Chapter 2

 A Name That Was Never Mine
"...Young Lady?"
A timid voice reached her ears.
"...Young Lady... can you hear me?"
Something cool rested against her forehead.
Her brows knitted together.
The bed beneath her was unbelievably soft, sinking slightly beneath her weight. A faint scent of lavender drifted through the room, mingling with the crisp morning air.
Slowly...
She opened her eyes.
An intricately painted ceiling came into view, decorated with golden vines and blooming roses.
"...Where..."
The words barely left her lips.
The maid standing beside the bed gasped.
"Y-Young Lady!"
The cloth slipped from her trembling hands.
"She's awake!"
Within seconds, two more maids hurried inside.
"Thank goodness..."
"The physician said your fever might become dangerous."
One of them instinctively reached for a glass of water.
Halfway through...
She hesitated.
Her hand trembled.
She lowered her gaze before carefully offering the glass with both hands.
"W-Would you like some water... Lady Seraphina?"
"W-W-Wait"...
L-L-Lady...
S-Se... Seraphinaaaa?
The name struck her like lightning.
"N-Nooo..."
A nervous laugh escaped her lips.
"No... that's impossible."
The maids exchanged frightened glances.
The youngest maid immediately lowered her head.
"Forgive us if we've upset you, Young Lady."
Ignoring them, she threw the blanket aside and hurried toward the enormous mirror across the room.
Her knees weakened.
The girl staring back at her wasn't the person she'd known for twenty-one years.
Silver hair cascaded past her waist like moonlight.
Clear violet eyes shimmered with disbelief.
Porcelain skin.
Elegant features.
The exact face illustrated countless times in the novel.
"...Seraphina..."
Her fingertips touched the mirror.
The reflection copied every movement.
"I'm..."
"No..."
"This can't be happening..."
"I should be dreaming..."
"Y-Yes..."
She forced out a shaky laugh.
"...I'm dreaming... right?"
Silence answered her.
Then...
Pain. A sharp ache exploded inside her head.
Fragments of memories rushed in.
A little girl stood outside a study, clutching a drawing with tiny fingers.
"...Father?"
The study door opened.
The Marquis walked past her without a glance.
Instead...
He smiled warmly at another child.
"Excellent work, Adrian."
"You'll become this family's pride."
The little girl slowly lowered her drawing.
Another memory.
A birthday celebration.
Applause echoed through the hall.
Her brother received a beautifully crafted sword.
She...
Received polite smiles.
Another memory.
Another. Another.
No matter how hard she tried...
Her family was always looking at someone else.
"..."
She clutched her temples.
The memories settled like dust after a storm.
A cautious voice interrupted the silence.
"Y-Young Lady..."
One maid had already fallen to her knees.
The others quickly followed.
"If we've made a mistake..."
"P-Please forgive us."
She blinked.
"...Why are you kneeling?"
The maids froze.
No answer came.
Only lowered heads.
Then she noticed it.
One maid's wrist was covered by a long sleeve despite the warm weather.
The fabric had slipped just enough to reveal faint purple bruises.
Another maid unconsciously took a step backward every time Seraphina moved.
As though expecting a slap.
Her chest tightened.
*...The original Seraphina.*
*Whenever she was angry...*
*She took it out on the servants.*
The novel had mentioned it only once.
Just one sentence.
*"The maids feared Lady Seraphina more than they feared the Marquis."*
She hadn't paid much attention to it while reading.
Now...
Those words had faces.
They had trembling hands.
Fearful eyes.
She slowly exhaled.
"I'm not angry."
The maids didn't move.
"I won't hurt you."
Still...
No one dared to look up.
A bitter smile crossed her lips.
*Looks like earning their trust won't happen overnight.*
She glanced toward the window.
The memories suddenly aligned.
"When is it?"
The head maid cautiously answered.
"...The twelfth day of the Blooming Moon, Young Lady."
Blooming Moon...
Her heart skipped a beat.
She mentally counted the dates.
The Imperial Spring Ball.
The beginning of Seraphina's downfall.
"...Two months."
She whispered.
"I still have two months."
Two months before the ball.
Two months before the rumors spiraled out of control.
Two months before she publicly humiliated herself by chasing the Crown Prince.
Two months...
To change everything.
A smile slowly spread across her face.
"I can do this."
The story hadn't begun yet.
Not this time.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
The sudden sound shattered the silence.
The head maid visibly flinched.
"Young Lady..."
She swallowed nervously.
"The Marquis requests your presence in his study."
The smile on Seraphina's face disappeared.
The Marquis.
Her father.
The first enemy she would have to face...
...was waiting for her.