"Heh, stupid until the very end. Just like your mother..."
The voice echoed in her mind as it repeatedly spoke.
"Just like your mother…"
Like her mother?
"Just like… your mother…"
Her mother...
Who was her mother?
"Heh, stupid… until… the very end."
The shrilly feminine voice just kept mocking her as it repeatedly spoke to her with a mildly sneering tone.
"Stupid… stupid… stupid… like your mother…"
Who was her mother again?
Was she stupid?
While trying hard to remember, she suddenly found herself in a pitch-black place. It held no illumination at all, making her feel as though she had suddenly gone blind.
Feeling the fear grow inside her because of the darkness, she tried to look around desperately just to see even a little hint of anything around her. But in the middle of doing so, she unknowingly began to slowly walk aimlessly. It was as if someone was controlling her body and that someone was trying to find something but had no idea what.
But her search soon came to an end when she heard a small sound at a distance. She hurriedly walked towards it, throwing caution out of the window as she felt her face involuntarily contort into a smile.
She didn't know why she was suddenly happy.
She didn't know why she suddenly ran.
But one thing's for sure… she wanted to know what made that sound in the darkness…
And so, desperately trying to find the origin of the sound, she once willed herself to focus on listening instead of her sight.
Then, just as she expected, in a few seconds, the sound echoed once again. This time, it was loud enough for her to recognize that the sound came from some metallic objects softly clinking together.
Knowing this, she ran faster at the direction of the sound with her heart beating so loud that it almost drowned out the sound of her pants and heavy footsteps that echoed around the cold dark place.
Then, in a matter of seconds, the clinking sound suddenly echoed right in front of her. And after squinting hard, she could make out a form in front of her that seemed to be causing the sound.
"Uhm..."
Her voice sounded higher than normal, making her grab her throat in shock. But when she did, she noticed that her neck was noticeably thinner and that her hands were way smaller and smoother than usual. It was like the accumulated callouses and scars she had over the years never had happened in the first place.
And before she could recover from the strangeness of her body, she felt a hand forcefully grab her flimsy wrist as it pulled her forward.
"YOU!"
There was a sudden wrathful shriek that made her immediately jump in fright. Then, the grip on her wrist tightened as the shrilly scratchy voice cried out once again.
"YOU! LIAR! LIAR LIAR LIAR!"
She tried her best to get out of the grip but it was no use. Kt only proceeded to pull her closer until she could finally see a faint form of a person with long hair, presumably a woman, with shackles on her feet kneeling in front of her.
"Liar… liar… liar... he lied… why… I didn't..."
The woman seemed to be lost in thought as she continued to grip onto her hand tightly.
"Uhm…"
She was speechless, unable to comprehend what was currently happening.
A woman?
Who was she again…
Why does her form look so… familiar?
"They took her… liar… my husband… blood… marriage…"
She tried hard to remember while half-heartedly listening to her crazed mumblings.
She was familiar. That's for sure.
She felt that she had seen her somewhere.
In a picture, perhaps? Or maybe in person?
For some reason, she couldn't remember.
Who was she again?
Who was… this woman?
"Stupid…"
She heard that word and suddenly, a surge of memories bombarded her mind that made her stagger back from the shock.
"Stupid until the very end… just like… just like… just like…"
Her mother?!
She began to feel seething rage as she recalled everything that happened.
All the suffering she endured, the pain she hid, and the discontent she held with her life. She wanted a peaceful life, for heaven's sake!
And when she finally had it, that little demon decided to show her face again!
That… that…
"IRIS!"
The lady on the bed gasped out in anger as she finally opened her eyes. Panting, she rubbed her heavy eyes as she tried to come back to reality.
"W-wha… huh?"
When her eyes finally adjusted from the brightness around her, she found herself in an unfamiliar room that looked far too lavish for her taste. White walls adorned with golden linings were all that she could see around her. Partnered with a series of wooden furniture that seemed to have been crafted masterfully, it made her feel as though she was a noble. And as she squinted her eyes to observe better, she noticed that nearly, if not all, the pieces of furniture and fixtures in the room were shining whenever the light from the open windows hit their polished exterior.
Each piece looked far too expensive to be seen in one room altogether!
Just where was she right now?!
The lady tried to calm herself as she continued to inspect the whole room for clues as to not only where she was, but also as to why she was even there in the first place. But the longer she looked around, the more confused she felt.
Around her pristine white bed were books stacked one after another and a bowl of a clear liquid that she assumed to be water. But she had no recollection at all of being in a place with books nor being related to any person that had enough luxury to leisurely read a book.
So the books around her greatly added to her confusion.
Looking around more, she saw different plants on her opposite side. Along with it were stacks of packets that eerily looked like those pricey wrapped medicines that most prestigious doctors would use. Well, she really couldn't be sure since she only saw those packets once, when a street kid had once stolen it to cure his sister. It did wonders indeed, but the kid was soon caught and was fined for quite a sum that made even her speechless for days from the shock.
And now, seeing all these luxuries around her that didn't seem to fit in with her current lifestyle, she could only gulp nervously as random thoughts began to run in her mind.
Was she… sold?
To a nobleman? To someone with power?
What for? She barely had any magical ability.
For entertainment? For slavery?
For her organs?
The lady trembled in fear and she unconsciously clutched her abdomen where her organs, fortunately, still seemed to reside in perfect shape and size.
But when she moved about, she noticed that the feel of the cloth around her seemed foreign. The clang of her armor and the rough texture of her leather top against her chest seemed to be absent. And moving again, she noticed that she felt lighter than usual.
She lifted her hands up halfway, trying to examine what she was wearing. The last thing she recalled wearing was her full body armor whose weight she grew accustomed of. But it seemed like she was wearing something far from her usual armor.
A… white silken robe?
She looked at the clothing in disbelief. Then, trying to confirm something, she pulled her robe down to see what she was wearing underneath.
And sure enough, even her undergarments were in white silk.
Seeing these, she suddenly felt her heart thump in fear.
This… White silk is usually worn by dead people about to be buried!
Where they about to bury her?!