In the evening, we gathered for dinner in the grand dining room. Everyone was present.
"How was your day, Aurelia? How was Octavi in person?" Father asked, slicing his steak.
"It was great, Father," I replied, sitting up straighter. "Lady Octavi seems like an amazing person. She told me about our family and peerage rank, which I didn't know, and she showed me her moves with a sword."
"Whew… she already showed her sword moves?" Father raised an eyebrow, looking impressed.
"Yes, Father." I glanced at Aurelio. He was fidgeting in his seat, looking at Father with wide, expectant eyes. "And there is something I want to ask Father."
"What is it, Aurelia?"
"It seems Aurelio has an interest in the sword," I explained. "It happened when Aurelio saw Lady Octavi's moves; he was so impressed by it. He asked Lady Octavi to teach him, and Lady Octavi accepted with pleasure—but only with Father's permission. Can Father give Aurelio permission to learn the sword from Lady Octavi?"
Father looked at Aurelio, then shifted his gaze to Mother.
"My dear…" He hesitated, tapping his fingers on the table. "I can't say anything definitively… It is all up to you, dear. I believe in your choice for our children's education and educators."
"But is it too early for Aurelio to learn the sword?" Mother asked, looking concerned. "He is just seven years old, dear."
"Dear, I think it is okay for Aurelio to learn," Father reasoned gently. "Other noble families start teaching their kids the sword when they are seven. So, it is appropriate for him to start."
"Okay then," Mother sighed, offering a small smile. "If you say so."
Father turned his face to Aurelio, his expression stern but kind. "Aurelio, you can learn about the sword. But you will learn it from me."
"From Father?" I blinked in surprise. "Is my father familiar with the sword?"
"Oh my…" Mother chuckled softly, covering her mouth with a napkin. "It seems Aurelia doesn't know about your father's capability with a sword, dear."
"I can't say I am merely 'familiar,'" Father replied, puffing out his chest slightly. "But your father is capable of holding a sword. Maybe even more capable than Lady Octavi."
"Well… It is good news for you, right, Aurelio?" I turned to my little brother.
"YES!" Aurelio cheered, bouncing in his chair. "Thanks, Sister Aurelia, for talking to Father!"
"Oh my, my," Mother teased, leaning her chin on her hand. "If Aurelio is so interested in the sword, is my Aurelia interested too?"
"Lady Octavi actually asked about that, Mother," I admitted. "She told me that if I am interested, she could teach me."
"Well, it is alright for you to learn the sword too," Father suggested with a nod.
"NOOO!" Ophelia shouted suddenly, slamming her small fork down. "Sister Aurelia is a Lady! Why does she need to hold a sword?"
"My, my…" Mother looked at her daughter with amusement. "It seems Ophelia is very against Sister Aurelia holding a sword. Why is my Ophelia so opposed to it?"
"Because she is a Lady!" Ophelia crossed her arms, scrunching her nose. "Her beauty will be wasted if she focuses on a sword rather than Lady things."
"Your mother has held a sword too," Father interjected casually. "She is even great with it."
Ophelia's face twisted in disbelief. "Is it true, Mother?"
"Yes, it is," Mother nodded elegantly. "Your mother has learnt the sword since your age."
"Why did my mother learn the sword??"
"Hmmmm…" Mother tapped her cheek thoughtfully, glancing sideways at Father. "How can I say it… maybe to impress your father, your mother learnt about the sword."
Father's face instantly flushed. He looked down at his plate, suddenly very nervous.
"To impress Father?" I asked, intrigued.
"Yes… to impress him, I learnt the sword. Right, dear?" Mother beamed a cynical, teasing smile at him.
"Y..e..s.. It's right," Father stammered, his voice cracking slightly.
Mother clapped her hands together delightedly. "Right! How about Ophelia starts to learn it too, but from your mother? Then you can compete with your father to raise each other's passion in the sword. Who is better at the sword? Right, dear?"
She shot Father another playful, challenging look.
"Ye..s, it is a great idea, dear," Father agreed weakly, still avoiding eye contact. "But only if Ophelia agrees to it. Right, Ophelia?"
