Second Female Leads' Playbook

Life returned to normal. Except the fact that Rachelle disappeared. Or that her knights were all weeping in their respective temples to the annoyance of their high priests. 

I didn't know where Rachelle had gone, but I guess Lucian had taken her back to wherever his godly presence lived. With Rachelle gone, I became the sole heir of the family. Father became worried with the problem of my marriage again. 

"Odette," he sighed. "I believe you have an understanding with the situation we have on hand. Rachelle... has not been in touch for a few months. Henri's family became... eh... concerned." 

"They're concerned about their runaway bride to be or the fact that Henri is weeping like a loser all day long?" 

After a pronounced period of silence, Father responded, "Both."

"Now that you see what a loser Henri is and how in love he is with Rachelle, you still want me to marry him?" I raised my eyebrow. 

"Of course not!" Father's face was red in anger. "I would not allow my daughter to marry such a loser!"

"Uh-huh. Then are we done?" 

"The point is this, Odette. I fear they might put their idea on you once again. Now that Rachelle has disappeared, you become the only candidate again. You know Henri's family wanted to join forces with us." 

"Everyone is a chess piece in this world," I whispered wistfully. 

Father seemed to be taken aback by my words. After awhile he finally said, "I know you don't want to marry Henri. That's why you have to marry quickly. To someone you like, of your own choosing, before they lost all hope on Rachelle. I am just a priest in the wind temple, but Henri's grandfather is the high priest. If his grandfather asked the Emperor for you to marry into their family, I can't stop it."

That's the most my Father had said to me in ages. To marry someone I like, of my own choosing? 

The image of a person appeared in my mind. I quickly pushed it to the back of my mind. After that incident we still met a few times, but just like before, he was just teasing or bossing me around. We were just the boss and his servant. Nothing more. He put the reborn curse on me, partly because he pitied me, but a very large part was because he wanted entertainment. I guessed that canceled things out. 

"What do you want me to do?" 

"Here's a list of eligible young men who could marry into our family. You don't have to leave home, Odette. I have invited them over for a family dinner party."

I nodded once and left the room. Everyone in this world is a chess piece in one another's game. I sighed. 

I met candidate after candidate Father had chosen for me. They were no doubt the most eligible and coveted husband choices among the society. But I did not feel an ounce of excitement when they dazzled witty words at me or when they invited me for a dance. 

I knew to avoid the fate of marrying Henri, I had to choose someone I like and marry quick. But all of this felt wrong. None of them understood me. They still treated me as the pampered, naive heiress they thought I was. Some even said I could simply stay at home after marriage, I no longer needed to study in the temple. But I was no longer the pampered, silly heiress before. I wanted to have a meaning in life. Something to do. Something to work for myself. Something to be proud of. 

They would never understand the tiredness I felt of living through so many lives. The worries that someday another Rachelle would pop up and steal everything from me. I felt so lonely even surrounded by so many people. 

"If you marry me, no matter what jewelries or handbags you want, I can buy for you!" said the man standing in front of me. 

I don't need anyone to buy me anything. I can buy them...

"She prefers buying things herself. With her own money," someone chirped in. 

I turned my head to find Yves standing behind me and smiling at me. 

"Who are you?" the man shouted angrily. 

"Why are you here?" I asked at the same time. 

"I am bored. You have a great party here, can I join?" He smiled like how he usually did, but why did I suddenly feel a chill going down my spine? He seemed... angry? 

"Of... of course." I responded with a tight smile. It's just that this was a party for me to find my future husband, it would be so awkward if he found out the truth. Or could it be that he already knew? 

As if to make things worse, Father had to walk over at this second. "Odette, is everything going fine?" he asked. Then he noticed Yves, he looked confused for a second, no doubt trying to match Yves with the list of candidates he had. "Odette, is this your friend?" 

He is the high priest of darkness! My boss! Your daughter's partner in crime! 

