Mari walks inside with a letter in hand.
"What's up?"
"You have a letter from Lady Selene..."
Lady Selene...
Where have I heard that name?
Finding me confused Mari asks, "Are you alright?"
"I am. Anyways what does it say?" I ask.
"Ah...I don't know..."
"Okay read it for me"
"Uh Duchess..."
"Yeah? I just asked you to read it for me"
I find Mari tilting her head in confusion.
"But Duchess...I can't read-", She answers.
"Oh-"
Shit, how could I forget this-
Servants of this era aren't educated enough to read or write!
"Okay I'm sorry- Just give it to me" I rub my temples.
"Yes sure," Mari hands me the letter.
As I open the letter, Mari finally states the obvious
"You are acting rather strange today..."
"Am I...?"
"Yes, when I mentioned your aunt, Lady Selene's name you acted as if you heard of a ghost! And even now, you asked me to read the letter when I haven't learnt how to..."
Fuck...How can I be so careless!?
Aunt...That's right! Selene must be Rosetta's aunt!
"Ah...it must be because I have just woken up! That is the reason why I am slightly confused hahaha..." I laugh nervously.
"Oh, that's alright. I'll be taking my leave now, let me know in case you need anything." She bows down and leaves.
What the hell man...
Mari comes off as a stupid, clumsy girl but it looks like she's quick at catching certain things, especially when it comes to Rosetta...
Which is bad, because at this rate I might end up getting caught!
I need to remember Rosetta's memories...
They come to me like flashbacks or vague dreams...
It must be because I'm new to this body...
These memories are hazy...
Just like the dream I had a while back...
I guess it was back when Rosetta's father, the former Duke was still alive.
I remember the voices in my dreams...
Rosetta voicing out her opinion in a soft yet firm voice...
"I would never be able to think of that man as my husband, father. Even if we get married, and he inherits your title as the Duke of this manor, he will never be my husband."
"Afterall no matter how shiny, imitations can never compare to real gold pieces of jewellery"
Then followed by the loud voice of her father, piercing like glass shards...
"Do not forget he's the son of my closest friend! If I have decided on your marriage with him then you will get married to him and that's final!"
How could he marry Rosetta to a disgusting man like that??
Truly how hard it must be to not have your father on your side...
A father that values his friendship more than his daughter's wishes??
A whore of a husband...
And now a ruthless murderer...
Just how low can a person stoop?
I don't know how she even managed to live with this man...?
My eyes fall on the letter in my hands...
"I think the only person that I can find comfort with now is Aunt Selene..."
Suddenly I recall Rosetta's words...
Aunt Selene huh?
I open the letter in hopes of finding some information...
But the letter only reads 3 lines...
𝓓𝓮𝓪𝓻 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮,
𝓘 𝓪𝓶 𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓴𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓯𝓸𝓻𝔀𝓪𝓻𝓭 𝓽𝓸 𝓶𝓮𝓮𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝔂𝓸𝓾 𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓼 𝓢𝓾𝓷𝓭𝓪𝔂 𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓪𝓽 𝓶𝔂 𝓶𝓪𝓷𝓸𝓻.
𝓨𝓸𝓾𝓻𝓼 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓵𝔂,
𝓢𝓮𝓵𝓮𝓷𝓮 𝓥𝓮𝓻𝓶𝓲𝓵𝓵𝓲𝓸𝓷.
That's it...?
So she wants me to meet her at her manor this Sunday...
From what I can understand, maybe this is Selene's reply to Rosetta's last letter.
Maybe I should visit her this Sunday...
Lady Selene...
I wonder what kind of a person you are...
Would you understand my situation..?
Rosetta's situation?
And help us get over this?
In an age when women weren't even allowed to go out without their husband's permission...
Where a woman's worth was only based on how well she served her husband...
Who would stand beside me?
Truly, how miserable women's lives were...
Particularly, Rosetta...
Even after being a gifted person with skills and talent no lesser than a man...
You still had to get married to a scumbag like that for surviving in this society!
I breathe out a sigh and place the letter on my bedside table.
The day after tomorrow is Sunday...
Lady Selene...
I am looking forward to meeting you too...
And just like that Sunday comes by in the blink of an eye.
"Get the carriage ready, I would be leaving for Aunt Selene's manor" I order Ron.
After firing the servants Ron has been particularly very busy with all the duties here.
Not that I can help it either.