"I will think about it first, Father," Ophelia answered haughtily.
"Ophelia, don't worry about being a proper Lady," Mother assured her. "Your mother will teach you to be a Lady and be good with a sword."
"Well, you two are lucky," I said to the twins. "Father and Mother are taking their time to teach you both. Isn't that great?"
Aurelio nodded happily, his mouth full of food, but Ophelia remained silent, contemplating.
Dinner concluded. When I moved to excuse myself, Mother waved me down.
"Aurelia, come with me."
Mother led me to a private room, accompanied by Adel. It was a lounge room, beautifully furnished with a chaise lounge, plush sofas, and elegant tables. A tea set and a plate of cookies were already waiting for us.
We sat beside each other on the soft sofas.
"Is there something Mother wants from me? Since Mother invited me to have tea together," I asked, picking up a cup.
"My… your mother just wants to have tea with you," she smiled warmly. "There is nothing I 'want' from you."
"If it is like that…" I relaxed and took a sip of the tea.
"Honestly," she began, her tone shifting slightly, "I want to tell you about your fiancé."
PFFFT!
I spurted my tea everywhere. "WHAT??"
Immediately, Adel rushed to me, wiping my face and my dress with a handkerchief with practiced efficiency.
"Thanks, Adel. Sorry about it," I muttered, mortified.
"It's alright, Aurelia," Mother said calmly.
"So… what is this 'fiancé' business about?" I asked, wiping my mouth.
"Well, I think it is better to tell you about your fiancé since you have lost your memory," she explained gently. "So you are not nervous about meeting with him in the future."
"It means I have a fiancé…"
"Yes, you do. It is normal for someone of your age to have a fiancé."
"Okay," I sighed, resigning myself to the fact. "Who is my fiancé?"
"It is Fabian Julius. He is two years older than you. This year, he is sixteen years old."
"Have I met him in the past?"
"Yes, you have. But it is alright if you don't remember it."
"Does Mother want me to meet him? If it can make me remember something?"
"No, no, no," she waved her hand quickly. "Mother just wants to tell you about him. There is no intention to arrange a meeting between you and him just yet."
"Well, if that is what Mother says. Thanks, Mother, for telling me about my fiancé."
"It is okay. Now, I want to know about your day."
I started to tell Mother everything about today. I recounted the meeting with Lady Octavi, her impressive sword moves, the interaction between the twins and Lady Octavi, and Ophelia's constant grumbling. Mother looked delighted, giggling softly as I described the scenes.
Eventually, our tea time ended.
Adel led me back to my room. As we walked through the quiet corridors, I broke the silence.
"Adel, are you familiar with holding a sword?"
"Yes, I am, My Lady," she replied professionally.
"Really? That's amazing," I said, impressed. "Adel, what do you think of me learning about the sword?"
"I think it is great, My Lady. And I saw Lady Octavi's sword moves back then; they were amazing. Lady Octavi will be a great sword tutor for you, My Lady."
"Maybe I will ask her about it," I mused. "And… have you met my fiancé?"
"Yes, I have, My Lady."
"Can you tell me what my fiancé is like?"
"I think he is very handsome," she said with a polite nod. "And a great partner for you, My Lady."
"Just that? Is there something else you can tell me?"
"I believe it is just that."
Her answer was short, closing the topic. We kept walking until we reached my room.
Inside, Adel led me to the dressing table to change my dress into pyjamas for the night. I sat down, noticing a bowl of water and a towel already waiting under the table; she must have prepared it during dinner. She began to wash my face, comb my hair, and help me change.
Once it was done, I walked to the bed. Adel drew all the curtains, plunging the room into shadow. She bade me goodnight, and I replied. She left the room, closing the door with a soft click.
"Fiancé, huh?" I whispered to myself, staring at the canopy. "How is my fiancé? Why don't I remember anything about him?"
I rolled over, changing my sleeping position to my side.
"Well, I don't even remember my own mother, so how would I remember my fiancé?" I sighed. "When will I remember everything? ...I will just live my life without remembering anything, but try to learn new things."
My eyelids grew heavy. I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.
