Reincarnated as both God and The Devil

Years ago, during the rubble and the destruction of Taizhou, Charlotte discovered a light. A light that was warm enough for her to feel even through the cold and desolate night. She knew that she shouldn't feel this kind of comfort as she heard the cries of pain of the people.

But even then, as she rolled her way through the ruined city, she found herself longing for this light. It stood above anything.

And there, as she felt the warmth growing ever stronger, she saw a child amongst the crowd. A child, a small boy that looked eerily similar to her when she was just a young girl. She doesn't if it was because of their similarities, but she instantly felt a sort of connection towards the boy as soon as she saw him.

A connection that she has never felt before, even with her family, even with her now late husband.

And now, 7 years later, that same boy in the crowd was not telling her that he is her son.

"I… am your son."

Viel said as he looked straight towards Charlotte's eyes. His words almost choked Charlotte to death as she felt her chest tightened.

"W… what?", she stuttered.

"See!?", Duke Erik, on the other hand, had a huge smile plastered on his face as he stood up from his seat, "I knew I was not the father!", he hollered as he started running around the guest hall due to his excitement, truly unfitting of a Duke.

His wife, Natalia, quickly reprimanded him and ordered him to sit back down, which he quickly did so without uttering a single word.

"What… are you saying, Viel?", this time, it was Charlotte who stood up from her seat, "That's not a good joke", she chuckled as she slightly waved her hands.

"It's not a joke", Viel shook his head, "Miss Lu Yi told me you're my mother"

"W… who is that?"

Sofia could not help but fix her spectacles as soon as she heard Viel's words.

'Lu Yi told him?', she thought. She was aware that Lu Yi was one of the voices inside Viel's head that were trying to help him. If so, then it must be the truth, Sofia concluded. There was also the fact that Charlotte had the same green flickering lights in her eyes that Viel had.

It must be true, then. She once again repeated in her mind as she stood up from her seat. She gently placed her hand on Viel's shoulder before quickly leaving the guest hall. If Viel was going to tell her the truth, then it was not their place to listen.

Yinji could not help but sigh as she too, left the room. Followed by Violet, and soon, everyone in the room was gone. Except for Duke Erik, Natalia, Charlotte, and Viel.

Even the servants and maids that were waiting on the side left the room, leaving only the four of them inside the guest hall.

Duke Erik quickly let out a sigh as his eyebrows furrowed. "This Miss Lu Yi, who is it?"

"It's… a voice in my head", Viel also sighed.

"See!?", Charlotte felt the weight on her chest lightened a little bit as she let out a tiny chuckle, "Viel is always playing a prank, no need to take him seriously"

Duke Erik, however, stared Viel straight in the eyes. He could feel no doubt, not even a slight hesitation in Viel's eyes. For some reason, Duke Erik felt like Viel was telling the truth.

"How do you know?", he then asked another question.

"Brother!", Charlotte quickly slammed her palm on the table, "This is not a good joke to follo--"

"My grandmother found me in an alley"

"!!!"

Charlotte could not even finish her words before Viel's words reached her ears, and as soon as it did so, she felt a certain breeze journey through her body, making her legs as if cotton as she dropped back to her seat.

"...", Natalia could not help but squint her eyes. What exactly is going on? She thought.

"It was a dark alley, she found me surrounded in a pool of blood"

Viel's eyes slightly trembled as sorrow started to fill them. He was recalling a story. A story that should have been a memory of a story.

It was confusing, but it is also the truth. This story was something he heard from Sofia. She told him that his grandparents told him the story of how they found him before his grandmother passed away.

It was confusing, but the look on Viel's heavy eyes was clear as he continued to tell the story.

"...And in that pool of blood, my grandmother found me lying on top of a woman. She told me how little I was, how small", Viel could not help but smile. He doesn't remember Grandma Ling's face, but still, she imagined how she would tell him the story.

