As Liliana stared idly at the fountain, wondering how it worked, she remembered her skill. She almost smacked her head at her stupidity. She had gotten [Identify] and barely used it. With a thought, she activated it, focusing on the fountain.

Huh, I wonder what other kind of effects it has? Liliana kept focusing on the fountain, but after no further information was given, she focused on something else, the gazebo.

Why did that one give me more information? Is it simpler or is it because I already saw the effect? Liliana mused over the information. She’d need more to make a hypothesis. Her eyes flicked to Astrid, who was standing to her side and with a small tilt of her head, Liliana tried the skill on her maid, wondering if it would work..

Huh, that’s not much, but useful. How is she level 26, though? Liliana almost pouted. She had figured a maid wouldn’t be so much stronger than her, and yet here she was 26 times stronger.

“Lady Liliana, was there something you needed?” Astrid asked, seeing Liliana staring at her intently. The girl blushed and looked away when she realized she’d been staring at the woman for several minutes in silence.

“I was just trying out my [Identify] skill,” Liliana murmured and Astrid's sharp intake of breath had her head whipping back to look at the woman. The maid was looking at her with wide, disbelieving eyes and Liliana felt panic leaking into her heart. What had she said wrong? Did she know that she was a fraud? Her breath started coming in shorter gasps as she felt metal bands tightening around her ribs.

“You got a skill? My Lady, did you Awaken?” Astrid asked and Liliana stared at her in confusion. She had no idea what she w-

A memory surfaced of another Liliana sitting with Astrid, struggling over an embroidery hoop, yelping when she pricked her finger and blood bloomed over the fabric. The noble girl flung the hoop down in annoyance, earning her a chastising from the maid. She had asked when she’d get a skill for it like Astrid had, a skill that would make the process far easier and lessen the amount of blood she shed when fighting the ever difficult thread and fabric.

Astrid had calmly reminded her that she wouldn’t be Awakened until she was sixteen, unless her father took her to a temple to have it done sooner. She told her she couldn’t get skills until then, which had Liliana asking why it even mattered if she knew how to do embroidery now. The question sounded well used, and the smile Astrid gave her showed it was a familiar argument. Astrid had reminded her that any work she did before she was Awakened would show in her new skills, enabling her to acquire them faster and even get them at a higher level when she first got them. It had mollified the noble girl, and she had once more picked up the detested embroidery hoop.

The memory faded, and Liliana was left reeling. That information had been entirely new, and the memory was clearer than the last one she had seen. She still knew it wasn’t her memory, but she felt the ghost pain of a needle puncturing flesh on her finger. Could remember the frustration from yet another failed attempt in her chest.

“Yes I have Awakened, I believe it happened when the priest healed me,” Liliana answered the question Astrid had asked, “I haven’t gotten any skills except [Identify] yet so I wanted to test it out,” Liliana further explained and Astrid nodded, a proud smile on her face and a touch of awe in her eyes.

“That is expected, my lady. To gain the skills you worked on, you’ll need to do them at least once,” Astrid informed her, the words giving her a sense of déjà vu from the recent memory she had been shown.

Liliana hummed quietly in agreement as she considered it. She had no idea what skills she already qualified for. She knew of Embroidery now thanks to the memory. What other skills would a noble lady have? Art? Etiquette? Politics? Backstabbing? She had frightfully little information, and that fact was beginning to irritate her. A good gamer never went into an encounter without information. That was a good way to wipe.

“Are there any books I could read about skills and awakening since I was blessed early by the Goddess?” Liliana inquired, meeting Astrid’s eyes again. She resisted the urge to wring her hands. The question was risky. What if the real Liliana had already read such books? She was betting that because she was both unfavored and too young to Awaken naturally, such materials wouldn’t have been provided for her before.

“That would be a question for your governess, but I believe there are likely some books like that in the library,” Astrid responded easily and Liliana let out an internal sigh. She hadn’t been suspicious about the question.

“I would like to visit the library in that case,” Liliana decided, and Astrid nodded at her request. Hopefully Imogen and Alistair had gone inside by now, and she wouldn’t have to dash across the gardens like an escaped prisoner again.

