Once Upon A Historical Daydream (ᴀ x ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ sᴛᴏʀʏ)

Chapter 1: The beginning

you were the best
but you were the worst
as sick as it sounds
i loved you first.

|♪ : I love you, I'm sorry - Gracie Adams|

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𝑴𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒆:
Thunder flashed across the lands, and the sky wept, as it sat witness to one of the greatest tragedy.

"(Y/N) (L/N), daughter of General (L/N), for all the crimes you have committed against the imperial family, you will be hanged, while your family will be exiled from this empire."

You stared back with hollow eyes at the crown prince, Feng Yichen, who announced the punishment for your sins with a sneer on his lips. Your gaze shifts to look at the women by his side, the one who stole him from you, adorned with jewels fit for a crown princess. Jewels that were meant to be worn by you.

But did she really she steal him from me, if he was never even mine to begin with?

The twisted look in his face filled with anger didn't seem to mar his handsome features. He still looked as breathtaking as he was when you first laid your eyes on him. Like a fool, despite all that he had done, you still love him.

How foolish. Ha.

How could he do this to you? Your family? The ones who ardently supported him for the title of crown prince. He not only had the audacity to abandon you but also ruin your family's prestigious reputation.

Maybe it's all my fault. If I hadn't obsessed over you (it was true love though), this might not have happened.
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"Little miss (Y/N), you have locked yourself in this room for the past three days, we are worried about you", your maid, Xi Xi, a kind woman in her mid forties, says so softly that you almost miss it. All you wished for right now is to drown in the comfort of your plush velvet mattress and not think about the life that you had lived and lost. But seeing her concerned look from the corner of your eyes, you painstakingly sat up straight.

"I'm fine, Xi Xi, just a little bit tired", you lie through your teeth with one of your I-can-handle-it-all smile, which of course doesn't fool her. As expected of her, afterall she's been your personal maid since you were a kid. She was more like family to you.

Another family member you failed to protect.

No—this time, things will be different. This time you planned not to fail your loved ones. This time you promised yourself to turn things around.

Deep in your thoughts, you don't respond until her gentle touch on your shoulder breaks the spell. "My lady, I actually came here to share a happy news with you, I hope that'll cheer you up", she says holding back a smile. She thought that the reason for you sadness, as usual, was due to your worry for your fiancé, the crown prince. In a way, she was right, you were worried, just not about him but about the grim future you'd be faced with caused by the one who has your heart, no - had your heart.

Do I still love him after all that? I really hope not.

"It's just a rumour, but people are whispering about the return of the crown prince in just a few weeks", she squealed out in joy hoping that you would share her happiness. But instead, all she saw a ghost-striken face filled with fear and pain that was unfit for a twenty-year old.

"In just a few w-weeks?", you mumble out weakly.

"Miss, why do you not seem happy? Isn't this what you always wanted for the past six years?", Xi Xi asks in confusion with weariness slowly crawling into her face. But you don't bother to even look at her. All you could think about was the inevitable doom that was approaching, in the name of - Feng Yichen.

"Xi Xi, leave me alone", you walk towards the window with a an air of aloofness, leaving no room for further discussion.

"As you wish, little miss"

Only when you found yourself in the arms of solitude do you let the tears fall from your eyes. You needed more time to prepare your heart. Things were escalating rather fast in your opinion. Too fast. You were just so damn tired of life. Of existence. Of living. And just when you found yourself try to become better he had to be back again.

Three days back you had died and by some miracle, transported back to the past - before the time you were blinded by anger and jealousy, dooming both your family and yourself. You ached to meet them in the past and yet now you couldn't even bear to look them straight in the eye. The guilt and shame of your mistakes engulfed you in a sea of regrets making it harder to breathe.

Making it harder to even survive.

Your heart is so battered and bruised that often at times his words still ring inside your head - of all the sweet false promises he whispered to you under the cherry blossom tree. You honestly feel like screaming at the top of your lungs. All these pent up emotions slowly cause your eyes to droop and you feel yourself slip into unconsciousness.

~

"—telling you all that she had been avoiding us for the past few days", you hear your mother's concern.

"Keep your voice down, my dear, our daughter is sleeping", the sound of your father and mother bickering wakes you up from your slumber. But you don't alert them of your awareness, still too scared to look them in the eye.

"Madam, looks like the little miss is awake", and there goes your facade of pretending to be asleep. Nothing ever gets past Xi Xi. You slowly open your eyes to see your parents worried look. They always had this exact look on their faces after the crown prince called off the wedding. Your eyes immediately start to tear up and you impulsively spring up straight and hug your mother.

"(Y/N), my dear, what happened—",

"Let me just hug you like this Ma", you held on to her like she was your only lifeline.

Your father signaled the servants to leave the room silently to give the privacy you very much needed.

After you cried your heart out, you slowly release the vice grip you had on your mother. "(Y/N), tell us, what is bothering you so much? You know that we'll always have your back right?", your father pleaded. Yes, you knew that. You knew that all too well. And so you were very much confident in what you were just about to do.

You took a deep breathe in, "I had a dream, a very long dream, to be exact"
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Author's note: Hope you like the story so far!