She watched the scene,her expression remained calm behind her thin-framed glasses, revealing nothing of the thoughts.
She stood there for a long time, looking out but seeing nothing of the garden itself — only the currents of thought and memory flowing through her mind.
For her, this house was not home.
It was a place full of people who claimed to know her, a past she had never truly lived, and a future that felt strangely imposed.
Within her, a calm certainty prevailed.She wanted to learn the rules of this new world in ways that no one could predict. She pulled her diary from beneath her arm and opened it.
Outside, the night deepened, stars scattered like faint sparks across the sky.
The river flowed on, carrying the day away, just as she carried her memories, her secrets, and her solitude.
[ 07 : 10 AM ]
The light of morning settled quietly over the Sunayana estate, bathing the expansive grounds in a soft golden glow.
A thin veil of mist lingered above the gardens, drifting gently between ancient trees and neatly trimmed hedges.
Dew clung to each blade of grass, glistening like scattered crystals beneath the rising sun.
Within Maya's room, the heavy velvet curtains only partly drawn, allowing narrow streams of golden sunlight to slip inside.
The light settled gently across the floor, touching polished wood, white walls and finally the figure standing before the mirror.
Maya's glasses rested neatly upon the dressing table beside a simple wooden comb, she drew the comb through her hair.
Long strands of midnight-black silk spilled over her shoulders and flowed to her waist like a tranquil river beneath the night sky.
Each stroke sent a soft ripple through the dark cascade, where threads of morning light shimmered like silver woven into satin.
She had always kept her hair tied. Now, set free, it transformed her.The restrained girl the family had met the previous evening seemed to fade into the background.
Her features were exquisitely delicate, framed by the curtain of dark hair that softened every line of her face.
Her pale skin glowed with a quiet radiance, while her deep black eyes remained as calm and unreadable as still water.
There was nothing extravagant about her.
Only simplicity.
Yet that very simplicity made her beauty feel breathtaking — so effortless that it seemed beyond belief.
__
Faha wandered down the corridor, one hand rubbed absently at his eye as he stifled a yawn.
"Morning already..."
His voice was thick with sleep, the words barely more than a murmur carried away by the quiet of the vast estate.
He moved past the row of ornate doors, each one identical in its elegance, until something made him pause.
Maya's door stood slightly ajar. He slowed to a halt, blinking at the narrow gap. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"She left it open. I should close it. She probably doesn't realize. Wouldn't want anyone walking past and disturbing her."
He stepped forward, his movements deliberately careful, his fingers brushed against the wood of the doorframe, preparing to pull it shut.
His eyes drifted into the room and his body went still.Time seemed to dissolve into something slower.
Standing before the mirror was Maya, her long black hair cascaded freely down her back.Her pale skin glowed faintly in the light.
For Faha, the world outside that room ceased to exist. The actor in him, who had spent years surrounded by beauty in every form—
Cameras, lights and faces that had graced countless screens — found himself utterly unprepared.
His hand remained suspended against the door, frozen mid-motion. His lips parted but no sound escaped.
Then, as if struck by a sudden bolt of awareness — his gray eyes widened with the force of a realization that hit him like a physical blow.
"No way..." He took one careful step backward. Then another.
"This can't be the same girl. There's no way. No way she's the same person who stood in that reception looking like she'd rather be anywhere else.
Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. What did I just see? What did I just witness? This is insane. There's no way my eyes aren't playing tricks on me."
Without making the slightest sound, he retreated from the doorway, his heart pounding against his ribs with a rhythm he hadn't expected.
The instant he was out of sight, he spun around, his composure crumbling entirely, and bolted down the corridor like a man possessed.
His footsteps echoed across the polished marble floor as he sprinted toward the room next to his own. [ BANG! ]
The bedroom door flew open. Inside, Fahish was still fast asleep, buried beneath the blanket, completely unaware of the chaos about to descend upon him.
Faha hurried to the bedside, "Fahish! Wake up!"
No response.
