doesn't get tired and eats light food for the stomach for a while. I'll come to check on her again later."

"I understand. Thank you so much, Sir."

Ariana watched as James escorted the doctor who was with him out of the room that Ariana was using. The girl was just about to find a comfortable position to lie down when another figure entered the room with strong momentum.

Looking at the cold face of the man who had just entered her room, Ariana couldn't hold back her tears anymore as she smiled bitterly while looking at the man. That man was the one who took care of her after the death of her parents, as well as the same man that Ariana had always misunderstood in the past. He's Ariana's grandfather, the Duke of Alison from the Kingdom of Sigmund.

Seeing his little granddaughter cry when the girl saw him, the man was a little displeased as he immediately looked at James, who had just returned after dropping the doctor off.

"What's going on here?"

"Lady Aria accidentally fell into the pool while she was playing in the backyard. She had a fever for three days before the doctor finally declared that The Young Lady is fine now. For now ... It's best if we let Lady Aria rest as much as possible, and eat food that will not burden her stomach."

Ariana's brows furrowed slightly as she heard James's explanation. It felt like something like this had happened in the past. Ariana was trying to dig up her memory when the cold voice of her grandfather greeted her ears again.

"If she's fine, why does she cry when she looks at my face? You. Did your parents ever teach you to be so rude to me?"

This time, the last sentence was directly pointed at Ariana, who had been ignored for a long time. The girl quickly shook her head in response to her grandfather's question. "No way. I'm just happy to see Grandpa again," Ariana answered honestly. Ariana couldn't hold her smile any longer, as she looked at her grandfather's stern face with longing eyes.

It was only after her grandfather's death, that she realized that the person who had always been strict and seemed to despise her had, in fact, always been her strongest protector in the past. Her grandfather always protected Ariana from behind the scenes. He also never hated Ariana as the girl thought in the past. Andrew, her grandfather, just had a hard time showing his affection for others. Coupled with his stiff expression, the old Ariana always thought that the man never liked her in the past.

Andrew himself was pensive as his normally mischievous granddaughter, who always looked at him like he was her greatest enemy, suddenly smiled bitterly as if the girl had heavy regrets over him in the past.

He returned from his work rushing because he heard the only granddaughter he had tried to hurt herself by jumping into the pool behind their house. Seeing his granddaughter's old habits, Andrew would prefer it if Ariana cried and said that she hated him as usual. However, he didn't feel good when his little granddaughter only smiled after she cried. The little girl's gaze was like the gaze of someone tired of everything. The old man's brows furrowed, as he approached Ariana to sit next to the girl.

"You can even talk sweetly now. Don't cause any more trouble. I'll go crazy if you keep making trouble like this."

Ariana smiled and nodded, even though she was still too sad to respond to her grandfather's words. Her heart warmed as her grandfather gently stroked her hair. The man probably still had a reluctant face and seemed disgusted by her crying. However, the tenderness that he conveyed in his caress, clearly represented his true feelings for Ariana.