The moon outside was rising high in the sky as I stared out the streaky window. I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of melancholy bury in my chest as I stared up at the sky.
"I don't know them anymore." I couldn't stop the words fell from my lips. The stars twinkling in the sky like diamonds, I knew none of them. No constellations, no galaxies, nothing. The only things I knew about the world were from the novel and even then I doubted what I knew. It was like I was stuck on an alien planet. I was scared about what was to come, as well as angry at my situation. It was like I was a newborn baby trapped in a strange new world. Even though I was brainstorming a plan to escape and live a simple life, I wanted to plan a way to destroy the Count. The biggest problem was trying to live in a world where I knew no one as well as be protected from the Counts influence. I clutched my chest instinctively out of fear, terrified if I got caught by the Count after my escape. Would I be killed? Tortured? It was the uncertainty of all the unknown facts that struck a deep pain in my chest. That wasn't the only revelation burning a hole in my chest.
"I bet that Quinn and Riley are happier without me." I said the words that were burying themselves deep into my heart like a knife. It was the first time since coming to this world I had the opportunity to reflect on my situation, as well as coming to terms with my death. The glass reflected me a bit and I could see the paler eye winking back at me mockingly. I instinctively reached up and covered it, as if I expected it to start bursting with blood. It didn't but I was still trembling in fear. I was taking deep shaky breaths, trying to calm myself down as flashes of my death came to my mind. I couldn't help myself from flinching as they popped into my mind, gripping my cotton nightgown in my tiny fists. I couldn't stop the tears like rain from rolling down my face as the clear sky became my focal point. I read once somewhere, that one day you'll look at the moon and the person you're supposed to be with will look to. I looked at the glowing white orb and bowed my head so my hot forehead pressed against the cool glass of my bird cage.
"I wasn't happy in my last life," I whispered aloud softly, "In this one, that's all I want. I want to be happy." I don't know why I was speaking out loud but it comforted me. As if eyes looking from the shadows were listening to me, and would fulfill my wish.
Pieces of my plan were falling into place the more I studied and hid. First this upcoming ball I wasn't practicing dance or feigning loveliness, I was coming up with a fool proof plan to ruin Agatha's plan. The Count and Agatha had already spilled the beans to me thinking I was their weak minded puppet, but I was angry. They planted the posion and a Moonlock flower. If was a herb that would amplify the affinity magic of darkness, but is severely deadly to a light mage. The only place it was allowed to grow was the imperial palace. The poison was hidden in Ophelia's room in the Imperial palace as she visited often and vacationed with her aunt. They tested the dosage on Mercy to make sure it wouldn't be lethal to Agatha. Emma paid a servant to slip the powder into the champagne Agatha is drinking and thus Ophelia would be blamed. The Count wanted me to influence with the auras of the Crown Prince and the Grand Duke to be drawn to Agatha. My retaliation was simple, I was going to stop the servant from putting the poison in the glass. However, Agatha could fake it and Ophelia could still be killed with enough force. So, I decided to save a life in exchange for some pain. They were targeting the debutante ball to also embarrass and destroy the Spigen family. In this world, men and women had four important age milestones. At six, magical attributes usually come in if they have any at all. Sixteen, men were enlisted on the army for minimum a year while women had to make a minor social debut. At eighteen both men and women became of marrying age and legal adults. They are able to separate their family with a portion of the estate, if the Emperor or Empress agrees to it. At twenty they made an entrance to high society. The debutante ball for women happened on their birthday, with a larger party thrown with all the women who had a successful opening at the end of the year. The men were invited to the new year debutante party when they turned twenty, and up to twenty five if they are unmarried to find a possible marriage partner. Their ultimate goal was to humiliate the Spigen family and make them lose favour from the Emperor. Having them lose their daughter, as well as any chance to marry off during that party would destroy the family and they would become outcasts and laughingstocks. My goal was to save the family, and use them to get me out of the house. I wasn't a legal adult yet so I needed help slipping out from the house. At the beginning of of story, Mercy was seventeen and Agatha was nineteen. This was a turning point since the Prince had caught her eye, and courted her on and off until the new years debutante ball a year and a half later. The event was the largest, and the catalyst in a string of events until the Princes death six months after. The final point of Mercy's tale is she didn't even reach twenty before her untimely demise. I had one more year before I could legally leave the estate unless I submitted myself to a monastery before I got caught.
"Your tea, Miss." Emma barely even announced herself before pushing myself through the door. I was torn out of my racing thoughts. Because of my weak body, Mercy was given a daily tea to insure that she remained strong enough for their schemes. I prodded Emma about it, and she just mumbled about my weak willed mother and her cursed womb. All I knew is once I drank the tea I instantly felt better. It was almost like a painkiller. Mercy's body was stiff and sore from years of physical abuse, and she was frail and fragile. How anyone could see this girl as a terrifying villianess was beyond me. When I didn't have it for too long, my magic felt like it was burning my skin. It was a feeling I felt for the first time shortly I woke up. I felt like I was on fire. I couldn't cast healing magic on myself and Agatha said she would never waste her mana on me. I knew I would have to keep the tea with me, so I needed to figure out a way to keep it with me.
"Thank you so much Emma." I beamed at her. It sickened me to my stomach, but I had to do it. It would be a miracle of everything worked out. She dropped off the tea and went to turn and leave. I could see her aura was orange with annoyance.
"Emma." I called out. She looked back annoyed at me and scowled. I put on the sweetest face I could muster.
"Can you stay with me? I've been... really lonely lately." Her aura turned a blazing angry red. She didn't even look at me anymore and slammed the door. I smiled, knowing that what I was doing was working. Even though I know pain would come tomorrow, I was excited to see how everything would unfold. Little did Emma know, she was falling into my trap.