He grabbed his twin's shoulder and shook him vigorously, "Fahish!"
"Mmm..." Still half-asleep, Fahish frowned and pulled the blanket over his head. " Five more minutes..."
"No!"
Faha yanked the blanket away in one swift motion, "Get up! Right now!"
Fahish blinked several times, his hair a complete mess as he stared at his overly excited twin."Why are you acting like the mansion is on fire?"
Faha pointed dramatically toward the hallway.
"You have to come with me."
Fahish sighed, rubbing his sleepy eyes. "...Did someone die?"
"No!"
"Then why are you yelling?"
Faha leaned closer, lowering his voice into an urgent whisper, "I just saw a fairy. "
Fahish stared at him. " That's your emergency?"
Faha nodded so quickly it was almost comical, "You don't understand."His expression became strangely serious. "She's unbelievably beautiful."
Fahish looked at his twin for a silent moment, "...I think you need breakfast."
"Brother..."
"Now what?"
"The fairy from your sketchbook, she climbed out of the pages."
Fahish frowned, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm serious!"
He placed both hands on Fahish's shoulders. "Brother, she's standing in the room next door, combing her hair."
"You've officially lost your mind."
Faha looked utterly offended, "I haven't! Come and see for yourself. If you don't ..... you'll regret missing the most beautiful sight you'll ever see."
"Fine." Fahish swung his legs off the bed, ran a hand through his hopelessly messy hair and stood.
"If this 'fairy' turns out to be one of the garden statues..."
Faha grabbed his wrist before he could finish.
"It isn't!" He pulled his twin out of the room and hurried down the corridor.
"Slow down!" Fahish muttered. "I'm awake now."
"You'll thank me later."
The two stopped a short distance from Maya's slightly open door. Faha immediately pressed a finger to his lips."Shh..."
Then he carefully pointed toward the narrow opening, "Look."
Fahish sighed once more and glanced into the room with little interest—Only to fall completely silent. Fahish's expression gradually changed.
The skepticism disappeared from his face. His eyes remained fixed on the girl standing before the mirror.
Faha folded his arms with a smug grin. "I told you."
Fahish glanced sideways at his twin."...You called her a fairy."
"And?"
"For once... your description wasn't dramatic enough."
"See? See what I mean? Tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me I didn't imagine this." They stood there, lost in their private observations.
Maya quietly set the comb down, she had sensed something outside the room.
Without a sound, she walked toward the door.
[CLICK] The door swung open.
Standing directly outside were Faha and Fahish.
For one frozen second no one moved. The twins stared at Maya. Maya stared back at them with the same calm, unreadable expression.
"..."
"..."
Then Faha's eyes went wide. He grabbed Fahish's sleeve and shouted at the top of his lungs, "THE FAIRY SAW US!"
Fahish, equally startled by the sudden door opening, instinctively yelled,"RUN!"
The two brothers spun around at the exact same moment, "AAAAAH! AAAAAH! AAAAAH!"
They sprinted down the corridor in perfect sync, their frantic footsteps thundering across the polished floor.
The twins raced toward the staircase and practically flew down it, shouting,
"THERE'S A FAIRY IN THE MANSION!" Their voices echoed throughout the Sunayana mansion. Servants paused mid-step.
Maya remained standing in the doorway of her room. Her dark eyes fixed on the empty space where her two brothers had stood moments ago.
"Strange."
Then— quietly closed the door again. [CLICK]
The twins practically stumbled into the living room, both breathing as though they had just escaped a life-threatening disaster.
Faha bent over, hands on his knees, desperately trying to catch his breath. Fahish stood beside him, equally winded, one hand pressed against his chest.
The newspaper in Fahad's hands slowly lowered. His gray eyes moved from one twin to the other, "...What happened?"
Faha immediately pointed toward the staircase with a trembling finger, "Brother... we saw a fairy!"
"..."
"..."
"...A fairy?" Farhan repeated blankly.
Faha nodded so vigorously that his hair bounced, "Yes! An actual fairy!"
