"Erick Steve Landstorm."
Thea sat before a magnificent, ornate mirror, her reflection distorted by the tears welling up in her eyes. A meticulous maid, devoid of any compassion, brushed her hair with calculated strokes, making Thea acutely aware of her vulnerability. She stared into the mirror, but it was no ordinary glass; it felt like a portal to a past she desperately wished to forget.
As Thea's gaze remained fixed, her surroundings transformed, and the room echoed with haunting memories. The atmosphere grew icy, as if a ghostly presence had taken up residence. The spectral apparition of a woman materialized on the ornate bed behind Thea, her strawberry-blonde hair cascading like a fiery waterfall. Her voice, dripping with venomous amusement, cut through the silence.
"It appears your pitiful attempt to befriend Lady Ariana has crumbled to dust," the woman taunted, her crimson lips curling into a malevolent smile as she examined her impeccably manicured nails. "My dear Thea, your desperate aspirations were rejected before they could even take a breath." She rose from the bed, moving closer to Thea, who remained frozen before the mirror.
"Oh, you poor, naive thing," the woman cooed mockingly, her topaz eyes locked on Thea's reflection in the glass. With cruel tenderness, she brushed her fingers through Thea's hair, each stroke feeling like a torturous caress. Thea's trembling lips parted to speak, but before she could utter a word, the woman's grip on her hair tightened.
"I—" Thea began, her voice trembling, but she was swiftly silenced as the woman yanked her hair back, forcing her to arch uncomfortably. The pain shot through her, but the woman's grip was unyielding.
"Don't you dare give me excuses, my sweet Thea," she hissed, her voice dripping with venomous malice. "You foolishly believed your innocent facade could grant you superiority." Thea whimpered in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks as the torment continued.
"Watch closely, my dear Thea," the woman whispered into her ear, her voice like a serpent's hiss. "This is how a Northwood conquers the world." Thea's anguished whimpering filled the room, a chilling testament to the sinister fate that awaited her at the hands of her malevolent tormentor.
Thea gasped for air as she had been thrown back into her reality. She grabbed the comb in the maid's hand and smashed it into the mirror, making it shatter. The maid, in a sense of distress, apologized severely but was only told to shut up.
A knock was suddenly heard at the door. Thea shouted at the person to go away, but the person still walked in. "Lady Theadora," a man dressed in a black suit called as he shut the door behind him. In his hand was a cyan dress intertwined with emerald gems. "The mistress asked me to give this to you." He dropped the dress on the bed and left.
"I only have one last chance. I'll have to make it count, or I'll lose it."
...
"Irie, double up!" Aria called out to her maid, who was far behind her as she had been in a hurry. "My lady, what has gotten into you recently?" Irie asked as she finally caught up.
"Why do you ask?" "You've been avoiding Lord Beaumont, having meetings with other men, and now you're acting unladylike by running!" Irie ranted.
"Well, my life has been a bit boring. I just wanted to spice it up a bit." Aria gave a half-hearted answer. "My lady-" "There it is! Irie, wait here!" Aria ran ahead of Irie, avoiding the calls of her poor maid.
Aria stepped into a building. It was a small bakery, but it lacked the smell of freshly baked goods and sweets; if anything, it smelled more like blood. A hooded man stood in the middle of the room, and his brown eyes shone like torches. "Hello? Are you the messenger owl?"
"Yes...? And you must be Lady Ariana Isabella Silverstone. It's an honor to meet you, my lady." The hooded man bowed, expressing courtesy. "You're quite the beautiful young lady."
"You're not from Seraphim, are you?" Aria placed her hand on her waist with a confident look. "How so?" "You see, I experienced a very tragic fate, and due to that, have become a very observant person. And I must say... Your accent is showing." Aria said again with sardonic smile.
"Observant indeed, but are you truly sure it isn't just my cover-up?" the man said. "Because you're even struggling with the pronunciation of some words. You're a foreigner, most likely from beyond sea borders... a merchant maybe." Aria's look became darker the more she spoke, and the hooded man seemed a bit terrified by her accuracy.
"Wow, you really are a force to be reckoned with. I'm impressed, Lady Ariana." The man pulled his hood to reveal dark brown hair and smiled at her. "I'm merely a merchant from Aurelia."
"Wow~" Aria said sarcastically. "A mere merchant that doesn't just trade goods but information. A mere merchant that has branches all over the four nations. A mere merchant that nobles would die to deal with. Yeah, I believe you."
"You seem to possess an extensive knowledge of my persona." "In contrast to those lackluster nobles, I am predisposed to delve deeply into the character of those I consort with. I do not swear fealty to anyone; rather, the allegiance flows in the opposite direction." Aria took a stride closer.
"Well, Lady Ariana, might I beseech you to conceal all that you know from the other nobles-" "Naturally. I am not given to idle prattle." Aria interjected the merchant "But at a substantial cost, Sir Erick."
Shock and bewilderment filled the merchant at the sound of his name, and Aria just smirked. She knew what she was doing. Everything she was saying was from the research Princess Iris did in her past life. I never envisioned this vexatious woman would prove advantageous someday.
"And how much?" "Hmm... Let's see... You probably have enough money—enough to waste. So, I'll ask for something else." Aria paced "Then how about... Your whole guild." Aria went dark at the last words, shocking him.
"F-forgive me if I misheard, but my lady, do you fathom what you just asked of me? My information guild is a very large and sophisticated guild that cannot easily be-" Erick stuttered but was quickly interrupted by Aria "Don't even begin to tell me, Sir Erick! The money trafficking, head management, secrecy, and even the mercantilism! But don't you think I'm capable? I'm rich, powerful, and immensely devious. What else do you want? I mean, your search for a sponsor ends here as I am wealthy and can keep a hell lot of secrets since I already am one."
"My Lady..." Aria looked straight into the merchant's eyes, expecting to find uncertainty but was shocked to see anticipation and admiration in them. "Sir Erick, have faith in me... I shan't squander eight years of your assiduous labor—by no means."