“G-Guh…Agh…!”

  All her strength left her body as she heard every single heartbeat echoing in her ears. She sweated profusely, and her entire body heated up from the drug Ophelia forced her to take. Her fiancé watched the poor helpless alpha fight back her feral instincts. What was worse for Stel was that she could never tell what was going on inside her insane mind since she was gifted with the ability to conceal her emotions perfectly.

  “You’re developing resistance quite quickly. I’m impressed.”

  Ophelia had been feeding her alpha with an aphrodisiac to see how long it would take for her to succumb to her feral instinct. It was known that alphas tend to have less resistance against aphrodisiacs because it could trigger their rut, but she seemed to have underestimated Stel’s mental strength. The bck-haired noble bit her lips and buried her nails into her flesh until she bled to resist the influence of the drug. Even though she was physically in this pathetic state, she never let this abuse taint her dignity as a human. Her time with the Chevaliers only made the fmes of anger in her blue eyes bze even brighter.

  “You’re so hard to break…very good. That’s what I like about you.”

  This wasn’t the first time she had been drugged by Ophelia. The first time she was drugged was the most painful experience. Stel fought back its effects until she fainted on the floor. She would rather die than succumb to her instincts and satisfy that woman in bed. It was utter torture and humiliation for an alpha to dispy themselves in this state, but then the radiance in Stel’s eyes never dimmed down, no matter what Ophelia tried to do to her.

  She would even injure herself and faint every single time she was drugged.

  Stel had no idea how long she’d need to keep doing this or when the day would come when her alpha instincts would take control of her body. This disgusting abuse began the moment Stel was permitted to attend the Northnd Academy in the next commencement year.

  “Since you’ll be enrolled in the academy soon, I just need to make sure you won’t be drugged and sleep around with other omegas. That would taint the name of Chevalier immensely, do you understand that?”

  “You know… I don’t care…anything about…you filthy Chevaliers…!”

  “I know, but you have no choice anyway... because what I hate the most is seeing others touch what’s mine.”

  Ophelia approached her to touch the mark on her neck. This bite mark on her skin was a sole reminder that the alpha belonged to the viliness. This woman had a sick and twisted idea of ‘training’ starting from academics and sword training from Professor Oliver and Sir Jayson. Then, she wanted to train her to become resistant to aphrodisiacs while watching her squirm at her feet.

  Stel considered it a high-risk high-reward. She was willing to gamble with her dignity on the line by complying with Ophelia’s selfishness in return for attending the Northnd Academy. This was the golden opportunity for her to reach out to her father’s trustworthy allies to create the opportunity to be free from this hell.

  -

  Due to her excellent performances in academics and swordsmanship, the pink-haired omega took all the credit for successfully ‘training’ Stel to become the perfect alpha worthy of her fiancé. The Marquis was satisfied with the result, and he permitted Stel to attend the Northnd Academy in the next commencement year.

  “You should thank me for enrolling in the academy. Make sure to behave yourself…or else I cannot guarantee when the next time you’ll be able to walk out of the manor will be. My father is not as lenient as me.”

  “I’m not that irrational to not understand my current situation.”

  “Good girl.”

  Stel wouldn’t escape even if she wanted to; she knew it was pointless. She must find the right allies and reach out to her father’s trustworthy friends, like Viscount Henry Lemaire. He had been Duke Cedric’s best friend since their youthful years at the Northnd Academy. She considered him like her uncle, and he treated her like another daughter to him. If there were someone aside from her mother who would help her, it would be him. She had done her research and was aware that Viscount Lemaire was one of the board members who managed the Northnd Academy.

  Thus, attending the academy was the only step to reaching out to him.

  For the entrance examination, Stel passed the academic test with flying colors and set a record for getting a perfect score on the academic exam. As a result, she skipped a year and enrolled as a second-year student instead. The news about the youngest Albrecht noble setting a record by scoring 100% on every academic exam spread like wildfire and made her the hot topic among the nobles.

  “I heard that she is Duke Anthony’s younger sister, right? I didn’t expect her to be a genius…”

  “Did you hear? I heard she even aced the practical examination as well. She was the only person ever in history to even beat Sir Chester in a duel!”

  “Are you serious?!”

