Amaris just wants love

“Just kill me now. I don’t have the strength to go on...” A young woman in tattered clothing sat on the cold floor of a jail cell as she struggled to keep her eyes open. Her wrists were shackled above her head as blood dripped down from her nailless fingers. The woman, who had just endured days worth of torture, was covered in old and new wounds from head to toe. As the world’s top agent she has never surrendered to anyone, but now she is pathetically asking for death.

‘I’m tired. I’m tired of fighting...I thought that gaining strength and having power was all I needed. I grew to be merciless towards my enemies, as I saw them as mere ants. Ants that I could stomp on at any moment. Little did I know that because of this strength, those enemies would team up to kill me out of fear.’

“Haha!” A round old man stood just outside of the cell as he smoked a cigar. “Who knew that the world’s top agent, Liu Xiuying, would be degraded to this state.” He walked towards the young woman as he spun the hand gun in his hand. “I was going to wait for you to die on your own, but since you want to die so bad I don’t mind speeding up the process for you...Take it as a parting gift.” 

Liu Xiuying used her last bit of strength to lift her head up to look at the man pointing the gun at her. “How kind of you….father.”

‘Out of all of my enemies, I would’ve never imagined that the person to kill me would be my father, the owner of China’s top criminal organization.’

 “Tch. Only when faced with death, do you decide to acknowledge me as your father. If you had stayed in the mafia like I asked, you wouldn’t be in this pitiful situation. Yet, you decided to join the other side. You brought this upon yourself, Ying’er. ” And with those last words, the man standing before her fired the gun at her head.

‘Looking back, I lived such a glorious life. I didn’t lack power, I was extremely wealthy, and I was incredibly strong. But...the one thing I had always secretly wanted was love. If there were such a thing as another life, I swear I will never live such a loveless and vengeful life again.’

…

“It’s a miracle! I am not sure how but it’s like the disease has completely vanished from her system!” A distant shout was heard throughout the room.

‘So noisy’ Liu Xiuying slowly moved her eyelids as she struggled to open her eyelids. ‘What is this strange language?’ When she finally managed to open her eyes, she was greeted with a heavenly mural that was fabulously painted on the ceiling of the room. ‘Wait...Why can I hear anything at all? Aren’t I dead?’ 

“Duke, it is true! There is no trace of the cold disease in her blood, it is like it was never there.”

“Impossible! How could the disease just suddenly disappear overnight! Doctor, check again!” The loud voices sounded like they were coming from outside the door. ‘Cold disease? Why can I understand what they're saying?’ 

A sharp pain suddenly assaulted her brain as memories started to flood into her head. Amaris De Baux. The sixteen year old daughter of the Duke of Amberdale that was born with a cold disease. Her mother, after giving birth to her, soon died of the same disease. Since then, she was sent to De Baux’s secluded mansion up in the countryside for treatment. She stayed there, hidden from the world, and lived her life alone with a few servants. Because of this, the only daughter of the House of De Baux was rumored to be an ugly and ill tempered young girl hidden in the countryside to avoid embarrassing the Duke of Amberdale. 

‘Impossible.’ Liu Xiuying quickly sat up on the side of the bed and looked around the room. The room was richly decorated and resembled an old Victorian room. As she scanned the room, she caught sight of her reflection in a mirror that sat near the window. Liu Xiuying looked at herself in amazement. ‘So it’s true. I’ve been reborn’ 

“Amaris De Baux” She said as she stared at her reflection. With abnormal white hair, caused by the cold disease, and a set of mesmerizing golden eyes, inherited from her mother, Amaris was an unparalleled beauty. Her looks were enough to bring every man to their knees. Sadly, no one other than her father and a few servants had witnessed her beauty.

“God must’ve pitied me enough to give me another chance at life” Amaris patted her face as she praised the body she was given. “Amaris De Baux, thank you for giving me this body. I will use it well.” 

Bang! The door swung open. “Amaris! You are awake! How are you feeling?” Amaris couldn’t help but jump at the sudden action before she turned around. At the door, stood a tall burly man in his 40’s followed by a short elderly man. Judging from their attire, it was Amaris’ father, the Duke of Amberdale, and the doctor who were speaking outside not too long ago. “I feel fine, father. When did you get here?”

“Butler Michel sent word that you fell into a coma after your last cold episode, so I rushed here as soon as I could!” He responded. “But…” He casted a glance at the doctor. “While you were asleep, the doctor had examined you and found that the poison had completely disappeared from your body. Did you eat anything strange or do anything that might have cured your disease?” 

‘Disappeared? Maybe when the real Amaris died, the disease left with her.’ Amaris thought. “I’m not sure. I hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary.” 

“Hahaha alright! The most important thing is that you’re cured now.” The Duke smiled brightly as he turned towards the elderly doctor that was standing quietly at the door. “Thank you Dr.Barren for your help. You may take your leave now.” He said. “It is my pleasure Duke, Miss Amaris.” Dr. Barren bid his farewell to the two and left.

“Amaris, now that your disease is cured there’s no reason for you to stay here anymore.” He said awkwardly. “You may begin to pack your things and we’ll head out for the capital tomorrow.”

‘Move back to the capital? Oh right! Amaris has been living in the countryside all her life to treat her disease. Since the capital was a bit far from this secluded mansion, her father only seldom visited here.’ She thought. ‘And Amaris has never interacted with anyone other than a few servants and the Duke of Amberdale, so it will be impossible for anyone to notice that I’m not the real Amaris.’ At the thought of living a new life with a guarantee that no one will notice she is not Amaris, she couldn’t help but smile. ‘Alright Amaris! Let’s go find love!’