Sable was lost in thought when the sound of the door opening gathered her attention. A maid walked in and paused when she saw Sable standing by her bedside. Sable recognized her as one of her personal maids. One she hadn't seen in a long time. 

 

The maid was quite young and looked to only be around a few years older than her in early adulthood. Her dark hair was tied back into a bun with a white lacy headband. She was dressed in a black maid uniform with a white apron and brown laced-up boots. 

 

“My lady.” 

 

The maid bowed her head and politely greeted Sable. While the maid in front of her was polite, Sable knew the servants of the household all knew that she was neglected by the Marquis and, while they did not raise their hand at her, they whispered behind her back and gave her pitying looks. Sable herself did not bother to admonish them or make a fuss of their behavior. She was a quiet child who kept to herself and she did not bother to get close with any of the servants. The only one who could be considered close to her was her personal maid who was in charge of attending to her, but their relationship did not go beyond being master and servant. 

 

The maid moved towards the armoire and opened it. 

 

“Let’s get you dressed, my lady.”

 

Sable nodded and moved to stand next to the maid. The maid sorted through the dresses and after picking one she quickly changed Sable out of her frilly nightwear and into a navy dress with a black bow tied around her neck. A split in front of the dress revealed a black underskirt that reached down to her ankles. The maid then dressed her feet in a pair of white socks and picked a pair of black shoes for Sable to wear. 

 

Afterwards, the maid guided her to sit down in front of the vanity and set about brushing her hair. Sable watched her brush her hair for a few moments before calling out the maid’s name. 

 

“Aly,” Her voice sounded softer than she remembered. “What month is it currently?” 

 

Aly paused in her brushing. She was slightly surprised that the young lady remembered her name as she had barely spoken to Aly before. Although they weren't close, Aly was grateful that Sable did not act like a troublesome child despite her age. She had a puzzled look on her face when she heard the question and looked down at Sable. 

 

Their eyes met in the reflection of the mirror and noticing that Sable was waiting for a reply, she cleared her throat. 

 

“It is Midsummer, my lady. Today is the day of the festival.” 

 

Sable’s eyes widened slightly at Aly’s answer. 

 

“I see.” 

 

Aly waited a moment to see if she would ask anything else, but seeing her lady remain silent, she resumed brushing her hair. 

 

Meanwhile, Sable was quickly sorting through her memories. In her past life, she never bothered to participate in the Midsummer Festival. She disliked the large crowds and opted to stay inside and read the books in the library. She had done this for almost every festival so knowing that today was the Midsummer Festival did not stand out in her mind. On the contrary, the appearance of her personal maid triggered her memory. 

 

Sable observed Aly’s reflection, careful to not make any eye contact. Although she had a distant relationship with her servants, she memorized their faces, especially the face of her personal maid who was responsible for taking care of her. Her maid was one of the few people who treated her politely and didn't look at Sable with pity like the other servants. Sable recalled the incident when Aly was suddenly replaced. She didn’t find out until later when she overheard the servants talking about her maid. Aly had been caught up in an accident during the festival, and while Sable did not know the precise details, she knew that the maid lost her life.

 

Of course, the maid in question was Aly. 

 

When Aly entered the room, Sable was finally able to confirm her suspicions that she truly had gone back in time to six years ago when she was ten-years old. A person she thought dead was now attending to her, and Sable was forced to silently accept her new reality. 

 

However, she faced a new dilemma. 

 

If her memories were correct, then today was the day that Aly would lose her life. Despite not being close to her personal maid, Sable did not mind her company as the maid was efficient in her tasks and took care of her well. Personally, she thought it was a shame that Aly ended up assigned to someone like her, the neglected daughter of the household. If she had been placed elsewhere, she would surely have been promoted. While Sable had no obligation to save her, she thought that it was a shame that someone as young and capable as Aly would lose her life. Having experienced it herself, Sable was not a fan of death. 

 

But choosing to save Aly was not a simple task. Sable was painfully aware of how distant she was with the servants and she doubted that Aly would heed the warning of a child and not attend the festival. 

 

The Midsummer Festival was a time of celebration and many of the kingdom’s citizens would be out on the streets exploring the stalls and enjoying the festive mood. While the knights were deployed along with the guards, Sable knew that with so many people, they would be unable to focus their attention on one area. 

 

The only alternative that Sable could come up with was to attend the festival with Aly. In the past, she refused any invitation to go to the festival, but she knew that she couldn’t do that this time around. She waited and soon the question was asked. 

 

“My lady, would you like to attend the festival with me?” 

 

Aly, who finished brushing Sable’s hair, asked her the question out of politeness, expecting the young lady to refuse her as she always did as Aly knew she preferred the company of books rather than people. 