  People were talking about Stel in every corner of the academy. Stel didn’t only ace the academic examination but also the practical examination as well. All examinees enrolled in combat specialization are required to go through both fitness and combat tests to evaluate their skill level. However, the fitness test was nothing compared to Sir Jayson’s monstrous warm-up, and she managed to disarm and win against the examiner as well.

  -

  All eyes were set on her, the youngest sister of Duke Anthony, who was also Ophelia’s fiancé. The pink-haired omega was more than satisfied that Stel performed outstandingly in the examination, as she was the one behind the alpha’s achievement. However, little did she know that this fame would only allow Stel to let others know that she was here.

  “W-Wait!!”

  While Stel was walking in the hallway, a feminine voice called out for her, followed by the powerful peach scent striking her nose. Even though it had been years since they st met, Stel would never forget that sweet irresistible scent that could make her mind and body go crazy. It was as if the gods had finally rewarded Stel for her hard work and patience.

  “L-Linda?”

  “It’s really you! Please tell me I’m not dreaming—”

  The orange-haired omega ran straight into her arms and embraced Stel tightly like they were long-lost lovers. Linda Lemaire was a year younger than her, and she was the eldest daughter of Viscount Henry Lemaire. They were childhood friends since their fathers were best friends, but coincidentally, it turned out they were each other’s soulmates.

  The soulmate was also known as a fated bond blessed by the gods between alpha and omega. They were known to have an inexplicable spiritual connection and physical compatibility, which made them a perfect couple in every way. It was widely acknowledged and acceptable for soulmates to be together regardless of their social statuses because it was a belief that if soulmates found each other, it was due to the divine guidance of the gods.

  Stel and Linda were one of those cases that found each other because their fathers were best friends; it was as if this was predetermined to begin with. Even though it was quite common for soulmates to be engaged the moment they found each other, both fathers wanted their children to get to know one another over time first before they made their decision. If by the time Linda turned 15, they still chose to be together, then they would make their engagement official.

  It was like a fairy tale that they grew up together as best friends and soulmates for years.

  Everyone who saw them growing up together could tell that they cared for each other immensely. Even at a young age, they already knew that they wanted to marry each other when they reached adulthood. To Stel, Linda was the only person who understood her best, and she felt at peace by her side. They were supposed to get engaged officially once Linda turned 15 before the incident of Duke Cedric’s death changed everything.

  “We’ve been trying so hard to reach out to you, but no matter how many times we requested, the Chevaliers wouldn’t allow us to meet you…! I’m so gd to see you’re okay!”

  “Yeah, I’m so gd to see you again.”

  Stel couldn’t resist and embraced Linda tightly. Her sweet peach pheromones were extremely soothing and irresistible, as she remembered. She was isoted from her loved ones for so long that she almost forgot the warmth of an embrace. Even though Stel was enrolled as a second-year student, she had to do several first-year csses as a requirement, which meant they would meet each other quite often. At that moment, the alpha felt that God had not abandoned her and had allowed her to reunite with her soulmate.

  However, that happiness gave birth to a new form of fear.

  There was no way that Ophelia wouldn’t find out about this, and she was right. The pink-haired omega had all eyes throughout the academy and knew how Stel had been spending quite a lot of time with Linda. The older students who were Ophelia’s followers and friends began targeting the brunette dy by openly mocking her in private and in public. As others knew that she was being targeted by Ophelia Chevalier, people didn’t want to associate closely with Linda out of fear of getting involved too.

  There were just a handful of people who stayed by Linda’s side, including Stel.

  The bck-haired alpha could tolerate any abuse if it was directed at her, but not at others that she cherished. Just the sheer thought of seeing her soulmate go through the same abuse as her was unbearable. For the first time, she begged Ophelia to stop harassing Linda and would do anything that she wanted.

  “Please, I’ll do anything you want. Just leave Linda alone.”

  “You’ve suddenly become a docile puppy for another omega. She must be special to you, hm?”

  “She’s just a good old friend of mine. I hate seeing those I care about hurt by awful people like you filthy Chevaliers.”

  “Heh, you’re begging me to help, yet your tongue is still as sharp as always. You should be grateful that I like that side of yours.”

  She pulled Stel in with the colr of her shirt, and their lips were a few inches apart. She wore that coldhearted smile on her beautiful face as she whispered seductively against her lips.

  “How about you satisfy me with a kiss, then I’ll consider.”

