It looks like Selena's new trend is to fall unconscious at critical times. First, she fainted after the successful completion of the Play "How to screw over your Ex-Fiancé". The second time she fainted was after defeating the Annoying Phoenix, who didn't know the meaning of the word, "Guest".

'I should really work over this.' Selena thought as she was greeted with a bizarre sight when she woke up.

This time, she was in her bed, in her room, in her night clothes, but it was during midday. Her mind was feeling groggy despite sleeping so late as if she spent the night drinking away her sorrows like a salary man.

She was pretty sure that last night's events were a dream, however, that thought immediately killed itself because of the sight in front of her.

A Middle-Aged Man was on his knees on the left side of her bed, holding her hand and weeping continuously. She had no idea, how long had he been there but the marks of dried tears proved that he was there for some time.

This middle-aged man was obviously her Father, The proud owner of the Booker Manor, Marquis Will Booker. He had a bulky physique, which probably made him a handsome man in his younger days, however, age is a bitch. He now has a pot belly and salt and pepper hair and mustache with some balding from the front. However, the air around him was now mature and full of authority due to his experience in the Aristocracy.

But this same man was bawling his eyes out next to his daughter. He was so grief-stricken, that he was not even aware that Selena had woken up and sitting on the bed.

The sight obviously stunned Selena. Selena was his first born daughter. However, when her mother, the Marquis's Wife, died due to a weak body within a year, he remarried soon after because he thought a child shouldn't be raised without a mother. However, when the second Wife gave birth to a son, whether it was intentionally or not, he slowly began to distant emotionally from Selena as time went. Even though women can inherit their Father's legacy in this country, a son was still preferred for it. So, amidst the work and training Selena's younger brother to inherit the manor, he started ignoring Selena. Their interactions were limited to dinner conversations and it was mostly superficial. At first, Selena was hurt from the differential treatment, but as she grew older, she got used to it which played a major role in her expressionless face and cold demeanor.

"Hey you... You are finally awake. You were trying to cross the border, right? Same as us, and that thief over there..." An annoying voice sounded inside Selena's head.

"What?" Selena asked confusedly. 'Why would I try to cross the border? Who's us? And are you referring to my Father as a thief?'

"Nothing, it's just a quote I have been trying to use ever since I heard it." Soul chuckled.

Selena wanted to punch the face of the annoying voice but suddenly remembered the events of the Ice Domain.

"Hey! Why did you go back to sleep without talking to me first after defeating that Phoenix in the Ice Domain?" Selena asked.

"Phoenix? Ice Domain? What the hell are you talking about? Are you sure it was not a dream?" Soul replied.

"That..." Selena pondered. Was it really a dream? It felt too real. But Soul doesn't remember it? Selena's thoughts raced.

"Forget that, aren't you interested in knowing what happened afterward you fainted and why is your Father like this?" Soul interjected Selena's thoughts.

"Wait, you know what happened?" Selena asked.

"Of Course, just because you are not conscious, that does not I am not too. I saw the whole thing. Of Course, out of courtesy, I shut myself off when the maids changed your clothes. I am a Gentleman." Soul replied casually, "Besides, I am not interested in little girls like you."

Now Selena really wanted to strangle this shameless fellow. 'I didn't even think about that, why did you make me aware of this?' It was good that Selena still had the Church's ring, she can now use it to shut down Soul whenever she attends to her private matters. Also, a gentleman? Ever since they met, Soul had annoyed Selena, told her the struggles of poop society, and helped her get revenge. What kind of gentleman does these things? Moreover, little girl? I am a woman, alright? I can get legally married if I want to. What do you mean by a little girl?

"So, what happened?" Selena asked, suppressing her rage. One should note that this conversation has been going inside Selena's mind, so despite the length of the conversation, only a second has passed so far in the real world.

