In my previous life, on the day I gave birth to a child, my father had me drowned to death.

My father felt the child had shamed our family and wanted to strangle it. But my younger sister Danica Tanner, who gave birth the same day, said the child was innocent.

She adopted the black-eyed baby, earning herself the reputation of a compassionate and merciful mother.

After I died, my spirit wandered into the Tanner's residence, and only then did I learn the truth. It was actually Danica who had a one-night stand with a missionary, conceiving that bastard. She swapped her child for mine, which led to my tragic death.

When I woke up, I found myself back on the night before Danica and I were both married to General Rolando Lowe.

I immediately asked my most trusted maid to prepare two months of contraceptive medicine for me.

***

"Gianna, when I marry, I'll be the legitimate wife, so my status is already secure. I'll find a way to make sure the General stays in your room on our wedding night. If you bear his firstborn son, your status will be secured too. With us working together, we'll be able to manage the General's household perfectly."

General Rolando was a courageous and battle-hardened warrior. The Emperor had granted the marriage of the two most beautiful sisters in the capital to him on the same day, both of us marrying into his family at once.

In front of me, Danica blinked her innocent eyes as she repeated the same words she'd said in my previous life.

She held my hand in a gesture of closeness as if we shared an unbreakable bond.

I never would have imagined that behind her innocent facade hid the soul of a devil.

If I hadn't lived through this before, I surely would have believed her lies.

In my last life, we married the General on the same day. As the legitimate wife, she had the General sent to my room on our wedding night.

She said she wanted to give me the chance to bear the General's first son and secure my position in the household.

She even brought in a doctor to prescribe me fertility medicine.

Then I could get pregnant soon and deliver around the same time as her.

At this point, she had already been pregnant for more than a month.

In my last life, I was the General's first woman, and he adored me.

Even after I gave birth to that black-haired, black-eyed bastard, the General only planned to move me to a side room, unwilling to completely sever ties with me.

But when I birthed that boy, rumors spread throughout the entire capital. The general's parents led a group of servants and maids, coming to my room, demanding that he sell me off.

My father, who arrived hastily, afraid of bringing shame to the Tanner family, decided to make an example of me and had me drowned to death.

My heart was filled with anger and sorrow, but I still forced a smile and said, "Danica, you're so thoughtful of me. I'm truly grateful."

When Danica saw my grateful smile, her face lit up with joy as she clung to my arm. "Gianna, you're my blood sister. It's only natural for me to care for you. Father will be so pleased to see us so close."

The more eager she was, the more her ulterior motives became obvious.

In my previous life, I died without realizing it was her who had caused my demise, thinking all the while that we shared a deep sister bond.

My mother had a lowly status, serving as my father's maid.

She died of asthma not long after I was born.

At that time, the legitimate wife, Kenya Hardy, offered to take me in and raise me by her side.

Though I wasn't officially acknowledged as a legitimate daughter, my life was still relatively comfortable.

Despite Danica and I being married to the same man by imperial decree, she went to great lengths to ensure that my low status as a concubine-born daughter wasn't looked down upon. During those early days of marriage, she frequently sent the General to my room, hoping I would conceive his first son and secure a place for myself.

We became pregnant at the same time, and coincidentally, we even went into early labor on the same day.

Her child was born chubby and healthy, while mine was born with black hair and eyes.

He looked just like the missionary in the capital.

Word quickly spread throughout the city that I had an affair with the missionary, and I became the object of everyone's scorn.

The Emperor had gifted the General with a beautiful wife and a delicate concubine.

As a concubine-born daughter, I naturally held the role of the delicate concubine.

The wedding ceremony didn't involve me, which left me with plenty of peace.

The matchmaker had arranged for me to stay in my room.

In my last life, Danica, eager to have me and Rolando produce a child for her to switch, didn't just send Rolando to my room on our wedding night. She even spiked our wine with a love potion.

She had to ensure that every time Rolando was with me, we both thoroughly enjoyed it.

Gradually, Rolando showed more affection toward me.

The bond between Rolando and me was evident. In my last life, after I was drowned, Rolando, who was grief-stricken, went to the battlefield and, despite his undefeated record, died at the hands of a mere foot soldier.

In my previous life, I restrained my love for Rolando in the name of sisterhood.

But in this life, I not only wanted to reclaim everything that belonged to me, but I intended to claim his love entirely.

I waited for a long time, but Rolando never came.

Danica, for the sake of the child in her belly, should have sent him to my room by now, right?

I was confused. Could something have gone wrong?

Could it be that with my return, the script had changed as well?