  Stel froze and hesitated for a short moment. Even though they had kissed on multiple occasions, it was usually Ophelia who forced it upon her. However, this time she demanded that she take the initiation instead. Just the sheer thought of making a move on her made her sick to her stomach, however… since when did she ever have a choice to begin with?

  “Do you promise to leave her alone?”

  “You have my word that I, Ophelia Chevalier, will not y a finger on or harass Linda Lemaire. Furthermore, I wouldn’t say a single word that could encourage others to bully her.”

  “…You promised.”

  The alpha grabbed her by the wrist and held onto her waist before she used all her willpower, she desperately needed to press her lips against Ophelia. Their lips parted, and Stel gave her an assertive intimate kiss like she wanted. The older omega used that opportunity to press her body against hers and cup her cheeks. Stel pulled back slightly in disgust, and Ophelia was quick to notice that. She pulled her face back in as she whispered against their kiss.

  “Satisfy me, Stel. You have only one chance before I change my mind.”

  “…”

  She swallowed her pride and resumed their bitter passionate kiss. This time, the alpha pressed her against the nearby wall as their tongues intertwined and danced to each other’s rhythm. Small moans and gasps escaped between their kisses as Ophelia’s face began to burn. Her body was responding to Stel’s strong pinewood scent, and strength slowly escaped her body.

  “M-Mmmgh…Ah…”

  The pink-haired omega whimpered as her vender pheromones oozed out. As Stel thought this was enough and pulled back slightly, Ophelia was quick to bite her bottom lip and quickly pulled her back in to kiss out of desperation. She craved her alpha’s touch, body heat, and scent, even though it had a strong pungent smell because of Stel’s foul mood. It was inevitable that Stel would be affected by her vender pheromones, she constantly told herself that this would be the first and st time she would do this, as it was for Linda’s safety. The kiss could only end after Ophelia was satisfied, and all Stel remembered was how swollen and sore her lips were.

  “I didn’t expect you to be such a good kisser... I’m quite satisfied.”

  “…It’s your turn to keep your promise.”

  “You know I always keep my word.”

  -

  Ophelia kept her promise. As she said, she never harassed or ridiculed Linda at the academy. However, they never promised that her followers or acquaintances would not stop harassing Linda. Even when Stel confronted her about this, Ophelia told her she couldn’t control what they would or wouldn’t do because it was their choice to harass Linda. Thus, if Stel wanted to stop it, then she’d need to confront the bullies themselves.

  Stel felt stupid for not realizing the gaps in their deal earlier, but she had no choice but to protect Linda in her own way. Linda was often called the homewrecker and many other vulgar names because they believed she was seducing Stel when she was already engaged to Ophelia. None of that bothered Linda in the slightest because she knew that wasn’t true. Stel was her soulmate before Ophelia took her away. During their time at the academy, the couple would find a quiet corner in the library to spend some alone time together.

  “I’m so sorry I had to put you through this mess with me.”

  “I don’t care what others call me, Stel. I just… I just want to be with you. None of this is your fault at all. It hurts me as well to see the Chevaliers treat you so poorly like this.”

  “It’s okay, I can handle it. We just need to be patient and wait for the right time for us.”

  “Dad and I will do everything we can to get you out of there, I promise.”

  The brunette girl stared at the bite mark on Stel’s neck and felt the fire of jealousy burning in her chest. It felt as if someone was taking what initially belonged to her, and her omega instincts couldn’t tolerate that. When she asked if Stel ever kissed Ophelia, the alpha hesitated to answer her. The pink-haired viliness would’ve taken her lover’s first kiss already, but luckily Linda saved hers for Stel. They lost count of how many times they shared an intimate kiss while drowning in each other’s pheromones in the hidden corners of the library without getting caught. The attraction of the soulmate wasn’t just a mere exaggeration, it was an irresistible connection that left them yearning for more.

  -

  Even when Linda asked how Ophelia and the Chevaliers had been treating her, she didn’t tell her everything because Stel didn’t want to worry her. This included one of the most traumatizing moments that ever happened in her life. It was one of the nights that the Chevalier hosted a special banquet in one of their grandiose buildings located next to the manor. Only the prominent members of the Chevaliers, including Ophelia, attend their special guests. Stel was instructed to stay in her room for the rest of the night, and she didn’t expect to have a visitor come by to see her.

  “Stel, are you inside? Marquis asked me to pass something on to you. He specifically told me to hand it directly to you.”