"Oh, it's like this..." Soul replied excitedly, "After you passed out, the crowd turned their attention towards Grant. They were so furious at Grant, that it looked like he had killed their parents or something. He was shivering non-stop. It is easy to argue with an awake person, but how was he supposed to argue with an unconscious person to prove himself innocent. The atmosphere was so tense, that the third prince actually went up to him and told him and Patricia to leave. When the host of the party tells you to get lost, you get lost. Especially when the host is a prince who can easily behead you without any repercussions. But that idiot was hell-bent on saving whatever image he had left. Instead of leaving, he tried explaining himself but it only got the ire from the people around. His useless brain finally got the hint and left with Patricia. However, as they were leaving, the second princess mumbled something as they crossed her path. A normal person wouldn't be able to hear it, but thanks to my awesome sensing capabilities, I managed to hear it. She said, 'So that's Marquis Booker's daughter, huh?' I don't know why she said that but immediately after, Grant acted like he was molested by Lightning, and Patricia just flat out fainted."

What Soul didn't know was that Grant had introduced Patricia as Selena in a moment of confusion to Princess Rose and the Third Prince. This may not seem as much to a normal person but the other party was the Royal Family. Lying straight to their faces is undermining their authority and a major offense. In extreme cases, it can even lead to Capital Punishment.

"Grant didn't even stop to help her up..." Soul snickered, "He ran away as if he had to go to the bathroom. Patricia was carried out by her servant who came alongside her. She was frothing from her mouth."

"I see..." Selena calmly listened to the events. She didn't feel giddy or ecstatic that her plan worked, because, it didn't change anything. Punishing Grant did not help fix her broken heart. In fact, it made it turn even colder. Throughout the event, Grant took Patricia's side and even tried to made Selena look like a jealous bitch. He even already shared some intimate moments with Patricia, but he never touched Selena. She felt her feelings going numb and her expressions turned even icier. After getting brutally betrayed by her lover and her best friend, it would be a miracle if she could even trust someone again, let alone fall in love.

"Well, that's a boring reaction. Are you always this boring? I need to know since it seems I can't leave your side for now." Soul kept talking without any hint of being bothered by Selena's icy demeanor. He somehow always seem to find the cracks within her heart and annoy her enough to want to strangle him.

"By the way, the bangle idea worked too. The First Prince called over a mage called Aldrin to... to... Why are you angry now? I didn't annoy you." Soul was surprised when Selena seemed bitter when Mage Aldrin was mentioned. It was due to that idiot fellow that she suffered more than she needed to.

"It's nothing, continue..." Selena replied, biting her lip.

"Okay... Well, that Mage Aldrin recognized the bangle as a cursed object."

"Cursed Object?" Selena had doubts about it but didn't expect them to turn out true.

"Yep, apparently, it can multiply negative emotions many folds within the person wearing it. So when you feel sad, it will multiply that feeling so much that it will make you depressed and want to kill yourself. If you feel anger, it may just prompt you to kill someone. According to Mage Aldrin, it is a very powerful cursed object and is banned by the Council of Mages, whatever that is."

"Someone tried to kill me? Why?" Selena frowned. She wasn't someone special enough to use such a formidable item on her. Unless was it Grant?

"I don't think they meant to kill you... Also, I don't think you were specifically the target." Soul replied, recognizing Selena's thoughts.

"Oh, do you have a theory?" Selena asked.

"Well, think about it..." Soul replied, as if he was a detective, examining a murder scene, "That bangle multiplied any negative emotion you felt. Besides the intensity of the item was directly related to the level of emotion you were feeling. If you were mildly annoyed, you would feel extremely agitated and maybe you would lash out on whoever's near you. I think the purpose of this whole fiasco was to defame you by making you look moody and out of control. Also, I don't think it was Grant. As much as he would have benefited from this, he himself would have not triggered the bangle by breaking off the engagement. If you had died, the breaking off of the engagement would have come to light when he would introduce Patricia as you guys shared history, and someone would have looked into it and they would have found the bangle eventually. In fact, I think, this was an attack on the Booker Manor."

"Booker Manor? Are you saying someone simply wanted me to defame myself so it indirectly defamed the manor?" Selena asked.

"Not just you. Remember, the bangle made its way to you because the Marquis divided the gifts he received between family members. It could very well have landed on your Step-Mother's hand. According to your memories, the Marquis made sure to distribute the gifts equally according to its value so no family member would feel being unfavored."

Selena shook her head bitterly. He had only done that because he didn't want Conflict to rise in the family. Not because he cared for Selena.