She wasn’t excited at the thought of more walking, more pretending, but she was excited at the prospect of getting some of the many questions she had answered. The clear goal and potential of gaining some sorely needed knowledge helped Liliana ignore the complaining in her legs and feet as she got back up and made her way through the maze.

This time she paid more attention to the scenery as she moved, taking in the beautiful construction of the maze and its decoration of flawless roses. More evidence of the magic that was so commonplace in this world. As she walked back through the garden, her body knowing the way even if her mind did not, she used [Identify] on everything she saw. She wasn’t sure if it would help the skill level, but she did it anyway, barely paying heed to the veritable flood of flora names that filled her mind. She carefully looked around as they walked and was grateful to see that Imogen and Alistair were not still out.

When they reached the doors again, Liliana waited for Astrid to open them, taking a deep breath to steel herself before she walked inside. Again, she felt the eyes of the servants on her and her back straightened from the barely perceptible slouch it had. She tried her best to portray a noble air as she walked, though she once more noticed when she wasn’t paid the proper amount of deference. Normally, she wouldn’t care. Having anyone curtsy or bow to her was a wild idea, yet now it irritated her. It was a slight an insult from the servants and she knew it was their way of mocking her.

Even the servants are rude to her. How did Liliana stay sane in a household where no one cared for her? She wondered as her irritation grew at every too short bow or curtsy. Some part of her knew she couldn’t speak out on it, a faint wisp of remembered scorn and punishment for her lashing out. That made the irritation worse, the knowledge she was being disrespected along with the inability to do anything about it.

When she finally got to the library, Liliana was ready to pick up one of the ornate vases next to the doors and throw it in a fit of anger. When Astrid opened the door, she practically rushed in, ready to cut off the judging gazes she could feel on her back.

Inside, Liliana paused as she looked around the room. It was exactly the same as the game. It wasn’t a huge room, perhaps a bit larger than her bedroom. Yet its walls were covered in books and there were several plush seats around, even a loveseat before a window that she knew would look out on the garden.

Liliana walked towards a bookcase, eyes scanning the covers. They were all in a language she had never seen, the letters odd to her mind. Yet she could perfectly understand every word. It was strange, though in the grand scheme of things, not the strangest by far. However, she was looking for something specific as she scanned the bookshelves until her eyes finally caught on a familiar tome. It looked old and a tad dusty, it was titled Mathematical Formula but that wasn’t what she cared about. She knew if she pulled the book, the bookshelf would slide open to reveal a short hallway to a hidden room filled with more books and a hidden spell scroll.

Or it had in the game at least. She had only found it because she enjoyed exploring every facet of a game and had been clicking randomly on the books until one had an effect. Liliana started to reach out for the book when a voice called out and her hand froze.

“Lady Liliana, I have found a few books regarding Awakening and skills,” Astrid informed her and Liliana turned to see the woman in question, holding three books in her hands. They were far newer volumes than the Mathematical book yet were clearly more used.

Liliana walked away from the shelf. She wanted to check out the hidden room, but she wanted to do it when she was alone. Astrid might be the only person in the entire manor who cared for Liliana, but she didn’t trust her. She would turn on her as fast as anyone else if she found out she wasn’t really Liliana.

Liliana walked to the window seat and Astrid set the books next to her before stepping back and taking a position against a wall. Liliana watched her for a moment. How uncomfortable must it be to just stand all day?

“You can sit, Astrid,” Liliana told the maid. The woman looked a bit surprised, but she shook her head.

“No, it wouldn’t be proper, my lady,” Astrid told her.

With a shake of her head, Liliana turned her head back to the books next to her, examining their covers. The Process of Awakening, A Compendium of Skills, and A Novice's Guide to Skills, Stats and Their Uses. Liliana picked up the book on Awakening first, wanting to get more clarity on her situation.

Hours passed as the world around her fell away, Liliana completely absorbed into her reading. The sun had begun its descent in the afternoon when she set down the first book. She blinked, her eyes heavy, and delicately stretched out muscles sore from sitting in one place for too long.

