There was a long moment of silence between them, making the current situation seem very awkward for the both of them. Both of them had something to say, but unsure if they would say it. A fear perhaps, that made them hoping that their words weren't going to cause each other's reputation to fall down. It was the fear of all noble women and men.
The risk of losing reputation over a few words was so high, it was almost like stabbing a knife into their own bodies. So none of them was truly sure if their words had any use of being spilt out. But as the moment drifted into a minute, they both used their voices, at the same time.
"Look, that–"
"Do you–"
They both instantly paused, the words failing to leave each other's mouths. The Baroness was the first to speak up. "You can go first."
The duchess's veins were surging with a pulse that was unmistakably going to kill her if it increases even a bit. "I was going to tell you to drop the matter. She had been calm for a while now, about two weeks now." She added after a moment, while holding her breathe.
"Oh... Well that's dangerous then." The Baroness replied while placing a hand at her chin. "I was going to ask you if you would like me to talk to her. It shouldn't be hard..."
"No no no! Hold on!"
"Hmm?"
The duchess suddenly lunged forward, causing the Baroness to drop her wine glass, as she clasped both her friend's hands. "What is dangerous? I really need to know... Is it the silence?" A concern was blooming into her voice, perhaps what all mother's would be feeling at that moment.
"No... The long time of doing almost nothing..." The Baroness replied. "Trust me. The wait only indicates that she is waiting for the right time to do it. I know about this, and you too know."
"Of course I know." The duchess squinted her eyes as a headache took over completely over her mind. It was the trauma radiating from the long lost memory inside her mind. When the Baroness and she were at their teenage ages.
"You were trying it back then... When I first saw you..." She slowly spoke with the memory flashing multiple scenes into her mind at once. "That is why I am afraid of her doing it. Losing a daughter would be more painful... And you would know it as a mother too. So what do I do now?"
Her gaze traveled back to Aefia, who was straightening up, then walking towards a table where she sat alone and fidgeted with the tablecloth. Before long, her gaze traveled towards the sky again, probably counting stars in the cast universe. But she was just trying to mentally communicate with her home planet, without knowing it's location.
A sudden jolt of tears tried to pierce through the duchess's eyes. I don't know her much... But I don't want to lose her. I am afraid of the loneliness.
But she blinked it away, and looked back at her friend's face. "It's her birthday today... Lewis had told me." She whispered while stepping back, with the wind blowing her hair along with it.
"I understand your concern. I will go talk to her." The Baroness spoke. "But I need to know one thing... Has she tried it before? And how many times?"
"Twice. Once by trying to hire a hitman, then by trying to force an execution onto herself."
Oh... Shit then... The Baroness thought while biting her lips. "Alright. Let me see if I can get to her mind and bring it out." She answered back, nonetheless. Then, while turning towards the girl, her face turned terrified. A third time is always the final time and the time when the desperation is high... How do I turn her back right now? Isn't it a little too late?
I just need to hope right now. She doesn't know me... So I can't do anything. What do I do? Tell her brother and then help her? But what if she doesn't want him to know about this? Multiple thoughts surged into her mind at once. If I knew... I wouldn't have gotten to this level...
At this kind of situations... Heights are the final bosses.
*
Back then, the Baroness was fourteen years of age, nearing fifteen. The duchess was sixteen, and they were practically friends because of their fathers being politically hostile to each other.
Her life was always scary, her father leaving for long and dangerous work-related trips and not returning for a long time. And her mother, always drunk and abusive. She had an elder sister, but she didn't last long. When the Baroness was six years of age, and her sister twelve, their father had gone away on another long journey.
After five months, a news came into their mother's ears, that the Baron was found dead at the side of the road, and his carriage had been turned over. His entire army was gone... missing.
The excitement had died down, within seconds. But nothing could be done now. That night, their mother had been drunk again, and a little too much. She was more violent and more harsh. Bottle after bottle crashed against the door, and all the servants were locked up with order. There was no one to rescue them if something bad were to happen.
At one point, the break out was too huge, furnitures started to get upturned, and at this point, the two sisters ran to find safety in the younger sister's room. But their safety was not safe... Because soon after, their storming mother came slamming her fist onto their room doors.
"Don't come out. Even when I scream... Or silence takes over..." Her older sister told her. Then, she hid the younger sister under the bed, and rushed out to open the door.
"####! You ####!"
Their mother shouted, while reaching for a sharp objects. But her voice seemed muffled to the younger sister, as she was covering her ears with her hands. And tears escaping her eyes as she tried to bite down on everything.
"Aaaah!!!"
Finally, their sister did let out a final scream. It was painful to listen to, but it broke every single restrains that had tied the younger sister in place. She stepped out.
"I told you... To stay hidden..." The elder sister muttered, while laying on the floor with her limbs bloodied and one of her eye plucked out. "I didn't want to die... In front of your eyes... You have seen too much for a six year old."
"Sister..."
A shocked voice echoed the room, as their mother looked down with calm eyes. Then, her eyes had drifted towards the blade on the ground, bloodied. She took it up, while watching her sister's dying face. "I am sorry I broke your last promise... But I have to do something about this."
I don't want to live alone with this woman anymore! I am all left out and I am scared! These servants aren't going to stand for me when their own safety matters to them so much!
It was the fear of losing protection... That led her to the last resort.
