C2
Without a doubt, Bianca was dead. The memory of her kneeling on the cold stone floor of the convent, praying even as the frequent cough escaped her throat, was still fresh in her mind, as if it had happened only moments ago.
“Please, God, have mercy on me and give me another chance. I know I fell short, I was young and I made countless mistakes. I promise I won't make such foolish decisions again and will live an honest life instead... I don't want to die like this...
With death at her doorstep, Bianca's eyes filled with tears. The sound of taunts from those who had kicked her to the cold, hard floors of the convent lingered and echoed in her ears. Sounds that Bianca tried to drown out by praying more fervently than before.
Except Bianca didn't think God would hear her prayers. If God was really listening to her, he would have made himself known to her before she made the wrong decisions throughout her life, guiding her to the right path.
His sick body couldn't take it anymore. He went limp, losing strength, as his eyes began to slowly close. Bianca finally collapsed on the spot, unable to hold on any longer.
He had no energy to lift his slumped body off the stone floor, using what strength he had left to look up and look at the goddess statue instead. Bianca could barely make out the straight features on the statue's face with her blurred vision, a face that almost seemed to tell her that she was going to grant her wish.
A bitter laugh escaped faintly from dry, parted lips. She found herself pathetic for clinging to hope even in her last moments. Bianca closed her eyes, the corners of her mouth still curved in a self-deprecating smile, believing that she would never be able to open them again.
However, Bianca ended up coming back.
In fact, he woke up to find that he had returned to his younger self.
The 38-year-old woman who was dying of lung disease while crying out to God on a cold stone floor was nowhere to be found.
When Bianca opened her eyes, she found herself in her room at Arno Castle. The patterns on the wall, engraved with the Arno family crest, the layout of her room… Everything was exactly as it had been in the past, which only caused Bianca's head to throb.
Was this a dream? Or was this the last hallucination before she opened the gates of heaven?
Unsure of the situation, Bianca retreated to her room. She seemed like she would easily see her lifeless corpse pathetically lying on the cold floors of the convent if she closed and opened her eyes again. She never wanted to go back to that place.
On the first day, Bianca never stepped foot out of her blankets, her entire body continually trembling with fear. On the second day, she turned her room upside down by knocking and smashing everything in sight. All the precious valuables were ripped out of her chests and scattered on the floor.
On the third day, Bianca screamed at the top of her lungs.
And on the fourth day, she continually scolded her maids, unceremoniously devouring the endless amounts of food she had them bring.
Although Bianca's strange behavior continued, no one paid her any attention. Everyone assumed that she was just the lazy, moody Mrs. Her acting on a whim.
Despite being the mistress of the house, Bianca made no effort to fulfill the duties or responsibilities that came with that position, which included being a supportive wife to her husband, Zachary. All she cared about was decorating her room, engaging in trivial pastimes, and choosing luxury items.
Therefore, who in Arno's castle would bother to look at her a second time, let alone have any affection for her? The only reason they still treated her with the least amount of respect was because they were thinking of the Blanchefort family.
"No way," Bianca muttered under her breath.
His current appearance echoed his room, both of which were in ruins from days of turmoil. Her auburn hair was disheveled like crazy, and her pale green eyes were dim and cold. Her fingernails, which were used only to plucking the strings of a lute, learning to embroider, or turning the pages of a book, were chipped and broken from throwing and messing things over the past few days.
However, they were still much cleaner and tidier than when he had been a victim of frostbite at the age of 38. Bianca grabbed the ends of her skirt. Unlike the rough fabric of the clothes she wore while she lived in the convent, the skirt she wore now felt soft.
He turned his weary gaze to the statue of the goddess on top of the fireplace. The statue was carved from ivory and was a precious item that Bianca had brought as part of her dowry. Of course, she also ended up being stolen by the same bastards who had thrown her into the convent...
The slight smile on the marble statue of the goddess he saw in his last moments overlapped with the ivory statue he was now seeing above the fireplace.
