Unaware of the ongoing drama, Amara groaned in her sleep. She eventually sat up, yawning loudly. She heard a grumble beside her and saw the system with an annoyed emoticon on its holographic screen. "What? I should be the one who's mad; you're ruining my sleep."
[You seem to let your guard down when you're sleeping.]
The system provided nothing with its statement, the emoticon vanishing and being replaced by new text. Amara squinted her eyes a bit at the sudden brightness. "I guess screaming in my ear all midnight wasn't fruitless."
[Character Name: Eleanor Hawthorne. (Not merged with Amara Sinclair.) Lvl. 6
HP: 250/250
Strength: Lvl. 2
Magic Power: Lvl. 0
Agility: Lvl. 3
Speed: Lvl. 2
REP: +1000 in Azure Isles Nobles. (+500)
Attributes: None.
Passive: Flow Weaver. Lvl. 1
(Under the influence of - Whispering Plague.)]
"Damn, I'm out of shape." Giving her stats a thoughtful look, she said, "Not merged with me?"
[You haven't transferred your original stats from your previous world!
Want to merge with Amara Sinclair?
(Yes) (No)]
Clicking the yes option, Amara felt a rush of adrenaline in her body. Flinching a bit at the feeling, she checked her stats again.
[Character Name: Eleanor Hawthorne (Amara Sinclair) Lvl. 14
HP: 950/950
Strength: Lvl. 6
Magic Power: Lvl. 0
Agility: Lvl. 4
Speed: Lvl. 6
REP: +1000 in Azure Isles Nobles (+500)
Attributes: None
Passive: Flow Weaver Lvl. 5
(Under the influence of Whispering Plague.)]
She huffed lightly. "I'm not exactly that bright in my past life either, but it's better than Eleanor's." Curiously checking each detail, she noticed she could see the details of her passive.
[The ability to subtly influence the flow of time around you. You can't stop it completely, but you can make things happen slightly faster or slower within a small radius.]
"All that cool passive, yet I still don't have Magic Power?"
[You can unlock Magic Power at Lvl. 20!]
Amara groaned in response. "That far?" She sighed heavily, scratching her nape. "And what's REP?"
[It stands for Reputation! Additional reputation can help you gain the favor of the nobles around you by cheating your way through! With extra rewards too.]
Humming, "I suppose I don't have to worry about my reputation for now. And what's that number beside it?" she asked, eyeing the three-digit number near the reputation points.
[That means you recently gained points!]
"Hm? I haven't done anything yet, though." The system giggled in return.
[Your reputation can have a butterfly effect based on your actions with certain people. Think of your father in an instance.]
Amara got the gist of it immediately; she gasped in surprise. "Already?!" The system cackled in return, "Does that mean I have to face the protagonists this instant?"
[Depends on when the two will get home from the Kingdom of Hadelia.]
Amara sighed in relief. "At least they're a bit far away from here; it's going to take them a few days to get here, even if it's urgent."
Double-checking her stats again, she raised her brow when her eye caught the Whispering Plague. "What's that?" She pointed to the text, curiously glancing at the small emoticon above her stats.
[Oh, that? It's poison.]
Huh? "What?" Amara's thoughts voiced out, looking at the system in bewilderment. "Poison? Was I poisoned?" The emoticon glanced away awkwardly.
"Who would poison me!?" she asked in shock. "What's all this about REP points when I'm putting myself in danger in this manor!?"
[Well... don't you think it's weird when you read that part of the novel where Eleanor was supposedly accompanying Heisenberg to Kingdom Hadelia, yet she coincidentally fell ill? Then Heisenberg was insistent on taking Christine with him instead...?]
"No fucking way... Heisenberg poisoned me!? That sick motherfucker!" Clenching her hair, she gritted her teeth, her insides filling with rage. "All of this because he can't keep his dick inside his pants... that cheating, pathetic prince!"
[ Miss Amara, control yourself. It's best if you're composed most of the time. ]
"Ugh, for fuck's sake, I can compose myself, but you can't just expect me to bottle this up, alright? At least let me curse them in private."
[ The poison only lasts a few days, and fortunately for you, it wears off today. It's just supposedly supposed to make you catch a fever. It's pretty much mild. ]
"Mild or not, he still poisoned me. There's no justifying his actions. But the real question is, how did he manage to poison Eleanor?"
A sudden loud knock jolted Amara. "My Lady? Are you awake?" A meek voice rang out in the silent room as Amara glared at the door. "That just might be my answer," she mumbled to herself.
