Lydia
"Who is the wolfless bitch now?" I heard Delia speak through me and I saw sudden fear in the girl's eyes, but as soon as she raised her hand, her claws elongated, ready to attack.
I held her wrist firmly, causing her to gasp in pain. "Stop!" I heard their leader speak and I let her go. She glared at me and touched her neck, which was covered in red marks.
"Fighting in the Royal Clinic is not allowed," she said and my opponent glared at me before going back to meet them.
"Get dressed and meet us outside in the next thirty minutes," the lady spoke and turned her back, ready to leave. One of them looked at me and gave me a thumbs-up.
"Welcome to the royal house," she whispered and I smiled at her words.
Watching them leave, I sighed in relief.
"Hm, what a show you pulled," I said with a smile, referring to Delia, and I could feel her smiling too.
"She called us a wolfless bitch, so I showed her we are not. Even if I can't really get full access to your body, that doesn't mean you don't have me," Delia said and I smiled proudly.
For the first time, I felt it was good to have a wolf.
"But wait... why haven't you stood up for me before? Like when I was in the obryn camp, you let them bully me," I spoke, trying to pin the blame on Delia, and she rolled her eyes.
"How can I stand up for you when I couldn't even control your body? I was able to do this because we are more at peace now than before. If you are willing to let me in, then we can work hand in hand," she explained and I nodded in realization.
"Then we need to be at peace all the time," I spoke.
"Of course, that depends on you. Besides, I'm not the troublemaker," Delia said and I laughed.
"Let's leave that talk for another time. I need to get dressed," I brushed her off and opened the bag. There were three sets of clothes inside: blue, black, and gold. I gently picked up the neatly folded blue gown.
Looking around, I made sure no one was peeping and that there wasn't any spy doll hanging on the wall. After carefully checking, I changed into the blue gown and was shocked that it fitted me perfectly. In another part of the bag was a pair of shoes exactly my size, which added to my surprise.
Putting them on, I now looked professional, like one of the royal servants. I smiled in satisfaction. It felt good to be promoted.
"My days of being an obryn are over," I whispered with a warm smile.
Then suddenly I felt a sharp pain in my chest which began to spread to my arm. Looking at my arm, I saw my veins turn transparent and my blood flow through them toward my chest, leaving me in agony.
"Ah!" I gasped, clutching my chest. I felt like ripping the gown off my skin, but immediately I saw something that shocked me.
My chest was stained with blood, and gradually it formed into a red thread that wove my name in capital letters on the upper right side of my chest, just above my bust, and the pain stopped.
What the heck was that? Using one's own blood to write out their name? Isn't that cruel?
I let out a hiss, arranged the clothes in the bag, and zipped it up. Carrying the bag, I took one final look at the room and hoped never to come back here again before heading out.
When I got outside I didn't see anyone and I remembered the lady told me to meet her in the next thirty minutes. I instinctively looked at my hand to check the time and instantly remembered that I'm not in my past life, which made me sigh in frustration.
How can I know when it's time? Well, I guess I'll just wait until she comes.
"Look who we have here," I heard a familiar voice and turned toward the direction.
"Alisha," I spoke in a low voice and she smiled, walking towards me, taking each step gracefully, which almost made me laugh.
Why do I feel she's acting more noble here than when I saw her in the obryn camp?
"You look much better in these clothes," she said excitedly, but I could almost hear the mockery in her voice.
"I know, right? I'm so grateful to the Queen for improving my living conditions," I spoke with a little smile and she smiled back.
"You're quite lucky. The Queen has taken a liking to you, and now you have to be on your best behavior and don't let her down," she said almost in a whisper. It sounded normal, but deep down I could feel there was a hint of a threat in it.
"I will. Thank you for your concern," I replied and she smiled gently.
"Follow me," she said and I paused for a while, thinking that if I followed her, I would miss the chance of meeting the servant who told me to wait.
"Sorry, I can't. I was asked to wait here," I spoke and watched her smile slowly fade. I thought, Is she about to show her true colors now?
"I know... You have to get registered first," she said, facepalming, and my mouth opened slightly in realization.
"Oh, I didn't know about that. Please lead the way," I replied and she nodded, walking ahead while I followed behind.
After passing several servants on our way, I noticed something. Any servant who saw Alisha greeted her respectfully, some even giving a slight bow as if she were royalty. I suddenly felt like I was a personal servant following a royal, which made me grit my teeth.
This new life of mine is really making me humble in ways I dread. I didn't even treat my maid in my past life this way. I always made sure she felt comfortable, and whenever she i was less busy, I would chat with her normally.
"Here is the place," she said, pointing at a building painted yellow and dark blue. "Go in there and do whatever you're asked. Don't expect me to wait outside. I have other things to do," she said and turned to leave before I could even say, "Thank you," which made me press my lips into a thin line.
Taking a deep breath, I walked into the building and was greeted with a sweet lavender scent that made me feel at ease. Looking up, I saw a woman who looked to be in her early thirties. Her head was buried in the book on her table.
It was a simple office with a desk, some stacks of papers, a painted portrait of a wolf on the wall, and a woven basket by her side.
"Lydia Moore," she said, her voice sounding strangely familiar and sending chills down my spine.
"Yes... Ma'am," I replied and she raised her head and gave me a warm smile, but I stood frozen at the sight.
Wasn't she my sister's babysitter when she was little... in my past life?