"Alright class, as the last day of school before winter break. We will revisit last weeks class over basic algebra," the teacher states." So who wants to explain what a coefficient is?"
The teacher waited a minute. "Okay, i guess I have to pick someone to explain. Mind you, this will be on the test when we come back," He looks around.
"alright you there." he points at a student.
While the student begins to talk and another was focusing out a window. She was lost in her own world. As the class continued and the teacher asking others to solve an equation she was thinking back to yesterday when her butler came looking for her in her garden.
***********
"Young miss… Young miss, where are you!" an older man can seen yelling as he walked through a manor.
Ten minutes had gone by since he first called for the youg mistress outside her bedroom. As he was searching, the other servants around the manor snickered at him for even caring about the "young brat"
"Look at him, so desperate," one maid said.
"yeah, I wouldn't have even tried," another said.
"I heard the only reason why he even cares about her is because he took care of her mother when she was the lady of the house," the first maid whispered as the other one chuckled quietly.
The old butler came running in their direction, unknowingly ending their gossip. He stopped in font of the two and asked if they had seen the young miss to which they said no. He left right after to continue his search.
"… that was close," both the maids sighed.
As the man ran, he saw some of the winter flowers blooming. Thinking of the late Lady Alyssa, the mistress's mother, who loved flowers. He stop and turned to check the flower garden, lady Alyssa's favorite spot. He yelled once more to see if see she was here.
"I can hear you, stop yelling you're going to make me deaf!" she answered
The man sighed in relief and caught his breath before speaking. "Young miss, your grandfather wants you to stay at his villa for the winter"
"Do I have too… he always creeps me out AND his villa is in the middle of nowhere," she complained.
"Yes, young miss you have to go. He required it and although he does live further away and doesn't interact with people much… he says he wants to spend time with you and have you a little more acquainted with rural life. Besides, they have a nice little town there where you can hang out with others your age. So you won't be lonely." He kindly explained, but in return he got a cowl from the girl.
"Anyways young miss let us go before you gain a cold"He said
"Tch"
As they were leaving, snow began to fall down, covering up the different colored flowers besides the crimson red roses.
**************
It had been a few days since her butler told her she had to go the country side but she still hated the idea none the less, she exhaled loudly causing the rest of the students to look at her..
"Miss Rose, will you please solve this equation as you seem bored out of your mind" the teacher said looking in her direction..
"Yes, sir" she replied with a blank face.
"What is 15-4x=2(3x+1)" he asked
"It is~"
As she finished the equation,the class was left shocked including the teacher as Rose was known for not having good grades and an even worse personality.
"Al-alright thank you, miss Rose for the great step by step explanation. Now before we go does anyone have any question on the assigned winter break homework?" the teacher stuttered, again no one raised their hand.
"…DiinnnG…alright that's the end of today's lesson. please have a good winter break and don't forget to practice over the break to strengthen your bodies," the teacher said as he flexed to the leaving students.
On the way out of the school, rose encountered many people hanging out in the halls and talking to their friends..she sometimes wished she had friends but her father always told her to never make friends with commoners as they'll ruin the quality of noble blood. She had once asked how that is possible, but her father had whipped her for questioning his words. Sometimes the maids back at the mansion had gossip on how her mother was a commoner. Before she knew it, she had reached the entrance where her butler was waiting.
"Young miss, did you enjoy your last day for school before the break" he asked
"It was okay," I replied, walking to the carriage.
"Young miss, it is freezing outside. Let me get you a scarf" he said grabbing a scarf from the carriage
"It's fine. I'm not that cold," I replied with him moving to put the scarf on me.
"As you wish" he said no longer pushing me to wear a scarf.
He had helped me enter before going to the coach's seat. I heard him shake the horse's reins. The carriage shook a little as it moved but soon steadied. I turned my head toward the window….we were off…. to the middle of nowhere …..to see grandfather. What awaits me in this long dreadful winter!!
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Faraway in a forest is an undeveloped but slightly muscular boy crouching behind one of the tall trees. The massive trees allowed enough light through to show a pair of hoof prints. I've found my prey, he thought as he continued to follow the prints. As he gets closer, he makes sure not to make a sound. He sees his prey no more than a foot away from him. With the deer not noticing him yet, he gets on all fours almost as if he was a wild wolf. He lunges at the deer, startling it. The deer fails to scramble away. He had his sharp teeth imbedded in its throat. Using his arms, he wraps them across the neck to gain a better grip, and in less than a second, he pulls, ripping the deer's jugular.
After feeling the deer stiffen he lets the deer drop to the white ground to push his wavy hair out of his eyes, blooding his face.
