A/N: ATTENTION ALL READERS!

In commemoration of Another Life, Another Me reaching ONE MILLION reads, I have updated not one, but TWO chapters today~ The total word count is a little over 8,000 words~

Please read the chapter before this one if you haven't already!! (The future plot won't make sense otherwise...haha.)

Also, please read the special announcement after both of these chapters that I will update soon! Trust me, you won't regret it~

Alright, enjoy these chapters!!

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"...Florence. Florence is coming."

After that, it felt as if though a bucket of ice had been poured over our heads, waking us up from a temporary dream.

How did he...know where to find us...?

We didn't even tell anyone where we were going to leave to...

My throat tightened a little as I tried to come up with something to say.

"Ahaha...He must be really mad then. Lightning only ever comes out when he's furious..." I tried to laugh.

But, in the end, my voice sounded unsteady and nervous.

Ace's eyes glanced down at me and immediately turned dark when he noticed that my fingers were trembling a little.

I hid my hands behind my back from his view.

"It's a little cold today, isn't it? Let's go inside," I said as I came up with a plausible excuse for my trembling.

"...Do you want to run away?"

"Excuse me?"

"If you want to, we can run away. Somewhere really, really far away and nice. Somewhere he won't ever be able to find us. Wouldn't that be nice?" Ace asked as he gave me a reassuring smile.

It was as if he were telling me: 'No matter what happens, it will be alright.'

But...

"That does sound nice but...I won't ever run away. My family and friends are here. Running away and abandoning all of my duties...I can't even imagine doing something like that," I said confidently as I shook away all of my worries.

Ace smiled, albeit a little sadly, as if though he had expected my answer.

"Mmm...And that's exactly why I love you so much," he gave a small helpless chuckle.

"..."

What-

That's not fair!!!

A surprise attack like that is not fair at all!!!!

Calm down, Cordelia...

Ace doesn't love you in that way...

He only sees you as a companion...just a companion...

...

...Right?

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A While Later

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"Your hair really has always been so smooth and silky, Cordelia," Sophie said warmly as she brushed my hair.

"Is that so?" I asked as I twirled a small lock of hair with my fingers.

"Yes...I've missed this feeling quite a bit. You've grown up so fast, you know. It feels just like yesterday when you were still a child, running around and causing all sorts of problems," Sophie laughed as she recalled the past.

"Ahaha...I'm not going to lie. I still do the same thing now..." I sighed as I admitted to all of my mistakes.

"Fufu~ But you've grown into a fine woman. And that's all that matters," she said seriously as if there was no more room for doubt.

A warm feeling enveloped my chest.

It was strange.

I had never felt something like this before.

"...Thank you, Sophie," I smiled.

I'm glad...that out of everyone my father could have fallen for, he fell for Sophie.

I wonder...if this is what it really feels like to have a mother...

But our sweet time was interrupted when a maid knocked on the door.

"Excuse this servant. An esteemed guest has arrived near the front gates," a clear voice rang out from the other side of the door.

"Hmm? Who is it?" Sophie asked, slightly flustered by the unexpected arrival.

"It is his highness, the young sun of the kingdom, Florence van Gloria."

"What...?" Sophie questioned, confused.

I bit my tongue slightly.

Ah...he really came...

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It was stormy and cold outside.

A beautifully-crafted silver carriage slowly rolled to a stop in front of the manor.

I could feel it.

There was a thick, almost palpable, air of pure anger that hung around the carriage's perimeter and I nearly choked on it by accident.

I had no doubt in my mind that...

...Florence was mad.

Very mad.

"Oh my...Isn't the weather quite dreary today?" Sophie murmured as she stared into the sky, unable to sense the darkness that hung in the air.

"Tsk. Who gave the prince permission to come?? Even if he is the prince, isn't this quite rude? This breaks the etiquette!" my father clicked his tongue, clearly upset that his precious time with our family was interrupted.

But, we were all forced to tighten our mouths shut when the clicking sound of the carriage door opening was heard.

The coachman had quickly jumped off of his seat from the front of the carriage and scrambled on his feet as fast as he could to open the carriage door.

He was acting as if his life was on the line.

After straightening his posture, the coachman pulled open the carriage door quietly, without a word, and waited for the single person, who sat inside, to exit.

Unable to bear the tension, I took a quick glance inside the carriage and I could see a man with fine, golden hair sitting on the cushioned seats as if though he were a king.

His gleaming green eyes met with mine for a short moment and I didn't even realize that I had been holding my breath the whole time until his eyes moved away from mine and toward Ace.

Contrary to the dangerous aura that surrounded him, he was smiling—although his smile certainly didn't reach his blank eyes.