Liliana accepted the skill immediately, excited to see if the skill would aid her in reading faster or perhaps understanding the information better.

Liliana grinned at the second notification; so it was true that previous experience contributed to increased Skill levels. Though it was obvious it was based on the original Liliana’s experience, as if it had been her own, it would be far higher. She’d spent hours reading in her last life and would’ve surely been at level 10 at the very least.

Dismissing the notifications, Liliana focused back on the information she’d just learned from the book. It was all very enlightening, and far different from what she’d learned in the game.

So Awakening is just when we become connected to our Mana. It naturally happens around sixteen, but it can be expedited by a Priest with a Divine blessing. Or I guess directly by a goddess in my case. Awakening any earlier than thirteen can permanently damage one’s Mana Core, which is how we generate our Mana. It grows slowly until one is Awakened and then it can grow faster through experience gain. Apparently, our Mana Core can improve all facets of our being, which is what the Stat Points do directly. It’s how we can get superhuman levels of Health, Strength, Speed and such. Our Mana Cores directly improve us. Basically, even a level 2 human is leagues stronger than an Unawakened human. And the power difference only increases. High-level humans are almost gods compared to unawakened or low levels because of how much their Mana Core has improved them.

Now that she was aware of what it was called, Liliana closed her eyes and tried to locate where her own Mana Core was, apparently once Awakened you could locate it. It took several minutes before she found the small, warm core floating in her abdomen. It was incredibly tiny, but it pulsed with power. With magic. She marveled over the magic, the unlimited potential resting inside of herself.

She reached out to it and as she came in contact with the pure magical essence she felt warmth from it. Enchanted by the warmth, she tugged at it slightly, wanting more of that warmth. As she pulled, she felt her body heating with the energy. The power inside of her dimmed quickly, but her body felt like it had been hooked up to a live wire. Her eyes opened and the world around her seemed brighter, more colorful. Her fingers twitched with the urge to move.

Liliana moved her hand and almost hit herself in the face when the limb moved faster than she had expected. Excited by the change, Liliana stood up and moved around the library, her body moving faster than it had before. Her aching muscles didn’t even complain. Her body felt better, stronger. She looked around to find something to lift. She felt energy in her muscles, crying for her to use it.

Liliana heard Astrid calling out to her, but paid little mind to the maid. The energy inside of her wouldn’t let her sit still. She grabbed a chair and hefted it with more ease than she would have earlier. It was still heavy, and she only lifted it a few scant inches before her magically enhanced muscles would raise it no further. She set the chair back down and went to find something else when the energy faded suddenly.

Liliana stumbled, collapsing into the very chair she had lifted. Her heart was pounding and her lungs were heaving. She felt like she’d run an entire marathon. Every muscle in her body screamed at her and ached. Apparently, whatever she’d done hadn’t been a good idea after she’d already tired herself out earlier.

Ow, what the fuck was that? Liliana wondered, though her mind was moving slower than before. As if even it had been worked out to its limits.

Liliana gave a small smile at the box, well that explained what she’d just done. Seemed she had found a Skill. If she wasn’t exhausted down to her bones, she’d have been excited to get her second non-general skill, one that could actually be used in combat. To get a skill that used actual magic. She was familiar with the skill from the game. It was a low level one almost every character got. But she still Identified it, both to possibly raise the level but also to see if the skill was different.

It looked the same as the game. Liliana accepted it with another small smile. It was Mana intensive for right now, but she knew at higher levels it would be worth it. It eventually evolved into a channeled skill if it wasn’t combined with another skill during a class evolution. [Enhancement] was outclassed by other skills late game skills, as did most early skills in the game. However, it was a solid skill that would see a lot of use until then.

“Lady Liliana?” A voice interrupted her thoughts, and she startled, suddenly remembering where she was.

For a moment she’d almost forgotten this wasn’t a game, lulled into a false sense of security by a familiar skill. Liliana felt her back straighten, her legs crossing delicately and her chin raising. Her posture had suffered during her mental musings and now that she was aware of it, she could feel a bit of fear associated with the bad posture that she couldn’t find a reason for. Most likely a reaction from her body, born of memories she didn’t have access to.