Fahan leaned back comfortably on the sofa, shaking his head."Fahish..... Did you actually lose your mind along with Faha?"
Faha looked utterly offended. "We're telling the truth!"
No one seemed convinced.
All eyes shifted toward Fahish. Unlike Faha, Fahish was rational and difficult to fool, if anyone's testimony carried weight, it was his.
For a brief moment, Fahish remained silent.
He slowly nodded, "I'm serious. We really did see her."
Naya blinked once, "So.....Did the fairy have wings?"
Faha frowned, "No!"
Ohi nodded thoughtfully, "...Perhaps she folded them before entering the mansion."
A servant standing nearby immediately lowered his head to hide a smile.
"I can't believe this..." Nahi wiped the corner of his eye.
"Before breakfast, both of my brothers have already started seeing fairies.I think Brother Fahim should prepare two beds in his laboratory."
Fahim gave a small nod."I already have the equipment."
The twins exchanged helpless glances.Fahish let out a defeated sigh,"I knew no one would believe us."
Just then, Mahi entered the room."...What exactly is going on here?"
Fahad simply pointed at the twins."They've been chased by a fairy."
Mahi stared at them for a moment before sighing, "...Where's Maya?"
[CLICK... CLICK... CLICK] The sound of soft footsteps drifted down from the second floor.
Heads turned instinctively toward the grand staircase.
There— Maya appeared. She descended the staircase at an unhurried pace as though she carried with her a stillness untouched by the bustle of the mansion.
The gentle sunlight settled over her figure. Her long hair was now gathered neatly behind her head and secured with a delicate silver hairpin.
A few slender strands had escaped, framing her face with effortless grace. Her pale complexion seemed to glow beneath the morning sun, like a silent lake untouched by wind.
The room fell into complete silence. Even the servants who had been arranging breakfast unconsciously paused in their work.
Faha slowly raised a trembling finger toward Maya,"...See?"
Farhan blinked twice, "She's...She's even prettier than yesterday."
Naya's lips curved into a smile, her eyes lingering on Maya for a long moment.
There was admiration in her gaze but no real surprise, only the quiet satisfaction of seeing something she had always expected.
She folded her arms lightly, letting out a soft, amused breath.
"I knew she would be, This family's bloodline has always blessed with strikingly handsome sons.
Generation after generation, people have admired their looks.
After a Two hundred years without a daughter, how could the first girl of the Sunayana family be anything less?
It feels as though all those generations saved their finest features for her."
Fahan immediately straightened his posture, brushed an imaginary speck of dust from his sleeve and ran a hand through his hair as though preparing for a magazine cover.
A proud grin spread across his face as he looked at Naya."So... you're praising me too, right?"
He asked, pointing at himself with complete confidence. "I mean, I am one of those unbelievably handsome sons of this family."
Naya slowly turned her head toward him. She looked him up and down in complete silence.
One corner of her lips lifted into a faint, teasing smile. "On what grounds?"
The room fell silent for a heartbeat. Someone nearly choked trying to hold laugh in, while another covered their mouth to hide a grin.
Fahan stood there with an exaggerated look of disbelief, clutching his chest as though Naya's single sentence had dealt him a fatal blow.
"...That was unnecessarily cruel."
"Brother." Nahi managed between laughs,
"Your confidence is truly extraordinary. Unfortunately, reality doesn't seem to
share your opinion."
Faha patted Fahan's shoulder with sympathy. "Stay strong. Not everyone is born to be complimented."
"Says the man who spends half an hour styling his hair."
Faha coughed awkwardly."That... is completely unrelated."
Ohi folded his arms. "You asked for a compliment."
Nahi smirked."You received a reality check instead."
"Jokes aside...She really is beautiful."Ohi rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "...I suppose I owe the twins an apology."
Maya looked quietly at everyone, "...Is something wrong?"
The family exchanged awkward glances. No one wanted to admit they had spent the last fifteen minutes arguing about whether she was a fairy.
A faint smile touched Mahi's face."Everyone."