He stood up from his seat slowly and took a few steps outside of his carriage.

With a cold, unreadable expression, he faced my father and said, "Good evening, Duke Alastair. It's a pleasure to meet with you again."

"Good evening, your highness. Likewise, it's a pleasure to see you again too. You've grown up quite a bit these days...Is there a reason why you're here today?" my father asked, quickly getting to the point.

"Ah...I thought I should pay a visit to my dear fiancee, who escaped me yesterday," Florence said with a playful chuckle as if though he were only playing a game.

He turned his head to look at me and his gaze felt hot, as if though he were licking me all over with his eyes.

I shuddered a little bit but held my ground as I kept direct eye-contact with him.

There was no way that I could forget what he had done to me.

And, one thing was for certain...

...I would never let him do anything to me again.

"Good evening, Lia. Did you miss me?" he asked as he stepped over to me, took my hand in his, and planted a kiss on the back of it just like a prince would.

I absolutely hated the feeling of it, but I didn't let my emotions show on my face and instead smiled.

"It's good to see you again too, Florence," I replied.

Florence seemed satisfied with my response and turned to Sophie to give his greetings.

"And you must be the rumored Lady Sophie, who has captured the Duke's heart. I've heard many good things about you...and it seems like they are all true," Florence said smoothly as he also gave Sophie a light kiss on the hand.

"Oh my...It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness," Sophie said as even she blushed at his charms.

Florence lifted his head upward and gave an innocent grin.

It was scary...

The aura that surrounded him was full of rage and bloodlust...but the look on his face conveyed none of it as if though the suffocating sensation in the air was just a part of my imagination.

"..."

"Ah...And, of course...you're here too," Florence said as his smile disappeared and his empty eyes turned toward Ace.

Ace stared back at him with an equal, if not sharper, glare.

The air between the two was so cold that even Sophie began to shiver, even though she did not know why.

"It's a bit cold outside today. If it's alright with you, your highness, let us hastily head inside," Sophie said as she smiled warmly.

"Hmm? Ah...yes, of course. Let's all go inside, okay, Lia?" Florence asked as he easily wrapped his hands around my waist.

He gave an upward glance to Ace and smirked.

But the smirk on his face quickly disappeared when Ace stepped up to him and pulled his arm away from me.

"Hands off," Ace said coldly without caring in the slightest that both my father and Sophie were near.

Florence looked momentarily shocked for a moment as if though he didn't expect Ace to do anything except watch.

But his expression quickly recovered.

"Aha...How impudent. Don't worry, Mr. Dragon, I won't touch your master," Florence said with a smile as he lifted both of his hands in the air to playfully show that he had surrendered.

"..."

"For you to change so much...I wonder what you two have been doing together while I wasn't looking..." Florence murmured quietly so that neither my father nor Sophie could hear.

"..."

"You still won't speak? Well, I'll make you talk later anyway," Florence chuckled as Ace didn't say a single word in return.

Then, he turned around to enter the manor along with the others without sparing Ace another glance.

"Come, Lia," Florence ordered for me to follow.

The way he talked to me was a little irritating but I let out a heavy sigh.

"Let's go, okay, Ace?" I asked as I tugged on Ace's sleeve.

Ace lowered his head to look at me and, when I finally had a good glimpse of his face, I realized that he was wearing a painful expression.

It was as if seeing the way Florence treated me had physically hurt him somewhere.

"It's okay. Even though Florence has been...a little different lately, I still...I still believe in him. There has got to be a reason why he's changed so...let's not jump to any conclusions yet," I said almost as if though I was forcefully trying to convince myself.

Florence...he wasn't always like this...

There has to be a reason why...

...Right?

With a small, gentle smile, Ace nodded his head...even though he didn't look totally convinced.

"Mmm...Okay, let's go inside then."

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A While Later

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We invited Florence to join us for some lunch and he agreed.

While we were eating, it felt as if though a blanket of ice had coated the room.

It was so cold, in fact, that even I could hardly swallow my food without feeling a little sick.

I sighed.

If Florence was going to come all the way here unannounced, he should've calmed down first.

I took a quick glance at the maids and servants who stood against the wall, waiting to serve us, and noticed that they were all trembling under the pressure.

Ugh...

This is not what a meal with family and friends should feel like...

"Ah...Duke Alastair, if it's alright with you, I would like to spend some time privately with my fiancee," Florence finally broke the silence after he took a sip of water.

"Excuse me, your highness?" my father asked as he suddenly became alert.

"It's been a while since I've spoken with her, so I'd like to catch up and see what she has been doing these days," Florence smiled innocently.