"And the woman was beautiful, a westerner. Even with her hair covered in blood, it's lush and gleaming golden color still reflected the moon…

...and there was a huge wound on her back"

"!!!", Charlotte could not help but let out a gasp as she covered her mouth. Countless thoughts were racing in her mind. The woman in Viel's story. It was definitely her. But how? Did Viel hear what happened to her from someone?

"But… I wasn't pregnant then…", a whisper stuttered from her breath.

"What!?", Duke Erik's voice was filled with concern, "So his story is true!? And why did you have a wound on your back!?"

"Y… yes", Charlotte stuttered, "An accident happened and I was left in an alley… but I wasn't pregnant!", she bellowed as she turned her attention back to Viel.

Viel only shrugged his shoulders, "That's as far as the story goes", he said, "They told me that they went back for you, but you were no longer there"

"That…", the weight in Charlotte's chest returned as she felt her breaths hesitate. Viel's story clearly matched the events that happened to her. But him being her son was still impossible.

"I--"

She was going to open her mouth, but before she could do so, she remembered what the physician told her the first time she woke up from the accident. This was a memory that she was forcefully trying to hide.

A memory that was hidden deep within the darkness of her mind. Her jaws started to tremble and her throat quickly dried up.

She remembers now.

She… was indeed pregnant. The physician told her that she bled through her privates. She had been hiding this memory since it resurfaced the most painful moments of her life. She was pregnant, and the only possible father was that monster, Li Zhao. She gave him her chastity.

But it was a miscarriage. The physician clearly told her.

A miscarriage…

"Kyah!"

Charlotte then suddenly screamed as a flash of bright light entered her eyes. She covered her face, but still, the bright light kept flashing in front of her.

"Charlotte!", Duke Erik quickly rushed towards his sister as she continued to let out screams of anguish. "W… what's happening to you!?"

Charlotte's whole body trembled as the bright flashes continued to blind her even with her eyes closed.

Memories. They were flashes of memories. She was hearing the voices of men, men that seemed to want to take advantage of her, she felt weak and couldn't resist.

She also remembered feeling discomfort on her stomach as a warm feeling trailed in between her legs.

"No… no!", Charlotte started pulling her hair as she wanted the painful memories to go away.

Charlotte then saw what seemed like a puddle of blood squirming in the ground. It moved and rippled until it resembled the shape of… a human baby.

"!!!"

This shape grew, and it's grey-like color whittled, to be replaced by the lush redness of the skin. And on top of its head, were small strands of golden hair.

"No…"

And then, the baby suddenly opened its mouth and called for its mother.

"N… no"

And then once again, she returned to the memories of men that wanted to take advantage of her. But before they could do so, she heard their screams. She remembered hearing different voices, but none were clear.

She remembered the baby being pulled away from her, only to crawl its way back.

Mother… Love... Words that it whispered into her ears.

She then heard the voice of an old woman, checking up on her before taking her baby away.

"No… I'm alive…"

"Charlotte? What's happening to you?"

"I'm alive!"

Duke Erik and Natalia could not help but panic as Charlotte started screaming, her tears dropping to the ground.

"Don't take… don't take my baby!"

Charlotte continued to scream as she pushed his brother and Natalia away. She screamed as her legs slowly walked their way towards Viel, reaching for him and hugging him as soon as he was within her reach.

"Please… my baby, don't take my baby…"

"My… baby".

Her words soon fleeted as her vision turned dark and her whole body collapsed. Viel gently caught her. And even with his strength that could probably carry mountains, Charlotte…

Charlotte seemed heavy.

Even with her eyes closed, Charlotte's whispers still echoed through the guest hall.

Viel could not help but let out a slight sigh. Xing Cai, Sofia… he already had a family. He didn't really know what to feel about Charlotte.

True, he felt a connection towards her. But a mother? Right now, it was Xing Cai that was the closest to that for Viel. He had barely even talked to Charlotte ever since he got back, and even before that.

But still… Unknowingly, his lips quivered.

"I'm here… 

...mother."