8 | The 10th Birthday Part 1

She went for a break after she met Edward and then went to Duchess Vierra's chamber. The butler escorted her as they silently walk down the huge hallway toward Duchess Vierra's chamber. She looks around and realized that nothing has changed since then. It's the same gloomy and torturous hallway to her — her body starts to tremble and panic but she kept it to herself. In order to succeed, Elyse thought she must keep it together.

After minutes of walking in silence, they both arrived at the front of her door.

"Your Grace, we are here." The butler announced but Elyse remained silent.

"Your... Grace?" The butler tries to call for her attention yet her body won't stop trembling. All the torture — the abuse that she received in order to achieve the so-called love she thought she would have if she has gone through all those abuses. Yet she was an idiot for thinking that way. Duchess Vierra never loves her — and will never love her. She wanted only power, and the ones she loves the most is his sons and not his bastard daughter.

'What if she'll hits me?' She asks herself clenching her fist to calm down her nerves yet it didn't help. It made her feel more troubled and anxious as how Duchess Vierra would look at her daughter like some kind of thing she can control always.

Elyse thought her heart is now full of rage and hatred towards this family, yet there is also fear — anxious if, what if, the plan didn't make it?

"Young Miss, should I announce your presence?" She came back to the present when the butler spoke again. She sighs and gave her a smile while hiding her hands.

"I want to surprise Mother!" She said with her joyful tone. In these times, she always wanted her mother's warmth. In order for them to not know that she has regressed and was from the present as Elyse, she needed to act again as Aniya. However, it isn't that easy.

The butler suddenly gave her a pitiful gaze which surprises Elyse. "Why are your expression like that?" She wanted to ask that question but she remained silent and naïve. Her little hands and short height struggle to open the door. The door slowly opens and what welcomed her is the gloomy and dark chamber. Inside the room, she notices a woman sitting in a chair, looking outside from the huge glass window.

Her hair's blonde, pale skin, brown eyes, and pink lips. Duchess Vierra. The woman felt her presence, she slowly turns her face to look at Elyse. She flinched when their gaze met. There's nothing changed — the way she stares at her own daughter, her cold and cruel gazes never faded.

"Aniya." She called her name, slowly standing up, and gave her a soft hug.

"Happy Birthday, My Sweetie." She whispered, yet those whispers felt like death whispering at her. Elyse gulped and smiles like she was an innocent lamb.

"Thank you, Mother!" She said while smiling brightly as ever to her mother. Duchess Vierra smirked and gently pats her head.

"That's a good girl... Aniya. Make mother be proud of you." She spoke softly, all of the sudden, Elyse felt something strange inside of her. She froze, she couldn't say a word when she felt the magic inside her. It was black magic — it was rotating around her as if garnering its power when Duchess Vierra pats her head.

'Is this how Duchess Vierra manipulated me in the past?' Elyse asks herself and couldn't help but pity her old self as Aniya. She was never loved, and what's worst, the mother used black magic to manipulate Aniya. Maybe because there is always a big possibility that she will betray her own mother in the future. Which makes her feel disgusted. All she ever wanted is power. It's always power.

Elyse doesn't have any plans to meet Duchess Vierra. However, she wanted to confirm something before she proceeds to the next step of her plan. Duchess Vierra is the servant of Cain — a loyal servant of that. And there's a possibility that Vierra can use black magic, just like how Mara used black magic in order to be immortal. Deep inside, she doesn't want to believe that possibility but now she couldn't help but feel disgusted and guilty of herself thinking, hoping, that Duchess Vierra is not like that — at least she hoped. But Duchess Vierra really stood low, she has hit rock bottom on this.

Because of the divine mana that Elyse has been practicing for months, she knows that Duchess Vierra will soon find out that there is a huge divine mana inside her heart. It will, of course, trigger Vierra. She wants power, and her youngest bastard daughter is more powerful than her, she knows it. That's why she manipulated her. Greed again won over Vierra.

Elyse observed Vierra from above while she was patting her head, meanwhile fighting the black magic using the divine mana inside of her. Duchess Vierra soon realized that black magic is not working for her youngest bastard daughter.

Curious, she went to check her mana and her eyes widen in horror to see the body of Aniya full of divine and now growing more powerful than ever. She can now be called a Goddess in this case because nevertheless, a Goddess's blood is still running in her blood.

