Anastasia Beverly, once the daughter of Viscount, after her father's death, she was sent to Lancaster dukedom, and became the maid of Duchess Valeria. After fainting from extreme punishment,she received from the Duchess, she regained her past life memories, then she remembered that she was in a novel she once read known as "Bittersweet lies" in that novel she was merely a side character who was killed because of the evil Duchess plots.

Died from having an unfortunate previous life with miseries in this life too, all she wanted was to achieve a peaceful life, a small but peaceful house, with a peaceful climate and environment filled with greenery, and a cat with getting old in solitude. But for that awaited a long journey because first she needed to leave safely from the dukedom and reach the desirable place she wants to live in.

She thought she had to fight in this journey alone, but unexpectedly a knight was helping her, not knowing the reason she can only feel guarded, but her body denies her brain as it feels the safest around him. That knight being all mysteries of his identity only reassures her that no matter what he'll always be by her side and protects her from everything without ever needing anything from her, even if the world declines he'll be there for her.

Hearing a pledge of a strange knight she became more wary of him, but unknowingly with her traumatic pasts and trust issues she still became comfortable around him but more than that, why does a stranger whom she only met for a few days know her way better than anyone, because after regaining memories she's all changed, or we can say she has a mixed personality of this life and previous life of her, than why does he always know what she wants and what she fears, is there something more than his enigmatic identity that awaits disclosure in the future, or it'll always remain a secret.

But no matter what it seems like both of them have started accepting each other no matter what the future awaits. But it seems like her journey to avoid danger and being peaceful is not easy at all as she's been getting more and more attention from the villains and main leads, and the interference of the never seen Archduke is getting her life more and more complicated, when will she ever have the life she wants, or is it really possible for her to have the normal but very hard to get life she ever dreamt of?,and why is the Duchess being jealous of her when she's nothing more than a side character not worthy of her attention at all!!!!???? More than that why is the helpful and gentle knight being so hostile towards them like seriously they can take his life on just a word !!!??? And why is she caring for the unknown stranger, what's his identity?????

More than that why is the emperor just looking like her evil husband she had in her past life ??????????? And why does that commoner knight put his sword on his majesty's neck, what's their relation and why are they fighting because of her !!!!!!!!!!!!!

Helpless and confused Anastasia could only rely on her sharp and intelligent mind to get out of this mess. Oh wait! Will the mind be enough or she'll be needing the help of her heart too???

Anastasia POV

I'm a cooking maid in Lancaster duke's mansion, I'm never in a spotlight because I'm not the head chef or anything, just a helper in the kitchen, but today I'm standing in front of the Duchess, known for her cruel behavior with servants, I wonder how I caught her attention but all I know right now is that nothing is going to be good right now because of that annoyed expression she has.

" I heard you cook very well, so much good that the food you made was liked by the Duke enough for him to taste it every day without getting bored?"

The Duchess said in a sarcastic way, and I know she meant no well, my hands were shivering, and my legs were too numb to even move, I heard Duchess is very obsessed over the Duke, so much that she can't tolerate him favoring anyone no matter which gender it is, I also heard that the ones who were favored by the Duke were vanished into thin air, even the Duke couldn't find where they were. I suppose it's my turn right now, what do I do!??.

I never intended to catch his attention, I was just cooking because I love to cook and there was nothing for me to eat, I missed my hometown food a lot which was never eaten in duchy, so I was just making my favorite dish after asking permission from the head chef and the head maid, but suddenly the Duke ordered food to eat, at a very unusual time. The head chef was sick and was sleeping, the head maid was rushing for it, but then she saw the dish I made, tasted it then without even asking me, she sent it to him. I had only a little left for me, so I just took some bread to fill my stomach. Then from that day onwards he specially ordered only that dish even though it was nothing special. I never thought it would also catch the Duchess attention.

" I'm sorry Duchess if I did something wrong, I really never intended to catch his majesty's attention."

I said in a shivering tone

"SHUT UP!"

