Blood and Lilies - Part I

"..."

"Ma..."

"Mas..."

"Mast..."

A faint cry mumbled from a distance, repeating again and again, each time clearer than before.

“Master...”

“Master...”

“Master, please wake up!”

A familiar voice.

Clara?

My eyes shot wide open, forcing myself upright.

"Aaaah!"

Did I just… faint?

"..."

My body felt unbearably heavy. 

It was almost like… 

The day I first transmigrated into this world.

"..."

“Master, are you okay?!”

“Master, please be careful.”

“Yes, that’s right. Please remain rested, Master, you are severely injured.”

I turned my head to the side. It was Clara and Tessa, their faces pale with worry, their eyes fixed on me with a deep show of concern.

“What’s wrong, Master?” Tessa, beside me, asked anxiously.

Clara followed, her voice softer but equally troubled. “Are you still feeling unwell? Shall we—”

"Summon the family doctor? So you can report this to the Head of the House?” I replied, my voice laced with suspicion at the all-too-familiar line I had once heard before.

"Yes, that’s correct, Master. How did you—?" Clara’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at me.

"..."

It was as if…

I had leapt back in time.

"..."

I quickly examined myself, from head to toe, limb by limb, every inch of my body. It felt as though I had never truly recovered from the grievous wound I suffered a month ago; my muscles were screaming in agony once more. Of course, there was also the tragedy, the heartbreaking death of my dear sisters, Alice and Karen. Unable to bear the truth, I had abandoned all care for my health. Yet even so, this pain was not what I had expected. I thought I would simply be dehydrated and weak, but strangely, I still felt a strange vigour coursing through me, despite the torment in my body.

I needed answers, proof for the thought that was clawing at the periphery of my mind.

"Clara!"

"Yes, Master!" Clara straightened instantly, her tone sharp with concern.

"What happened to me? Why am I in such a state?"

"Well… you see…" Clara faltered, glancing toward Tessa before returning her gaze to me.

"Go on. It’s fine."

She hesitated a moment longer, fidgeting with her fingers, before speaking. “If that is what you wish to know… very well, Master.”

I expected her to say it was due to my neglect, that I had collapsed from hunger and thirst.

But her answer was not what I had imagined.

“You see… these are only rumours, so we cannot confirm with certainty,” Clara began cautiously. “But… it was said you were involved in a serious accident. After sparring with Second Master in a duel.”

My breath caught. “You mean Timothy?”

“Yes, Master.”

The words echoed in my mind. Wasn’t this the same story I had heard a month ago? Whispers about an ill-fated duel with Timothy, the cause of my bedridden state back then.

Surely… this meant…

I had gone back.

To confirm further, I asked the question with trembling urgency. “Clara, what is the date today?”

“Yes, Master. It is Saturday, the 1st of September, year 115.”

I froze. My suspicion was right. I had leapt one month into the past. In exactly two weeks, the tragedy would occur, and two more weeks later, their deaths would be reported.

Which meant…

Alice and Karen were still alive.

"Clara!"

"Yes, Master!"

"Please, please," I spoke through grief, tears streaming down my face as I stared at Clara. "Please call my sisters, Alice and Karen. I want to see them so badly."

Clara froze, startled to see such raw emotion from me. It was only natural that, after the time leap, all the bonds I had formed with Clara, Tessa, and the rest of the household over the past month would vanish. Still, if it meant I could see my sisters again, I would gladly trade the world for it.

"Yes, Master," Clara answered, her voice firm and resolute. "If that is your wish, I shall do so at once."

"Thank you, Clara." I exhaled in relief, managing a small smile.

Seeing such unfamiliar emotion from me, Clara gave a faint smile of her own, almost as if to say ‘my pleasure’, before hurrying from the room to summon Alice and Karen.

"..."

I was now left to wait anxiously, chewing on my nails, forgetting entirely about the burning pain across my body. By the bedside, Tessa lingered in silence, standing stiffly as if awaiting orders.

She said nothing, her timid gaze darting awkwardly from side to side whenever I looked at her. To break the oppressive silence, I forced myself to speak.

"Uhm, how are you feeling, Tessa?"

"I-I-I’m doing fine, Master. Tha-thank you for ask—asking." She stumbled over her words, flustered by the sudden attention.

"I see. That’s… good to hear, haha."

"And how’s Clara do—"

Before I could finish, Tessa’s expression twisted. Her timid mask shattered, replaced with a feral glare, her eyes blazing red like a predator cornering its prey. The sudden change froze my blood. My skin prickled with goosebumps, and I felt rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable even to breathe.

"You see, I just wanted to know how Cla—"

"Don’t you dare speak her name so casually!" Tessa’s shrill scream etched through the room, stabbing straight into my heart. "Not after what you did to her!"

What I did?

Or… what the old Elias had done?

"!"

The memory struck me, I remembered once more that when I first arrived in this world a month ago, or rather, during my first loop, something very similar had happened. Just as Clara and Tessa were leaving, I had said something alike, which triggered a similar reaction from Tessa. Then I had narrowly avoided disaster by quickly brushing it aside.

"Sorry about that, I think I forg—"

"!!!"

Before I could finish, a vase hurtled through the air and smashed against my face. Shards tore into my skin. Cold water soaked me, mixing with the warmth of blood as it poured down my cheeks.

"You wretch!" Tessa shrieked, charging at me.

Dazed and blinded, one eye clouded with blood, I could not react. She slammed me down, straddling me, her hands closing mercilessly around my throat.

"I… s-sorry—"

My voice faltered, strangled by fear. Her grip tightened like steel, her cold, bloodied hands crushing my windpipe. I clawed weakly at her wrists, but my limbs were already feeble, wracked with pain from head to toe. I couldn’t even lift my arms properly.

Darkness encroached at the edges of my vision. My strength slipped away, draining faster with each second.

I was being murdered by the maid I thought was timid. A wolf hiding in sheep’s clothing, baring her fangs at last.

Why… why did I have to bring up that cursed topic?

Was the sin of the old Elias truly so grave?

I only wanted to see my sisters again. Yet here I was, wasting the chance, suffocating to death in my own chamber.

And then, the world went black.

Nothing remained.