Vierra felt enraged to see her daughter's talented skills. She thought she has fully controlled Aniya but in just a span of months, after she locked her up in that tower, she became stronger. She even felt more pissed at the thought of why her "eye" didn't work on tracking Aniya every day. It always shows that Aniya is sitting in her room all day, sleeping, and eating. Yet somehow, Aniya escaped her eye and is honing her skills to the bones.

"What is this?" Vierra couldn't help but ask her. All of the sudden, she grabbed Elyse's hair and threw her on the wall and making her head feel dizzy and her nose bleed. She coughed blood after such a big impact on her body, she felt her bones cracking yet Vierra was furious at the thought her daughter is more powerful than her.

"You secretly sneak out in the night to train your skills? How disgraceful of you to ruin the graceful dignity of being a lady of this household!" Vierra shouted at her, her words were covered with codes — she was saying how foolish Elyse was to be more powerful than her.

Elyse didn't say a word but only gaze at her mother with her cold stare which made her look troubled. Aniya looked directly at Duchess Vierra's eyes — she looked directly at her eyes when in the past she wouldn't bat an eye looking at her mother's eyes.

With this shock, Vierra let go of her hair and Elyse tried to not cough blood again. A moment of silence reign in the room then all of the sudden, Vierra starts crying. She went to her knees and hugged Aniya gently with her words spoken, "My poor baby! This mother of yours is sorry. I hope you forgive me... It's... It's been hard when your father is not around. You know I love your father so much..." crazy bitch. Elyse said to herself while she let Vierra hug her.

"Your birthday will be tonight. I will finally get to introduce you to the nobles, and to the crown prince! You will no longer stay inside the mansion. You will be praised for such glory I will bring you!" Her words become mixed as well as her disgusted emotions toward her mother.

*****

Night has come and it is finally time for the banquet. Elyse realized how much time flies — and how much she quickly learns anything in the topics of magic and swordsmanship. She guessed maybe it was because part of her soul, is a shard that was ripped off from Tina when she became her assistant when she was still Aniya and had a little knowledge when it comes to swordsmanship, but that little skill or knowledge can be practiced and be skilled. She also guessed maybe it's because "Aniya" is still within her and acquired the Wisdom Ability, it also helped that she learned magic at such a young age out of passion as Elyse.

And now that she has finally regressed, the next step to her plan is essential. Elyse is bothered by the party; she'll surely meet the old Alphas again — the Alphas that Tina killed out of the thought that it was everyone's fault. Yet she couldn't blame Tina — she is a victim too.

"Your Grace, Young Master Jason will be your escort for the party," Butler Jonathan informed her late. It was quite obvious, it must've been his intention to inform her late because it was about her half-brothers, yet Elyse is not scared.

She calmly nodded her head and it made him feel nervous about her calmness. He didn't say a word and walked away from her. Elyse stood up and wants to open the door when suddenly Jason enters the room bursting the door open, it was close to hitting Elyse but she didn't move an inch.

Jason spotted her and he smirked.

"Oh? You're ready now huh? My, look at you, how pitiful! Who told you to wear garbage dresses?" He laughed and everyone laughed alongside him. True, Elyse is not wearing any embedded jewels in her dress. She ordered the maids who took care of her dress to make it a little bit bright, not trashy. But they didn't listen — and she was expecting it.

Elyse did that in order to test the maids in this mansion. There was once a new face when she entered the mansion when it was also her 10th birthday in the past. She was a commoner and was one of the people who tried to poison Aniya who was pregnant with her baby at that time. The growing baby inside of her due to the high effects of poison. Fortunately, it didn't take any negative effects on her physical health. However, it made Aniya feel more miserable when she learned that their baby died because of her carelessness.

And she will retrace those tracks — tame the wild cat to her side. She observed everyone's faces and saw the maid's face looking away from her. Elyse smiled and slowly approaches her. The maid flinched and quickly bows down her head.

"What's your name?" Elyse asks.

"Ilesia, Your Grace." She answered.

"Can you be my personal maid?" Elyse asks out of the blue — like a child who doesn't know what she is doing. Having a personal maid inside the manor means you have a high power in between of the families. Duchess Vierra will soon have a personal maid and it will be Ilesia who will try to poison her, then later on Vierra will blame her for Ilesia's doing — in the end, she died alone.

