Ariya De Delgado.
The name echoed quietly in my mind.
It sounded elegant—far too elegant to belong to someone like me. And yet, from now on, it was mine.
I don't think I'll ever be able to return to my old world. I had already died there. That much was certain. Whatever this place was, it was now my reality.
So I have no choice.
I must get used to life here.
But… can I trust them?
The question lingered like a shadow. Wealth and status didn't mean safety. I had learned that the hard way. Even people bound by blood could turn their backs on you. Even people who raised you could betray you without hesitation.
What if this family did the same?
What if one day the emperor ordered my death?
If that emperor was cruel… if I became inconvenient… would they hesitate?
Maybe the safest way to survive was to live quietly. To stay out of sight. To become someone insignificant enough to be forgotten. As long as I didn't attract attention, I might be able to live peacefully.
And yet… when I thought about it again, there was no reason for them to kill me. Not now. I posed no threat. I was only a newborn.
So perhaps I could trust this much.
But only this much.
Others would have to prove themselves.
There was one lesson my past life had carved deep into my soul:
No one can be trusted blindly.
Not family.
Not people you've known your entire life.
Humans are selfish by nature. That truth doesn't change, no matter the world.
I know that kind people exist. I know there are exceptions.
But I don't want to gamble my life on hope.
I refuse to let the same tragedy repeat itself.
So I made my decision.
In this life, I will trust no one—
unless they earn it.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Soft footsteps approached, pulling me from my thoughts.
Someone else entered the room.
It was a little boy, no older than three or four. He had soft features and a gentle expression. His hair was similar to the Duke's, though lighter, and his eyes were a clear, light blue—different from the deep blue gaze I had seen earlier.
He looked at me curiously.
"Your name sounds nice, sister" the boy said quietly.
Sister…?
Before the thought could settle—
"Nolan."
The Duke's voice cut sharply through the air.
"Do not call her your sister."
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
"That thing is the reason your mother died," he continued coldly. "I only gave it a name so that our family would not lose face."
The words landed heavily, even though I couldn't fully understand them yet.
So this is how it is.
I wasn't welcomed here.
I wasn't loved.
I was a reminder.
A burden.
As the Duke turned away, something inside me hardened.
That's fine.
I don't need love to survive.
I don't need trust given freely.
If this world intends to be cruel..
Then I will be stronger than it.