..... ...…..
Suddenly, I was standing in the middle of a grand ballroom.
I was wearing a white dress. There was someone beside me—a man with blonde hair. I tried to look at him, but I could not focus on his face; it was a blur, as if he didn't have a face at all. We walked to the center of the room and began to dance.
In the middle of the dance, the man abruptly released me, leaving me alone in the center of the vast floor. He chased after another woman—one with red hair.
I looked around. Everyone in the ballroom was staring at me. Their gazes felt heavy, like they were ridiculing me, shunning me. I looked back at him. He was with the woman now. Just like him, I couldn't see anyone's face. They were all faceless figures.
The blonde man and the red-haired woman approached me, holding onto each other tight. Out of nowhere, a surge of anger boiled inside me. The woman lifted their joined hands, showing them off to me, and smiled cynically. After mocking me, they turned to leave.
For some reason, I chased her. I reached out, trying to grab her hair—
But out of the blue, the floor vanished.
I fell. I felt like I was falling endlessly into a void. As I plummeted, I heard the sound of hundreds of people laughing at me, their voices echoing in the darkness.
I squeezed my eyes shut—and opened them again.
I was on the ground. I could feel warm blood dripping from my forehead. My hands and feet were tied tight.
Standing in front of me was the woman with red hair. She looked down at me with cold eyes. Slowly, she raised her right hand in front of her face, fingers spread wide. Then, she suddenly grasped her fingers together, curling them like the claws of a bird of prey tearing at flesh.
Two men approached me. They shoved me roughly into a large leather sack. Before the darkness took me, I saw the blonde-haired man holding hands with the woman.
Inside the sack, I wasn't alone. They threw animals in with me—a hissing serpent, a crowing cock, a screeching monkey, and a snarling dog.
They tied the mouth of the sack closed.
Panic.
I felt pain erupt everywhere as the animals fought in the confined space. They bit me, scratched me, pecked at my skin. I screamed silently in the darkness. Then, suddenly, I felt the sensation of being thrown through the air.
Splash.
Water began to pour inside the sack. Cold, rushing water. I was drowning.
.... …
"AAAAAAAH!"
I woke up screaming in the middle of the night, the terror of the dream still clinging to my skin.
Adel rushed to my side immediately. I was sitting up in bed, clutching the blanket tightly around me, wrapping myself in a cocoon. I was so scared that my body wouldn't stop trembling, and my teeth chattered uncontrollably.
Adel was beside me, trying to comfort me. "What is happening, My Lady?"
I couldn't speak. I ignored her words, rocking back and forth.
"I will inform His Grace and Madam, My Lady," she said urgently, then ran from the room.
I remained sitting there, huddled in the blanket, keeping my face down.
Moments later, I sensed movement. I looked up and saw my mother's face right in front of mine. Her expression was twisted with worry. I lifted my head further and saw it wasn't just Mother; Father and Sofia, the physician, were there too.
"My Aurelia! What is going on? What made you scream and cry in the middle of the night?" Mother asked, her voice trembling with panic.
"Huh… what did Mother say?" I mumbled, dazed.
"You are crying right now, darling… Are you not aware of that?"
"Heh? …I am crying right now?"
I raised a shaking hand to wipe my eyes. My fingers came away wet.
"It's true. I am crying, Mother…" I looked at her, and my vision blurred. "But Mother, you are crying too."
"Yes, I am, Aurelia. We are crying right now." Mother let out a wet, nervous giggle. "Hehehe, what a weird situation, right?"
I saw Father gently pat Mother's shoulder to steady her.
"Dear, I think it is best if Sofia examines Aurelia first," he suggested softly.
"Yes, I know, dear," she said, wiping her tears.
Mother moved aside to give Sofia space. The physician sat on the edge of the bed beside me.
"Hello, My Lady. We meet again. Do you still remember who I am?" Sofia asked in a calm, soothing voice.
"Sure. You are Sofia, my family physician," I whispered.
"Thank you for remembering me," she smiled kindly. "So, what made My Lady scream and cry in the middle of the night? Can you tell me the reason for it?"