“I apologize, I acquired the [Enhancement] skill and was a tad overjoyed at the development,” Liliana explained to her maid, who was looking at her with concern.

“New skills can be very exciting my Lady, though I would remind you that practicing such things should not be done indoors, and not in your current health,” Astrid chastised her gently and Liliana felt warm blood rush to her face as she flushed in embarrassment. For some reason Astrid’s disapproving look held the same weight as her own mother’s and Liliana found her eyes dropping from the maid’s.

“I’ll be more reserved in the future with other skills,” Liliana said, gently playing with some of the lace on her dress with her fingers.

A rumbling sound from her stomach startled her, and she dropped the lace. She realized she felt famished, far more than she had felt even after awakening. Did using skills drain the body's natural resources on top of Mana? It made sense as it was her body doing the actions, and Liliana noted the information down in her mind. She’d have to be careful if skills drained her energy too. With a thought, she pulled up her Status sheet to see if her Stamina had dropped as well.

 

Liliana nodded to herself at the information. Some time had passed since she used the skill, so it seemed her regeneration had raised her Mana and Stamina back up. She didn’t remember the [Enhancement] skill using Stamina in the game, nor was it on the skill, but it most definitely did. Was it just such an obvious thing that it wasn’t put on the skill or was the information she was given determined by how high her [Identify] was when it came to skills? Or had she simply moved around so much it drained her Stamina?

Liliana wanted badly to grab the other two books and read through them. She had a feeling they might have some of the answers to her questions, but another growl from her stomach changed her priorities.

“Astrid, could you bring me lunch? All of this activity has left me rather peckish,” Liliana asked her maid, and she noticed the woman was giving her a small smile, probably because of Liliana’s rather vocal stomach.

“Of course, lady Liliana, I’ll return shortly,” Astrid curtsied, the correct curtsy Liliana’s mind noted, before she left the library. Liliana blinked at the door for a moment as her mind slowly registered that for the first time since her breakdown the day before, she was alone.

Her eyes were drawn back to the bookshelf, hiding a secret room, and Liliana worried her lip as she tried to figure out if she had enough time to get into the hidden room, look around it, and get back out before Astrid returned. It would depend on if the woman had to make a meal or if there was food available to bring to her. At worst, she had maybe ten minutes before she was back.

No, it would be best to come back later when I have more time to myself. No way to know for sure what’s in there, and I’d rather keep the room a secret if I can. Liliana decided the prospect of having a secret sanctuary in this strange world was too important to her to risk revealing it in a moment of impulse.

Liliana slowly stood back up, wincing at the way all of her muscles protested the action. The skill had certainly done a number on her on top of what she’d already done to her body earlier. Seemed her Health regeneration did nothing for sore muscles. She hoped it got easier to use over time. Otherwise, if she used it in some kind of altercation, she’d be useless after it ended. Perhaps when she had built up some muscles, the skill would be easier to use.

Making her way back to her original seat, far more slowly and carefully, Liliana sat back down with a sigh of relief before grabbing the next book she wanted to read. She looked over the cover of The Novice’s Guide, fingers trailing over the decorated titling and leather cover before she flipped it open. Almost immediately, she could feel the world falling away as the familiar lure of written words drew her back in.

When Astrid came back several minutes later, Liliana was still enthralled by the book and it took the woman calling her name several times before she jolted, blinking in confusion until she recognized the maid.

“Oh, thank you Astrid,” Liliana said as she noticed the tray of food.

There was sliced fruit and bread, and her stomach growled hungrily as the scent of fresh fruit reached her. As quickly as her new noble lady instincts would allow, her Liliana cleared the tray of food. She was pleasantly surprised at how much she had been able to eat compared to earlier the same day. It would seem Mana use did wonders for one's metabolism. She almost giggled at the thought. If using Mana burned calories, she’d have found the single best diet.

One fireball to burn off those holiday meals! Doctors hate her! Liliana mentally joked as she gently fingered the book still in her lap.