  She recognized that voice belonged to Mabel, one of Ophelia’s cousins. Stel was reluctant to open the door, but since it was reted to the Marquis himself, she had no choice but to have a quick exchange with her. However, she didn’t expect that to be one of the biggest mistakes of her life.

  “W-What the—??”

  Mabel swiftly sprayed something right in her face and made Stel tumble backward slightly. It took a couple of seconds before her body heated up and her head began spinning like crazy. She recognized this scent very well because of Ophelia’s sick and twisted abuse. The spray earlier contained a potent aphrodisiac, and it was so strong that it was giving her a headache instead.

  “U-Ugh… T-This is…! H-How dare you…!”

  Admittedly, Stel dropped her guard because she didn’t expect that Mabel would be this bold. As all of her strength had left her body, Stel grabbed onto the nearby chair, as she was so close to losing her bance. It was much stronger than what Ophelia used on her regurly, and her nose became even more sensitive to omega scents. She coughed vigorously at how strong Mabel’s vanil scent was, and it was making her extremely uncomfortable.

  “Ugh…guh…!”

  “I managed to get my hands on this powerful drug. They told me that no alpha could resist its effects and would lose their minds within a minute…”

  She pushed the alpha onto the bed before she slowly unbuttoned her shirt to reveal her cleavage. There could only be one reason she came here and drugged Stel in the middle of the night. She pnned to sleep with her tonight, as Ophelia was busy at the banquet at that moment. Thus, she wouldn’t return to the manor until te in the evening, so Mabel would have enough time to get impregnated by Stel.

  “You see, I just need a little help from you to get me pregnant, particurly to bear a child with a mix of Albrecht and Chevalier’s bloodlines.”

  “—!!”

  “I hope you’ll be good in bed and satisfy me as well. Let’s have a good time, Stel…”

  Mabel was genuinely convinced that she would succeed with Stel tonight and tried to unbuckle her trousers… but little did she know that Ophelia’s sick hobby had already made Stel develop moderate resistance against aphrodisiacs.

  “Get OFF of me, you bitch!!!”

  Fear and shock triggered an adrenaline rush, and Stel used every ounce of her strength to kick Mabel away from her. Usually, she wouldn’t hurt or call a dy with foul nguage, but on this special occasion, she wouldn’t mind being vulgar and violent to protect herself. Mabel flew back and knocked on the chairs and table before colpsing onto the floor. The vase dropped and shattered, and the flying shards left a cut on her skin. For a fragile omega like herself, the injury she sustained would be enough to make her lose her mind. She screamed and panicked the moment she saw blood trickling down her arm.

  “O-Ouch… It hurts! Oh my god… b-blood! I’m bleeding!!”

  “Serves you right, you sick bitch…”

  “How is the drug not working!? You should’ve been in a rut already by now??”

  Mabel was in disbelief that the drug didn’t work with Stel, and that was when the pink-haired omega in a long deep blue dress showed up to witness the mess. Those green eyes gnced at Stel, the aphrodisiac bottle, and the trembling Mabel.

  “My my… I didn’t expect to find a rat in my fiancé’s room.”

  A cold harsh voice came and sent chills down Mabel’s spine before she slowly gnced over to her in great fear. She realized that her pn failed, and she even got caught red-handed attempting to sleep with Ophelia’s alpha, even though she mentioned numerous times how she hated anyone touching what’s hers. The smell of bitter vender reached her nose, and this was probably the first time Stel witnessed Ophelia being angry.

  “I didn’t expect you to be this shameful to drug your own cousin’s fiancé to satisfy your lust. You’re such a disgrace to the Chevalier’s name!”

  “E-Eek…!”

  “Do not show your face in front of my Stel again, or else I will expose everything that you’ve done today, and let’s see if you will even have a pce to stand in the Chevalier after that.”

  Mabel scurried out of the room while she still had a chance to leave. Stel sighed with great relief, but her body was still trembling from earlier. It was thanks to Ophelia’s twisted abuse that gave her the resistance she needed to survive this predicament, and she didn’t want to imagine what could’ve happened to her if Ophelia had not come and checked up on her in time.

  The older omega examined the spray bottle and noticed that this was an illegal aphrodisiac that could only be found on the bck market. It was banned a couple of years ago due to its severe side effects, disrupting the victim’s rut and heat cycle. Luckily, it was only used once on Stel, so it would only disrupt her cycle temporarily. Ophelia knew how vile her cousin was, but she didn’t expect her to go this far and use products from the bck market.

