Spring came, then arrived summer. Autumn went around, winter took its place. Two years once rolled by in the span of a sigh. Then another three years after that. Seasons came and went. Contrary to the chaotic period that was the beginning of my life, all I had now were uneasy peace and quiet…a deafening period of silence that brought with it a threat of trouble.

It didn’t matter whether everything around me was calm. My heart was in constant turmoil. There was a storm inside me that I could not quiet, and I had not seen a day of tranquility ever since my reincarnation. I never spoke of Amber’s words to others, but I kept it in the corner of my mind. Once in a while, it would be whispered to me as a reminder, and dreams of him, along with memories of my previous life, would often plague me some nights.

What happened during my reincarnation was significant, I knew. And it would not be something I could carelessly bury and forget about. If I tried, it would definitely suddenly pounce at me one day and bite me in the ass.

But though I tried, my efforts barely bore fruit. Since my coming to the House of Oblivion to live with the nine mistresses, one of them becoming my adoptive mother, I had not been able to leave. At all. The best manner by which I could access information was through the books, but I had wasted quite a bit of time earning the ability to access them.

Though Amber had granted me the ability to understand the spoken language, I wasn’t equipped with reading literacy. No. I had to learn everything from scratch. Thankfully, my constant urging of my mother to read me storybooks before bed helped me acquire the skills I needed. Before long, I developed enough mastery of the world’s—if not at least the country’s—alphabet.

But these books were limited in the end.

If I wanted to learn more about the world I was moving in, I had to be in the world I was moving in. All I had seen this past five years was the courtyard. It was spacious, equipped with a complex, artful landscape that gave sanctuary from the noise and chaos of a buzzing city. Unfortunately, it had become too small. Too familiar. Not to mention suffocating.

“Evy? Darling?”

I felt a warm hand alight on my shoulder, gently shaking me awake. I stirred and found my mother’s face looming over mine, dressed in her usual warm smile.

“It’s time to eat,” she said. “Come, have your lunch with the mistresses. We’re all waiting for you.”

I rubbed the crust out of my eyes and fixed my grip on the book that was lying open on my lap. “Sorry. What are we having?” I asked.

“Come and see,” she urged.

I clumsily stood and took her hand, letting her guide me back into the House.

“What have you been reading?” she asked as we walked.

I unconsciously shifted my grip on the book I held, gazing down at it to ask myself the same question. “This…” I trailed off. The bright, golden word Vertvalden was stamped on the front. I hid it behind my back, but I knew the action was futile. “Sorry, mama. I was just curious.”

She didn’t scold me. Instead, she put a hand on top of my head and pulled me close. “I should be the one saying sorry, Evy. I can’t tell you anything about your father.”

Right.

That was the excuse.

I did not know how to fill in the awkward silence, nor I did not try. Nonetheless, considering how Oblivion was such a big place, it continued to get dragged out. I drowned myself in my thoughts and distracted myself by looking at the gardens we passed through.

My mother decided not to tell me she adopted me. Now, we were living this perpetuated lie we both knew the truth to. I wanted to be honest about my situation, but I did not know how. I wasn’t sure about what they were going to do if they found at, as well.

Very soon, we entered the dining hall.

“Evy! My little darling!” Mistress Liane bounced on her seat upon seeing me arrive. She stretched her hands out to me and offered her cheek. “Come, come. Give your mistress a little kiss.”

“Hello, mistress,” I greeted. I rounded the low table and did as I was asked.

Her dainty, manicured fingers combed through my honeyed red curls. “Oh, right. You’re turning six, aren’t you? Is there anything in particular that you would like?”

I stopped to think but shook my head. “I’m okay, thank you.”

She looked very disappointed, placing her powdered cheeks on her palms as her lips curled. “Is that so? How very boring…” she said, and I took that as my cue to go to my seat. “Come on, darling. I thought it would be different this year, but it only gets worse. We should do something fun, at least! The garden is very—”

“The garden is off-limits,” Mistress Kora cut her off midsentence. “I know what’s going through your mind. Those flowers are not coming off unless they fall off themselves.”

Mistress Liane pouted. “Come on, Kora…”

“Indeed, Liane is right,” Mistress Marian interjected. By the time she had spoken, I had already sunk down to my seat beside my mother, who had pushed a bowl of food in front of me.