I jumped in fear, she was way more angry about it than I thought.

" Take her to the secret room and don't ever let her out."

She ordered other maids, , was terrified as the "secret room" was the room where servants were tortured brutally and were not let out until they passed out or lost their senses.

" Duchess, duchess, please I beg of you, don't do this to me, I swear I'll never ever be seen around the duchy, I'll disappear forever from this city, please let me live, please leave me duchess, please don't do this to me."

I cried, I begged her, but she just turned around sparing me no look, as I was not even worthy to be seen or heard by her, it was nothing surprising as that's how the Duchess Liliana of Lancaster dukedom was.

Two maids were constantly hitting me with sticks, my mouth was tightly closed with cloth but still my screams were heard from their ears, they showed no mercy as they were venting up all their anger and frustration they got from working here on me. Even if they wanted to pity me they were not allowed to as the two female knights were constantly witnessing them, the door of this secret room was tightly closed and as it was made of special metal, these noises would not be audible out there.

My clothes were soaked in sweat and blood, I was all dehydrated from crying too. There was no water no rest, the beating continued the whole day, until I was no longer able to make a voice, cry or do anything, I was all helpless, and finally I fainted. The beating only stopped after checking I was alive but not conscious. I guess it will continue tomorrow, or maybe I'll not be alive till tomorrow.

In that unconsciousness I had a very long dream, a dream in which I was born in a wealthy family in the year 1978, my mother and father always had high expectations from me because I was the eldest one, I had a little brother, but he never wanted my presence as if he didn't want me to exist, I was very talented in everything, no matter sports, studies, foreign languages or cooking. I first had to cook because I was all alone, but then it became my hobby. Being excelled in academics I was able to handle my family business from a young age, but still I was never able to get the love and favoritism of my parents or my brother. My parents always gave all the love they had to my younger brother as he was a boy and the youngest, and my younger brother always saw me as a rival who could take the things he has. I was never interested in wealth, property or in love. As the money I had was not meant to be spent on the things I wanted, properties were never meant to be built in the way I like, and love was something I never knew what it felt like. The people I had around me were never the ones who genuinely liked me, but those interested in my money, fame and excellence, even though I had a male friend who genuinely liked to be around me, but he and I also parted early because of him being in the military.

Soon as I turned 24 I was married to a suitable husband my parents chose for me, the one who was beneficial for their business, that marriage of mine was never filled with love or even respect. My husband always had something to argue with me about. We never shared a bed, we both knew we were just forced to be with each other because of our families, then one day I found out he has a lover he deeply loved. I felt nothing even knowing that, but then one day on my birthday in the year 2025 I came to know that my husband with his lover and my brother plotted to poison me so that I'll never be a thing on their way, I knew about it but still I didn't care, it was better for me to die than be living that kind of life. So I just drank the drink they spiked. They thought I was just drinking it by being clueless about their plot but still I was glad at least the death of mine was peaceful, even if I got a severe pain in my whole body still my all senses were numb, I couldn't hear or see anything. At that moment all I wished was that ...........' If I ever will be able to live another life, please may it be the peaceful and warm life, with no expectations from anyone, no fights, no arguments, a cold but warm environment, a house with no one else other than me and cat living in, a business with a suitable earning and just peace, all I want is peace in another life' That's all I wanted........

To be continued..................

This life was not any different from before, my parents in this life also had great hopes from me, craving for perfection in their one and only daughter, we were well off but still I wasn't given the luxury to have the things I really wanted, but all I had was what others thought I needed. My father, the Viscount wanted me to catch the emperor's attention, he wanted me to get into the imperial palace and make him secure and well known. But fate didn't give him a chance, he died before he could do anything like that.My mother afterwards made some connections in the Lancaster dukedom and got me a job as a maid there. All my income was going to her, the only things I was surviving on was the food I got here, the uniform of maids, and the old clothes I brought from home. My mother has never tried to meet me since I got here, she only sends letters, telling me to do the best job, not to make mistakes and try to get promoted. Nothing else.....