"If I'm not wrong, didn't you just see my daughter yesterday?" my father said as he squinted his eyes at Florence.

"Haha...Yes, but it feels like it has been much longer than that, you see. I can't bear to part with her for even a moment," Florence said smoothly.

"But for a man and a woman to be alone together...especially since that woman is my precious daughter...! All men are beasts, I tell you. Beasts!!!" my father cried as he desperately tried to refuse.

"Do you not trust me, Duke? Surely, you understand my restrictions as the crown prince," Florence responded in a convincing tone.

"But this is a matter with my daughter so..." my father tried to say but Florence didn't listen.

"It'd be difficult for us to speak when there are adults around. Sorry, but I'm sure you understand how it is..." Florence sighed.

"Then...What do you think, sweetie...?" my father asked as he turned to me for my opinion.

Clearly, my overprotective father absolutely dreaded the idea of me being alone with any man, especially a man that was known for being a sadistic flirt...but...

"Sure, I'll go," I answered as I dabbed away any remnants of food from my lips with a napkin.

I didn't plan on running away.

In fact, I was kind of hoping for a development like this.

After all, I needed answers.

Florence gave a satisfied smile to my father and, eventually, my father had no other choice but to permit it.

"Fine. Go ahead, your highness. But...if I see to it that even a hair of my sweetie is hurt, even I can't guarantee you will be able to escape our dukedom without any penalty," my father said with a scary glint in his eyes.

"Haha...of course, Duke," Florence agreed.

My eyes met with Florence's for a moment and my heart skipped a beat.

Throughout this entire time, the scary aura around him had not left once.

"Let's go then, Lia," Florence said as he stood up from his seat and offered me his hand.

Without taking it, I stood up on my own.

"I'll lead you to the parlor," I said as I stared at him directly in the eye.

Florence's expression turned a bit rigid at the way I was acting but his unreadable smile remained glued onto his face, making it difficult to tell what he was thinking.

"By all means, please, lead the way," Florence said politely.

And, without another word, I left the dining room without saying another word.

Once Florence and I were alone in the hall, a feeling of dread crept up my heart.

I didn't like this.

I didn't like this at all.

His gaze felt like it was burning holes into my flesh and he continued to stare at me without looking away once.

When I took a glance at his face, I noticed that he still had an unreadable smile on his face.

But his eyes were...cold and unchanging.

I immediately turned away from him and kept walking until we reached the manor's parlor.

"Well? What did you want to talk about?" I asked as I entered the clean and elegant room.

"Ah...Lia, you're so cold. I missed you a lot, you know," Florence smiled as he slid up behind me like a snake and entwined his arms around my waist.

I flinched and slapped his hand away.

It...didn't feel right at all...

I couldn't help but compare him to Ace and...it was different...

It felt...

...cold.

Florence's expression turned hard and the unreadable smile on his face vanished as if though it had never existed in the first place.

Instead, he stared at me as if I were an impudent dog for daring to bare its fangs at him.

"It's only been a day since we've last seen each other," I said.

"Oh, I know. I can still vividly feel the place where that b-stard punched me, you see," Florence chuckled dryly as his hand grazed his left cheek.

"You deserved it though," I frowned when he began to reveal his true colors.

"Hmm? Did I do something wrong to deserve it?" Florence asked as he feigned ignorance.

"Why...Why are you acting like this...? Tell me, did something happen to you? You haven't been acting like yourself lately. It's strange."

Florence didn't say a single word and simply gave a smile as if though he couldn't understand what I was talking about.

"Hmm...Nothing has happened. Why would you think that?"

"Don't lie to me. You haven't been acting like yourself at all recently. You've threatened me. Hurt me. You even forced a kiss on me. It's not like you at all..." I said as I unconsciously clenched my hands into fists.

"..."

"I know...somewhere deep down...you are a good person. The old Florence must be in there. The old Florence that I had learned to know and love is somewhere in you. So...where is he...?" I asked.

"..."

He didn't say a single word and widened his eyes a little.

For a moment, he looked a little shaken but the emotion disappeared from his face as soon as it came.

"A good person? Me? Haha...Lia, this is who I've always been. I've just been tired with how things have been developing lately and decided to put an end to it," Florence chuckled.

"That's a lie. The usual you wouldn't...the usual you wouldn't act like this," I spat out.

"You're right. The usual me would normally never do these things..." Florence said.

"T-That's right...so—"

"But the usual me was useless. So I killed him off."

"What...?"

"Lia..." Florence murmured as he stepped toward me.

"What is it?" I asked, standing my ground.

