Chapter 2: Back to the Past (2/302)

Chapter 2: Back to the Past

April 8, 2023

Neris Trüde woke up from her sleep with tears streaming down her face. The dark prison, where the smell of rotting wounds had permeated the air, was nowhere to be found. In the small room where sunlight streamed in, the scent of geraniums wafted in through the window, and the bed, though not soft, was clean.

There was no one in the room. Instead, there were familiar household items that she had long forgotten but were very familiar to her. The simple wardrobe and baskets that adorned the walls of the house, which her father had built, and the old rocking chair where her mother often sat.

Was this a dream? Or was it heaven?

If it were heaven, it couldn't be more perfect. Neris rolled out of bed and put on her slippers. She then noticed that her body size was different from what she remembered and examined her arms and legs.

It wasn't the body of a woman in her thirties. It was much slimmer and smaller but full of vitality, just like a young child before she started school.

"Riz?"

At that moment, the door opened, and a woman's voice called out. It was the voice she had longed for. Neris cried out and approached the voice's owner.

"Mom!"

"Why are you crying, dear?"

Wiping her wet hands on her apron, her mother entered the room and widened her eyes at the sight of her daughter's tear-stained face.

A younger mother than she remembered. Every time Neris came home for summer break, her mother seemed a bit older. Thinking about it, perhaps her mother had been threatened while she was away at school.

The threat to hand over her daughter, the owner of the Zian eyes.

Her heart ached and she felt guilty. Her mother had raised her alone and endured so much; she shouldn't have had to face such an end.

Neris hugged her mother tightly, fearing that this illusion might disappear, and her mother embraced her warmly, patting her back. The familiar scent of her mother's body, which she wanted to keep forever, filled the air.

It was too clear to be a dream, but was it really the truth? What about the prison? Valentine? Where were the dirty traitors?

Neris looked up at her mother and asked, "Is this heaven?"

Her mother burst into laughter, kissed Neris's forehead affectionately, and asked with a gentle look, "Does home feel so good that it seems like heaven? Do you not want to go to school?"

Her words were an answer. Yes, it must have all been a nightmare. Such a terrible thing couldn't have happened. Neris hugged her mother again and sobbed.

Her mother, taken aback, hugged Neris even tighter.

"I'm worried about sending you so far away. Our little one, you've always lived with me, and now you're going to a place with important people."

...But was it really just a nightmare?

She had definitely heard these words before, in the same voice and tone. Neris was startled.

She could vividly recall the despair, anger, and pain she felt just before she died. She could also remember everything that happened before that, as if it had happened just yesterday.

She had never had such a dream. So, it must be that...

She had returned. For some unknown reason.

According to her mother, Neris was now twelve years old, the age when all noble children in the Empire of Vesta must attend the Noble Academy. Neris's fists, clutching her mother's skirt, turned white.

She was about to leave for there soon.

The place where the first nightmare began, the Academy.

"Mom."

Neris looked up at her mother. Her mother's face turned sad at the sight of her daughter's cautious and sorrowful expression.

At least at this time, the mother and daughter had never looked at each other with such sad faces. Neris had been bright and cheerful as a child, a trait she inherited from her mother.

"Why are you like this, dear?"

Why hadn't she realized it as a child? Her mother must have been sad and lonely, sending her only family far away.

Yet, she had endured the humiliation, borrowed money from distant relatives, and paid for Neris's tuition, even though the family had disowned her and told her to cut ties if she married a low-ranking knight.

She believed that school would help her daughter's life.

"Of course."

Yes, she had to go to the Academy. But this time, she wouldn't let those hateful people have their way.

"Sure, our little one."

"I love you. I'll do well."

Her mother's face, which had been sad, broke into a bright smile.

As her mother's silver hair gleamed in the sunlight, another person with silver hair came to mind.

Nelyssion Elendria.

A flash of hatred crossed Neris's face. Her mother, seeing her daughter's expression, was taken aback.

But Neris soon smiled, as if to hide the fact that she had made an unchildlike expression.

"When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow morning. You know you have to wake up early, right?"

"I always wake up early."

Her mother laughed.

"Sure you do. And yet, you slept in today."

After being adopted by the Elendria family, Neris had changed her habits to avoid being a burden to the duke and duchess. She always woke up earlier than anyone, studied all day, and went to bed later than others.

Nelyssion had casually teased her, saying that was why she didn't grow taller, even though she had already passed her growth spurt.

Enduring the lonely life in the palace, such trivial memories had been more precious to Neris than jewels. But now, those memories were only loathsome.

Such things would never happen again. Neris gently told her mother, "I can wake up early if I want to. You'll see tomorrow."

"Our daughter always does what she says, doesn't she?"

Her mother whispered kindly and rubbed Neris's back. Then, as if to signal that it was time to let go, she playfully patted her daughter's bottom twice.

"Come on, then we need to pack the rest of your things, right?"

"Yes. I'll do it now."

So, please wait for me, Mom, and stay healthy.

If I really have returned to the past, perhaps God has given me a chance to save you.

