Empress Borought, Macht Mansion.
Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Hazel lightly touched the saturated cut on her forehead. Her brow furrowed slightly as she felt the burning sting before returning to the curious calm of before.
'That'll leave a scar...' Biting her lips slightly, the Swindler thought with some bitterness as she lowered her bangs that once again hid the wound.
A small sigh left her lips, and she shook her head, disappointed with herself.
'Luckily, it's easy to hide...'
A person appeared in her mind, a young woman with emerald eyes and golden hair whose ever-elegant and gentle expression was twisted into a sneering sneer as she looked at her.
Hazel gritted her teeth hard, and her fists clenched in fury.
She was sure that even if someone like her had suffered a scar, it would surely only make her more beautiful. Unlike her, it would only make her more disgusted.
"Grrr..." An annoyed grunt left her lips, but shaking her head, Hazel closed her eyes and went into cogitation.
After a few seconds, her acid frown relaxed, and her hands were released. She stayed like that for a while longer, making sure her state was calm again.
Judging that she was calmer, Hazel opened her eyes and saw her reflection again.
Her brown eyes were sharp and focused; they took everything around her in great detail and easily found valuables. Her greenish-black hair fell calmly across her forehead, and the treatments and products she had used on it over the years ensured that it maintained a shiny, soft color.
Her features were fine, and unlike the rest of the other noble ladies, she was sharper and stronger. This was a product of her nights out and serious training at the hands of her two Beyonder teachers. Something that filled her with pride. In matters of strength and combat, Hazel was sure she would beat them all!
'Even her...'
Shaking her head, the only daughter of the house Macht, lowered the silver mirror and placed it next to her notebook. Her eyes moved from the hand mirror and moved to the letter resting unsuspectingly on top of the notebook. A determined look flashed in her eyes.
Knock Knock
With nimble hands, she swiftly grabbed the letter and tucked it into a hidden pocket of her dress, a movement so smooth and swift that it seemed her hands never moved from the table.
No sooner had she done so than the door to her room was opened by a familiar older woman who still retained her beauty and youthfulness, but beneath her eyes -That looked like her daughter's- were light black bags.
She still had some patches from the cuts she had suffered but seemed to be recovering well.
"Excuse me, daughter. I'm not disturbing anything, am I?" Riana Macht asked, her voice tired but her expression gentle.
Smiling calmly at her mother, Hazel rose from her new desk and gave a graceful bow in her elegant green dress, "I was just going over a few things from my past classes, Mother."
At her reply, Riana's expression brightened noticeably and her smile became cheerful, "You've been putting a lot more effort into your studies these past few months. Your father and I are very proud of you."
Closing the door behind her, the older woman let out a heavy sigh, so heavy that it startled Hazel, who looked at her mother in a daze.
The younger woman had already started walking towards her mother when the next thing she said froze her in her tracks, "Your father wants to talk to you."
'Oh..' Unconsciously, Hazel swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
Whenever her father wanted to talk to her, it was always a bad sign...
...
Walking close but still a few steps behind the Mistress of the House, Hazel's gaze strayed for a moment to the repairs still being carried out after the earthquake.
It wasn't long before they reached a fine wooden door, which her mother knocked on. After hearing a 'Come in,' they both entered.
Her father's office was still as glorious and strong as ever. The bookshelves that had been passed down from generation to generation since this mansion was built stood strong. The great multitude of books that filled it gave it more of a library feel than a study. All the books dealt with different subjects: economics, mathematics, geometry, politics, history, etc.
Sitting at a large dark oak desk and wearing reading glasses over his long face was the Father of the House and Member of the New Party, Maury Macht, who looked at his wife and daughter with a small smile. Dark bags under his eyes from too little sleep.
"Thank you for bringing her, my dear."
His wife gave a weak nod with a small smile. Looking down at her daughter beside her, Riana kissed her hair softly to the embarrassment of the younger one, who earned a giggle from both adults, "I'll leave you two alone for a moment."
"..."
Watching as the door closed, Hazel returned her attention to her father, who watched her with a small smile. Raising his arm, the man pointed to the chair in front of his desk.
"Sit down for a moment, my daughter; I want to talk to you about something."