With a small cock of the head, Florence asked, "Besides the Duke, his fiancee, and the other b-stard, has anyone else touched you?"

I paused.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"I'm asking if there's a man, who has touched you, that I don't know about?" Florence asked as he picked up a lock of my hair and smelled it.

"No—"

"You're lying, aren't you," Florence sighed as his gaze turned sharp.

"What??"

"You've always been a terrible liar. Now, tell me...before I become too impatient..."

I wasn't lying...!

There really wasn't anyone else who...

Then, I paused.

"Well, there was one man..." I murmured.

"Who was it?" Florence asked me.

"It was the Holy Priest. He came to visit the dukedom," I decided to answer honestly.

Florence suddenly froze and his gaze turned so dark that it was as if though the devil were staring back at me.

"Haha...I was only joking when I asked you if there really was another man. I didn't want to believe it," Florence started to laugh as if though the world had just played a great, big joke on him.

"Why—"

"So, while I was busy searching for you, you decided to sneak off to find another man to replace me, I see," Florence said through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me...What?!"

"Strip. Now."

Did I...mishear him...?

What did he just tell me to do...?

But before I could ask him what he meant, he reached his hand out toward the collar of my dress and pulled on it.

"I said take it off. Take it all off right now," Florence growled as he continued to pull on my dress.

With his other hand, he reached out to untie the strings on the back of my dress but I stopped him before he could.

"Take it off now. Let me see where that man dared to touch you," Florence spat.

"Stop it!! Get your hands off of me!!" I screamed as I tried to tug my dress away.

No...

What...was he trying to do?!?!

I had expected for him to cause some trouble but...something like this...something like this had never crossed my mind.

"Florence—"

"Are you kidding me, Florence...?"

Suddenly, the coldest voice that I had ever heard in my life appeared from behind me.

How long had that person been standing there...?

My entire body erupted in both cold shivers and sweat at the same time and I fell onto my knees in utter shock.

The dark, cold aura that had surrounded Florence earlier completely paled in comparison to this.

I couldn't breathe.

It was as if though all of the oxygen in the room had been sucked away and was replaced with the epitome of cold and darkness.

I gripped my neck as I tried to gasp for air to no avail.

Was I...going to die...?

Like this...?

"You've fallen so far that it's disgusting," a voice spoke that was much colder than ice and sharper than the steel tip of a blade.

I both recognized it and didn't recognize it at the same time.

Was that...Ace...?

"And even after all of this, she'll still believe in you, you know," Ace murmured coldly as he squatted on the ground by Florence.

Tears started to form in my eyes and my mind went dizzy as I tried to keep my consciousness.

In front of me, Florence had already completely fallen to the ground, unable to even move an inch as he fumbled around, struggling to gasp for air.

"...A...ce...?" I tried to ask but my voice could barely leave my lips.

It was cold.

So cold, in fact, that the world in front of me seemed to be flickering between black and white.

"...Ac...e...pl...ease..." I cried from the pain.

"..."

Then, before I knew it, the pressure went away as if it had never existed in the first place.

I started coughing uncontrollably and even thew up a little on the ground.

The entire world continued to spin around me, regardless of whether the pressure was there or not anymore.

My entire body was still in shock and I felt as if though I had nearly died.

As my vision flickered, I could see the hazy outline of Ace hovering over me as he picked me up in his arms.

Ah...

He felt warm...

Gently with his hands, he rubbed my back as he held me against his chest, trying to calm me down.

It took me a few moments before I could finally breathe and I snapped up as if though I had just awakened from a nightmare.

Ace moved his head toward mine and lightly tapped his forehead against mine.

"Ace...?" I murmured.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry," Ace whispered as if though he had just done something unforgivable.

"It's okay...Nothing happened in the end..." I said as I gave him a few pats on the back of the head.

But Ace immediately grabbed my hand and pulled it away from him as if he couldn't bear the sight of me treating him well.

"Stop it...I might hurt you," he said.

Ace's hands were trembling as he spoke.

"Haha...That b-stard is right, Lia. He's a monster that will hurt everyone indiscriminately, even if it's you," Florence chuckled a little from the ground as he covered his eyes with one of his hands.

He seemed to be unable to move, which wasn't surprising since the entirety of Ace's bloodlust had been directed at him.

"Let go of her dress," Ace growled as he stepped on Florence's hand, which was still wrapped around the hem of my dress, with the heel of his shoes.

But Florence, who refused to let go, pulled on it as tightly as he could, causing a large chunk of my dress to be ripped away, revealing the entirety of my left leg and a little more.

I felt blood rush up to my face as I reached out to wrap the remainder of my dress around my exposed lower half.