Even with only a few minutes to devote to it, she had learned a good amount. She had been right about her theory with [Identify] increasing the information given on skills. Without it, you were given the basics of what the skill did, but almost never the costs. With a low level of it, you could see some of the costs or effects. Higher levels would give you more information on what it cost, and even tell you how a skill would evolve.

That had been the basic information on skills, Liliana had seen a section devoted exclusively to the [Identify] skill that she hadn’t been able to look at yet and she wanted to. There was so much information in the book that she knew she needed and she wanted to get back to reading it.

“Is there anything else you need, my lady?” Astrid asked as she gathered the tray and dirty dishes.

“No, that will be all. I would like to continue reading,” Liliana answered, and Astrid nodded with a warm smile.

“Then I’ll get these to the kitchen. If you need anything, please ask my lady,” Astrid responded and Liliana nodded, but her attention was already locked on the book she was opening.

The door closed, and Liliana left the world behind. The door opening again barely registered until her book was ripped out of her hands. Liliana’s eyes widened as she looked up and saw someone she’d only seen from afar in this life. A boy who so closely resembled the woman who had terrorized Liliana the day before that she didn’t even need her game knowledge to identify the boy before her.

Alistair Thornebell-Rosengarde. Her stepbrother, the current confirmed heir of the Rosengarde family, thanks to an agreement between his mother and the Duke. Her father had adopted him soon after he married Imogen and had named Alistair the heir not long afterwards. He’d even had a Blood ceremony performed to ensure Alistair had Rosengarde blood in his veins.

The Duchess had birthed Liliana’s half siblings, two twins, Blaine and Beatrice, not even a year after the wedding. They had more right to the duchy than Alistair, and Liliana had the most right as the eldest daughter with true Rosengarde blood in her veins, but Alistair stayed the heir. Liliana knew in the game he inherited the duchy, though it was plagued with monsters for a long time, destroying the towns, farms and cities in it.

It was later revealed to be the work of the original Liliana, seeking revenge on her family for her mistreatment, and it had nearly bankrupted the duchy. Alistair had been rewarded by the crown for his aid in defeating her, though, and lived ‘happily ever after’ with his blood money and stolen duchy.

Alistair looked at her with blatant disgust, as if he couldn’t stand to even be in the same room as her, despite him obviously seeking her out. He held the book between two fingers as he examined it. Liliana’s eyes caught the title, and the blood drained from her face. Her heart stopped as fear filled her once more. An emotion she was becoming intimately familiar with in this life. A Novice's Guide to Skills, Stats and Their Uses, it was incredibly suspicious for her to be reading such a book when she wasn’t even supposed to be Awakened.

Need to think of something, some reason for me to be reading a book like that. Light reading? Curiosity? Preparations? Yea, maybe that. Liliana’s mind worked overtime, scrambling to find a reason. She was lucky that out of all the heroes she had to handle first; it was Alistair, his character wasn’t known for his brains, more his brawn. He was a typical tank character, rather stereotypical as well. A jock type, but he was also a noble and well used to the games of intrigue the nobles played.

“Why are you reading something like this? You know mother has already denied every request you made to get Awakened early. Think you can scrape together some coins and get a Priest to do it?” Alistair mocked as he held the book out mockingly at her, his eyes glinting cruelly.

He had his mother’s eyes, not just in color but in the nasty hatred she saw sparkling in them, too. Hatred planted and nurtured by his viper of a mother. Hatred that didn’t get cured until it was far too late to save Liliana in the game.

“Granted, how could you? Father never even gave you an allowance, can’t trust commoners with money after all. They tend to use it on stupid things,” Alistair continued as he grinned at her, showing off too many teeth for it to be considered a friendly gesture.

A part of her, she assumed from the original body, wanted to shrink away from the boy while equally wanting to lean towards him. Liliana couldn’t tell if her body wanted to run away or simper and plead for his mercy. She wasn’t sure if the original Liliana even knew. Poor girl was stuck in a family that abused and neglected her whilst also craving love and affection just like any other child did.