“Eat well, darling. Ignore your mistresses,” she whispered to me.

I picked up my fork and began to dig through my bowl. As I stuffed a shrimp into my mouth, I gazed at Mistress Marian, inwardly marveling at her sheer beauty—the perfect heart-shaped lips and the blushing cheeks. Her tourmaline eyes fluttered to Mistress Kora’s face, and a quirky smile of mischief floated to her lips.

We all knew that look. Mistress Kora, especially.

Horror pushed his brows together. “Wait. Just now, did you—”

Mistress Marian pulled out a blooming carnation from under the table and tucked it behind her ear. I thought the flower was very becoming, a perfect complement to her womanly charms. Unfortunately, Mistress Kora was the very witch in a fairytale who would take a child in exchange for a vegetable. He cared very much for his flowers. Considering how many times Mistress Marian had been caught stealing them, I doubt that he would let this one go.

“Why you bi—”

“Enough,” a cold voice cut through the rising tension. I looked up from my food and saw Mistress Lamia reaching for her cup of tea. The edge rimmed her lips as she spoke, “I have been hearing of this trouble for a while now. First off, Kora, your hard work in the garden is very much appreciated. Do allow the others some flowers, anyhow. That would stop them from thieving. You cannot possibly keep that garden to yourself.”

Mistress Kora let out a loud breath through his nose but did not pursue the topic anymore and sulked in his seat instead.

“You as well, Marian. I assume you’re quite old enough to know how to ask for permission.”

“I’ve asked nicely before…” she muttered under her breath in indignance.

Mistress Lamia ignored her. “Anyhow, now that that matter’s solved, there are other, more important things to talk about regarding the child’s sixth birthday.”

Eyes fell to me once more as I became the center of the topic. I wondered what was so important and felt nervous. Did they plan for me to train and become a courtesan as well? I sincerely hoped not. I knew my mother was opposed to it, so it was not the likely important thing they were referring to. I managed to calm somewhat, thinking along those lines.

“Hellenia,” Mistress Lamia began.

My mother stiffened. “Yes, mistress?”

“I’ve already made the necessary arrangements. Bring Evyionne tomorrow to the Dragoon Academy and get her tested.”

I felt my skin prickle at the word tested. It sounded quite ominous, and so the apprehension that I was trying to hold back lurched forward. “Test? What kind of test?” I asked. “What is it about? Why is it important?”

My mother placed a reassuring hand on top of my head and gave me a smile. “Don’t be worried, dear. It’s nothing really scary. Do you remember what I told you about special people? We’re just going to see if you’re one of them, so there’s no need to fear.”

I took comfort in her words and relaxed. I had read books on these special people as well as the system of beliefs that these people practiced. This world that I had reincarnated in clearly did not function like my last one. As it turned out, Amber was not alone in the superpower department. Still, I would probably need to brush up on my knowledge of this matter before tomorrow. Just so I wouldn’t be caught off guard.

“I see. Okay.” I wasn’t so nervous anymore. In fact, I was quite excited. I had been lamenting on the way to leave the House previously. Now, the opportunity had finally presented itself.

“Oh! Oh! It’s Evy’s first day out tomorrow if you think about it!” Liane said. “Does she have anything to wear for tomorrow? Most of her clothes are too simple…”

“I’m sure Neilly has taken care of it,” Mistress Kora said. “Speaking of Neilly…where is she? Marga too?”

“Ah, I would assume Marga’s in that little shed of hers with her experiments again. Neilly’s making last-minute alterations to our dresses for tonight, so she said she would eat later instead.”

“Speaking of tonight…” Mistress Lamia trailed off. “Hellenia, you won’t have to come. I’m sure you’ll be up early tomorrow, so take this time to rest.”

“Thank you, mistress. Did you hear that, my daughter?” My mother gazed at me affectionately as she pulled me to her side. “It’s going to be your first day out tomorrow. Are you excited?”

I nodded enthusiastically. My nerves jumped at the thought of finally stepping out of the gates. Still, a part of me could not help but feel somewhat anxious. The largest crowd I had come to face usually sat around this dining table. I had not been acquainted with strangers since I came into the care of the mistresses. It should have been five years already.

“Aw, so lucky!” Mistress Liane sighed enviously. “I wish I get to take a vacation.”

Mistress Lamia looked at her but said nothing save for a small, “Hmn.”