1: Should i be thankful?(1)

"Haaaaaaaah!" Halia gasped as she touch her neck, she tried to pull the non-existent rope on her neck, tears trailed down her pale cheeks as she still felt how she died minutes ago. Some of her hair was pulled and snapped upon the brutal pulling.

She stared at ceiling. Her face is full of tears and sorrow. She still remember how she exactly died, and felt it was real and not a dream, her gruesome death began to flash before her eyes.

'why am i alive?'

'is this the afterlife?'

Minutes of contemplating, she got up and observed her surroundings. The palce was familiar yet a place she didn't want to remember. She walked towards a near mirror and saw a pale beatiful lady, with a long and straight raven black hair, and bright golden yellow eyes comparable to the sun. This young lady is one of the prided beauty of the Kingdom, her. But now, looking at herself in the mirror she felt disgusted.

She reached out a vase and smashed it on the mirror. A loud crash was produced by the two objects.

*Knock knock!

"My lady! What's happening?! C-can i come in?" an old womans voice hurriedly asked her from the outside. She didn't answered and only stared at the broken pieces of mirror. She picked up a piece of mirror, she saw parts of her hair that have been pulled earlier. 'My hair is a mess'

She cutted her hair using the broken piece of mirror, her long beatiful raven black hair that was cutted just above her shoulders. She hated how she pampered herself, how everything about herself is a lie, how she made up a perfect image just to be accepted by the people around her, how she wholeheartedly loved everyone just to be tossed away, oh, what a naive and gullible lady.

Her raven black hair now only reaches her shoulder, giving her a sharp look. She smiled, she felt how her face stretch because of the dried tears and smelt the ironic smell of the blood in her right hand, she didn't mind it. She didn't care, it will heal by itself, she thought.

"My lady!" an old woman runned towards her and snatched the piece of mirror and threw it away. Halia looked at the old woman, a cold and creepy smile crept on her face. The old woman was shocked and confused seeing Halia like this. She stepped back but seconds later she hurriedly shouted at the maids outside.

"Clean the Lady Saintess room now! Carefully clean it and do not leave any piece and dust, also bring a new mirror!" she commanded the low ranking maids.

"M-my lady? What happened? I-is something wrong? W-why did you-----?" she frowned upon seeing how Halia's hair is now tattered.

'Halia treasured her hair the most, so why?'

She led Halia infront of the vanity table and fixed her layered hair. The sound of cutting hair is very satisfying and relaxing making her think of her sad past. Everthing is real, this is not a dream.

"Ofelia." Halia silently called the old maid, and reached her hands, rubbing her face on it. The old woman's hands was a bit rough yet brings a warm feeling.

Ofelia stopped and looked at her through the mirror. She smiled brightly like a proud mother. "Yes, my lady?"

"Will you ever betray me?" Halia asked innocently, her big golden eyes hid a glint of malice.

"No, my lady. My life is yours, my lady Saintess."

Ofelia, a commoner, she is Halia's nanny and the head maid of her house. She was trustworthy not until that day. Ofelia became greedy and left her for Yvette. She gave Yvette fake information about her. Little did Halia know, Ofelia had a grudge to her family, Ofelia was once her Grandfather's admirer and dreamt of being a noble, by marrying her Grandfather. Ofelia is her Grandmother's maid and friend.

She was also there on her execution day, coldly looking at her disheveled body. She laughed out loud causing Ofelia to flinch.

"What is the date today?" she asked while wiping her tears due to her loud laugh.

"T-today is the 7th day of Fall, y-year 541, my lady S-saintess."

'Year 541 huh? Next week is the Crown Prince's birthday banquet, ah! Its also the start of my misfortune!'

Very funny.

"After cleaning, leave my room, don't let anyone enter, except you, ofcourse."

Ofelia was confused by her sudden distant way of talking but still obediently abided and the other also maids hurriedly finished their works, they left the room after bidding goodbye. The new full body mirror has also been changed. She scanned her room, her lips twitch seeing how bright and girly the room is. Ofelia often said to me in the past that a Saintess should never wear or use dark and gloomy dresses and things.

A Saintess should look dainty and fragile. Humble yet outstanding. Bright and holy. So much bullshit for mere maid. She sneered at her heart. 'That past Halia is really dumb and its so annoying that i am Halia.'

Well, atleast The Goddess of Light must have felt a little bit pity on me, but should i be thankful? Making me miserable in my first life then brings me back to the past, that Goddes should've reincarnated me as a rock.

