Averielle's POV
I headed straight back to my bedchambers.
The long corridor stretched ahead in polished silence as the sound of my footsteps echoed faintly against the marble floor.
One of the female servants followed behind me with her small, careful steps.
I had noticed her earlier when I left the dining hall, though I hadn't acknowledged her at the time. Now that the distance from the dining hall had grown, the tension in my shoulders finally eased a little.
"Lady Seraphyne… miss… are you alright?" she asked timidly.
Her voice was soft and cautious, as if afraid that speaking too loudly might anger me.
I slowed my steps and glanced back at her. The girl nearly bumped into me before stopping abruptly, with her hands clasped tightly in front of her apron.
For a moment, I simply stared.
Small frame, thin arms, and nervous eyes that kept darting up to my face before dropping back to the floor. She looked no older than ten.
A servant?
My chest tightened slightly.
I sighed quietly.
"I am," I replied after a moment. Then I tilted my head slightly, searching through the unfamiliar memories lingering in this body.
"Georgia, right?"
Her head snapped up instantly.
"Yes, miss!" she said eagerly, her face lighting up with a bright, relieved smile.
"I thought you forgot me, miss."
The innocence in her expression was… unsettling.
In my old life, an ordinary child like this would never be anywhere near a noble household's internal affairs, serving. Children were innocent and sweet.
Yet here she was.
Assigned to serve someone at such a young age.
My gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before I turned back toward the door of my chambers.
This young servant looked like a ten-year-old child.
Why would they give me a child for a servant?
The door opened as we approached, and I stepped inside. Georgia followed carefully behind me, closing the door softly.
I moved toward the window, letting the pale sunlight fall across the room.
"How long have you been serving me?" I asked.
"Two days ago, miss," Georgia replied quickly. "I arrived at the estate and was trained by Lucien."
The name made something shift in the back of my mind.
"Lucien..." I repeated.
Memories surfaced slowly, like fragments rising from deep water.
A tall young man with calm grey eyes who always looked composed. A man who always kept watching.
Lucien D'Arveth.
Seraphyne's personal butler.
Two years older than her. He was quiet and observant. He is the type of person who noticed everything but spoke very little.
According to the memories lingering in my head, he had served Seraphyne long before I arrived in this body.
And he had also seen things most others pretended not to notice.
He had witnessed the bullying, the neglect, the cruelty from her sisters.
But the memories didn't stop there.
Another scene surfaced, sharper than the rest.
Seraphyne shouting.
Her voice unstable, trembling with anger and humiliation. A glass shattering against the floor. Lucien standing nearby, silent as always, taking the blame for something that wasn't his fault.
And then her anger turned towards him.
The one person who had never openly mocked her.
I frowned slightly.
Seraphyne had been… unstable.
Years of isolation and constant humiliation had twisted something inside her. And when she had nowhere else to direct her anger, she had thrown it at the one person who stayed near her..
The memories faded, leaving a strange heaviness behind. This must be one of Seraphyne's regrets.
Georgia shifted nervously beside me.
"Miss…?" she asked softly.
I blinked, realizing I had been silent for too long.
"Lucien trained you?" I asked.
"Yes, miss," she said quickly. "He told me how to prepare your room, how to arrange your dresses, and how to serve your meals properly."
She hesitated before adding quietly,
"He said… I should be careful not to upset you."
I almost laughed not out of humor, but at the irony of it.
So that was Seraphyne's reputation.
A fragile girl who either stayed silent or exploded when pushed too far.
I walked slowly toward the vanity mirror and studied the unfamiliar face staring back at me.
Seraphyne Vaelmont.
Youngest daughter of the Duke.
And apparently the easiest target in this entire household.
My reflection stared back quietly, but my thoughts were far from quiet.
Seraphyne had lived her entire life trapped in this house like prey surrounded by wolves.
But things had changed.
Because I wasn't Seraphyne.
Not the one they remembered.
And if they believed the fifth daughter would continue accepting their cruelty without resistance…
Then they were about to learn a very unpleasant lesson.
Georgia watched nervously behind me clearly unsure what mood I might fall into next.
Poor child.
She had no idea the person she was serving now was someone entirely different.
I exhaled slowly.
"Georgia."
"Yes, miss?"
"Where is Lucien now?"
She blinked, caught off guard by my question.
"I believe he is overseeing the household staff, miss. He usually manages the servants' schedule in the mornings."
I nodded slowly.
"I see." I replied.
If there was one person in this estate I needed to meet properly, it would be...
...Lucien D'Arveth.
The name lingered in my mind as I studied my reflection in the mirror. From the fragments of Seraphyne's memories, one thing was clear. Lucien had always been nearby.
He had seen things others ignored.
So if there was one person in this house who understood what truly happened behind closed doors, it would be him.
And if there was one person I needed to keep close…
It was Lucien.
Just as that thought settled in my mind, the familiar chime echoed beside my ear and a glowing panel flickered into existence.
[ALERT! NEW MISSION ACTIVATED: GAIN LUCIEN D'ARVETH'S FAVOR]
I stared at the floating text, unimpressed.
Of course.
The system had impeccable timing.
Georgia, standing a few steps away, continued folding a shawl on the chair, completely unaware of the glowing message hovering beside my head.
[MISSION DETAILS: LUCIEN D'ARVETH CURRENTLY HOLDS NEGATIVE SENTIMENT TOWARD HOST]
I blinked.
Well. That was… honest.
[REASON: PREVIOUS HOST BEHAVIOR]
That part I didn't need explained. The memories I had already seen were enough. Seraphyne's anger had not spared him, even when he had done nothing to deserve it.
Which meant I was starting at a disadvantage.
The panel shifted again.
[CURRENT FAVORABILITY: -20]
I exhaled slowly.
Negative.
Great.
[TASK: COOK A MEAL]
[IF MISSION SUCCEEDS, HOST WILL RECEIVE A GENEROUS REWARD]
My eyes narrowed slightly at the words.
A reward, huh.
The system loved dangling those in front of me.
Still… it wasn't wrong this time.
Lucien was valuable.
A butler in a noble household wasn't just someone who poured tea and arranged schedules. People rarely paid attention to servants, which meant servants often knew the most.
And according to Seraphyne's memories, Lucien was not a fool.
He had stayed in this house for years without drawing attention to himself.
That alone told me enough.
I crossed my arms slowly, thinking.
Befriending him would not be easy. Not after the way Seraphyne had treated him.
Trust, once broken, rarely returned.
But if there was one thing I understood well…
It was patience.
"Georgia," I began. "...dress me up. Let's head to the kitchen."