  “No wonder she’s terrified, this ought to be interesting to expose her in the future if she misbehaves again.”

  “…”

  “Take this.”

  Ophelia handed her an antidote to negate the severe side effects of the drug Stel was exposed to earlier. She was reluctant to take it until Ophelia suggested another method to alleviate the effects of the drug, which was to sleep with her instead of Mabel. The young alpha took the medicine without hesitation and hoped it would take effect soon because this was so painful for her body.

  “Good girl, it makes you drowsy once you take it. So, don’t be surprised that you’ll get sleepy.”

  The drug was so strong that she could already feel that she had hardened up. Even though she can mentally withstand the drug’s influence, her body can’t. As she thought that Ophelia would tease and humiliate her further, the omega pushed her down onto the bed to go to sleep.

  “Be a good girl and sleep. I’ll order the guards to watch your room 24/7 until the effects of the aphrodisiac wear off.”

  “Uhh…w-why…”

  “Hm?”

  “Why are you being nice to me…?”

  “Don’t take it the wrong way. As your owner, I should take care of my little alpha, right? If you break now, then who am I going to keep by my side?”

  She knew what to say to infuriate Stel, but then the helpless alpha admitted that she owed it to her today. If she hadn’t arrived in time, she had no idea what could’ve happened to her or whether she would have the strength to resist Mabel again or not. The pill that Ophelia gave her did make her drowsy and much more rexed than before, even though her body was still burning.

  When she closed her eyes, she could still smell the sweet vender in the air.

  Ophelia was still on the edge of the bed next to her as she was speaking to someone in the room. The noises were inaudible to her, and she slowly fell into a deep sleep before waking up the next morning to the light rays coming through the windows.

  But then she woke up with a whole new level of trauma and confusion instead.

  She remembered vividly that she slept on her bed after she took the pill, but why did she wake up in Ophelia’s bed instead? The young alpha had too many questions running through her head, and her clothes were rich with her vender scent as well. Her heart dropped the moment she saw a patch of blood on the bed, and that made her face go pale.

  “W-What…happen?”

  A patch of blood on a dy’s bed could mean one thing, and Stel felt the chills run down her back. Did she sleep with Ophelia st night? Even though her body felt completely normal, how would she expin this patch of blood? As she tried to recall what happened st night, she was distracted by the older omega that came out of the bathroom in her bathrobe.

  “Oh? You’re finally awake.”

  Stel noticed something was different, and that was the bite mark on her neck. At that moment, she recalled the back view of Ophelia’s nape from st night and the sweet taste of her pheromones when she sank her teeth into her scent gnd before everything bcked out. Even though it was subtle, she could still taste the sweet vender between her lips. Stel was still in shock and couldn’t believe all of that happened st night before she was unconscious.

  “Aww, don’t tell me you forgot what you have done to me st night?”

  “W-What happened? I don’t remember anything…U-Uh, are you saying that we...”

  “Is my patch of blood not enough to prove what happened? You even marked me.”

  The bite mark was done by the young alpha, and Stel couldn’t deny it now that she remembered it vaguely. Initially, Stel questioned the pill she took, but Ophelia was quick to crify that she gave her an authentic antidote. That was the main reason why Stel woke up feeling perfectly fine and suffered no side effects. The omega also didn’t expect it to be so potent that even the antidote she prepared didn’t manage to neutralize it completely.

  “You’re the one that bit me, and yet you’re bming me for seducing you?”

  “…”

  The poor alpha was too speechless to even think of a word. In this situation, what was she supposed to say at this point? She wasn’t even sure what kind of expression she was wearing, as she felt extremely guilty for betraying Linda, even though it wasn’t even within her control. No matter how one looked at it, Stel was in bed with another omega that wasn’t her soulmate.

  “No matter how much you want to deny, the truth remains that you’ve marked me, Stel. I hope you’ll take responsibility for it.”

  The pink-haired noble smirked with great satisfaction and had to thank the drug that Mabel used on her st night for giving her this wonderful opportunity of a lifetime to sleep with her alpha. Ophelia didn’t tell her parents about what Mabel had done and only informed them about sharing a passionate night with Stel. Just to be safe, she took the birth control medication earlier because she didn’t want to be known as an impatient omega who couldn’t wait for her fiancé to reach adulthood.

