The golden sunlight pierced through the silver curtains plastered over the windows. It illuminated the luxurious and familiar room with its light, starting a new day. And the beginning of someone's second chance. A beautiful lady wearing a maid outfit was in the gorgeous room along with a young girl gradually awakening from her deep slumber.
Opening her eyelids, the young girl felt nostalgic upon her awakening. Her name was Alastair Hecate, an imperial general executed long ago. She was given a second chance and competed in a long and insufferable test which almost broke her mind if not for her will, making it cling to itself.
As every memory returned to her, she immediately stood up as her body shook in dread and fear. The feeling of getting killed by that bastard was still evident. It kept clinging to her heart as if trying to warn her that this would happen to her again in the future. Obviously, Alastair wasn't a masochist who consistently wanted to be devoured.
"Don't worry, young lady. You're safe in this space."
The maid beside her spoke with a calm voice while emotionlessly staring at Alastair.
Alastair didn't know what to feel upon hearing the maid's words. She shook her head and decided to calm herself down. Even though Alastair was the victor of the test. With the adrenaline gone, the fear within her heart intensified. It would have a long-lasting effect if she let the fear continue.
As her heart calmed down, Alastair finally had a clear vision of everything. She now understood why everything she felt in this room was nostalgia and familiarity. Alastair actually didn't expect to see this room ever again. She had thought that such a room would be hidden deep within her memory forever.
It was the mansion she bought during her time as the imperial general. Before being a mansion, it was the dormitory of the imperial war academy. Unfortunately, though, ever since the imperial war academy got disbanded. It became a public land that could be sold to anyone with money.
To be here in the mansion once again, one of the only places she called hope, was a dream, A good dream.
Alastair inspected everything and found that they were the same as the last memory she had seen them. She nodded to herself as she stretched her stiff body. It has been a while since Alastair slept in a comfy and soft bed. It was also the bed she had slept in during her time in the imperial war academy.
"My home, I didn't expect to see it again. It feels like a dream, or is it?" Alastair looked at the maid for confirmation, resulting in the maid shaking her head. She released a slight smile upon seeing the maid's verification. It would rather be disappointing for this to be a dream of her mind.
"I see... That is a piece of good news. Though, may I ask... Who are you, Ms. Maid? And why are you here?"
Alastair questioned while looking at the maid right beside her. The description of the maid before her was relatively simple.
The maid had jet-black hair strapped in a ponytail. She wore a clear and silver monocle on her right eye. Speaking of her eyes, each of its irises was dark silver in color. It relatively made her look exotic and eyecatching. She had pale white skin, seemingly smooth and soft. She was also tall and had a voluptuous or, for some, an hourglass body.
Her clothes were that of victorian maids. A pitch-black dress covered by a lily-white apron. Along with victorian shoes and black gloves, she seemed relaxed and cold. She was someone that would usually be found in stories. Terrific and extraordinary maids, along with their excellent masters.
The maid tilted her head and gazed upon Alastair without that much chance in her expression. The two of them looked at each other as silence enveloped the luxurious room. After a while, the maid nodded to herself and answered with a calm voice.
"Greetings, my lady. My name is Soteria, your appointed maid."
"I hope I wasn't being rude for standing right beside you during your deep and peaceful slumber."
Soteria said as she slightly bowed with style towards Alastair. Then, after bending a knee, she looked at Alastair with the same expression as before.
Alastair looked at Soteria for a short while as numerous thoughts passed through her mind. First, the maid in front of her was someone that seemed to emit an aura of magnificence. She had never seen someone emit such a strong aura before. Other than that, there were more, though...
Alastair shook her head, trying to disperse her thoughts, and replied with a calm voice.
"It's nice to see you, Ms. Soteria."
"But may I ask... Where am I?"
Alastair wanted to know where she was. After all, even though in the mansion, which was similar to her home. She knew that she wasn't in the Empire anymore. It was like the entire estate got transferred into an entirely new place, and she was pretty sure about it.
In her world, she was already dead.
The three beings of judgment would revive her from the dead as it would bring trouble. But, also, the revival wasn't within the clauses of her second chances. The probability of it happening was as low as the sun rising from the west. Such were the thoughts within her mind.
"My lady... You are currently in the Divum and are standing on a 500-kilometer in diameter island. This mansion is the only structure on the island as it mainly comprises trees and mountains. The two of us are also the only sapient beings on the island. Though, it does have sentient ones."
Soteria gave a calm and relaxed explanation of where Alastair was currently lying on. Upon hearing the words of Soteria, Alastair nodded in understanding as she devoured the information within her mind, analyzing every bit of it.
"I see... Thank you for the explanation, Ms. Soteria."
Alastair said with a grateful tone as she smiled at Soteria. The maid simply looked at her with the same expression and shook her head. Soteria silently gazed at Alastair with an emotionless face and spoke with a calm voice. "There is no need to pretend, my lady."
"I know who you are and everything about you."