She had eventually grabbed the knife and ran towards their mother, burying the blade deep into her abdomen, leaving their mother unstable for the rest of her life. Which was not too long later.
About eight years from the incident which led her to losing both, her sister and her father, practically her two protections, her mother had died. Now it may have seemed like she was finally free... But she actually wasn't at all. She was still trapped within the doors of the estate where she was despised by everyone.
Fourteen years and almost fifteen, having to take over her father's duties from a young age with no break... Added to the hate and every day she passes with dread... It led her to one more last resort. She was tempted, by the final ride of a height.
It was a sunny day when she had swung her legs from the bridge's edges. She was breathing hard, with the adrenaline of a final moment overwhelmed her. She was in complete silence, and complete depression. There was nothing at that instant that could stop her, until there was.
"Wait! Aren't you the new Baroness? Having taken office a few days ago?" A girl appeared with dark purple eyes, with violet hair that blew in the breeze. Everytime it move, it let out a holographic shine as a trail. "What are you going out here?" She asked while letting out a hand.
"No... It is something I do everyday..." She had to answer.
"Doesn't look like it... I know the difference between a sudden will to die and an everyday task. Get down before I choose to have my father burn this entire island down. Do you want that?" The girl replied while stepping forward, as if trying to near an aggressive pet.
That was when, she realized who that purple haired person was. "Lady Emily?" She asked, to clarify.
"Oh... So you do know me." The girl folded her arms while smirking. "Right... So you will also remember to listen to the commands an imperial person says... Now get down. You ought to do it in front me. I want your head bowing to the ground in front of me. And you know that is impossible if you sit at the edge of that railing."
No longer able to be in a bad place, she got down.
"Now. You ought to go back to your estate. And I will follow along and then you will tell me what made you want to do this." The young lady spoke while snapping her fingers.
"But–"
"Listen up you useless for nothing! You ought to listen to my orders... Now stand up and head back to your estate. Lead me there along the way. You know my ranking... And you ought to act that way in front of me." She snapped at the girl's face. "Stand up... Baroness... And I order you to do it now!"
It was that time that her life had completely changed. The following year, the estate had been cleansed and she had been able to restore everything in her life, thanks to that intervention by the young lady from a duchy.
"Thank you... For that day..." The Baroness told the girl while bowing her head. She had now turned eighteen and could lead the duchy her own ways.
"For what? It is only natural that people think like that. Don't bother the fact that loneliness is contagious that can also fuel depression and isolation. You were only suffering that, and I was to keep this nation from collapsing." The young lady had replied.
*
Now that young Princess had a daughter who was at the exact same place as the Baroness. As she approached the girl, she had noticed that the girl had already knew about her arrival. Those void-like eyes locked onto the woman's, but she said nothing. The situation, was almost hard to tell whether it was critical or just bad.
Nonetheless... It would be a sin to not try and save her mind from collapsing completely. The contagious loneliness was actually showing symptoms on her, and this caused the Baroness to be at a lose of words.
Because it seemed like she was already being comsummed fully by the loneliness. That it started to seem more and more natural on her. It was a sort of beauty that was dangerous. A long moment of silence flowed between them, as if they were having a conversation with their eye contacts only.
Then, the Baroness pulled the chair next to the girl's and settled onto it. "The duchess said you were her daughter... Thought I should have a conversation with you. You are very pretty, did you know that?"
"Thank you for the compliment. I didn't know until you said it." She replied like a robot. As if it were a memorized line instead. Then, she offered the Baroness a hand. "My name is–"
"Aefia Seraphina... Don't worry... I already know." The woman replied while shaking her hand, which was completely cold and pale. She is so pale... She looks almost lifeless, and as if she has just walked out from a pile of snow.
"So... How are you?" The Baroness asked while retracting her hand.
"I am fine..."
"No... Don't answer like that. I heard it is your birthday... How is your birthday."
"Oh... It's been good so far." Aefia answered back while offering a smile. "I really like this island. It's really beautiful and scenic... Although I don't do anything in particular during my birthday, I feel like it still counts as a birthday present."
"A birthday present... Or a final present?"
The Baroness asked all of a sudden. This caused Aefia's eyes to widen as soon as she heard it. Her hands turned rock still. She was too frozen to say she was still a human. "Sorry... But what do you mean when you said final present?" She finally asked while letting her breathe out in the form of fog.
"Oh... I didn't say final present... I said best..." The Baroness acted, slamming her hand onto her forehead while smiling, making it seem like she was dissapointed on herself. "Maybe my mind was playing tricks on me. I meant best."
"Oh yes... It was the best present then." Aefia smiled back in a relief.
There you have it... She hesitated a bit when she said 'final'. Emily... You are in bad luck with your fate... I am sorry... I can't do anything in particular to help you anymore.
At last, the Baroness stood up. "Anyways, it was nice to meet you. If you feel like you need anything, feel free to tell me, or you can ask my son over there if I am not around. You should be able to get along since you are both the same age." She added while glancing towards the remaining of the area, with the group of friends starting to arrive.
"And... Happy birthday my sweetheart.... Hope you have a beautiful life for however long you live."
Aefia flinched when she listened to the woman for the final time, as she abruptly moved up and grasped the woman's hand. Causing her to turn around.
"Thank you for your wishing... But let's just hope I will last long enough for the beautiful life to take place." She spoke while letting go of the hand.