Her eyes flashed a cunning light. A small fire emerged infront of her. The fire is not very strong but it was spreading very fast. She giggled and jumped on her bed. She kept herself from laughing and closed her eyes as if she's sleeping. Minutes later Ofelia opened the door and runned towards her. She was screaming frantically and asking for help. Halia's bright and girly room is now full of suffocating smoke.

The maids hurriedly carried her outside and dramatically called the family doctor, Mr. Gazon Vesse. Many off-duty knights were brought to help. Some even have a sandwich on their hands, they must've bought it from the nearby Bakery.

Halia acted scared and fragile. "W-whats happening? Who has the guts to do that t-to me?" i asked with a teary eyes.

The maids hushed her and comforted her telling 'everythings gonna be alright' to calm her. She badly wanted to laugh out loud and point out how plastic and disgusting they are. It wasn't that long as she calculated, the fire was successfully put off. Halia clicked her tounge, she wanted to fully burn her room, she badly wanted to get rid of that cringey room.

She and her maids was still standing outside her room, watching the knights that helped the maids. Some maids are acting coquettishly, dainty, friendly and etc. Whatever it is, they all surely have hidden motives. Very interesting.

Dr. Vesse arrived minutes later after the fire was put off. The maids saw him and immediately greeted him and led Halia and the Doctor in the guest room. But before they go, Halia casted a Vanishing Spell, its for erasing traces of mana. She continued to act afraid until they reach the room.

"The Lady Saintess suffered a slight mental shock due to the sudden fire but she'll be alright after a few days of rest." he adjusted his glasses as he wrote some prescription for relaxing the mind and gave it to the near maid who was serving Halia.

Halia pretended to be weak and thanked the doctor. Her fragile smile melted the doctor's heart and the people around her. She looked pitiful and soft.

"It looks like you cannot attend the crown prince's birthday banquet next week. Such a pity you've been eagerly waiting for this year's birthday banquet so much, yet such unfortunate thing happened." Dr. Vesse shooked his head.

Halia frowned, remembering what happened on the night of the banquet. 'I dont have the energy to deal with that again.'

"Ah yes, you're right, such a pity." she said indifferently. Dr. Vesse was quite confused because of her lack of interest. He shrugged it off, thinking that she was just so sad that se cannot attend the banquet.

"I'm tired, i want to rest early. I will see you off Dr. Vesse, goodbye." she gestured the maids to see the Dr. off and closed her eyes to sleep.

------

Halia didn't notice the time and slept until dinner, she only woke up when she felt her stomach grumbled. She pulled the string beside her bed to call her maids, a young maid appeared. She forgot her name but still can vaguely remember her face.

"Good evening my lady, shall i prepare your dinner or your bath first?" the young girl should be around about eighteen or nineteen, her brown hair is very remarkle and noticeble due to its curliness. She was stiff when walking but her way of speech is quite similar to a noble.

"Is your family a fallen noble?" Halia couldn't help to ask.

"Answering the lady, my family was once part of a big barter group during the war." the maid answered neevously.

She then remembered her, she was a maid that she kicked out in the past, having a maid whose once part of a merchant group can affect a lady's reputation. Merchant or traders are looked down upon by nobles, mostly nobles who do businesses, especially when the war started. Traders and merchants are everywhere, easy access to goods and cheap products causing the businessmens to lose profit.

"So, what does your family trades?" she asked curiosly.

The maid hesitated, and remained quiet. She began sweating and bowed her head even more. "What's the matter? I'm just aking you." Halia was annoyed by the maids actions.

Halia was startled when the maid kowtowed infront of her. "This humble servant is not part of the group anymore, please dont kick me out!"

"I will not kick you out, silly. I am just asking you so get up." Halia reached the maid's head and patted it.

The maid got up and bowed deeply. "Thanking the Lady, my name is Yan. My family trades mostly clothes and paper before the war, b-but when the war started, we switched to trading i-information." Yan was very nervous when she spoke the word 'information', afraid that the lady will change her mind.

Halia's eyes flickered. Such a valuable person yet she kicked her out. I cannot lose this person this time. "From now on, you shall serve me and not anyone else." she smiled at the maid.

Yan was stunned but regained her composure. "This lowly maid will serve you wholeheartedly."

"Then please prepare my bath first, Yan."

"Yes, my lady." Yan was still a bit nervous, she even almost tripped making Halia laugh.

After Yan disappeared from Halia's sight, Halia regained her indifferent face, if people see her fast changing facial expressions they will definitely be shocked. The Saintess always wore a smile on her face and had a very bright lovely aura around her but with her indifferent expression, it makes her look sharp and mighty like sword.

"Information trading, huh? Definitely not a simple maid."

TO BE CONTINUED....