"Haha...Oops...I didn't mean to do that," Florence chuckled a little weakly.

If looks could kill, Florence would have died a million times over.

Ace's gaze, although it lacked the extreme coldness from before, was so sharp that it was almost a miracle that Florence wasn't physically bleeding from it.

"Walk back on your own," Ace said darkly as he lifted me up in his arms and left Florence behind in the room on his own.

Ace walked away slowly though, as if he were afraid to hurt me, and gently whisked me away like a gentle gust of wind.

"Ace..." I murmured.

"Cordelia, give up on that man."

"...What?"

"Give up on him. The old Florence is gone. He won't come back."

"...I can't."

"Why?!" Ace asked loudly as he stopped in the middle of the hallway.

"..."

"Is it because he's your fiance...?" Ace asked bitterly.

"No..."

"Then why?"

"...If...if I don't believe in him...then who else will...?"

"..."

Ace didn't say another word as he carried me all the way back to my bedroom and gently placed me down on the ground.

Although, my legs felt like jelly so I stumbled forward, almost face-planting myself on the ground.

But, before I could, Ace caught me again and held me against his chest.

"Haha...Sorry...I feel a little light-headed right now," I laughed awkwardly.

"..."

"I'll be fine if I rest for a bit though," I said reassuringly as I pointed toward the bed, gesturing for him to place me there.

Suddenly, I felt a tiny drop of water land on my cheek.

"...I'm sorry..." Ace murmured expressionlessly even though tears slowly rolling down his face.

His tears were as beautiful as diamonds.

They trickled down from his bright, emerald eyes like clear springs.

Ah...

He must be blaming himself so much right now...

"I'm fine...really," I reassured him with a gentle smile.

"I tried...so hard...but I lost control of myself...and even though I saw you right there...I still—"

"Shh...It's okay..." I smiled.

"No, it's not okay...Cordelia...I hurt you..." Ace murmured.

"You didn't hurt me. You just scared me a bit, that's all..." I said honestly.

Ace was silent for a while as he stared at me with eyes full of empty guilt.

He opened his mouth a few times to speak but he quickly closed them as if though he were struggling to come up with the right words to say.

"...Cordelia...Can I ask you something?"

"Of course...I'll listen to anything you want to say..."

"...What would I have to do...in order for you to willingly leave Florence...?"

"Huh...?"

"No matter what it takes...I'll do it, if it means you'll cut him off."

"Ace..."

"Please...every time I see him with you...my heart feels like it's being buried alive..."

"...Why...?" I asked.

"..."

"Why do you feel that way...?"

For a moment, it was completely silent as Ace stared at me.

Something hot flashed behind his eyes and bit his tongue before quickly turning around and carrying me out of the room.

"W-Wait, Ace...?? Where are we going...??" I yelped as I gripped onto his shirt for support.

He didn't seem to be listening to me at all in the slightest though and simply continued to storm through the halls.

"Ace...?" I asked.

But, still, he refused to listen to me and carried me away before I could say another word.

Soon, he had carried me out to a balcony terrace, facing the setting sun.

The stormy clouds from before were gone, most likely because Florence was too weak to even be angry anymore.

And, since it was wintertime, so the sun was already setting even though it wasn't that late yet.

"Cordelia."

I turned up to look at Ace and I forgot to breathe for a moment.

The way his silver hair and fair skin glowed under the warm, orange glow of the sun was so beautiful that it took my breath away.

And his gaze, which was even warmer than the sun's, was staring at nothing else...except for me.

"What if I told you that..." Ace murmured.

For a moment, time seemed to slow down and all I could hear were the increasingly loud heartbeats of both mine and Ace's hearts.

"What if I told you that I love you...?"

"...Huh?"

"Cordelia..." Ace murmured as he gently thumped his forehead on mine.

"W-What..." I stuttered as my face flushed red.

I could feel his cool breath touch my skin as he slowly opened his mouth to speak.

"I love you."

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A/N: AND THAT CONCLUDES THE LAST PART OF THE DOUBLE UPDATE I PLANNED TODAY!!!

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA~ WOOOOOHOOOOO!

Will this be a real confession?? Will Cordelia accept it?? Or will this all be just a dream?? Find out next week in the next update~

AH~ I LOVE DRAMA TOO MUCH HAHAHAHA~

Anyways, thank you for the ONE MILLION READS!!! I love you, my little children. I wouldn't have been able to make it this far without you guys~

Thank you so much for reading/voting/commenting on this story~

Just as a reminder, please read the author's note that I have written after this chapter! I have a small announcement to make and I'd like your opinion~

Stay safe~

Okie byeee!

Word Count: 4478