Second Female Leads' Playbook

"Do you hate your popular, well loved stepsister?" he asked in an elegant smile as if he was merely asking if you hated dogs or not.

Do I hate Rachelle? I asked myself. When I was first reincarnated, in my second life. Definitely. If she hadn't showed up, I'd still be the pampered heiress my Father cared for, even if I was just a tool to him. But he still cared for me. I would still be well respected by the society. Even if I was just a good for nothing pampered heiress, I was still the only child of the Duke. 

Once Rachelle appeared, Rachelle and I were compared at every single moment. I was no longer unique. I became replaceable. And then bit by bit, everything that was once mine was gradually stolen by Rachelle. Father's attention, my fiance, even my respect among the society. I tried to get back what was once mine, I became hysterical in my jealousy, I could not even recognize myself. 

After my failed attempt in revenge in my second life, I realized Rachelle was just doing herself. I lost to Rachelle simply because I was not good enough. I did not even try to work harder to improve myself. Up till today I was still jealous of her. Jealous of her luck. Jealous of her talent. Jealous of how she was loved by every single person she met. Maybe that's why I tended to avoid her in this life, so that I would not be envious of her. 

"I don't hate her. Maybe I did in the past. I... I just don't like her," I explained while tucking out the thread of my cloak. That's it, I did not hate it, it's just the two of us were two parallel lines. We could not intersect, we should not intersect. If my life became too intertwined with hers, just like my first two lives, jealousy took hold of me. She was just too outstanding, like a star, too bright for a mere mortal like me to get close to. 

"I can help you in your revenge," he offered. "Too bad you don't hate her." He shrugged. "Is there something interesting to do?" 

He just wanted to do something to satisfy his bored twisted evil heart as a priest of darkness. In my second life, he bossed me around to make potions or devil contracts and sold them to desperate people who came kneeling in front of his temple. 

"Well... even though I don't hate Rachelle now, we could still do something to hinder her," I suggested. "Just like pranks." 

Why did I sound like an evil villainess now? Maybe I was really this twisted person who could not see people doing better than me. By obstructing Rachelle, like that time with Lord Hank, Henri and Chris, I felt happy. What an evil twisted person I was?

An evil grin appeared on the high priest's face. "What a nice idea, Odette. You're really suitable to study in my temple. If you come over, I can even let you take my position." 

"I can't spy for you if that happens, your Grace." 

"That's true. Don't worry, the offer is always open for you. Same with the revenge." He smiled dazzlingly. 

"Duly noted." I lowered my head so that my hair would cover my red ears and pretended to smooth the crease on the mat. 

There was a moment of silence before I asked what was in my mind, "Why is your Grace so down south? Do you have something to do in the south?"

In my memory, he had never once left his temple, except that time before my death. He had once said he was bound to his temple. The high priest of darkness was too powerful, historical books cited that the high priest could not leave the ground of the temple without reasons. As recorded in historical books, the few times that the high priest of darkness left the temple was when the continent needed saving, how ironic, whether it be invasion of wild beasts from the border, the spread of a plague or internal wars for the succession of the crown. 

He smiled mysteriously. 

"Do you know what those shards your stepsister is collecting are?" 

This might seem like an irrelevant question, but I knew it wasn't. Those shards were powerful and they were treasured by nearly every temple. Rachelle had to fight those temples for the shards. The high priests of those temples hated her, although of course sooner or later they would bow down to Rachelle because of her charm and power. 

"This is a hint. When you solved this, you'll have your answer to your questions." 

He stared at the moon and then said, "As you know the high priest of darkness cannot leave his temple. I will get a scolding if the priests of light get hold of this news. Those priests are nosy." 

The mask he had taken off earlier appeared, dangling on his hand. He patted me on my head gently and whispered next to my ear, "It's a secret between us." He smiled charmingly and put the mask back on. "Have a nice dream."

He then jumped back into his carriage while waving. "See you soon." As the door swung close, the horses started to gallop. Slowly the carriage carrying him disappeared into the mist. 

I huddled down next to the fire and placed Isobel in my arms. "He didn't even answer my question in the end. So does that mean he can leave his temple if he wants? Maybe at that time he just didn't want to save me. At least he showed up before I died." Some distant memories I wanted to bury appear in my mind. I covered my face with my arm. 

"Let's sleep, Isobel. Don't waste the protective ward the high priest of darkness set for us." And then I slowly drifted into deep sleep.. Hoping nice dream would really befall me, though I truly did not believe a priest of darkness could bless people with nice dreams.