Fiona is lazy, and Mari is too clumsy.
The only person who does their job right is Ron.
That is why he looks very tired these days...
I make a mental note to hire more servants in the future...
"Are you going to visit her?" Ron gets surprised.
"Yeah, why?"
"I thought the lady wasn't accepting guests after what happened last time..." He replies.
"Last time??"
"Uh-I mean...pardon my rudeness but- I just thought that the lady might still be too shocked after losing the Melfort Academy to her brother-in-law so..."
Melfort Academy...
Just upon hearing the name I remember everything from Rosetta's memories...
One of the most prestigious academies in the entire empire...
Owned by the late Imperial Commander Sadell Vermillion.
After his death, it was automatically inherited by his wife Lady Selene Vermillion.
Who is also my aunt...
My father's only sister.
Aunt Selene tried her best to look after the academy after her husband's death...
But her greedy brother-in-law had his eyes on it since the beginning.
After the Commander's death, he made sure to make Lady Selene's life a living hell.
Even taking the case to the court of justice...
"Is a woman capable of managing such a prestigious and important academy!?"- Was his argument.
Having no son from the marriage, her position was too risky and she was always on the verge of losing her rights to the inheritance.
But for 10 years after her husband's death, aunt Selene was able to keep the academy with the help of my father's power and reputation.
Then right after my father's death, she lost the academy...
The court ruled that a single woman is not capable of managing one of the greatest academies in the empire upon which the futures of the brightest youth depended...
Funny thing is that Aunt Selene managed the academy perfectly well.
But the case was still ruled against her...
Just because she was a woman...
She lost her husband's rightful inheritance.
I can't believe this...
So you are just like me?
Watching everything slip by your fingers just because you aren't a man?
After getting ready, I get up on the carriage, accompanied by my senior knight Sir Franklyn.
"I am deeply sorry for the last time Milady..." Sir Franklyn apologizes.
"Why though?"
"I shouldn't have stayed silent knowing that a bunch of lowly servants were scheming your murder...I should have stood beside you but it's just that-" he gulps down a lump in his throat.
"It's just that your lord, the Duke of this manor was the one who schemed my murder along with my brother, right?" I complete his sentence.
Sir Franklyn averts his gaze in guilt.
I sigh and continue, "Don't you think it's unfair, Sir Franklyn?"
"Pardon?"
Unable to control myself any longer...
"Don't you think it's unfair that an outsider like Arron can come into our lives and claim everything as his own? These properties, these wealth, all these were my father's and then they have rightfully become mine! Why should I have to tolerate an outsider? Why should I have to submit to a scum like that!?" I burst out at him.
It was almost as if Rosetta's voice which was oppressed for years burst out through my mouth.
I understand you very well Rosetta...
That is because I too have seen it happen in my past life.
Coming from a fairly strict family, I was always under the pressure to perform well in my academics without any freedom to enjoy my life.
And despite performing perfectly well in my academics and other activities, I was always second to my younger brother.
My brother always got the attention of my parents and other relatives.
I saw him being put on a pedestal and being worshipped like a god just because he's a son...
It was as if my achievements meant nothing to my family in front of him...
And then one night...
I received the worst shock of my life.
As I passed by my parent's room, I heard them discussing something with my grandmother.
"Why do you spend so much money educating that girl? Isn't she going to be married away anyway?" I hear my grandmother's voice.
Stopping beside the room, I listen through the gap between the doors.
"Mom, we can't do that. Erika is still in college..." My mother says.
"You don't need to speak here. I'm speaking with my son." My grandmother retorts to my mother.
"No, she's right Mom...She's studying in a first-tier college with good grades. If she graduates from here, it will not be hard for her to get a good job" My father says.
"Job? Goodness! Who will marry a girl with a job? In my times, it was hard for an educated girl to even find a husband!"
"I know...But what else can we do when she wants to study?"
"See this is why having a daughter is so problematic...You should have listened to me and aborted that child..." My grandmother says in a voice devoid of any remorse.
"That's because the doctor wouldn't reveal the baby's gender, otherwise..." My father lowers his head.
And it was as if the ground below my feet had been shaken.
I remember feeling so complicated that whole night.
Unable to fall asleep after facing the harsh reality...
All I could do was cry.
I felt insecure...
Extremely insecure...
I felt betrayed...
I felt worthless...
Like no matter how hard I try...
I'll always be behind a man.