"See? Ms. Tanner was all talk. She made it sound so nice yesterday, but today she's still hogging Mr. Lowe all to herself."

My maid Lara Webb grumbled indignantly.

"It's not Mrs. Lowe's fault. It was the General's decision. He said it wouldn't be proper to spend the wedding night in a concubine's room."

The matchmaker chimed in, having just returned from overseeing Danica and Rolando's wedding rituals. She overheard Lara's complaints and decided to explain on Danica's behalf.

I wondered, Had I failed before the battle even started?

The war hasn't even started, and yet I've already lost the favor of my husband?

In this new life, I saw things more clearly.

Survival was more important than love.

If Rolando didn't come to my room, then I wouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant.

Several days passed, and Rolando remained in Danica's room each night.

This began to unsettle Danica.

"Gianna, you need to do something to catch the General's attention! I've been doing everything to help you, but you've got to make an effort too!"

"I know you care for me, Danica, but love is not something you can force. It's my fault for not being good enough to catch the General's eye."

I pinched my thigh hard, making tears well up in my eyes.

It gave me the perfect look of pitiful misery.

As we both pretended to share a bond of sisterly affection while secretly scheming...

Rolando approached. He tenderly draped a cloak over Danica's shoulders.

His voice sounded teasing. "Honey, are you trying to push me into the arms of another?"

Another? In this life, had I become the "other woman" in the eyes of my loving husband?

At that moment, my emotions were in turmoil.

I quietly lowered my head, hiding the disappointment that threatened to show.

"My husband adores me, and I am happy beyond words. But my sister is a pitiful soul. Her mother was just one of my father's servant girls. I share a deep bond with her, and I don't want her to suffer the same fate as her mother."

Danica gracefully rose and spoke softly, "The Emperor arranged for her to marry you as my maid. I have a request, though it may be too much. Could you consider giving my sister a better title?

"That way, when you're away on the battlefield, she'll have some status to protect her and won't be looked down upon by others."

"You're really something, honey. Since you've asked for it, how could I refuse? You decide then. Should I raise her status to concubine, or make her my equal as a secondary wife, alongside you?"

In my previous life, even though I shared a deep affection with the General, I remained nothing more than a maid.

Danica, the legitimate wife, had promised me that if I bore the General's first child, she would raise my status.

Looking back, I noticed how desperate she was to manipulate me. Before the General had even said anything about me bearing his child, she was already rushing to entice me with status and position. She just wanted me to cherish the child I was carrying, hoping I would give her a healthy baby. That was likely her true intention all along.

"Let Gianna manage the household alongside me," Danica chirped. "We will be equals as the General's wives!"

Her eyes sparkled with delight as she spun her web of lies.

I knew her real plan was for me to die after giving birth. For now, all she needed was to push me toward the General, to make me pregnant. She would promise anything to ensure that.

"Fine then, let's do as you say."

Rolando chuckled, playfully pinching Danica's nose.

He turned his gaze toward me, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Gianna, what are you waiting for? You should thank you your kind-hearted sister!"

This was the first time Rolando had spoken to me since I was reborn.

I was a bit dazed until the maid, Lara, nudged me. It was then that I came back to my senses and performed a respectful gesture toward Danica.

"Well, there's no need for all this formality. We're sisters, after all. We'll be equal wives, and no more formality to each other!"

Danica exclaimed, rushing to help me up, her triumph barely concealed.

Had I not died and been reborn, I would have been overjoyed, and grateful to her for her so-called kindness.

But now, after I learned about the truth, my heart burned with a fierce resolve.

The injustices I suffered in my past life would be repaid in full.

Danica, under the guise of planning a second wedding night for me and the General, succeeded in luring him to my room.

As I looked at the man before me, my heart was filled with mixed emotions. I carried the memories of our past affection from a previous life, but what about him?

He might as well have been a stranger now.

He was pushed into my arms only by his wife's machinations.

As I thought about this, a dull ache began to well up in my chest.

"Please enjoy the wine!"

The matchmaker beamed, her face wrinkling into a wide grin as she handed us the ceremonial cups.

After drinking together awkwardly, Rolando said, "You can go and get your reward. There's no need for you to stay here and serve."

When she heard there was a reward to be collected, the smile on the matchmaker's face grew even brighter.

As soon as she left, Rolando turned to me, suddenly seizing my chin in such a rough grip that my eyes welled up with tears out of pain. His hand forced my mouth open, and before I could react, his fingers thrust down my throat. I gagged, vomiting out the wine I had just consumed.

Making sure I vomited the wine, he followed suit, forcing himself to vomit as well.