Darkness' Touch

Chapter 2: New Life

This is not new to me... Mom sent me to France all alone. I'll just imagine it that way.

Although spoiled by her parents, Annie was raised to be tough and strong as the only child of a wealthy family. She has been with Lucy after she left France when she was twelve and continued her studies in her home country.

Avy woke up from her deep sleep when she heard the sound of the door opening. She opened and rubbed her eyes and sat up before looking at the direction of the door, it was the maid who was with her yesterday.

"Good morning my lady. Did I wake you up?" she asked happily as if she was not yelled at by her before.

"Why did you come here?" she looked at the maid questioningly, looking at the tray with a bowl in it.

"I was told to bring ice here by Sir Hayward, my lady!" she said cheerfully and approached her to put the tray down on the mini table at her bedside.

"What is it for?"

"Apparently, Sir Hayward heard the lady's sobs last night. He figured out that you will need it in the morning so he ordered me before he went to bed." the maid pointed at her own eyes.

"You were outside last night?" Avy frowned, not appreciating the thought of someone eavesdropping as she cried like a toddler.

The maid shook her head, "No, mi'lady. I came to check on you since I was told it was my job to do so. It was not my intention to hear you crying," she told her, looking at her apologetically.

Avy scrunched her nose and looked away. How embarrassing.

"I will just leave it here, my lady. Please, call me if you need some assistance." the maid bowed and was about to walk out when Avy suddenly spoke.

"You will be under me from now on, right? What's your name?"

The maid looked taken aback by her question, taking her a second or two before she finally decided to answer.

"M-my name is Mariel Altham, My lady. I'm twenty-five years old." Mariel looked confused, she was sure to introduce herself on her first day though, or did the lady just forget?

"Can you bring some record books here? About the Imperial Family and the most influential clans throughout the Empire," she stated since she badly needs to know the names of the people she will have to face soon.

She was always in her own little bubble in her past life and did not bother interacting with others, hence she did not care about remembering their names. She developed the habit of just forgetting unnecessary details that did not concern her, including people, and it was not coming in handy now that she basically has to pretend like a person she barely knows. The memories that flashed before her eyes were only enough to give her a hint of the personality of the people that the original Avy spent a couple of times before. She only recognized their faces and voices but she does not know their identity.

"Understood, my lady," Mariel said before leaving.

Avy stood up and walked towards the chair in front of the mirror, she silently admired the beauty of the sixteen-year-old girl that was shown in front of her, missing her messy hair by the sight of neat and long ones that is now hers. Her once deep voice was replaced by a much more feminine one befitting her new body.

She definitely knows that face, she's seen it on the television. before. Even Ciel and their whole family looks familiar. Maybe because they look like the people that the Author imagined them to be?

She stared at the mirror closely, letting herself be accustomed to the face that she now has to own.

She cannot promise to keep it as perfect as it it. However, she will definitely make sure not to die. At least not in a way that will embarrass her even if she crosses the afterlife.