Muttering this to herself, Neris hugged her mother's warmth one last time.

***

The city where the Academy was located was called Katen. It was named after Princess Katerina, who had first established the Academy, and it was fitting since the city was maintained solely by the revenue generated by the Academy's students and teachers.

After a long carriage ride, Neris got off at Katen Station and saw children around her age. She recognized all of their faces, and it felt strange to see that the cruel and malicious children who had mocked her were now much more innocent and timid than she remembered.

Neris, already familiar with the city's geography, walked confidently and skillfully with her bag, which was as tall as she was. The children who were looking around, unsure of the way, focused their attention on her.

The first reason was her attitude, and the second was her Zian eyes.

Purple eyes were rare, but violet ones were not uncommon. However, the crimson-tinged Tyrian purple irises of Neris's eyes were something no one there had ever seen.

The reason the Elendria Duke's family had adopted her as a foster daughter and sent her to be the Crown Princess was because of the symbolic value of the Zian eyes. One of the three heroes who had defeated the evil dragon and laid the foundation for the empire, Elendria, was a symbol of the Elendria family.

The current Elendria family claimed to be the legitimate descendants of the hero Elendria but had no one with Zian eyes.

Neris found it strange that she had Zian eyes, which her mother did not have, but since she was a distant relative, it was possible that she had inherited the bloodline.

When her gemstone eyes manifested at the age of eighteen, the gazes of others became even more intense, whether good or bad.

"Hey!"

A woman's voice called out nearby. Neris looked around. A fine carriage had stopped by the roadside.

A tall woman got out. From her attire, she seemed to be a lady's maid, but Neris did not recognize her. Perhaps she was the attendant of someone about to graduate?

The maid approached Neris, looked down at her, and asked. The fact that she showed no reaction to Neris's Zian eyes suggested she was not from a very high-ranking family.

"Do you live around here?"

The maid seemed to think Neris was a commoner because she had no attendants and was carrying a large bag. Indeed, Neris's current appearance, after a long journey, was not very neat.

Neris put down her bag and lifted her chin.

"I am the daughter of a knight. How dare you look down on me and speak so rudely?"

The maid was startled and quickly bowed.

"I apologize, miss."

A laughing voice came from inside the carriage. A moment later, a girl with a clear laugh appeared at the open carriage door.

The girl with chestnut hair had a face Neris did not recognize. Neris tilted her head, wondering if the girl was her age.

Of course, Neris did not remember every noble lady in society. But she should have known all the girls her age who had attended the Academy from the beginning to the end.

By imperial law, the direct descendants of nobles of the rank of baron or higher were required to attend the Academy.

In contrast, the children of lesser nobles or knights could attend if they could afford the tuition and wanted to.

Neris fell into the latter category. However, some children in the latter category disappeared midway through their studies because they could no longer afford the tuition.

Was this girl one of them?

From the carriage and the maid's attire, she seemed to be the daughter of a wealthy family. While Neris was pondering, the maid quickly approached her mistress.

"Miss, be careful."

"I've got it."

The girl spoke firmly, as if her pride was hurt, and then addressed Neris.

"You're smart. You speak well."

"You seem smart too."

Neris, at a loss for words, replied vaguely. The girl gestured to Neris.

"If you're going to school, come with us. Is your bag heavy?"

"It's heavy, but I don't want to impose without a reason."

It was not yet the time when the other children would start isolating her, but Neris instinctively remained cautious. She had learned the hard way that no one could be trusted.

The girl, undeterred by the rejection, opened her eyes wide.

"Does it matter? We were going to ask you for directions anyway. Are you a second-year student?"

"I'm starting today."

"Same as me! My name is Diane MacKinnon."

"Neris Trüde."

The MacKinnon family, though not of ancient lineage, was a significant family in the upper echelons of society.

By the time Neris became an adult, the family would decline, but she remembered that around this time, the MacKinnon trading company was one of the three major trading companies in the empire.

But had she attended school with the daughter of the MacKinnon Duke? Neris was unsure because she had been so focused on reading books and not paying attention to her surroundings in her early years.

She only memorized the names of her peers in the second half of her second year, and it took some time to match the faces with the names.

At least, Diane was not among the older students who had bullied Neris.

The MacKinnon family had not fallen on hard times until Neris's death, so why had this girl dropped out of school?

In any case, Diane's offer to give her a ride in exchange for directions was reasonable. The maid kindly took Neris's bag and handed it to a neatly dressed servant, and Neris skillfully climbed into the carriage.

Once inside, Neris understood why the maid had overreacted. Diane was limping.

Diane, noticing Neris's gaze, smiled brightly.

"My leg is a bit weak. The adults said I might not be able to continue my school life."

"Why? Is it still painful?"

"It's not that, but they're worried."

Neris understood the situation. Children instinctively recognize the weak. Although not as much as Neris, who had no family support, Diane might also find it difficult to adapt to school life.

The carriage slowly moved in the direction Neris indicated. Neris quickly turned her gaze from Diane to the school buildings that were coming into view.