This was neither a dream nor a hallucination. This feeling of hunger, fatigue, the vivid sensation of everything around her…
All of this was real.
"Is this really real?"
A hollow laugh escaped her lips. Her body was overwhelmed with fatigue, her voice sounded exhausted, and a lot of thoughts invaded her confused head, making her feel heavy.
No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't come up with an answer.
If this was reality, what about all those experiences he faced throughout his life?
Had everything up to the moment of his death been an unfortunate dream?
But the pain of being betrayed by the love of her life and the despair of being kicked to the ground felt too real to be considered a dream. Just the thought of the man toying with her heart brought on a wave of anger.
It was impossible for these emotions to arise from something that was just a dream.
If his pathetic last moments had been real, and being here, perfectly fine, was real too...
So, did this mean that she had returned to the past?
"Have I really traveled to the past?"
Bianca's voice trailed off, echoing silently through the room.
If this were real… If God really gave her one more precious chance…!
Belatedly accepting the truth, Bianca stood up and wailed. She sounded like a wounded beast as painful sobs escaped her throat, her cheeks were wet with tears, and yet there was an aura of joy on her face at having another chance at life.
* * *
After letting out all the emotions that she had kept inside, Bianca composed herself and straightened her features. She had given in to her emotions enough.
Now he concentrated on trying to make logical sense of his situation, but found that he had no idea how he had been granted such a miracle. Of course, Bianca had desperately wanted such a miracle in her last moments, but that alone surely wasn't enough for her to come true, was it?
Despite joining the convent late in her life, Bianca hadn't exactly been the most faithful believer. The reason she had more or less been thrown into the convent was because nowhere else would accept her. Not only was her dowry and personal property stolen, but she was also labeled an immoral woman for having an affair. Therefore, it was no surprise that no one welcomed him from her.
The convent that took her in told her to pray and repent of her sins, but Bianca, having been expelled to such a place, against her will, only had feelings of hatred towards God. But it was to be expected since she only regrets her life. She hated and resented God for giving her such a difficult life.
It was not until 15 years after joining the convent, when she was nearing the end of her life, that she began to repent of her sins. However, to think that a miracle would be granted to an irreverent woman like her. How could she know the answer to that?
Bianca stared at her reflection in the mirror. The figure looking at her was no longer blue like a corpse. Instead, her skin looked clear and smooth as goat's milk. Fine, tiny hairs covered her soft cheeks, making them look like soft peaches, a testament to her current youth.
But instead of unadulterated naivety, her flawless features were painted with fear, anxiety, and insecurity regarding the future that would unfold.
Bianca leaned back against the headrest, her eyes staring into space. When she was 7 years old, her father had suddenly mentioned the news of her marriage to her, causing her to immediately burst into tears.
—Bianca. To tell the truth, I just got back from offering your hand in marriage.
They had given him chocolate cake that day. The cake had only made the innocent Bianca happy, as it wasn't often that she was given permission to eat something like that. After placating her with many sweets, her father went on to explain all the advantages of her marriage, covering her words with honey. It was all for Bianca to walk down the hall alone without complaining.
'The candidate's name is Zachary de Arno. He recently received his title of “Baron”. Although he hasn't given me an answer yet, I don't think he will refuse.
His father's voice had been sweet as chocolate, but he remembered how the chocolate cake he had been eating at the time tasted strangely like dried mud. He maybe she had been instinctively trying to warn herself of the difficult married life she would end up having. Still, Bianca would never have imagined that the end of her marriage would end the way she did.
Even if he had been able to predict it, he wouldn't have changed a thing. A child had no choice but to follow the will of his father, including marriage. A boy cannot even express his rejection of his proposed partner unless he has a legitimate reason to disqualify him. As for Bianca, her young age put her in a position where she couldn't refuse even if she had a reason. Of course, she was not alone. There were many cases like Bianca's.
No comments:
Post a Comment