"So, in short, the Royal Family believes your actions were the result of the cursed bangle and are thoroughly investigating it since the incident happened during the Third Prince's birthday. However, they are doing it discreetly so as to not alert the culprit. So according to the world, you were simply depressed because you were dumped by your boyfriend for a slut." Soul said casually.

"Must you word it that way?" Selena asked.

"I am saying it as it is." Soul shrugged it off.

"Oh, right... something weird happened after this. I still don't know what to make of it." Soul continued.

"What happened?"

"The royal siblings brought you to their private room in the hall but the next second, they came out again without saying a word. The First Prince had the usual stone face, but the Third Prince looked bewildered, the Second Princess was almost dancing with joy, and Mage Aldrin looked like he had aged a decade. After leaving the room, you were placed in your carriage and an escort from them came along with you and your servants to bring you home."

"This..." Selena's mind raced again as the puzzle was finally put together. It was not that they came and left the room in a second, the truth seems to be that the room probably had a seal similar to the Church's ring which cut off Soul's link. It was probably in that room that everything occurred when she was in the Ice Domain. This also explains the faces of everyone as they left the room.

'That bastard... So he did kiss me.' Selena frowned, but she made sure to keep this thought away from Soul, or else he would have pestered her non-stop. She also decided to keep the Ice domain a secret until she knows the truth behind Soul's existence. It was natural for her to be wary a little. of an otherworldly being inside her head.

"Selena..." a voice echoed.

Selena turned around to see the middle-aged man looking at her with shock and happiness on his face. It seems he has been told everything and the thought of losing his daughter like this has triggered his long lost love for his daughter. It was especially true after hearing how she said his name and others before dying which stabbed his heart. He ignored her for years, but she still kept him in her heart, even remembering him at the moment of her death. Grief, shame, and remorse filled the Marquis as he realized the mistake he made. He sat beside her, weeping all this time.

"If you are thinking he has changed his demeanor because the Royal family is involved, then you are wrong. The envoy didn't tell him about their involvement and the bangle too as they are planning to be discreet in their investigation. He is not doing this thinking you are favored by the Royal Family. His remorse is genuine." Soul told Selena in case she harbored any doubts regarding the Marquis's actions.

"I see..." Selena responded, unmoved by this.

"Are you okay...?" The Marquis asked in a hoarse voice, evidently so from crying for so long.

"I am fine now." Selena replied casually.

Seeing Selena's nonchalance, the Marquis felt bitter. He had no one to blame other than himself for her to turn out like this.

"I... am sorry." The Marquis replied with his head lowered, "I should have done more for you."

Selena remained unmoved by her Father's apology., "It's fine. What's done is done. I harbor no resentment."

"B-But I..." Marquis wanted more than forgiveness. He wanted to be close to her. He wanted to make up for his mistakes.

"It will take time..." Selena responded, seemingly understanding the Marquis's thoughts.

"I... Okay." The Marquis knew years of neglect couldn't be fixed with a simple apology. He had to strive for it. He promised himself that he would spend more time with Selena and destroy the Johnson household and Baron Turner for making him almost lose his only daughter.

"I would like to rest now..." Selena turned around, asking her father to leave her alone.

"Yes..." the Marquis stood up and left with dragging feet as he had lost almost all of his energy.

After he left, Selena was quiet for sometime before asking Soul.

"Did you make me say those words before I stabbed myself to make him love me again?" Selena asked.

"I just gave him a kick that he needed. The fact that he responded proves that he still thinks of you as a daughter. If he had still chosen to ignore you despite that, then it would have been a lost cause anyway."

"I don't need him... to love me." Selena muttered.

"You say that because of the recent incidents and you have never experienced fatherly love. Give it some time. Let's see how he redeems first before jumping to conclusions and... and..." Soul stopped as he was distracted by something.

"Who's this little shrimp?" Soul asked.

Selena turned around to see a 14-year-old fat boy standing at the door. He had blond hair and probably a handsome face which was covered by fat. He had a haughty yet immature demeanor and was richly dressed.

"He's... my younger half-brother, Nicholas Booker." Selena responded grimly.

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