Revelation (1)

The winter festival was approaching rather quickly. It was a one-month celebration that happened every three years. The Emperian Academy had made the decision to send the students home for the whole of December. Amelia wrote a letter to her parents saying she would be spending the first half of her December holiday in Arcadia with a friend before returning to Luretta. Lydia also wrote to her father that she would be accommodating the Princess of Luretta. Their friendship had progressed to the stage where even their parents knew of their bond.

The anticipation for the holidays was palpable. The students were eager to return home, to reunite with family and friends, and to indulge in the festivities that marked the end of the year. The Emperian Academy, usually bustling with the energy of young scholars, was gradually emptying out as carriages arrived to ferry students back to their respective homes.

Amelia's carriage ride to the Fairfax estate was filled with a mix of excitement and nervousness. She had heard so much about Lydia's family and their grand estate, but visiting for the first time as a guest of honor was an entirely different experience. The landscape gradually changed as they approached Arcadia, the snow-covered fields and forests painting a picturesque scene that seemed straight out of a fairy tale.

As Amelia's carriage pulled up to the Fairfax estate, the sight that greeted her was nothing short of magnificent. The estate was a sprawling mansion, its grandeur amplified by the snow that blanketed the rooftops and gardens. It was a place that exuded warmth and welcome, despite the chilly winter air.

The moment she stepped down from the carriage, she was greeted by a chorus of voices. "We welcome you to the Fairfax estate, Your Royal Highness," everyone said in unison. There were maids and guards bowing at her presence, standing in two lines with the entrance door as the focus in between them. Amelia giggled at the grand preparation Lydia's father had prepared. In front of them all was the Baron and Ryan, Lydia's older brother. Ryan was not a fan of studies, so he decided not to study at the Emperian Academy.

"Lia-eonni, there wasn't a need for all this," Amelia gestured as she curtsied in front of those who greeted her. The maids exchanged curious glances at the unfamiliar term, but Amelia's bright smile and gracious demeanor quickly put them at ease.

"Father, brother, good afternoon," Lydia greeted as she walked into their embrace. The touching family reunion made Amelia's heart melt. The warmth and affection between Lydia and her family were palpable, reminding her of her own family. That wasn't the only thing that made her heart melt, though.

As Ryan escorted the ladies into the mansion, Amelia linked her arm with Lydia's and whispered,

"Lia-eonni, you didn't tell me that your brother was this cute, ahhh." Amelia let out a light scream of excitement as she continued to admire the back figure of Ryan.

Lydia laughed, shaking her head at Amelia's antics. The lively banter between the two friends filled the grand halls of the Fairfax estate with a sense of joy and camaraderie.

They arrived in front of Lydia's room. "Ryan, I would like my luggage moved to Eonni's room," Amelia said, continuing to admire his face. But then everything changed.

"Who is Eonni?" Ryan asked, confusion written on his face. This was when Lydia realized something.

In a world where there are no honorifics like back in Korea, for Amelia to be using one could only mean one thing. Lydia's mind raced as she tried to process the implications.

"It's a nickname she calls me now. Brother, don't bother us girls in our time, we have a lot to discuss as you can see." Lydia covered up quickly, pushing Amelia into her room. Locking the door behind them, she leaned on it and asked in Korean, "How?"

Amelia, out of reflex, spoke back in Korean, "How what? Is there a problem?"

The realization struck Amelia too. None of them would have expected to find out the other was Korean. The room fell silent as the weight of this discovery settled over them.

"I always wondered why you called me eonni, but I never made a big deal out of it because I thought everyone else used honorifics. Realizing that just now, after a long time, makes me feel..." Lydia trailed off. They had switched back to speaking the Emperian language they always spoke in, the familiarity of their surroundings juxtaposed with the foreignness of their shared past.

Lydia just glided her back on the door until she was sitting on the ground, still trying to process the information. The room became silent for a long time, each girl lost in her own thoughts. Finally, Amelia spoke.

"What was your past life like? What is your name? How did you die?" she asked, sitting beside Lydia. "If you are not willing to talk first, then maybe I'll go first."

"In my past life, my name was Kim Ji-eun. I was around 17 years old, and I died in the basement of my aunt, out of dehydration and starvation. My mum died when I was 10 years old, and my aunt took me in, not as her niece but as a housemaid. Her daughter, Iana, hated me to the core when I started going to school. I did my best in a volleyball competition, but when I was trying to show it to my aunt when I got home, she said I was trying to oppress her daughter with my success and locked me up. That was my end. Most of the time, I find it hard to believe that I was born royalty in this world."

The story began to open old wounds for Amelia. It was dreadful enough to experience it, but remembering it was even more dreadful. She started to cry her eyes out. Even the way her mother died in her past life felt unfair to her. Lydia began to comfort her, wrapping her arms around Amelia in a gesture of solidarity and compassion.

The room was filled with the sound of Amelia's sobs, mingling with the crackling of the fireplace. The warmth of the room contrasted sharply with the coldness of their shared memories, creating a space that was both comforting and disquieting.

Lydia, too, had her fair share of darkness. A side that she swore never to remember. The memories were buried deep, hidden away in the recesses of her mind. The pain of her past life was a constant shadow that she had learned to live with, but never fully confronted. How dreadful it would be to open those deep wounds she finally managed to heal. No one in their right mind would want to relive their suffering.