A Regressed Villain: Heroines, Villainesses and Me?

"I understand," Princess Katheria replied, nodding slowly.

She recognized that even if she wished to delve deeper into the motivations and reasoning behind all of this, she would need to seek answers directly from the Marquess himself.

Accepting this fact, she steeled herself to move forward.

"But why inform me of this without any proof to begin with?" Katheria pressed, her curiosity piqued.

Something about the situation struck her as peculiar; it was evident that the Marquess had something he wanted from her.

She tapped her fingers rhythmically on the table, narrowing her gaze.

It was illogical for him to divulge such critical information without a clear agenda.

After all, such knowledge could easily be wielded to win favor from many of the Imperials.

Though loyal to the royal family, they were still human; and, as such, their aspirations could be swayed by personal gain.

Surely, anyone who found themselves bound by chains of servitude would yearn for a key to unlock their captivity.

So, among all the heirs and Empyreals, why did he choose her?

"He sent me with this letter," Aecilia interjected, her tone even as she finally concluded her earlier musings.

She produced a small, unassuming piece of paper and placed it delicately on the table.

"I don't know what it contains, but he instructed me to bring it to you."

Katheria's eyes were locked onto the letter, her fingers tapping steadily against the desk.

She picked it up carefully, unfolding it while stealing glances at Aecilia, who seemed utterly oblivious to the contents within.

As she opened the letter, Katheria felt her hand tremble slightly, her fingers brushing over the delicate paper.

She felt her heart race as her eyes widened at the name inscribed within the letter—something she possessed, a secret known only to her.

'How he know about the devil's flare?!'

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The sterile air inside the Croceaus Territory's airport buzzed with tension as Amrita's heart pounded in her chest.

Her hands trembled, and she barely registered the cold touch of the metal rail she gripped as two men, dressed in sharp suits, guided her through the bustling crowds.

They were like shadows, always one step ahead, blocking any chance for escape.

Her mind was reeling, still trapped in the aftermath of the news.

Her brother, Raj—killed by Lynn Diego.

She could hardly make sense of it.

One moment, she had been at home, holding the letter in her hands, numb to the words.

And now, she was here, whisked away from everything familiar, her world upside down.

Her eyes were wide, and the tears she fought to suppress burned at the back of her throat, threatening to spill over.

"Why am I here?" she asked, her voice thin and trembling, barely above a whisper.

The question echoed in the vastness of the airport as she glanced between the two men, her anxiety rising with each step.

The man at her right, with his dark sunglasses and stone-cold demeanor, did not answer.

The other, a man of similar build but with a more approachable face, said nothing as well.

They simply led her forward.

Her legs felt like jelly as they reached the main gate.

The world outside beckoned, but she wasn't ready for what awaited her.

When they finally stepped out, the bright daylight struck her like a punch to the face, intensifying her dizziness.

A sleek limousine was parked by the curb, a stark contrast to the chaos swirling inside her.

A man stood beside the vehicle, his appearance sharply contrasting the hurried, sterile chaos that had dominated her journey thus far.

He wore a pristine butler's uniform, his face calm and collected.

"Greetings, Miss Amrita," he said, his voice smooth and rehearsed.

Amrita's mind was too clouded to process anything.

She barely heard him, her thoughts still tangled with the unbearable reality of her brother's death.

"Why did Sarcosis call me?" she asked, her voice hoarse, fighting back the sobs.

She wanted answers.

She needed them, but all she had was a hollow pit in her stomach where once her certainty had been.

Why had they brought her here?

What was going on?

The butler, Alfred, didn't falter.

His demeanor remained unshaken as he replied, "Please, miss, come inside.

I will explain everything."

Amrita's breath hitched as she stood frozen.

She wanted to scream, to demand answers, but the sobs in her chest were too much to contain.

She took a shaky step toward the car, feeling every ounce of her body rebel against moving, against the thought of what she might be walking toward.

The limousine's door was opened, and Alfred gestured for her to enter.

As she sat inside, her heart thudded painfully against her ribs.

She wasn't ready for whatever awaited her on the other side.

Her thoughts swirled, chaos overtaking her as she clenched her hands together.

"What happened to my brother? Is he alright?" she asked, her voice breaking at the end.

Alfred's eyes softened, though his face remained calm.
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"Your brother, Raj... he's alive.

But his condition is critical."

Her mind didn't fully process his words at first, too much grief choking her ability to think.

Alive? He was alive?

Was it a dream?

A hope she dared not believe?

"Alive?" she whispered again, clinging to the word, as if it could pull her back from the brink of despair.

"But... how? What happened to him?"

Alfred didn't speak at first, and Amrita felt the weight of silence press down on her.

She couldn't keep it in anymore.

"Please... tell me," she begged, desperate for clarity, desperate for her brother to be alright.

Alfred's voice remained steady as he spoke, though his words struck with the finality of a blade.

"We are heading to the hospital now.

You'll see for yourself, Miss Amrita.

Please, try to remain calm."

Amrita could hardly breathe.

Her brother was alive—but barely.

The agony of her mind turning over his condition, the reality of what might await her, settled into her chest like a stone.

She couldn't understand.

How could this have happened?

The ride felt endless.

Each passing second was a weight, her heart growing heavier.

She couldn't shake the image of her brother—his face, his voice.

The image of the man she knew, now broken, was all she could think of.

Her tears finally broke free, falling silently down her cheeks, but she couldn't bring herself to wipe them away.

Not when she was so close to losing him forever.

The limousine finally came to a stop.

The doors opened with a soft click, and Amrita stepped out, her legs shaky as she fought to stand tall.

Inside the hospital, the chaos of hurried doctors and nurses moving with frenzied urgency greeted her.

The scent of antiseptic was thick, nauseating in its overpowering sterility.

But none of it could have prepared her for what she saw next.

There, lying on a gurney, was Raj.

Her brother—her flesh and blood—was a grotesque mockery of the person she had known.

His body, once so full of life, now lay broken, unrecognizable.

His limbs were gone—no hands, no feet—and his upper body, though alive, was a bloodied mess.

His eyes—his beautiful eyes—were gone, replaced with empty, haunting sockets.

The sight stole the breath from her lungs.

Her heart shattered in that instant.

A scream tore from her throat as the ground beneath her seemed to drop away.

Everything became a blur.

"No! No, this can't be happening!" she cried, her voice wild and hysterical.

She stumbled forward, her body shaking uncontrollably as she reached out toward him, desperate to hold him, to make sense of it.

But before she could get close, everything around her spun out of control, the world dimming as the darkness crept in.

And then... nothing.

Her vision blackened, her body giving way to the overwhelming grief and horror she had just witnessed.

When Amrita woke, the sterile white lights above her blurred into focus.

She was no longer in the hospital room but lying in a bed, her head throbbing painfully.

A gentle hand rested on her shoulder—Alfred's presence was familiar, his calm voice breaking through her panic.

"Miss Amrita, please try to calm yourself.

We're here to help your brother," he said, his tone unshaken by the scene she had just witnessed.

Her heart squeezed painfully as her mind reeled with the implications of it all.

Raj, her brother... he was still alive.

But what had been done to him?

"H-how did this happen to him?!" Visibly shaken after seeing her brother's estate, Amrita inquired, looking towards the butler, who could only be the one with answers to her question.

"Miss Amrita, according to the information we have gathered, it was the work of Lin Diego," Alfred informed, as he was only executing the instructions given to him by the Marquess in the message he received.

"N-no, why? Why would he do this?!" She was still unable to accept her brother's condition and could not understand why Lin would go this far.

"Maybe you don't know, but the Ravan family is behind all this..."