It took less time than Adelaide expected for Ava to arrive. She knew well enough that making the given her title and position making her wait was inconceivable, even if it was the middle of the night. The consequences would be too severe, especially given the type of person Adelaide had shown herself to be.

Two knocks on the door made her halt her pacing and she took a slow breath to steady herself before turning to face the door.

“Enter.” She called out. Ava quickly, yet anxiously, let herself inside and closed the door behind herself. She took three steps forward, and bowed her head. “I am at your service, Your Highness.”

She was small with an average figure, dressed in a neatly pressed maid’s uniform with a long skirt and apron with frilled trim. Her hair, vivid red, was thick and wavy and pulled back into as neat a bun as she could manage given its unruly nature. Adelaide had to admit she was a cute young girl, her her wide eyes, round face, and scattered freckles on her fair complexion. She looked plain compared to her, of course, but remembering the image of herself she saw in the mirror earlier she was sure most people would look plain even sharing the same room with Adelaide.

Ava’s eyes met Adelaide’s as she lifted her head. She kept her gaze steady, but her heart sank when a look of horror momentarily flashed across the maid’s face. However, she was sure to give no indication that she had noticed.

She knew well enough that Ava had been treated like trash over all the years she had served the princess. It was a part of old Adelaide’s character she could never bring herself to excuse, no matter how much she liked her in the books. Ava was born with a physical impairment and had pushed through adversity through the power of her own will and hard work to get where she was. It was no small feat to earn a place as a member of staff for a Grand Duke’s family, much less to directly serve beneath the Duke or his children. As someone who had lived with disabilities in her previous life and had suffered physically and emotionally for it, she had both pitied and admired Ava so much and had resented Adelaide every time she called her a ‘cripple’ or said she was ‘broken’.

Most thought it was odd that Adelaide would keep Ava as a personal maid rather than employing someone of greater social status. The nobles in society, after all, would have seen it as a better representation of her power and influence. Most of the staff would say it was because Ava did her job well, and she was sure that was how Ava herself liked to see it.

But she was far too kind and optimistic for her own good. Those who were not so jaded and naive knew it was because the princess needed a punching bag to take her emotions out on. After all: why should a simple, common maid be so happy when she, a princess of the Empire, hurt so much? It was the kind of horribly misplaced and cruel logic that she hated the most.

And looking at Ava now and seeing how eager she was in spite of her frayed nerves, Adelaide was sure that even without a plan fixing this relationship with Ava was top priority.

“Ava, have a seat.” She stated. The maid faltered, her eyes widening. She opened her mouth and her fingers twitched before curling into fists at her side. She quickly bowed her entire upper body this time.

“I apologize if I have offended you somehow, Your Highness. I clearly took too long to respond to your call and—“

“I did not call you here to punish you, Ava. I require your assistance and right now I wish for you to take a seat.” Adelaide interrupted. When Ava straightened again, gawking at her, she lifted her hand to motion to one of the chairs before the fire. “I will excuse you ahead of time for sitting in my presence. So, please.”

Reluctantly, the girl nodded and slowly stepped forward. She looked as if she expected the floor to fall away beneath her, or the chair to grow teeth as she carefully lowered herself onto the cushion. Letting out a breath, Adelaide slowly sat in the chair across from her and folded her hands on her lap.

“Ava.” Adelaide started. The maid flinched, but maintained eye contact. “I will ask you a few questions. No matter how strange it may seem for me to ask them, you must answer.”

Ava slowly nodded. Adelaide continued.

“And you must tell no one that we had this conversation.”

“Of course, Your Highness,” replied Ava.

“You absolutely must give your word,” insisted Adelaide.

Ava nodded again, more quickly this time. She straightened her posture. “You have my word, Your Highness. I will speak to no one of this.”

It was easy enough to tell that Ava was determined, though Adelaide could still see a bit of tension knitted in her brows. Still, she felt that was probably enough. She already knew Ava was a trustworthy person, even though she had every right not to be. So, Adelaide proceeded.

“What is my full name?”

Ava hesitated, clearly confused by the question. But, remembering Adelaide’s instructions, she answered despite her uncertainty. “You are Princess Adelaide Carmina Absenwilde of the Duchy of Absenwilde.”

Adelaide nodded. “What is today’s date.”

“It is the 18th of the month of Sagella in the year 3280. Today is Olmsday.”

Sagella? Olmsday? She dimly remembered these words from the book, and they of course rang a bell because of old Adelaide’s memories and knowledge. But she hadn’t gotten so deep into the fandom that she memorized their whole calendar, and she had spent maybe an hour in this body total. It was not nearly enough time for her to go sifting through her thoughts for the names of their days of the week and months. And she didn’t have time for it now, either, so she’d have to file it away as something to come back to later. For now, she continued with her questions.

“What did I do yesterday?” This question, as well, gave Ava pause - yet it seemed to make her uncomfortable in a different way. Adelaide frowned. That wasn’t a good sign.

Ava cautiously began to speak again. “Your Highness went to a tea party hosted by the daughter of Marquis Lendell.”

“And?” Adelaide insisted when Ava hesitated again.

