I Burned the Past, and He Burned for Me

Cynthia's Point-of-View

It was then that the underboss announced, "And the one who will take on the role of the next Madre is Ella Crawford!"

Having heard that, Oliver Bryant cast a triumphant sidelong glance my way.

I met his gaze with an indifferent smile, snapping the tampered lot I had prepared earlier behind my back. I managed to appear even more relaxed and joyful than he was.

It was then that one of the members muttered under their breath, "How could it be Ms. Ella? Didn't Madre prefer Ms. Cynthia, whose witch power is leaps and bounds ahead of Ms. Ella's?"

Then, someone else chimed in, asking, "Didn't someone spot Oliver and Ella together late at night in the garden just the other day, wrapped up in each other's embrace? That means the selection was certainly settled in advance."

"Why go through the trouble of drawing lots, then?"

In that moment, discussions broke out one after another.

Oliver, who was seemingly oblivious, marched eagerly toward Ella. He then eagerly lowered his head and kissed the back of Ella's hand. His voice was brimming with unrestrained joy as he declared, "I can finally marry you, Ella!"

It was only then that I realized that Oliver, too, had been reborn. That explained why an attendant had been constantly shadowing me before the lots were drawn.

In my past life, Oliver had drawn Ella's name. I intervened and secretly replaced the lot, though, knowing that Ella was incapable of lifting the curse. I was always bound to be the one chosen in any draw under this condition.

Oliver had deliberately assigned someone to watch over me this time. It was a pointless effort since I had decided not to interfere with the draw from the very beginning.

I could still recall the scorching flames from my past life. I clenched my fists to stop my body from trembling. I had been reborn, so I resolved never to humble myself before that miserable wretch again.

Oliver was leading Ella by the hand. He stopped directly in front of me, and his tone was dripping with mockery. "You were the one to put forward the draw for the Madre selection, Cynthia. You're not planning to spout that ridiculous claim that 'only you can lift my curse,' right?"

His eyes were brimming with malice. He then leaned in close and whispered, "I suggest you be smart about this and just watch me marry Ella without a fuss, Cynthia. Otherwise, I'll see to it that you meet a terrible end without a trace or a proper burial!"

Oliver made no conscious effort to keep his voice down.

Upon hearing Oliver's proclamation, Madre immediately scowled. She rushed forward and clutched Oliver's arm, saying, "That's incredibly disrespectful, Oliver! Cynthia wields the strongest witch power here! Your marriage to her is the only way to guarantee everything goes off without a hitch!"

In my past life, Madre also staunchly protected me in the same way. She was also the one who proposed exchanging the lots, for her witch bloodline had revealed that I alone could free Oliver from the curse.

Oliver yanked his arm out of Madre's grasp. "Mamma! Ella is of witch descent as well! She should be able to lift the curse as well since she has witch blood in her! It doesn't matter if it's not Cynthia, Mamma!"

He pivoted in his argument. He scanned the faces present and raised his voice sharply. "It's clear that everyone here saw the result of the draw! We, the Bryant family, have always been true to our words! That's why you've all chosen to stand with us!"

Having said that, he deliberately raised his gaze toward Don Bryant, who occupied the seat of honor.

Ella seized the moment. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears as she said, "In our witch lineage, the twin who is born first carries the purest witch blood. I'm capable of saving Oliver, too, Don Bryant, and Madre."

Mom and Dad quickly chimed in with their approval, saying, "That's right, Don Bryant! Ella has always been blessed with incredible luck! She's the perfect choice for the next Madre!"

I felt a sudden, agonizing stab in my chest at that moment. Mom and Dad had always been biased toward Ella—their beautiful darling—while I had always been neglected by them.

I was the one who had discovered Ella's secret and told Mom about it, only for her to severely scold me and accuse me of being malicious at such a young age. Dad, on the other hand, pinned all his hopes on Ella's witch lineage, dreaming of the day she'd become the next Madre and live in splendor.

They had never treated me like their daughter, and now, I did not see them as my parents any longer.

I maintained a smile and began to applaud, saying, "It's clear that the heir of the Bryant family never goes back on his promise. You can rest assured that Ella's witch bloodline is just as capable of lifting the curse, Oliver."

It was true that Ella had the purest witch blood—but as her twin, I was able to perceive her secret. It was not a power that would cure him but a horrifying force that was capable of thrusting Oliver into ruin.

In my past life, Ella had taken her own life because she feared that her secret would be revealed. I, however, intended to keep this secret to myself in this life and silently observe Oliver's downfall.

It was only after a brief, tense silence that Don Bryant finally stated in a grave tone, "It's settled, then. You are to return and make arrangements for your marriage to Ella, Oliver."

Oliver couldn't help but smile triumphantly as he said, "I suggest you stop entertaining any unrealistic fantasies about me, Cynthia. Otherwise—"

He was interrupted by an elegant, deep voice. The person declared, "I'll marry Cynthia since you've settled on Ella!"