Someone was shaking Lucy's shoulder. She had only fallen asleep a few hours ago. Her eyes felt heavy as she tried to open them.
"Wake up, Sleepyhead!" Light flooded in, making her squint as she saw the silhouette of Mags pulling the curtains open. Her hair was tied up in a small bun, her dress hitched up to her knees, and that smell—the scent of bread dough that always clung to Mags—filled the air.
Lucy raised her hand to shield her eyes from the sharp rays of sunlight streaming through the window. She wanted to make sure it was really Mags, and yes, it was indeed her mother.
Mags smiled right in front of her face. "You won't find a good husband if you keep sleeping in so late."
"Mags!" Lucy blinked, as if waking from a nightmare. She sighed with relief, then threw herself into her mother's arms. But she couldn't reach her mother's body. Her hands grasped at the empty air. "Mags!"
"Lucy!" Her mother's face began to blur. "Wake up!"
The girl started crying. "Don't go, Mags!"
"Lucy!"
The girl opened her eyes. The place where she found herself felt strange. Beds, curtains, tables, and a girl—the girl who had shaken her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Lucy, but I had to wake you. They want to see you now."
Lucy got up, her head slightly spinning, but it helped her realize this was reality. Mags was gone, killed by a demon. Her brother was injured, and so was she. She had been brought to this place called the academy, and the girl was Silvia, the one who had given her a potion the night before. A wave of sadness hit Lucy; she wished she could stay in her dream.
Silvia draped a new dress over one of the empty beds. She helped Lucy down. "Come on, let me help you get ready."
Lucy was confused. "Ready for what?"
"You'll find out soon." Silvia then led her to where a basin of warm water had been prepared.
Lucy washed herself, scrubbing off the dried blood from her body, brushing her teeth, and washing her face. When Silvia offered to help her out of her dress, Lucy refused. "Thanks," she said politely, "but I can do it myself."
She put on the dress Silvia had laid out for her. The dress didn't fit Lucy well. The chest was too tight, the sleeves were a bit loose, but the waist fit just right. Her ankles peeked out from the hem, but it was still better than the one she had, stained with blood and dirt.
"That's one of my old dresses," Silvia said as she brushed Lucy's hair. "You can keep it."
"Thanks."
After getting Lucy ready, Silvia guided her through the academy's corridors. It was still early morning as they walked down the hall. Fog still lingered outside. They stepped into the courtyard, and as they crossed it, Lucy noticed a young man crouching by the lake. The glimmer she had seen the night before was from this lake in front of the western tower.
The young man had neck-length black hair. He wore a doublet paired with a long shirt and boots. He turned to look at Lucy as she passed by.
Lucy quickened her pace, lowering her head to avoid his gaze. For some reason, it felt uncomfortable meeting the young man's eyes.
Silvia led Lucy to the western castle, to a large room with tall, heavy doors. "Go ahead, they're waiting for you."
Slowly, Lucy stepped inside. Six people were already there, one of them being Maximilian Silverstone.
The man sat with his legs crossed in a chair, one hand supporting his chin. He looked elegant and arrogant at the same time.
Besides him, there were two unfamiliar women and Ahn. They sat around a small table not far from Maximilian. They were chatting animatedly but fell silent the moment they saw Lucy enter.
Daniel was also there, leaning against the closed castle window. And then there was another man Lucy had never met before. He was examining a painting on the wall. Daniel and the man moved closer to Maximilian as Lucy entered.
"Sit down!" Maximilian pointed to a desk in front of him. It was the kind of desk usually used by students.
Lucy obeyed his command. She sat on the long bench connected to the desk's legs. She felt nervous under the gaze of six pairs of eyes. Her fingers fidgeted on the desk.
Suddenly, someone entered. Their footsteps echoed through the room. "Sorry I'm late."
Ash's eyes had dark circles under them. It seemed he hadn't slept. His appearance was even more disheveled. He was still wearing last night's shirt. He hadn't even fixed the missing buttons, so his smooth chest peeked through. His pants were unbuttoned, leaving part of his shirt hanging out.
His hair looked like it had been caught in a storm. As he passed by, Lucy could smell the scent of wine clinging to him. Even so, Ash still looked handsome. He was like a rebellious fairy.
"Well, did I miss anything?" he asked as he dragged a chair beside Lucy's desk and sat down. One hand supported his chin. He looked tired but alert enough. Not like the night before.
"I won't take long," Maximilian began. "So, tell us, what happened?"
"Well…" Lucy grew even more agitated. Her heart pounded in her chest. She felt like a thief standing trial. "First, Mags told me to find a wealthy husband so we could escape poverty. Then, when King Julian held a ball for your son, Daniel, um, Mr. Silver, I mean, Mr.—"
"Just get to the point." Maximilian cut her off.
Ash snorted with amusement, making Lucy's face flush. She cleared her throat. "A demon attacked me last night, and then I ran and ended up here."
Ash stifled a laugh while the women in the room rolled their eyes.
Maximilian clicked his tongue. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed. His expression showed irritation.
"I'm sorry," Lucy quickly said. "I'm just nervous. You all make me scared."
"Well!" One of the unfamiliar women tried to help. She approached Lucy and stood behind her. She wore a gown with a ridiculously small waistline. Her chest was quite pronounced. Her blonde hair was neatly tied back. Her delicate hand brushed Lucy's shoulder. With a gentle smile, she said, "You can start from when you got back from the party last night."
"Alright." Lucy took a deep breath. She began to recount how she returned home, found the coachman's body in pieces in the hallway, witnessed George die in front of her, heard Mags' warning, and then her brother turned into mist as the demon tried to slash him. And as she told the story, it felt like she was being forced back to that night. Her heart ached. But before she could finish, someone interrupted.
"Nonsense!" The unfamiliar man curled his thin lips. "That is the most absurd story I've ever heard. This girl is clearly lying!"