“Well, there was an incident there.”

Total red flags.

“An incident that I caused?” asked Adelaide.

“I would never dare say—“

“Ava.” Adelaide interrupted her and sighed. She clasped her hands together on her lap and tapped her foot against the floor. “Please. You must tell me the truth. You will not be punished. I give you my word. I am relying on you to tell me the truth no matter what.”

She could see the maid’s jaw tighten. A bead of sweat had formed on her brow and rolled a couple inches down to her temple before she reached up to brush it away. Lowering her gaze, Ava nodded. “It is said that Your Highness soiled and tore the gown of Lady Cordelia Faria. That you insisted it was an accident, yet the Lady was greatly embarrassed regardless.”

Adelaide’s eyes widened. She remembered that incident. It was near the very beginning of the book, perhaps a couple weeks after Cordelia arrived in Surivan and only a couple days after Prince Julius began to show interest in her. It was her first real introduction to society - not her debut, but close enough.

It was at that tea party that Cordelia first met Adelaide, and Adelaide poured tea on her dress and stepped on its hem when she started to leave to clean it, causing the fabric to tear almost all the way up the length of her skirt. Cordelia left in tears.

It was lucky enough that it was just a small tea party with only a few people in attendance. It had only created mild gossip rather than a full scandal. But still, even that much was bad enough!

Groaning, Adelaide learned forward and pressed her face into her hands. This was not good! She had hoped that she’d entered this world at a point in the story where she could avoid bullying Cordelia entirely. But that blasted princess had already set the stage for all the harassment just the night before.

“This is terrible.” She agonized. Nervous, Ava shifted forward on her seat. Her hands trembled and she reached out, as if she were going to comfort her, but she pulled away at the last second and folded her hands tightly in her lap.

“I-I’m sure it’s fine, Your Highness! You said it was an accident, so I’m sure Lady Faria will understand!” the girl insisted.

Adelaide shook her head, groaning again. “No no no, there’s no way that will work.”

She had to be cautious. Common sense would tell you that things could be patched up with an apology. But, things were not that simple. Sure, that would probably fix things with Cordelia. She was still quite trusting at this point. She remained so even up to the moment where Julius shattered her naïveté with his mad admissions in the dungeons. The problem at this point was not Cordelia. The problem was Julius.

Julius expected Adelaide to make Cordelia’s life hell. He had set up a whole line of dominoes and would expect them to fall right into place when he knocked them over. If she made a complete about-face in a day’s time he would grow suspicious. He could easily decide that she wasn’t worth the trouble anymore and get rid of her. Even if she was the daughter of a Grand Duke, it wasn’t impossible for him and it’s not like Adelaide had many allies that would want to look too deeply into her death. She wasn’t even sure her father would, since it was mentioned a few times in the book that she wasn’t very close with him.

What’s more, Julius could decide to get rid of Cordelia as well, which would throw literally everything into chaos. As far as she knew, Cordelia was the pin that held everything in place. She was the main character. Who knows what would happen without her?

As long as Adelaide was here in Surivan she would have to wrestle face-to-face with her role as Julius’ pawn. If she was going to survive, she had to work her way out from under his thumb without him noticing. She had to blindfold him.

Adelaide quickly lifted her head again, catching Ava’s gaze. “Are you certain that happened just yesterday.”

The maid nodded. “I am, Your Highness.”

Nodding, Adelaide climbed to her feet and motioned for Ava to rise. Quickly, the maid stood. “I need you to find me an empty journal. Also, I’ll need a something to write with,” she said, “and from this moment forward, if anyone asks about me you must tell them I am resting because I am sick.”

“As you wish, Your Highness,” Ava replied, though her tone was uncertain. She hesitated a moment, looking as if she wished to ask something, but was set with such a firm look from Adelaide that she held her tongue and turned to head quickly for the door.

Once Ava was gone, Adelaide released a sigh and trudged over to flop onto the end of the bed. She could feel anxiety creeping its way up her throat. But, before she could lament over her poor luck there was another knock accompanied by a deep, sonorous voice that was slightly muffled by the thick wooden doors. “It is Witten, Your Highness.”

Blinking, she quickly got to her feet again, smoothed her slightly rumpled nightgown, and replied. “You may enter.”

The door opened slowly, just enough to allow the butler to smoothly step inside and close it behind himself again. Despite the hour, he was impeccably dressed in all black with a vivid cerulean tie fastened at his neck, his gloved hands clasped loosely before himself as he came to stand at attention. She’d read many articles over the years about how much the author of Virtue of the Sun liked Baron Witten as a character, and she took the opportunity several times in the book to emphasize the effortlessness of his poise and exceeding charm. But even so, Adelaide had to admit that Witten exuded a sense of elegance that almost rivaled her own.

He was surprisingly handsome, with strong sharp features and rich dark skin that made her think of deep, rustic wood and strong coffee. His long and thick textured hair was braided and pulled back, fastened into a neat low bun. His eyes, a surprisingly light shade of brown, seemed enhanced by the light of the fire and held within them a sense of warmth that took Adelaide by surprise. It was like looking into the eyes of a grandparent, wrapped up in the safety of their arms. They were the eyes of a man who had an abundance of patience, of which she was sure Adelaide had tested numerous times up until now.