Soteria's words had a tinge of coldness hidden under its calm. It appears that she didn't take Alastair's strange behavior lightly. Alastair, who heard Soteria's words, tilted her head in confusion as a smile formed on her face. Then, she looked at Soteria and uttered with a deadly gaze.
"Interesting, Ms. Soteria. I apologize for my recent actions during my awakening. It comes as an instinct. I hope you don't mind."
"Besides, It that a threat I'm hearing from you?"
Alastair's voice was tranquil and soothing though it had a tinge of dread. It was like the devil's tone. It tells a different thing from the inside. Soteria simply shook her head after hearing Alastair and replied.
"I apologize, my lady, if it sounded like a threat. I shall change my tone to appropriate situations."
"There is no need to change your tone or behavior. I'd like to see you rather than someone pretending right in front of me." Alastair answered as she was clear on what she wanted and disliked. Upon hearing Alastair's words, Soteria nodded without that much hesitation.
"Well then, my handmaid. Shall you explain the situation I am in and what I have to do in this second chance of mine? It appears that they sent me here without leaving that much information about it. I'm relatively confused at the moment." Alastair questioned as she still found herself confused at her duty in this second life.
"I would like to explain your new life, my lady. But first, you must refresh yourself. After all, it might have been a while since the last time you had done it." Soteria answered with a respectful tone though it still had a tinge of calm and emotionless feeling.
Alastair didn't mind the current handmaid right in front of her. She'd rather have an honest and upfront person as her maid rather than someone who hides and agrees with every piece of her action. She was already plagued by such people before, and she knew the consequence brought by such humans.
'Besides, the walls are still standing before us. Both from our respectful tones towards each other. It is still up and thick. I wonder if I should destroy such a wall or simply wait for a while before reaching a conclusion.'
Alastair thought to herself as she shook her head and answered.
"Ah? I forgot... You are rather correct, my maid. I'll have to take a bath first and inspect the situation. Thank you for reminding me." Alastair smiled as she walked out of the comfy and soft bed. She wore nightwear, which was jet-black in color. And she was seemingly smaller and shorter than what she had remembered.
Upon exiting the bed, She treaded through the room and reached the bathroom. Entering it, she flicks the light open and finally sees herself in the mirror. What she saw was somewhat surprising. It was probably the most shocking thing that ever happened to her.
Alastair was looking at a young girl, probably 16th years of age. The girl had silver pearl-white hair, which reached her waist. She also had light magenta-colored irises within her eyes, gleaming like a gemstone. Her skin was pale white, soft, and smooth. She looked gorgeous and cute at the same time.
Her height was probably 150s on the centimeter scale. Her weight was unknown. But from her appearance, she probably was average in terms of body mass index. But the weight and the height weren't the main problems with her new look. Instead, it was the jet-black crow-like wings right behind her waist.
How did she have a pair of wings behind her, and when? Alastair shook her head as she didn't want to make everything a lot more complicated than before. She took a deep breath and thought to herself within her mind.
'This shouldn't be that much surprising. I have fought a monster and met beings beyond my comprehension before. Making a fuss over such a thing would be foolish and embarrassing.'
"Let's get into the shower and relax." Alastair silently uttered as she took out everything she wore and entered the shower. Opening the showerheads, Alastair felt the hot water streaming to her head, slowly making its way down to her body. It was relaxing, as it says. It has also been a while or months since Alastair took one.
The steamy shower continued as a hot mist slowly covered the bathroom. The moisty droplets of water were scattered everywhere as, after a while, Alastair had finally completed cleaning herself. It was fortunate that this room had shampoo and soap within it. It made everything a lot better.
After showering, she had finally concluded the bathing of her body. She slowly walked out of the shower closet and took a towel. She began cleaning herself as she looked at her body again in the mirror. The wings weren't as bad as she had expected. It actually didn't stop her from showering.
Slowly wrapping herself with the soft towel, Alastair's crow-like wings closed as Alastair walked out of the bathroom. She found Soteria standing right before her, waiting with an emotionless face. She looked around, intending to find clothes for herself, but before she could continue, Soteria spoke with a calm voice.
"My lady, if you want to wear your uniform. You can simply think or say the word emergence."
"Emergence?" Alastair questioned as a dark light enveloped her body in an instant. A second later, she found herself wearing her general uniform. That was a helpful skill. She would never have to waste her precious time finding clothes and wearing them.
"This is good... So, I'm waiting for your explanation, Soteria."
Alastair smiled as she opened the door of her room. Soteria tilted her head in confusion and questioned with an emotionless tone. "Is it okay for my lady to address a maid this way?" Upon hearing the words of Soteria, Alastair simply smirked as she was outside the room.
She looked back at Soteria and spoke with a confident tone, which was not that apparent before.
"I'd rather not talk that way. Besides, it was becoming more of an annoyance. As my maid who would stand right beside me, I would want us not to keep a wall and distance. So call me Alastair instead of my lady. I also found that... Tiresome."
After releasing her words, Alastair walked out of the room while Soteria was standing there, frozen still.