Now I remember that I'm in a novel I once read, named as Bittersweet lies, in that novel I was a mere side character with only one role, a maid who was killed by the emperor (the male lead) after she tried to poison the female lead (Baroness Lila), from the order of the Duchess (antagonist), because the Duke (second male lead) was giving way too much attention to the Baroness, which the Duchess despised.

A severe headache was felt when I opened my eyes, when I looked around me,, I saw a pitched dark room where only the moonlight was coming in through a hole, it was the only source of light, but it was enough to make me see my surroundings. The blood smell was reeking there, it was the smell of my blood, my body was numb, I was in pain in some parts of my body, and the ones which were severely injured were all numb. I was all alone in that room, I guess everyone left when I lost my consciousness.

I'm surprised that I'm still breathing even though I was brutally tortured. I guess because my part in the novel is not done, I'll be living till my role is completed. Furthermore, I'm not scared to die again. Not only that, but I don't even care about my life anymore. But what if this life is the only chance for me to achieve the dream I always desired to live ? A peaceful life ? *Sigh* I really want to feel what it feels like..

Imagining it all I just rested my head on the wall, and closed my eyes. There was no noise around me, it was all quiet and maybe a small presence of peace was there, a kind of peace someone can only get by being alone. And that's how the night was over, and the chaotic morning was awaiting its turn to destroy the silence and peace.

*In the morning*

A cold splash of water hit my face, my eyes opened in shock, it was the Duchess standing in front of me, her personal maid, was giving me a wicked smile as if she was laughing at my condition. If it was tomorrow, her smile would've affected me a lot, but not now, I feel nothing right now.

I bowed to the Duchess in courtesy because no matter what, right now I'm a maid in her mansion, and the maid should always be courteous. I know she must be here to give me the final task I have in this novel because she wants me to go through more of a hell. But I don't care because in this life I'll never have anyone control my life, in this life I'll achieve all the things I want, it doesn't matter if it's only a dream in a novel, I'll make sure this dream ends the way I want.

"Good morning, your grace." I said with my swollen cheeks, aching with each movement of my mouth. A smirk appeared on her mouth, as she posed with her folded fan rested on her cheek, a slightly tilted face, her hand holding her folded fan whose elbow was resting on the palm of her other hand. Her eyes which were blue iris and black pupils, were looking straight at me, observing me carefully. Her hair was brown, she was wearing a red gown, her fair beauty was looking more pretty because of that bright red color wonder why she's so insecure when she's a beauty herself.

" I guess you still remember the courtesy of maids even in this state of yours."She mocked me, but my eyes were still down in respect, and my mouth was no longer able to say a word. She bent her face and came closer to my face, she lifted my chin gently with the edge of her folded fan, our eyes were staring at each other's . I looked down in courtesy as she was observing my bruises. "It seems you're no longer the prettiest one as you were before." She backs away after removing her folded fan, then opens it to cover half of her face then says," Dying like this would be too boring for you, do you want to do a worthy deed before you die?" She asked me while raising her one eyebrow.

" If it's what grace wants, it'll be my honor" I said knowing what she's planning. "Good then, I'll give you one month or till the time you heal, then I'll tell you what you need to do. Till then, you'll just help the senior maids, not going to the kitchen. Also, make sure to never be around the Duke." She warned me with a stern tone.

" Thank you for your kindness your highness, I'll obey all the rules you stated." "Good, that's what you should do if you want a peaceful death." She said and folded her fan, turning back to go out of the secret room, her maid followed her .

I was relieved as she was finally gone, and sat in a comfortable way. I'm glad I at least have a month to plan and gather resources. Because after a month and before the time she wants me to poison the female lead, I'll make sure to run away from here and never ever return.But for that I'll have to be disciplined and careful to be alive for a month at least, only then could I safely get out of here.

Yeah! In this life I'll never surrender to fate, I'll fight for my way, even if the world declines....

To be continued ......