 

Contrary to her expectations, Sable nodded her head and Aly blinked in surprise. It was uncharacteristic of the child to decide to go out. 

 

“A-Are you sure, my lady?” 

 

Sable frowned. Aly was about to apologize when she saw the frown on the child’s face, but Sable shot a question back at her before she could. 

 

“Am I not allowed to attend?” 

 

Aly froze for a moment then shook her head. 

 

“No, it’s not that… I apologize, my lady.” 

 

Aly was taken aback by Sable’s change in attitude. She had always uttered a few words in response whenever Aly asked her a question. It was the first time Aly saw her show a different kind of expression and she had even talked back to her. She didn’t know how to react. 

 

Seeing Aly lower her head in apology, the frown on Sable’s face disappeared and her expression returned to being neutral.  

 

Realizing her lady wasn’t angry, Aly sighed in relief and collected herself. She reminded herself that the young lady in front of her, although abnormal, was still a ten-year old child and figured that Sable was just curious and would return once she lost interest. Sable who was quietly reading her face, did not bother trying to change her thinking. She was only going to the festival to prevent Aly’s death and once she made sure she was safe, Sable would return to her room and figure out what to do from there. 

 

“Then I shall go inform the Lord. Please wait here and I will escort you, my lady.” 

 

Sable quietly nodded at her instruction. She had no desire to see that man and the sooner she could get away, the better. Aly, who was unaware of her inner turmoil, bowed once and left the room to inform the Marquis. 

 

Sable listened to Aly’s footfalls get farther and farther away. Once she could no longer sense her presence, she moved to stand next to the window and pulled the curtain aside. 

 

The bright light of the sun quickly filled the room and Sable squinted her eyes, waiting for her vision to adjust as she looked outside. Her room, situated farthest in the second floor of the east wing, had a clear view of the entrance to the mansion and the sprawling castle town of the Capital.

 

The Capital was split into four main districts. The mansion of the Marquis, which Sable lived in, was located in the noble district on the west side of the Capital. Nobles of various peerages and ranks held their residence here. On the east side was the commoner district, where a majority of the castle town’s citizens lived. The south side was the market district, where the town square was located and the place where much of the populace conducted their business and bought their goods. Many of the high-end shops were located near the noble district while the inexpensive shops were located near the commoner district. The main gate of the kingdom was also located in the south. The north side of the Capital was the adventurer district. It was the place to go if one wanted to join a guild or become an adventurer, and also where one could make a request. In the center of it all was Grail Palace where the royal family lived. 

 

A moat had been dug out around the castle’s perimeter that connected much of the Capital’s waterways. The only entrances to the castle were four drawbridges, each facing one of the four districts. One could see guards patrolling the ramparts and stationed at each of the towers and gatehouses that were situated at strategic points of the castle. 

 

Sable could see decorative flags and banners around the royal castle’s walls and much of the castle town’s populace were roaming the streets. Normally, the streets were kept clear for carriages, but due to the festival, merchants were allowed to set up their stalls and only the main street was kept clear. If she listened carefully, Sable could make out the shouts of vendors as they called out to customers and the laughter of children and citizens alike. 

 

Despite the joyful atmosphere of the Capital, Sable could not find it in herself to enjoy it. Rather, she felt a sense of detachment as if she was a spectator of a world that she did not belong to. A sudden weight on her chest made it hard to breathe. Before she could process her emotions, she heard the sound of the door opening behind her and she quickly pushed down the uncomfortable feeling. 

 

Turning, she saw Aly walk in with a folded parasol tucked under her arm. 

 

“I have finished informing the Lord, my lady. Shall we head out?” 

 

Sable nodded her head and followed Aly out into the hall. Sable looked around at the interior of the mansion. The paintings and expensive decorations remained in pristine condition and the white walls of the mansion looked to have been recently cleaned by the servants. Sable smiled wryly to herself when she thought of the fire that destroyed this place. She wondered what her father’s face looked like when he saw his beloved mansion being burned to the ground. She shook her head. She didn’t want to think about that man. 

 

As they made their way through the halls, they passed a few servants who paused their duties and greeted Aly as she walked by. Sable ignored the curious looks directed her way when the servants noticed her trailing behind Aly. From the corner of her eye, Aly glanced back at her lady but after seeing no visible reaction, she did not comment on their behavior. 

 

Eventually, they reached the main entrance stairway and descended down into the foyer of the mansion. Aly checked the pocket of her apron for the gold and gave Sable a once-over. Just as she was about to head outside, Aly looked at someone behind Sable and bowed. Feeling an uncomfortable gaze on her back, Sable slowly turned and felt her blood run cold. 

 

Standing at the top of the stairs was the man she wanted to see the least. Her father, Marquis Marten.