His single word drew every eye toward him.
"The food is getting cold."
She looked around the room before his gaze settled on Maya."Come. It's time for breakfast."
Maya inclined her head politely, "Understood."
As she passed, the twins leaned closer to one another. Faha's voice dropping to an urgent whisper. "Brother..."
Fahish didn't look away from Maya." Hmm?"
"The fairy, with her hair tied up looks even more beautiful. Even more ethereal. Like she stepped out of a dream."
A pause. His voice grew softer, almost reverent.
"Before, with her hair down, she looked like a forest spirit that might disappear if you blinked."
Fahish closed his eyes for, his jaw tightening with barely concealed irritation. A long, weary sigh escaped his lips.
"Please don't let her hear you. If she hears you talking about her like that.
She'll think we're insane. More insane than she already thinks we are. We barely survived the first encounter.
If she hears you calling her a fairy again ... she might actually run away and then we'll have to explain to Mother why we scared her daughter out of the mansion before breakfast."
Faha scratched the back of his head, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.
"Right... you're right. I don't want the fairy to run away again. I mean, I don't want our sister to run away again."
—–
The rich aroma of freshly prepared food drifted through the dining hall as everyone made their way inside.
A polished wooden table occupied the center of the room, surrounded by finely carved chairs.
One by one, the family members took their seats.
Servants moved around the table, placing steaming dishes before everyone with practiced precision.
Then Maya entered. She walked to the far end of the long dining table and took her seat. Her posture remained straight and composed.
A few moments later, the servants finished arranging breakfast. The table was covered with an impressive variety of dishes.
The colorful dishes filled nearly every inch of the table, their aromas blending into a comforting fragrance that spread through out the room.
A servant politely asked,"May I begin serving?"
Mahi gave a small nod. The servants began placing portions onto everyone's plates.
When one servant approached Maya, she paused respectfully. "Miss Maya, what would you like?"
Maya looked over the table for a few seconds.
"A small serving of rice....And vegetables."
"Certainly."
She hesitated for a moment before asking gently,"Would you like some fish as well?"
Maya's expression remained unchanged.
"...No, thank you."
"As you wish, Miss."
Fahad quietly noticed her answer but said nothing.
Naya smiled,"If there's anything else you'd like, just tell us."
"Okay. "
Faha glanced toward Maya's modest plate and then at his own, which was piled high with food.
"...You're only eating that?"
Fahan laughed, "Brother, don't compare everyone's appetite to yours."
Faha looked genuinely puzzled."...Can someone survive on that little?"
Fahish calmly buttered a slice of toast. "Apparently."
Fahim took a sip of his tea before speaking.
"Eating until one is satisfied is healthier than overeating."
Faha looked at his mountain of food."..I suddenly feel personally attacked."
Laughter rippled around the table. The sound of cutlery, quiet conversation filled the room.
Fahan, already halfway through his second serving, glanced toward Maya's plate. "Wait—Maya, you're not eating any fish?"
Maya's chopsticks paused mid-air, holding a small portion of steamed vegetables. "No. I don't eat fish."
Fahan tilted his head, clearly puzzled. "But... why? It's one of the best dishes here. Our chef prepares it with a special recipe—"
"I'm aware."
Fahad, who had been quietly observing, his gray eyes studied Maya with a mixture of curiosity and something else — a flicker of distant memory.
"That's... strange, when you were little — I mean, when you first started eating solid food — you loved fish. I remember it clearly."
Mahi's hand reaching for her glass, paused for just a fraction of a second.
Faha looked between the two of them."Really?"
Fahim nodded.
"Mother used to say you'd eat fish every single day if she let you. You'd get so excited whenever you saw it on your plate. Your little hands would reach out—"
He stopped himself, realizing he was speaking
of memories Maya had no part in. An awkward silence fell.
Mahi cleared her throat, "Maya... is there any particular reason you don't eat fish now?"
For a moment, Maya said nothing. "They used to mix poison in the fish."
" .... "
" .... "