chapter 1

To Rihannan’s surprise, she was twelve again.

She had awakened from a deep slumber and noticed she lied on the bed of a mansion, the place she lived in until she was married off. And her body, it was that of a small child.

Rihannan rolled off the bed and looked at the mirror. Her eyes opened wide at the sudden understanding that she was twelve once more — the time of her mother’s death.

“I’ve come back to the past?”

But she shook her head in denial. She could not believe it. She’s dreaming. That or she’s seeing her past before crossing the river of death.

But by the time she saw the rising sun, Rihannan was forced to accept her reality.

She was back. She was really back. She was twelve.

It was an unbelievable reality and Rihannan sat back on the bed and watched the door in silence. If all was true, the door would open and her maid, Mary, who took care of her since she was a babe would walk right in. Mary’d often wake her every morning and she never missed a single day ’till she was kicked out of the mansion with a false charge.

“Miss?”

Before long, the door opened and Mary entered the room. She gave a startled look at the sight of the young Rihannan wide and awake first thing in the morning.

“Miss, have you been up all night? Oh my goodness, you haven’t slept all night!”

Mary quickly ran to Rihannan and stroked her pale face.

“It’s because of your mother, right? Don’t be so sad, Miss. This’ll ruin your health…”

“Mary…”

“Yes, Miss?”

Rihannan looked at Mary, the woman she hadn’t seen in a long while. After the death of her mother, her father took in the child of another woman into the house and Rihannan gradually became isolated. Mary was one of the two people who stood by her side ’till the very end. However, Mary was eventually driven away on the charge of the theft of her half-sister’s jewels.

“I missed you…”

“Miss?”

“Mary, I really missed you,” Rihannan said hoarsely.

Mary took a quiet, deep breath. Her warm, brown eyes carefully examined the young Rihannan and concluded that the child who’d recently lost her mother was in a state of shock that she’d gone and said strange things.

“Oh, poor child. You had a scary dream last night, didn’t you?”

Mary swept Rihannan into her arms affectionately and caressed her fine silver hair.

“It’s alright. You have your father and I. Don’t worry. Everything will be alright.”

Embraced in the arms of Mary, Rihannan bit her lip recalling the past.

‘No, that’s not true. Father will bring her in and he’ll take everything away from me…’

When the memories of her past came flooding in, Rihannan’s heart was wrought with pain.

“There, there. The Count will arrive soon. Though I don’t know why he went off in a hurry soon after the funeral, but all will be alright. The Count will always be with you.”

Mary did not know, but Rihannan already knew he ran off in a hurry.

He went to pick up his illegitimate daughter before he had the chance to see his dead wife buried six-feet-under. It was as if he had waited for this very moment to come.

“Then, Miss, wash your face first…”

“Mary, before that, would you call a lawyer?”

Surprised, Mary raised her brows. She looked at Rihannan’s ice-blue eyes and asked, “A lawyer? You mean Ned?”

“Yes. Call Lawyer Ned.”

“Why do you need a lawyer all of a sudden?”

“Mary, we’re running out of time. I have something to check with him before father comes back. Please, get in touch with him right away and tell him to see me.”

To Mary, lawyers were the kind of people she found difficult to understand, much so the nobles. And as for Rihanna, no matter how educated she was, she’d have a difficult time understanding what she’d been taught until she grows of age. And so far, Mary hadn’t recalled a particular encounter between the Miss and the lawyer that was worth remembering. Ned was always busy dealing with Count Alessin, the owner of the mansion. So why does a girl like that suddenly wants to speak to a lawyer? But regardless, Mary had no intention to refuse the young lady’s earnest request.

“Alright. I will send someone to see the lawyer. Wait a moment please.”

After Mary left the room, Rihannan sorted the messy thoughts muddling her mind. Today was the day after her mother’s funeral and the day her father, Count Alessin, brought in his illegitimate daughter. It was also the day her misfortunes began.