—
With limited knowledge of the novel, Amara wasn't really aware of how deep it goes. That's one of her mistakes. She only had to witness what happened in the first book, not knowing how truly deep Eleanor's connection to this world is.
"Are you seeing this?" In disbelief, the man held up the latest article from the famous gossip writers in their country. "Heisenberg, I knew it! That filthy man playing with Eleany's heart!" A sassy voice chimed in, clearly pissed about the events. "I guess he didn't heed our warnings." With a sigh, the two individuals exchanged conversation about this disaster, mostly deriding Heisenberg. "And I can't believe Christine also agreed to this, despite knowing how Eleany loves Heisenberg so much." a quiet voice intervened, making the two abruptly stop their conversation.
"Woohoo... You always give me a scare, Ethan." The girl let out a heavy sigh, while her other male sibling agreed. "Yeah, I just forget you're with us because you're so quiet."
Ethan gazed down at the floor; his expression remained indifferent. "I'm sorry, I must've made you both uncomfortable." Despite not changing a bit in his expression, his voice carried a hint of sadness. The two siblings simply gave Ethan a soft smile. "Don't sweat it, Ethan."
"Speaking of Eleany, it's about time we check up on her," the girl suggested, relaxing underneath the sofa. "I think that'll be great. Our business is done here in Kingdom Karolie; we should get back to Hadelia tomorrow."
—
[Now that we have a mutual connection, we can exchange conversation telepathically. The others won't see me from now on; just make sure you don't stare at the air for too long so that people won't be weirded out by you.]
"That's a great benefit," Amara softly nodded as she listened to the running water from the bathroom. Eleanor's maid, Sasha, was preparing her bath this morning. Accusing someone without proof is not Amara's cup of tea, but she can't help but be suspicious of Sasha. Trying to think positively about the situation, maybe Sasha was just forced into this. Judging by her character, Amara can't help but think that Sasha seems to be someone who can easily be made to do things against her will if you scare her enough. Or, she's just a good actor for being pitiful. Amara sighed to herself, forming the decision to confront the shy maid.
It's for her own greater good too; she can gather this as evidence in court as an assault. Although she doubts they'll punish a prince heavily for these crimes because they're at the top of the food chain, they can't surely escape public opinion. Naturally, the royal family can simply deny and make these scandals quiet down without reaching the royal court, but Eleanor's father has a huge role in this kingdom that the royal family can't ignore—not when Dukedom Hawthorne has protected the kingdom for generations.
At least Heisenberg and Christine may still face punishments. Based on her limited knowledge, Hadelia handles cases through a system designed to ensure fairness, due process, and adherence to the rule of law. There are a few holes because of social standings, just like in her own cruel modern world. Although, compared to her world, death sentences were already banned, unlike here in Aetheria. Impatiently tapping her fingers on the table, she ignored the tea Sasha had prepared for her. 'Safer than sorry.' Glancing away at the cold tea, the door to the bathroom finally opened. Sasha came out, bowing her head in respect. "Your bath is ready, My Lady."
"Assist me," Amara ordered, swiftly walking past the maid. "Understood." Sasha quickly followed Amara, like a baby duckling tailing her mother's footprints. As ordered, Sasha helped Amara undress from her nightgown. Although Amara's reaction remained indifferent, she was screaming internally. 'FUCK! THIS IS EMBARRASSING, RICH PEOPLE ARE WEIRD!' Even though Amara was the one who commanded assistance, she was still trying to grasp the concept of nobility.
Quickly overcoming the growing embarrassment in her gut, she was ready for a bath. Her bare body was exposed to the warm temperature in the bathroom. Seeing a full-length mirror across the room, she pouted at her figure. She had most definitely lost a ton of muscle; Eleanor's slim body reminded Amara that she was completely different from the villainess, like a puzzle that didn't fit in any space. 'Say goodbye to these body goals because I'm definitely going to start working out.' There was just no way Amara was going to let herself fall behind; she was going to kick some ass. As far as she was concerned, she was going to protect the protagonist from danger, or else this world would be stuck in a loop again.
After enough contemplation, she finally dipped her body into the comforting waters of the bathtub. She sighed in slight satisfaction, her shoulders momentarily sagging in relaxation.
She flinched when she felt someone start to wash her hair. Amara gave a quick side glance, seeing that Sasha was carefully treating her hair as if it were made out of glass. "Sasha..." Amara called out to the maid softly, making Sasha snap her focus to her mistress. "Yes, My Lady?"
