Hailey took a deep breath to calm herself before stepping out of her room. Her footsteps echoed softly in the quiet hallway, and the empty corridor immediately caught her attention.
She remembered how, in her past life, after her engagement to the Crown Prince, many noble families had tried to get close to her. They had sent countless luxurious gifts to win her favor, and those items had been proudly displayed for everyone to see.
But everything changed when Cynthia appeared.
Once people learned Cedric loved Cynthia, their attention shifted entirely to her. They began trying to win her favor instead.
Soon, they started criticizing Hailey, calling her an obstacle between the "Perfect Couple."
Hailey let out a bitter laugh, thinking about how ironic it all was. For a moment, the bitterness lingered in her chest, but soon, her thoughts shifted to something else. A small smile crept onto her lips.
"Lia must be alive now, right?" Hailey thought, her heart pounding with excitement.
She couldn't wait to meet her again.
Her steps quickened as anticipation surged within her.
When she reached the end of the hallway, she stopped in front of a window.
Looking outside, she saw heavy rain pouring, flashes of lightning briefly lighting up the sky.
Hailey paused and stared outside for a moment. The sound of the rain stirred something deep within her, and for a second, her mind wandered back to her past life.
The day after her engagement to the Crown Prince, she had been excited to meet him, imagining what kind of person he was and how he might look.
It had rained that day too, and she remembered cursing the gods for trying to ruin her first meeting with him.
In her past life, that day had been one of her most memorable. But now, chills ran down her spine.
Listening to the sound, she thought, "Am I already engaged to Cedric?"
"No. Focus, Hailey."
She clenched her fists and shoved the thought aside.
"Let's not think about it now," she murmured aloud. "I need to find Lia first."
Without another moment's hesitation, Hailey hurried to the kitchen, the sound of rain fading into the background.
She stopped in the doorway, her eyes immediately drawn to three maids gathered near the counter.
They were chatting and laughing about their love lives instead of doing their work.
When they noticed Hailey, they exchanged brief, disdainful glances, rolling their eyes in unison before turning back to their conversation as if she were invisible. Hailey ignored them and scanned the room.
Her eyes came to rest on the familiar figure at the sink. Tears blurred her vision as memories from the past resurfaced.
Before her mother's death, Lia had been her personal servant and was incredibly loyal to Hailey because Hailey's mother had once saved her from her family.
When Aunt Margaret tried to bully Hailey after Uncle Edward took control of the estate's affairs, it was Lia who stood up to her. But that was the moment when Lia's life turned into a nightmare.
The other maids, encouraged by Aunt Margaret, started to torment Lia. They forced her to take on their chores, treating her with disdain, as if she were beneath them.
Hailey couldn't bear to see it. She begged Lia to leave the mansion and find work somewhere else, somewhere she would be treated better. But Lia refused. She stayed by Hailey's side, no matter how badly she was treated.
She had chosen to stay by Hailey's side, no matter the cost, no matter the suffering it brought her.
In the end, she had failed Lia. She was unable to protect the one person who had stood by her.
Hailey rushed toward Lia and wrapped her arms tightly around her from behind.
The sudden embrace startled Lia, and she froze. Turning slightly, she was shocked to see tears streaming down Hailey's face as she clung to her.
"I'm sorry, Lia," Hailey whispered, her voice trembling.
Lia's eyes widened with concern. She wondered why her mistress had come to find her so suddenly and so early in the morning.
"My lady, did someone bully you again?" she asked softly, her hands instinctively coming up to hold Hailey's.
She knew that Hailey's aunt had been making her life difficult, even going so far as to order the maids to torment her. Hailey was someone who never fought back or stood up for herself.
Hailey shook her head and buried her face in Lia's shoulder. "No one did," she murmured.
She bit her lip, unable to say the real reason. But the sight of Lia, alive and here with her, made her feel an overwhelming sense of relief.
"I just… I just missed you," her voice cracking slightly.
Lia didn't understand what Hailey meant, especially since they had been chatting until midnight the night before. She thought someone must have bullied her, but Hailey, not wanting to worry her, lied.
Instead, Lia gently wrapped her arms around Hailey.
She wished she could do more, but for now, all she could do was hold Hailey and hope it gave her some comfort.
After a few moments, Hailey's thoughts shifted, and she suddenly remembered the question that had been on her mind earlier.
Slowly, Hailey pulled back.
Her hands trembled slightly as she gripped Lia's shoulders. Looking her straight in the eye, she whispered, "Lia, when… when is the Crown Prince's fourteenth birthday?"
She held her breath, heart pounding in her chest. Could she still avoid it? Or was it already too late?