  As the news spread like wildfire, all the Chevaliers and servants knew what happened between Stel and Ophelia. The young alpha took notice of the sudden change in people’s attitude towards her. Many omega girls distanced themselves from her as if it were out of fear, especially Mabel. As for Marquis and Marchioness, they treated Stel much nicer than before just because she slept with their eldest daughter. Many things happened in a short time, but one thing about Mabel’s words caught her attention. She mentioned bearing a child mix of Chevalier and Albrecht’s bloodlines, and something about that left an unsettling feeling in her chest. Stel had too many questions in her mind regarding her brother’s connection with the Chevalier, and it was a matter of time before she found out the truth.

  -

  On that same day, the entire family went on a picnic on the nearby nd and invited Stel to come along as well. The young alpha waited for an opportunity for her to be alone with Ophelia before she reached out to speak with her. They managed to find a quiet area to talk in private without others eavesdropping.

  “So, you said you have something to talk to me about?”

  “Yeah. Well… you see, I want to apologize to you about yesterday.”

  “…Huh?”

  No matter how much she hated Ophelia, she still felt that it wasn’t right to treat her poorly st night. Because Stel couldn’t recall anything, she had no idea if she was being inconsiderate and aggressive with her under the influence of the aphrodisiac or not. Furthermore, she even marked her without asking for her permission. Nevertheless, as an Albrecht noble, Stel found her actions unacceptable.

  “If I had hurt you or made you feel very uncomfortable, I also bit you without your permission. So, uh… what I want to say is that I’m sorry.”

  “…”

  Ophelia was stunned for a moment before she let out a soft chuckle. Stel got confused with her reaction and felt embarrassed about being ughed at when she was being genuine and serious with her apology.

  “Hey, I’m serious! I would appreciate it if you didn’t ugh at me like this.”

  “Hahaha, I know, silly. I just didn’t expect you to apologize to me at all…”

  Before she could get annoyed by her sarcastic attitude, Stel was caught off guard by the expression Ophelia was wearing. It was completely different from the hollow smiles she usually puts on because this smile was very natural and it suited her.

  “You’re so righteous as always, no matter what situation it may be. You don’t have to apologize for what you don’t remember. I know that it is not your fault.”

  “I still need to apologize. Even though I hate you, it doesn’t mean it’s okay for me to treat you poorly in…uh…”

  Stel stuttered and was embarrassed when it came to these sexual discussions. Even though she was an alpha and was aware this was natural, she was still a young 16-year-old kindhearted girl. Ophelia found her embarrassing reaction extremely cute, but she knew she shouldn’t tease her too much.

  “Okay, I know what you’re trying to say. I genuinely appreciate your concern for me.”

  “Don’t take it the wrong way, I’m just doing—”

  “I know, you’re just doing what you believe is the right thing to do, even though you didn’t do anything to make me feel uncomfortable at all. Even when you bit me, you’re still very gentle and made sure I wasn’t hurt.”

  “U-Uh, okay. Well, good to hear that…I-I suppose?”

  Stel cleared her throat and felt her cheeks burning from the heat of embarrassment. For the first time, it was as if she were talking to a completely different Ophelia. The young alpha didn’t dislike their interaction, and nothing about it felt forced at all. Perhaps for the first time, they were having a healthy human interaction.

  “You’re too kind for your own good, Stel. I like it more when you’re resisting me.”

  “What a sadistic twisted hobby of yours. I can never understand what’s going on inside your sick and deranged mind…”

  “Fufu, you wouldn’t want to know. You might die out of embarrassment.”

  “Ugh, you’re just so—!”

  Even when Stel wasn’t putting any filters on her words, Ophelia responded at ease without being offended because she had no filter on either. Perhaps because the foundation of their retionship was never built on being on good terms with each other. However, if they were to remove that toxicity and hatred from the equation, it would look like they were just two close friends bickering with each other.

  “Enough with the quarrel... Let’s go back, Stel. We should head back now before others think that we got lost.”

  At that moment, Stel was too focused on making an apology and didn’t notice the strangeness of her words. She was quite convinced it was just another random event that Ophelia was ‘acting nice’ again, so she shouldn’t take it seriously.

  … But who would’ve thought that it was the first and st time she spoke to the real Ophelia.