"Are you aware of how I dislike people who are disloyal to me?" The sudden question filled Sasha's stomach with a sickening dread. It wasn't like she had done something wrong, had she? But why would her Lady ask something so suddenly? Perhaps she had done something unworthy that made Lady Eleanor think she was disloyal to her grace? She could never do such a thing!
[ You can practically see the gears in her brain malfunctioning. ]
Ignoring the system, Amara lifted her body from the tub and turned to look at Sasha properly, dead in the eye. Her naked body was in full view, the water droplets sticking to her skin like glue. With her hair wet and covering half of her face, only her fierce glare was visible. Sasha shrieked in fear, seeing purple hues glaring down at her. Only incoherent words spilled from her lips, as she did not know what else to say due to her fear.
Amara harshly glared at the helpless maid. "Speak properly." Sasha tried to compose herself, her eyes glossy. "I—I do not understand, my lady! I would never do anything that displeases you!" Stuttering through her words, she was quick on her feet and bowed her entire body to the floor, pleading for forgiveness.
[Well, aren't you cruel?]
Amara only rolled her eyes and eventually went back to the tub. The water overflowed due to her added weight, causing it to flood onto the bathroom floor, soaking Sasha's uniform. Sasha's breath hitched in surprise as she felt the water get absorbed by her clothes. Even with her master's back turned to her, she never dared to look up from her current position.
She wouldn't dare to question her sudden change of behavior, no matter how crazy the change was. Eleanor usually treats her with a kindness that you don't see in other nobles, especially towards commoners such as herself. But Sasha realized just how selfish she is, expecting her Lady to show her kindness when she is at her mercy. She's stepping out of bounds for a commoner who was saved from poverty by the generosity of the Duke. 'What if Lady Eleanor truly hates me after all?'
With racing thoughts, she shivered not only from the cold but also from fear—the fear that she couldn't serve Duke Hawthorne anymore. "Stand up. I'll make this quick." Sasha quickly stood up, stumbling a little because the floor was slippery. Amara raised her hand, indicating for the maid to step closer to her. Gulping the large lump in her throat, Sasha approached Amara, her legs trembling. "Are you the one who poisoned me before Heisenberg went to the conference?" The question made Sasha pale, feeling her soul leaving her body. "POISON?!?!?!" she screeched, grabbing a handful of her braided hair in panic.
Amara's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the maid violently balding herself before her. She wanted to intervene in the turmoil, but she held herself back and watched the girl in amusement. "I knew it! That's the reason why they suddenly placed me out to serve you tea that day when I'm literally your personal maid!" Her ramblings didn't go unnoticed, as Amara perked up in interest. "So I was served with another servant."
"YES, MY LADY! I WOULD NEVER DARE TO HURT YOU OR PUT YOUR HEALTH IN DANGER!!!" Sasha cried, her sobs echoing in the bathroom, her cries bouncing off the walls. Deadpanning at the girl, Amara called out in a gentler tone, in contrast to her harsh one earlier, "I understand now; don't worry." This made Sasha quiet down her sobbings, sniffling in sadness. 'She looks like a chipmunk.'
"I apologize for accusing you without proof. I have been on edge lately, and getting poisoned doesn't help to calm my nerves." Amara glanced down at the water as she muttered the soft apology under her breath. Sasha was quick to deny her, "Do not worry, My Lady! In fact, I should be the one apologizing for my carelessness!" Snatching Amara's wet hands from the tub, Sasha clasped them together with hers, her face full of determination. "I won't let that happen again, My Lady. You can count on me!"
Amara stared at the girl in shock; a simple smile graced her lips, drawing her attention back to the water. Perhaps Eleanor's parents weren't the only ones who truly cared for her. "You must've heard the latest gossip this morning." Sasha felt herself fidget in place, nervously looking at Grace. "I've heard," she mumbled, yet Amara gave a mere chuckle. "How unfortunate things have turned this way. But this has given me a lesson." Sasha perked up at her words.
Tightly holding Sasha's hands with hers, she gave a gentle smile to the maid. "I learned that I should start appreciating those around me who deeply care for me." Massaging the maid's hands gently in her grasp, she added, "And you're one of them." Silence occupied the room but was soon filled with the sobbing noises coming from Sasha. Amara worriedly looked at her, internally screaming for making the maid cry again. "WAHHH! MY LADY! I PROMISE THAT WE'LL CONQUER THE HARDSHIPS TOGETHER! I WON'T LEAVE YOUR SIDE EVER AGAIN!"
Amara only gave a quivering smile, yet a pleasant feeling stretched across her chest—a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time.
End of Chapter 3.