Grasping the edges of her dress, Hazel gave a graceful curtsy, "As you wish, father."
Sitting down in the soft, cushioned chair, Hazel's brown eyes looked calm, but her mind was alert and serious.
She did not understand why her father would summon her so suddenly and without warning.
Something must have happened... I'm sure it's related to what happened in East Borough...'
Her father began to speak as soon as she was seated: "Dear, I am happy to tell you that Miss Anabette is recovering well. She is steadily showing signs of improvement, and it shouldn't be long before she wakes up."
"That's great to hear, Father." Hazel murmured somewhat surprised, she had thought the wound her maid had suffered to the head had been more serious and might even show mental damage.
She tapped her finger on her chest four times, "Praise the Goddess for that."
Her father repeated the gesture with a believing expression, "Praise the Goddess."
After a few seconds of silence out of respect, Maury continued, "It's obvious your mother wouldn't go looking for you just for that. I have a few things to tell you, actually..."
'Ah. There it is...' Hazel thought, relaxing her body. It was time to see what this was all about.
She watched curiously as her father opened one of the multiple drawers from his side of the desk and placed it on top of the table.
It took only an instant for the eyes of the only daughter in the house to recognize the object on the silver tray; it was a torn piece of a garment covered in dried blood, giving it a dark brown color.
"Can you explain to me how it is that you have knowledge of first aid when you never studied it?"
Looking at her father with a calm gaze, Hazel gave a small smile and a slight nod. The 'quips' she had practiced so much with her teacher quickly came out of her mouth with fine, expert mastery.
"I'm trying to expand my knowledge, Father, so I've been borrowing some of the books from the library. One of the medical books is where I learned about first aid."
Pointing to the torn garment, she continued, "Unfortunately - or fortuitously, if you want to look at it that way - I've never had the chance to put it into practice. Thank the Goddess that the injuries Anabette suffered were among the things I studied."
"Hum..." her father only gave a serene nod. His brown eyes moved to one of the multiple books on the shelf behind him.
"If so, then I doubt it would be difficult for you to tell me which book and author you were reading."
"Basic Principles of Medicine. By Dr. Anthony House, 1310," Hazel replied with the corners of her lips lifting a little higher.
The man's eyebrows rose slightly before a small chuckle came from him.
"It seems my daughter is a genius to take such an advanced doctor's book and be able to understand it."
The smile on her face turned slightly arrogant, and Hazel snorted confidently. "Why are you surprised, Father? I am your daughter, flesh and blood. It's obvious that if something catches my eye, I will take all the information I can about it and make it my own."
Giving a nod that in no way hid the pride that flowed out of him. Maury Macht set the tray aside with the garment and put it away again.
"You don't know how happy I am to hear that, daughter. That alone makes the decision your mother and I made the right one."
Her brow had been relaxed, furrowed slightly, ignoring the stinging the wound on her forehead gave him. Hazel looked doubtfully at her father.
Smiling calmly at his daughter, Maury sighed, "Hazel, what happened in East Borough was a huge disaster of proportions never before seen in this city. You should know that the real consequences are yet to come.
"While in the eyes of the rest of Backlund, East Borough was only a stain and rot that littered the Capital of Capitals... The truth is that Backlund is what it is, thanks to the blood and tears of East Borough.
"The number of cheap laborers that part alone produced filled more than half the factories in the city. Not to mention that the same area was where most of the more 'toxic' factories were located. This was done not only because of the cheapness of the land but also to avoid staining the cleaner parts of the city.
"Once things settle down, we can really see the damage caused by 'The Moonless Night'. It is very likely that we will be on the brink of a crisis if we don't get our cards together. All the great houses and nobles are already moving to minimize the damage as much as possible, but no matter how much we look at it, the losses will still be enormous..."
"And I assume we are not excluded from those losses, are we?"
Hazel looked at her father seriously. She already knew what the man was talking about; the teacher had already mentioned this multiple times in his letter. The main reason why the 'Indiana Jones' plan had been created was also very much in mind.
Maury looked at his daughter for any further reaction, and seeing that she was only looking at him seriously, he nodded.
