Felicia chuckled. "Are you going to ask me that every time we meet?" Robert had already asked several times.

Felicia stopped and turned to face Roberta, her gaze calm yet firm. "Like I said, I don't blame you for your choice that day, but I won't forgive you either. Some betrayals need only happen once."

Roberta paled, tears welling in her eyes. She struggled to compose herself. "Aunt Felicia, I'm sorry. I really am—"

"You don't have to apologize; apologies won't change anything," Felicia said indifferently. To Roberta, it was a haunting regret; to Felicia, a fleeting moment. Had Felicia been less fortunate that night, she would have been tortured to death, never hearing these words.

Felicia had shared Roberta's despair, empathizing with her plight. This empathy had driven her to risk her safety to save Roberta. She had been in Roberta's shoes and would never wish that despair on another.

Felicia had never known of an illegitimate child in Noah's family in her previous life. This likely meant Roberta would have been trapped in that village, sold, tortured, and died in some forgotten corner. But now, Roberta lived, vibrant as a flower in full bloom.

As Felicia prepared to leave, she paused. "Roberta," she said with genuine sincerity, "it's good you're alive. Don't dwell on the past. Whatever's trapping you will eventually pass. You can always be yourself again, if you're determined."

A gentle breeze stirred the leaves in the courtyard. Roberta remained rooted to the spot, unaware of the tears streaming down her face until Felicia was gone. Felicia's words echoed in her mind: "Don't dwell on the past. Whatever's trapping you will eventually pass. You can always be yourself again, if you're determined." Spoken calmly, the words held undeniable power, invigorating Roberta's long-dead heart.

She covered her mouth, sobbing uncontrollably. No one had ever spoken to her like that before. Felicia was the only one who had shown her kindness in a world of malice and despair; the only one who had told her she could always be herself, if she found the courage to break free.

Roberta wiped away her tears. Her gaze hardened with resolution. She would leave the Walsh residence, never to return.

She returned to her room, deciding to leave everything behind, but she secured a few thousand dollars. With that money, she could leave Khogend with her mother.

Roberta finished packing, but the moment she…