Whispers of the Past
It had been days since Sasha told me the truth about my mother, and ever since, I'd been restless. Something inside me stirred constantly, an urge that wouldn't let me rest—like a silent voice urging me to seek the truth hidden in shadows.
These past days had been difficult. My nights were filled with strange dreams, and my days were marked by a heavy, lingering exhaustion. I felt powerless—so much so that I hadn't even attended archery lessons with Edward. I had only sent him a message, saying I was unwell and would return after a few days.
I had considered asking Father if he knew anything… but I held back. I'm not sure why. Perhaps I was afraid of the answer. These strange signs—these fragments of dreams—what were they leading me to? Whatever it was, I could feel it deep in my bones: it mattered.
My birthday was just two months away now. For some reason, I had this strong, inexplicable feeling—it was going to be… eventful.
....
A little girl held the bleeding hand of her sweetheart, tears streaming down her bright, beautiful face.
She tore a strip from her dress and gently wrapped it around his wound, trying to stop the bleeding. The boy sighed and wiped her tears away with his other hand, guiding her gaze to meet his.
"I got this wound because I can't stand seeing you cry—and now you're crying again?" he asked, his voice soft.
The girl looked at him, her eyes blazing with anger. She hated that when it came to her, he never took himself seriously. The entire kingdom feared him, believing he was invincible. But she knew the truth: he was the one hurting himself.
He always did—no matter how many times she pleaded with him not to. He never listened.
The boy chuckled, noticing her serious expression, and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, making her cheeks flush.
"You look so cute when you're angry with me," he said, earning himself a light beating from the girl—which, to him, felt like rose petals falling on his skin. He laughed.
"My lady, you're getting late for breakfast. Please get up," Sasha's voice called out, waking me and scattering the dream like mist in sunlight.
What kind of dream was that? Why did I see it? The girl and the boy—who were they?
I tried to recall their faces, but they were gone—just fragments now—leaving behind only a strange ache and a deep sense of longing.
"My lady, I've prepared your bath. Please freshen up, and I'll serve your breakfast afterward," Sasha said gently.
I nodded silently and rose from my bed. Another strange dream added to my growing collection. I didn't know why all this was happening to me, and by now, it was just… confusing.
"Your skills are improving incredibly fast," Edward said, observing me during training. "Everything you've learned so far usually takes a year. If you keep progressing at this rate, you'll be extremely skilled by your birthday."
I nodded. He wasn't wrong. I had noticed it too—how quickly I picked up physical skills. Even in my world, my instructors had praised my ability to grasp fighting techniques with unusual speed.
Maybe that's why I'd been the top student in my MMA class. And now, archery and sword fighting—things I had never even attempted before—felt so natural to me.
"Why do you think I'm learning all of this so easily?" I asked Edward.
"I don't know," he said thoughtfully. "Everyone's born with a talent for something. Maybe this is yours. It just took a while to be discovered."
"Yeah… I guess that makes sense," I said, and then called Sasha, who appeared carrying a small cake.
"Here. This is for you. I made it myself," I said, holding it out.
"You made a cake… for me?" Edward's expression shifted subtly. For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of surprise—maybe even something close to pleasure.
He always kept a stoic face. Sometimes I wondered if he was more machine than man. But in moments like these, when he showed even a hint of emotion, I thought—maybe he is human after all.
"Well, you've been training me for a while now. It made sense to give you something in return. And knowing how proud you are, I figured money wouldn't interest you—so I baked you a cake instead. Though, Sasha deserves half the credit. She helped a lot."
"I should thank you, then—and Sasha as well," he said, bowing slightly.
That made me laugh.
"I should go now. I've got some reading to do in the library," I said and left, after Edward gave me a brief goodbye.
Later that night, I sat in my room after dinner, preparing to sleep. Sasha, as always, was with me. She had been there from the beginning—quiet, dependable, and a kind of support I never realized I needed until now.
"Sasha," I said, glancing at her, "last time, you told me Amelia was my mother's friend. Then… how did she end up marrying my father?"
Sasha sighed, her expression turning somber.
"After Lady Isabella left, the Lord was devastated. He wouldn't eat. He couldn't sleep. Days passed like that—until one day, Lady Amelia came to visit him. She talked to him."
"We don't know what they talked about, but after that conversation, something in him changed. He became furious. He smashed everything in his room and threw all of Lady Isabella's belongings into the basement storeroom. He locked the door. Nobody's allowed to go inside. Nobody even talks about it anymore."
"Not long after that, we heard that Lady Amelia's husband had left her and her children—for another wife, somewhere far away."
"And then, suddenly… it was announced that the Lord would marry Lady Amelia. They married soon after, and from that point on, everything became the way it is now."
Sasha looked at me with quiet sadness.
"The Lord no longer shows any emotions. Since Lady Isabella… I haven't seen him smile."