Ilesia can become her weapon or an obstacle she will destroy, either way, she doesn't want to kill Ilesia. She wanted to save her from Vierra. She's nothing but a poor and weak human.

All of the people in the room felt terrified to hear what the young girl just said. "Y-your Grace, you must wait until you're 18 to have a personal maid." The oldest butler of all butlers spoke gently.

Elyse then looked at him with her questioning mark expression, "Why? Ah! Pardon me, my words misunderstood you. Can I make Miss Ilesia to be my nanny?" She told the old butler and he looks hesitant. Of course, a child can have a nanny, ever since the baby is born from a noble origin, one shall have a nanny, a personal maid, and other staff to serve her. However, those things weren't given to Aniya.

She doesn't have a nanny, or a servant she can trust. She was all alone. Until the day she died.

"Your Grace —"

"Can't she have one?" Suddenly, Jason appeared in front of the bedroom door leaning against it with his arms crossed looking at everyone with a glare.

"Ilesia, from now on, you will become Aniya's Nanny," Jason spoke out of blue.

"W-what? Me? —"

"Woah! Thank you so much, big brother! Hello Nanny Sia!" Elyse greeted her with a big warm smile on her lips while thanking Jason. For a moment, as if there was a memory appeared in front of him. An image of Aniya's back walking away from him. He knows that Aniya in her childhood is always smiling and bright. Yet, somehow, he saw her pain in the eyes of a young child looking at him. It wasn't pure as it should be, it felt like those eyes have endured such a long drastic battle in her whole life. She's aren't much more cheerful as she should be.

And that thought made him feel pissed. "Why do I care?" He spoke to Elyse and walked away forgetting that he should've been the one escorting her downstairs. Elyse only looked at him and the servants feel that they want to die at any moment due to the embarrassment Elyse made.

After the finishing touch of her dress, she went downstairs. She didn't wear make-up — she always doesn't wear make-up and yet she still looks beautiful and her skin still looks porcelain. She slowly went downstairs and her half-brothers were waiting below. The maids, butlers, and even the half-brothers were mesmerized by the beauty that the young Aniya. Everyone was impressed — even the half-brothers are impressed by the aura she made. She was only young yet she feels somehow, she's holding a strong power. Is this how it feels to inherit The Goddess of Wisdom's presence? Or... could it be that she's the Goddess of Wisdom herself?

The half-brothers didn't say anything to compliment her, but deep inside they were impressed — they don't like to admit it. When Elyse is finally down the elegant golden staircase, Duchess Vierra arrived with her fabulous dress with herself adorned with many jewels on her neck, and wrist. She almost looks funny how the way she dressed.

"My dear children, you are all here!" Vierra exclaimed with excitement and the boys greeted their mother. Elyse smirked and slowly gave her a graceful curtsey.

"Greetings to the Servant of The Olympian Lord, The Emperor, and the father of all the father — Duchess Vierra, Your Grace." With that statement, the beautiful atmosphere earlier went down as everyone was silent.

"My wise daughter," Elyse stood up and gave her a bright smile.

"Yes, Mother?" Duchess Vierra was about to hit her when Elyse blocked her hand. Everyone gasps and was horrified by the scene. A young girl standing up to herself and it was not just anyone — but Duchess Vierra herself.

"Mother... why do you want to slap me?" Elyse asked. Duchess Vierra's greatest weakness is to humiliate her in front of everyone. My brothers are here and even the servants are here too — if she's going to slap me here all of the sudden then I am going to humiliate her.

To be in truth, what happened is just Elyse's illusion towards Duchess Vierra. It never happened yet it felt so true — Duchess Vierra gasp trying to catch some air when she came back to her senses, she tried to stop herself from scolding Elyse. How humiliating it was if you're scared of your own child — what's more a little girl who hasn't come to a proper age.

"Henry," Duchess Vierra called him — the third son of The Family.

"Please do escort your sister —"

"I will do it myself, Mother." Edward interrupted and everyone was dumbfounded. Edward was known to be someone who's cold to his sister, yet he suddenly volunteered to escort her. It surprised everyone yet Edward seems to be determined. Duchess Vierra agreed and everyone went to their positions — getting ready to be welcomed by the huge door to be open for the banquet hall.