"Yes, my dear. That's why your mother and I haven't been able to join in on the last few meals. We keep doing checks so we don't fall out of our place.
"Luckily, most of our income didn't depend on East Borough, so we didn't suffer as much as other houses do now."
"Father, everything you tell me sounds stressful and extremely worrying, but you still don't explain why you called me." Hazel spoke somewhat wearily, her brow furrowed again, and her eyes glittered in distrust.
'If you say anything to me about an arranged marriage, you can forget about calling yourself my father. You'll never see me again in your life... At least the real me.'
On the brink of a crisis, an arranged marriage was a way to save two families from bankruptcy. Something that was repeated throughout history, and Hazel refused to be another of the many names on that list.
'I refused to marry someone weak. Only someone strong is worthy of me.'
At his daughter's bluntness, Maury couldn't help but look somewhat stunned at her before breaking into laughter.
"I've been so wrapped up in my work that I didn't even realize how much you've matured!"
"Father." The daughter narrowed her eyes even more.
"Hahaha, sorry dear. You just caught me by surprise, is all." Shaking his head, Maury Macht looked gently at his only daughter.
"Your mother and I, seeing the latest happenings in the world, have seen fit to begin to give more strength to your studies," she said.
"We won't be with you all your life, no matter how much we want to be. So the least we can do is to give you the best tools so that when you're on your own, you can move on without depending on anyone."
"What..." Taken by surprise, Hazel mumbled, somewhat confused. This was not something she had expected.
"In a month, on the 18th of September, the entrance exams for the University of Wisdom in Lenburg will be taken. There is no better place that can prepare you for the change that is coming than that."
At the mention of Lenburg, Hazel's eyebrows rose to her scalp, and she looked up in amazement at her father, who gave her a small smile.
"Your teachers are coming tomorrow for your first classes. Make the most of it and get some rest, Hazel. They're pretty tough."
Watching as his daughter left his office, Maury Macht opened another drawer and pulled out a long, aberrant bottle of whisky.
Placing a glass on the table, the man poured himself a drink and downed it in one gulp.
The burning in his throat calmed him, and he breathed relief.
His eyes cooled, and he looked back into his drawer where a revolver rested. Placing the bottle back in its hiding place and closing it, the veteran continued his work.
He recognized the signs.
'A war is about to fall upon us...'
And they would protect their daughter no matter what.
...
After telling one of the Maids that she didn't want anyone to disturb her and locking the door to her room, Hazel walked quickly to her huge wardrobe. Giving two soft knocks and one loud one, she waited a few seconds before opening the door.
What greeted her were the dozens of dresses and outfits she had to her name and a person.
This person was a woman with greenish-black hair and bright brown eyes. She was wearing the same clothes and had the same face. Next to her was a black bag along with a change of clothes—the hunting clothes she always wore to the team's training sessions.
Standing opposite each other, anyone would think they were twins. The only difference would be that this new 'Hazel' brown eyes had a bigger and somewhat fiery gleam in them.
"Miss, is it time for the change?" she asked as she held up the bag, the hunting clothes, and a small face mask.
"I don't think that's necessary, Chilindrina." Shaking her head slightly, Hazel gave a small, shaky smile at the curious look on her copy's face.
"I will contact Teacher. He will want to hear this..."
...
'That's fortunate...' lowering the letter in his hands, Adryan cupped his chin as his eyes closed slightly. His vision blurred for a moment before sharpening.
Tap tap tap
His finger began to quietly tap his chin, a calm and gentle rhythm but with a hidden edge, a blade up his sleeve.
'The University of Wisdom... Hazel will be trying to get into that university in a month...' His brow furrowed slightly as his tongue clicked in annoyance.
'Not only will the 'Indiana Jones' plan not be necessary, but I won't have to worry about them finding out that the 'Hazel' who stayed in Backlund and participated in tea parties, dances, and meetings was actually one of my soldiers...'
Tap tap tap tap...
'How fortunate indeed...' His eyes glittered dangerously as he gazed into the nothingness beyond as if he were looking at someone who wasn't there.
The corners of his lips turned up in a smirk as he closed one eye. A mischievous wink at nothingness.
'Tell me, Paranoid, was this one of your hands, or was it simple luck?'