Yves was looking at me expectantly, like he was waiting for me to introduce him. 

"Father, this is... eh..." I could not disclose Yves' name. "This is... eh..."

"I am your daughter's lover," he said with a mischievous smile hanging on his face. 

Father widened his eyes in shock. My heart literally stopped for a few seconds after hearing what he said. Then after that as if to make things up, my heart started beating like a galloping horse. What was he saying? Must be one of his prank. 

"Am I right, Odette?" he tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. 

How should I respond? Was this a prank? Must be a prank. Right. Right? 

"Odette?" his eyes narrowed as a warning and the chills I felt just now returned. He was really angry. Angry for what? Because I decided to choose a husband without notifying him? 

"If you'll excuse the both of us, Father," I muttered as I dragged Yves away. "What is the meaning of this?" I said through clenched teeth. 

"I think that's my question. What is the meaning of this? A party to choose a husband?" 

"We are... You... But..." I couldn't say a full sentence. At last the anger that built up inside me helped me do all the talking, "You never said anything! How would I know? How would I know if it's another prank again? Huh!" 

"I never use my feelings as prank." He smiled his first true smile this evening. 

"Odette," Father's voice boomed behind me. "Care to do some explanation?" Father looked exasperated. 

Together with Father was the man I was talking with just now. He said, "Lady Odette, I never met him in my life. Clearly he is just some lowly, poor commoner. He..."

"Oh shut up if you don't want to go bald the next instant!" I cried. 

"How distasteful and boring," Yves drawled. "Don't you think it's more interesting if he's turned into a big fat toad?" 

"And that's tasteful?" I retorted. 

"Odette, can I have some explanation?" Father asked once again. 

"Father, this is... eh... the high priest of darkness..." 

Father looked he was about to faint. 

"And yes I am here to kidnap your daughter to the temple of darkness." Yves smiled elegantly. 

Father fainted after that. 

"Do you have to say something like that?"

"Well, isn't that fun?" 

I rolled my eyes in response. 

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Epilogue 

"If you ask them, they will stay." The crow with golden feathers sitting on the branch stated. 

"I know. If I asked them to stay for a few years longer, they would. Because they loved me," the girl responded.

"Then why didn't you do that?" The crow asked again. 

"Because this is life. There is an end to everything. You live, you grow old and then you die. It's what makes life precious and meaningful." 

"I don't die, but I find my life meaningful." 

Laughter rang out from the girl. "No, you don't. You lost meaning in life years ago. If you do, why would you stay here comforting a little girl like me now?" 

The girl was faced with silence. 

"All my father and mother's wish was to die after living a long and meaningful life. I honor their wish." The girl placed her palm on the trunk of the tree in front of her. The tree that was planted on the day of her parents' marriage. "Even if it saddens me." Tears she had been holding in finally streamed down her face. 

The crow on the branch a few second ago disappeared. A hooded figure appeared behind the girl a few seconds later. 

"Do you want me to tell you a secret?" After a long while, the hooded man asked.

"Will by telling the secret only entertain you?" She turned around and wiped the tears from her face. 

The man beneath the hood tilted his head and after a while he said, "I think it'll entertain the both of us." 

The girl eyed him with uncertainty and then finally she nodded. "Alright." 

The man beneath the hood smiled and leaned forward to whisper something in the girl's ears. 

The girl narrowed her eyes. She leaned down, grabbed a handful of snow and threw it at the hooded man. 

"Liar!" she shouted. "I'll never trust you again!"

The man's laughter boomed through out the garden. The solid figure just now slowly dissolved into black mist. Before he disappeared, he said, "I am most certainly not comforting you. I am just here to make sure Yves' heir did not escape her duty." 

"Whatever you said, my lord." The girl in eyes with rubies curtsied reverently. When the last trace of the god of darkness disappeared, she rolled her eyes and said, "As if, you liar." 

The girl gave the tree one final look and muttered, "Farewell, my beloved parents."