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On the way, he encountered many predators looking to steal his bounty, but he scared them all away with a simple growl. He stopped to rest as the deer was quite heavy for his small frame. He backs up against a tree and slid down its cool bark. He tries to look beyond the leaves above to somewhat determine the time. As he stares, there was a ruffing in the shrubs before him; snapping his eyes from the leaves above to the bush a small dot appeared just past the bushes. After a moment it loudly moved forward, startling some birds in the trees above. Soon its piercing golden eyes emerged, meeting his own silver. It lunged at the boy, but the boy had barely rolled away. The coyote shifted back towards him. Within, the short time he had; he got back up to a crouch. He growled at the beast as a warning but it did nothing. He once more got into his wolfish form and leaped at the coyote. The coyote seeing the boy's movement opened its maul and bit down on his shoulder. He yelped from the pain and in desperation clawed at the coyote's eye. The coyote let go and hopped backwards howling in pain as its eyes became covered in blood partially losing its sight. The beast growled again but instead of attacking it turn around and ran.
The boy had let the beast go, after it won't last long out there with one of its eyes lost; heck, he had practically killed the coyote with that move. In, fear of more hunters showing up from the smell of blood, he trudge to the deer and pulled it away.
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He reaches a cave as the moon was just rising. The moon illuminated his scarred back and caused his pitched black hair to sparkle. He sniffs and at the lack of uncommon smells, drags the deer in.
Reaching the near center of the scarcely lit cave he said "I'm home" although it was not through words but a growl.
"Glad to see your back. What did you hunt today?" a growl came from deeper within the cave in multiple bursts.
"I've got a deer" he 'replies.'
"Great!" the voice sounding more feminine says, getting closer.
Coming out of the darkness another pair of golden eyes, with silver flicks, reveals itself. A large grey wolf slowly sauntering to the boy and licks some of the dried blood off his head and arm. The wolf licking his arm causes a small gasp from the boy.
"Did you get hurt?" she asks
"Yes, on the way back I encountered a coyote that attacked me for the deer."
The wolf moved its head closer to see the bite mark better "It doesn't look too bad but it will scar," She says. before looking at the dead deer "I will take care of your wounds later, in the mean time, remove the stomach."
He nods as he crouches down to the deer. As he begins to tear the carcass open using his sharp nails. He asks "Fen, why do we barely leave home…when the dumal season arrives?"
"Because of the hunters," she responds looking at the boy.
"I know but we've never see them" he counters as he reaches into the chest of the deer.
"Just because they don't come this deep doesn't mean they don't kill most of the animals." She pauses for a second, her eyes darting away whispering "and I hope they never do"
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Knock... knock...
I jolted upright at the sound of the carriage door opening.
"Young mistress, we have arrived at the villa," the butler said softly.
As I sat up, my back protested with a sharp ache.
"Ouch..." I muttered, cracking my spine.
"Young miss, are you alright?" the butler asked, his face lined with concern.
"Y-Yeah. I'm fine," I mumbled, still groggy from the ride.
Stepping down from the carriage, a blast of cold air hit my face. Before me stretched a blanket of endless white — rolling hills and snow-covered fields that sparkled under the afternoon sun. It was... empty. Too empty.
Before I could say anything, the butler motioned me forward.
"Please, follow me inside. You'll freeze out here."
I hesitated, glaring at the distant horizon.
Where the hell is this so-called town?
"F*ck me… wasn't there supposed to be a town here?" I muttered under my breath.
The butler glanced over his shoulder with a raised brow. "Pardon, young miss?"
"Nothing," I said quickly. "But didn't you say there was a town?"
"I did," he replied, clearing his throat awkwardly. "It's... about two miles south of here."
"Two MILES?!" I snapped, my voice echoing across the empty field.
He flinched. "Y-Yes, two miles."
I folded my arms and stomped after him toward the villa.
"What else is there to do here? Stare out a window and develop my mana veins in isolation?"
"Well..." He trailed off, thinking. "There is a forest just north of the property, but the master has forbidden entry during hunting season. However, there are a few maids around your age—"
"Great," I cut him off, my voice flat. "Just… great."
Inside, I was boiling.
Like I want to befriend those maids.
I remembered the whispers, the cold glares, the times they kicked me when no one was watching. Especially after…
Especially after Mother.
They said I was a mistake. That I'd tainted the noble bloodline. A disgrace. A ghost in my own house. And worst of all — Father never denied it.
So no, I didn't need friends.
As we reached the heavy oak doors of the villa, the butler pulled them open — and I froze.
The entrance hall was stunning. Polished diorite floors gleamed beneath a grand staircase made of quartz and silverwood. Two marble columns stood beside the stairs, wrapped with elegant garlands and shimmering lights. It looked like something from a winter fairytale.
But what truly shocked me was the people.
A line of maids, butlers, cooks, and even governesses stood neatly in formation, heads bowed low. Not one glare, not one sneer.
"What in the…"
"Welcome to the Bloomlington villa, young mistress!" they announced in unison.