Chapter 12

   I need to convince the emperor, but how? I assume he'll be suspicious why the crown prince left our residence mentioning any good news regardless of his marriage proposal. I'm sure the emperor thinks that marrying off to a girl like me can at least erase the rumor, but the rumor has been very suspicious lately.

    According to his highness, the crown prince, the rumor didn't end even though it's been a month, and the emperor is trying to cover up the mess. I think someone is behind the spread, maybe the articles or the journalist? Maybe? I'm not sure, but everything is a mess and I have no information regardless of that matter.

    Anna is resting, so I'm not sure who I should trust in this house with the job of collecting information, so I lie low for a few days. I ask the crown prince to cover up and give us more time, so when his majesty asks him, he will tell him I need more time cause I'm still a child after all. 

    Well, I started my life. I thought it's time to stop acting like a doll and think of myself and what I wanted to do in this lifetime. I can think this all, feel these emotions thanks to Seira, her heart and body are full of warmth. 

    I am happy to be alive like her, because it changed me entirely.

    The whispers didn't let me sleep at night, nor did it shut up even on the battlefield. I can hear them lingering at my back like a distinguished ghost. They were meant to be unpleasant and impulsive, but regardless of their rudeness, I kept my promise and ascended them to heaven. 

    That duty is a double backstabber, it has no reasons or accomplishments. It only leads to torture its vessel's mind, like echoing in a nonstop plea each day in every second without a rest. 

    *Knock Knock*

    "Come in, the door is open," I said. 

    The door slowly opened and a figure or a woman in maid uniform suddenly appeared. She has a commoners trait, so I knew she's a commoner, regardless of that. She smiles so gently as she bows in front of me quietly.

    "Greetings milady, my name is Liliana, I was temporarily being assigned as your aid, my apologies if I intruded, " she seem pretty formal for a maid, more than that, I demanded Anna that her vacation will be said in secret, who else know that Anna is on vacation? 

    Suspicious but understandable... 

    "I did not request for temporary help. Who ordered you? " Surely if she's a spy or assassin, she won't point out the obvious. Let us see then, the response she'll be giving.

    Besides, I told Anna not to request a maid for temporary assistance cause I don't need it.

    I took the cup of tea on my table, observing the texture of the tea. This was brewed by another maid so I'm not quite sure. 

    "The head maid said, she said Miss Anna left for a vacation, " my lips are about inches ahead of the tea cup, if she didn't respond quickly, I would have taken the tea and she would have succeeded. 

    The head maid did not know about Anna's vocation, nor I told her about it. If she were to answer 'Anna ordered her', I would be suspicious of her, so there is a reason why I perform my methods to two predictions, and she picks one. She's a sharp one, my hands felt so numb that I didn't move an inch. 

    I can feel the drops of sweat running through my forehead. Then suddenly, I could hear a footstep, but slowly and carefully. I pretended not to know anything and I chuckled.

    "Your name is Liliana, right? " 

    "Yes, milady, " she said, but she was closer to me than she was. I exclaimed and immediately took back control over my body and I carefully placed back the tea cup into the small plate. 

    "Where are you from, Liliana? " 

    I wonder, how did she get inside with the tight security? Even if she disguise herself as a maid, it's not gonna work, their is a special crystal security ball around the residence entrance, and the knights can recognize the maids working for our house, if someone pretending to be a maid suddenly show up, they will kick them out and even if they are visitors, they can never walk inside. 

    Only one way to enter, and assassins have all the theory, the method, the way and everything to perform it well. 

    "I came from a small village near the empire's borders, it's a place not even milady might know, our village is the empires rear, that is why we always encounter outlaws or bandits, trying to raid us," I remain quiet but I can sense something that she pulled inside her pocket, her story seems believable but I knew better how assassins think. 

    Her hands are nearing but luckily I have the tea cup filled with hot tea. I gripped the tea and threw it upon her, then I turned my back to throw the kettle into her face, breaking it in half. I then look at her with mockery.

    "That should shake your filthy brain a little, Liliana, " the cup and the kettle that broke into her face left some sharp glass blades, resulting in ruining both her hands and her face, and blood dripping within her eyes. 

    The changes in her expression were priceless. She became so upset that she looked at me with a passionate hatred.

    "You!? A little garbage... Just as little as you, I can crush you easily! Those eyes, that face, I'll tear them apart until nothing remains of your dignity! "

    My hands clang for a sword, and I'm trying to hold it back. I wanted to slash her so badly that my hands had shaken so much. I only smiled and chuckled because Seira's smile gives the little chill of a witch smiling with wickedness.

    "For an assassin, your one of a kind, the most dumbest amongst the fools, has not even taken a slight damage to a little kid, what a shame, " I've learn words of mockery from Iris way of speaking, although I'm a dignified swordsman, I tried to work it out everything I learn. 

    At first, I didn't know the value of emotions and how it affects people. So I began exploring human behavior and their reactions. I had learned so much from everything I can imagine, because Iris' methods are useful in court. 

    "Enough! " She finally broke her senses thanks to the tea. Even though the tea has been delivered to me late, it is still hot. 

    She pulled something cold within her pocket and as I guess, it was a dagger, she held the dagger so tightly and she began attacking me carelessly. I was so shocked that I had to carefully dodge her dagger everytime she swung it in front of me. 

    She has no technique at all. 

    She just swings her dagger the same way over and over again. However the blow was relentless and she kept on attacking me while yelling in screams, I watched her do that until I reached the window at the back of my spine. 

    "Stay still brat! "

    I'm losing strength and I can't keep on dodging her forever. My mind is aching because of the migraine and my body, but she wasn't exhausted at all and she once again blew me another attack that I didn't dodge because of the loss of my breath. 

    Luckily, she missed her shot. It was an accident because she has no style and her movement is like a maniac trying to kill someone who they can't even touch a single strand. 

    I opened the window to the terrace and expanded from there. "You! " I need to find a way and  defeat her before she kills me. I can't dodge it any longer because my body is tired.

    "Who sent you? " 

    "The identity of my contractor must be kept hidden, but she definitely wants to kill you so bad, she even ordered mercenaries, but it sucks because of this house security, so I came to kill you! " 

    When she attacked, I tried kicking her legs off but because my body is so small; I didn't accomplish anything. So I was left without a choice, no choice perhaps, the assassin looked at me with pity and hatred before she held me up. 

    She held me so tightly around my neck, she's choking me to death! But luckily I have endurance for a few minutes at most, I need to find a way to stop her or kill her before I lose every breath I take and die. 

    I can't die again! This time my life has a meaning, this time I was able to feel my heart beating, so I'll have to fight everything I have for this life! 

    So think! 

    I looked around the surroundings, observing everything from the maid's perspective to my room until to the sky. I bite my lips to the instinct of my ability and tried to endure the pain in my neck while looking for an opportunity.

    I need air! I'm losing my consciousness... Has a minute already passed? No! 

    I tried struggling, but I have no strength left.

    I fight alone and do not lean on someone, but this time I clang for this life that I feel like I own myself. If this is Seira's feelings, I don't feel different because we are both the same. I just unlocked my memories of my past life that changed me entirely (as) how I thought of myself.

    At least just once... I want to lean on someone who would do so many things for me, his daughter... 

    Daddy!!!

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