There was a hint of a smile on his lips that grew just slightly when she did not speak up right away, weaving between them an uncomfortable silence which he calmly broke.

“How may I be of service, Your Highness.”

It snapped her out of her staring and she cleared her throat in an attempt to chase away her embarrassment. “Y-yes, of course. Witten, I’d like to return to the Duchy of Absenwilde.”

His smile seemed to falter just a touch. “Would Your Highness permit me to ask why?”

“I will not. Well…rather, I would prefer not to divulge my reasons in their entirety.” Adelaide stated carefully. “To put it simply, however, I need to speak with my father and I would prefer to do so in person. I also would like to…reflect a little on recent events.”

“Reflect?” He repeated. She saw his brows raise slightly. Witten was much more familiar with Adelaide. He’d practically raised her, after all, and clearly did not harbor the same fear of her that Ava did as he followed up without hesitation, “Are you referring to the incident that occurred at Lady Lendell’s tea party yesterday afternoon?”

Adelaide grimaced. It pretty much confirmed his guess.

“Well, your return to Absenwilde can be arranged. When would you like to depart?” Witten questioned.

“As soon as possible, “ replied Adelaide, “In fact, today would be best.”

Witten frowned. “That will be…difficult. We will need to send prior notice to the Duke, which I suppose would not take a particularly long time. But, packing everything here in the estate and preparing for the journey in a day’s time is a tremendous undertaking.”

Adelaide’s heart lurched and before she could stop herself she had taken a few steps forward, clasping her hands in front of herself pleadingly. “Please, Witten! I will make whatever sacrifices I must if only we can leave today.”

She noticed the desperation in her own voice and thought Witten must have as well, as a look of surprise crossed his features before he relaxed and stepped forward to reach out and lightly set his hand atop her own. “I see. Well…if Your Highness is not opposed, I can have the staff prepare a chest with the most important belongings and advise them to bring the rest in two days’ time. We can ready a single carriage and a small detachment of knights to protect us as we travel. But, I will insist that we use the teleportation gate to reduce the likelihood that we are accosted on the route.”

“Oh! Yes, yes that would be perfect!” said Adelaide.

Witten frowned. “I know how much Your Highness dislikes the teleportation gates. Are you certain?”

A memory flickered to life in her mind - a vivid image of Adelaide hunched outside of a carriage beside a cobblestone street, emptying the contents of her stomach into the grass. She flinched and nodded. “Y-yes, I insist. I said I would make whatever sacrifices I must.”

“Very well,” said Witten with a nod. He drew his hand away from hers. “I will make the arrangements.”

“Thank you, Witten! Truly, thank you.” she said, sighing with relief. He looked at her curiously, but nodded all the same. Then, remembering her chat with Ava, she quickly added, “Oh, one last thing.”

“Yes, Your Highness?”

“Please tell the staff and anyone else that asks that I am unwell and am returning to Absenwilde to rest,” explained Adelaide.

Again, he arched a brow at her. But, remembering that he had said she didn’t want to fully explain, he slowly nodded in agreement. “I…will do as you ask.”

“And that especially goes for Prince Julius or anyone else from the Imperial family.”

“I understand that Your Highness does not wish for me to pry. However, from my perspective, you have given me quite a strange and unexpected request.” Witten said curiously.

“I do. But, it is of the utmost importance. I do not wish to meet him, or anyone else associated with him,” she stated firmly.

“Very well. Then, we will depart just before noon. In the meantime, I will insist that Your Highness returns to bed and gets some sleep. I am not sure how long you have been awake, but the journey will be all the more difficult if you are not well rested.”

Adelaide frowned, her shoulders drooping as she glanced down at the ground. “I would if I could, but I’m afraid I’m too tightly wound,” she admitted. With everything that was happening now, and everything that had yet to happen, she was entirely certain that her thoughts would keep spinning all throughout the night, looping like a record on repeat.

“I see. Then, I will assist Your Highness in that regard. I hope you will wake refreshed enough that you will forgive me out of appreciation.” he said.

“Huh?” Blinking, she lifted her gaze in time to see him slip the glove off of his left hand, revealing slender fingers intricately tattooed with white ink that formed elegantly swirling patterns down the back of his hand. He reached out and lightly touched his index and middle fingers to her forehead and in an instant she felt the world around her dim and pull away, fizzling out of focus.

“Wh…what did…” Adelaide slurred. But, she was asleep before she could even form the thought much less get it out of her mouth. He caught her easily and, lifting her into his arms, carried her over to set her in bed. Soon enough she was snoozing soundly, neatly tucked in, and oblivious to the goings on in the world around her.

He watched her for a few moments in silence, a solemn and pensive expression on his face.

“I wonder if she’s had a falling out with him.” Witten murmured softly to himself. His brows furrowed, eyes darkening slightly. “I will have to give yesterday’s incident a bit more scrutiny.”

He slipped his glove back on and turned to head to the doorway, stealing only a brief glance back to the sleeping princess before he escaped silently out into the corridor.