“Milady, it’s time to wake up.”

   A familiar voice called my name. Olivia stood beside me; a warm smile stamped on her lips. Feeling tired, I yawned and followed her towards the bathtub at the end of the room. Some faint steam poured out from the lukewarm water, forming light gray clouds which rose through the air, disappearing moments later. Rose petals floated on the translucid liquid and a powerful aroma of honey filled the room.

   Once inside, my muscles relaxed, allowing a sense of comfortableness and drowsiness to return. Alphie carefully scrubbed my body while another maid brushed through my hair, untangling any remaining knots.

   “Do you have any plans for today, milady?” Olivia casually addressed me as if we were lifelong friends. The poor girl truly had no tact.

   “I am visiting the capital... I want to see how it is.”

   The maid gasped surprised while the rest traded confused glances. “You’ve never been to the capital, milady!?”

   Such reactions were normal as most noblewomen tended to visit others of their standing fairly often in order to aid in their coming-of-age ceremonies. That man never allowed me to leave the mansion grounds, except from time to time where I’d sneak past the guards and visit a small villa close by. Terrel and Layton were no different: while the first wanted to lock me away for his sole pleasure, feeling threatened by other men and their lustful gazes; the latter simply hated social gatherings, being present only when obliged to by his father.

   In the past, they’d force me to visit some mansions from a few feudal¹A man with a rank of status, in this case, a noble or aristocrat. lords, but not once had the chance to actually see the city, explore its streets, discover its hidden treasures been presented to me.

   Noticing how deeply my thoughts ran, Olivia continued to talk, bringing me back to reality. “The capital is a great place. I’m sure you’ll love it, milady!”

   Alphie helped me out of the bathtub; however, my focus was on the talkative ginger-haired girl patting my body with a cotton towel. Olivia was the only maid that ever attempted to act friendly towards me, too friendly even. It was hard to tell if this was the personality of a naïve young girl or the strategy of an extremely cunning, manipulative vixen.

   But I couldn’t be hasty as too many disadvantages were on my side. Terrel was already planting his people around, like he’d done in my previous life. They were easy to spot since their sharp gazes kept on observing me, like faithful bribed dogs. Even though most of the servants kept serving Edgar faithfully, a minority appeared to be conflicted in which side to take. And besides, Vanessa and Penny certainly were not the sole women Alvin had sent to watch me.

   The maids gently helped me fit into a flowy dress tainted by a beautiful light green with some golden highlights. The more I observed them, the stronger my resolve became.

   Most knew it to be impossible to chase a rabbit if a bigger predator had already begun its chase. It would be useless to spend time finding who supported who, or who could become a threat at this point. The harsh truth was that I needed to create a battalion from scratch – my own personal soldiers, my people.

   A butler from the central area of the mansion entered the room, his thick moustache twirling at the begging of his cheeks. “Milady, a letter has arrived for you.”

   “For me?” I frowned, unsure of who would be confident enough to send me a letter so rapidly after the ball. “A letter, is it...?”

   While my thoughts voyaged through every single noble and family present the night before, the employee placed the container in my hands. A grim expression quickly formed on my face, forcing the maids to attempt sneaking a glance at the name of the sender.

   “Bradley.” My hands ripped the envelope open, removing the paper sheet from within.

[ To my dear Ophelia,

I hope this letter finds you well. Your beautiful yet stinging words carved an undying ache in my heart, making me comprehend how much your goodness affects us. Because of such sudden feelings, I am forced to settle the final matters regarding the wedding. Afterwards, I will be visiting you.

I like chamomile tea the most.

Bradley Trace ]

   This asshole... Anyone who read this letter wouldn’t understand the hidden meaning behind the perfectly painted words, however, I did. It was clear he wanted to cancel the engagement with my sister and then receive my congratulations.

   Not only that, the further I interpreted the letter, the more disgust settled in me. A strange gut feeling lingered around. The thought that Bradley, that lunatic, wished to switch us, forcing me to marry him instead of Terrel, passed by.

   I threw the letter onto the table, forcing it to crash against the oval mirror on the back. A long sigh escaped my body. How did things turn out this way?

   No matter how hard my mind thought of a reason, it was impossible to understand what had spiked Bradley’s interest to this extent. During my other lives, he never gave me as much as a second look unless someone forced him to, so why? Why was he obsessing over me?

   “Milady, are you alright?” Alphie questioned. “Would you like me to bring you something to eat?”

   I nodded and waved my hand in the air. The maid quickly left, heading towards the kitchen.

   With half an hour of travel, the bright green fields surrounding the capital extended into the horizon. Small wooden houses peaked in the rare faint hills, stealing the sun’s rays for themselves, trapping them within the wood, warming the people inside.

   “I’ll be here at a quarter past eight. Don’t be late.” The coachman nodded and began turning the carriage, heading back to the Wharton’s estate. A handful of gold coins were the price of that man’s secrecy.

   On the almost empty road, I grabbed the cheap-looking cloak, pulling it closer to my face. My fingers pushed a strand of hair into my ear, hiding it from sight. Within Ashen’s Kingdom there were two types of hair colors which were rarely seen: red and black, being the latter almost impossible. Certainly, rumors about my first social appearance had already spread and unless I laid low, the town would thrive with brand new gossip.

   I strolled alongside the rather warm Seedling breeze, allowing the busy merchant and noble carriages to pass by. Some commoners traveled by horse, hoping to sell their hunt in the central market. It took fifteen minutes for the enormous walls surrounding the capital to appear, displaying its greatness and dominance.

   Luckily, the guards neglected people who entered, being far more entertained in courting young maidens who shily hid away their flirtations. My small frame slipped by, unnoticed, feeling the mighty shadow emanating from the tall palace fall upon the land.

   Hastily walking through the streets filled with merchants, all excitedly chanting the great attributes their products possessed while their competitors attempted to gain favor by pushing the items into the hands of passerby’s. My clothing appeared slightly more expensive than a commoner’s usual attire however, because of the thick cape surrounding my body, no businessman dared to approach me.