She felt sympathy for the previous Liliana, but what she wanted to do, more than anything, was to tell Alistair to shove his classist opinions where the sun didn’t shine. She bit back on what she wanted to say, reining in her temper. It would do her no good here, and a lot of harm.

“I just wanted to do some research. I was sick for so long. I’m terribly behind in my studies and I wanted to engage in some light reading. I thought a book such as this could properly prepare me for when I Awaken on my sixteenth birthday,” Liliana spoke softly, though not purposefully. She’d meant to say the words confidently, but the body she was in had other ideas.

She railed against playing weak and defenseless in front of a bully like Alistair. It went against her entire personality from Earth. She was a fighter, always had been. Whether it was fighting her own body, other kids who had mocked her in school, or Death himself, she’d been willing to put her fists up and blacken the eyes of whoever stood against her. Even if it left her tired, spirit worn, or with a split lip. This girl who sat, avoiding her brother’s eyes with her shoulders pulled up to her ears and her voice weak as gossamer was not her.

Still, she admitted this was the best way to go about it. If she seemed too different, it could raise eyebrows, cause questions she couldn’t answer. Though it rankled her to act meek, she permitted it. Mentally, she imagined giving Alistair a broken nose to muss up his handsome face to soothe her temper.

“Whatever, enjoy your dumb reading. Useless as it’ll be for a commoner like you. Things like this are so obviously above your level it’s kind of adorable, really. Like seeing a puppy trying to figure out mathematics.” Alistair tossed the book at her with far more force than necessary. When it hit her, Liliana had to bite back a yelp of pain. Her chest stung terribly where it hit and she could feel a bruise forming. Something, guilt maybe, flashed through Alistair’s eyes when she flinched, but it was quickly hidden behind a cruel grin.

“I just wanted to see if the rumors were true, that you’d actually woken up and were wandering around like a lost little lamb. Seems you survived. I half expected you to die,” Alistair explained, shrugging his shoulders as if he didn’t care if she had died or not. The blatant cruelty in that statement hurt more than the book did. It felt like a rusty nail had been shoved into her heart and twisted. Liliana felt tears burning in her eyes. This was the family she had to deal with? How had the original Liliana survived so long? How had she not run off?

Run away and done what? Died in the forest? Get picked up by slave traders or something? Get eaten by a monster? What skills did the original Liliana even have to survive with? She wouldn’t be able to feed herself or survive. What survival skills do I have for that matter? Liliana winced at the reminder. It made sense, and the same chains that had tied the original Liliana down were now her own to bear. Trapped in a household filled with hate, and unable to leave.

As much as the original Liliana couldn’t survive on her own, neither could she. Sure, she was two years older than the original Liliana, but her life experience amounted to hospital rooms, video games and fantasy books. She’d give herself about the same odds of surviving on her own.

That was to assume her father, the Duke, didn’t send bounty hunters after her. How bad would it be for his reputation if his daughter ran away from home? And if she ran away from home, she probably wouldn’t be able to get into the Academy. In the game, the Academy was huge for class advancement, skills and spells and important quests. She didn’t think the actual world would have quests, but the amount of useful knowledge the school would have, not just on classes, skills and spells, but on this new world she found herself in, would be utterly vital for her survival. And in giving her what she needed to become independent and to separate herself from this poisonous family.

“I can see that you’re still alive, and as boring and utterly unremarkable as ever,” Alistair continued, and Liliana focused back on her stepbrother rather than her ideas of running away from this hellhole. For a moment she’d have sworn she saw relief on his face, yet it was gone too fast to be sure and Liliana discarded the idea. Alistair hated Liliana until late into the Academy, when he realized she wasn’t who he thought she was. When he’d broken out of the manipulation of his mother, and healed his own deep trauma. He wouldn't be relieved to see her healthy. Not yet.

“I’m leaving, before whatever commoner sickness you had rubs off on me,” and then he was gone, as quickly as he had barged into the room and upset her mental state. Liliana stared at the door for a long moment, rubbing her chest where a deep ache throbbed. She couldn’t tell if it was from the book or if it was from a broken heart.