Anna had not slept well.
The images of his two deaths kept overlapping in a bizarre nightmare. Yes, for her, the death of the other Anna was now her own.
That was confusing, but that was how her mind works now. She had become the other Anna, without let to be her.
The next morning, she woke up tired, but she wanted to get out of that bed anyway. Benta tried to stop, until the woman gave up.
In the memories of the other Anna, she could remember the time she had attendants to take care of her in the mornings.
They would prepare her bath, rub her back, brush her hair, and rinse her body. She didn't even put on her own clothes. Now, she could count only with Benta's help.
Which was already a luxury compared to her old world.
She was already a 26-year-old, despite being in the body of a 16-year-old girl, so she wasn't comfortable with the idea of being bathed like a child.
She wouldn't let Benta bathe her.
Benta protested once more, but was again defeated. Deep down, Anna could see a little pride in Benta's eyes with that new attitude.
"You are different today," Benta commented.
Anna would have to be more cautious; if she suddenly changed her behavior without any explanation, she could end up drawing a lot of unnecessary attention.
"I need to change Benta. So I decided to start today," Anna made up that her behavior change was some kind of resolution.
She doesn't like to lie to Benta, but that was necessary.
The only thing she let Benta help with was brushing her hair and tightening the corset.
Why did she have to wear that thing again?
When she was finally ready, Anna wanted to go downstairs for breakfast, but this time, Benta won.
She had her meal in her room.
"You are still recovering, so you have to stay in your room," Benta spoke bossily.
"Then why all this dress?" Anna responded like a spoiled girl.
She wasn't like that, but the merging of memories was, somehow, stirring her personality.
She could see in the smile Benta gave, that the woman was finally seeing the girl that her raised as a daughter.
"Because you are still a noble woman, and must act like one." Benta's speech was severe.
Anna knew she wasn't like that, so there was something behind.
"What's going on, Benta?" Anna asked.
After a short pause to snort, somewhat comical for Anna, she finally told.
"Your aunt Henrietta is coming." Benta's gaze revealed how much she despised the woman.
"They weren't speaking, so why did she even come here?"
The other Anna also didn't like her aunt, and Anna could understand. She was her mother's sister and was on bed terms with her father since her mother's death.
"News about your adventure on the well has already arrived at the capital."
That piece of information sent chills down Anna's spine.
"My aunt would not come, just out of concern." Anna knew that there was more behind that.
Benta seemed unwilling to reveal any further details.
"What are you hiding, Benta?" Anna insisted, she needed an answer.
"Someone has been spreading rumors at court," Benta started to explain. But she seemed apprehensive.
"About me?" Anna kept pressing. Benta just nodded in agreement. "What kind of rumors have they spread about me?"
"Nothing a young woman should hear," Benta responded.
That answer only made her want to know even more about what they were saying about her.
"Now you have to tell me the whole story, Benta." She wouldn't give up.
"They're saying..." Benta stopped mid-sentence to take a breath. "They're saying..." She hissed a second time. "That your father has allowed Sir Alphonse to court you in exchange for the forgiveness of his debts."
Anna couldn't understand the reason behind all the fuss. It wasn't official, but that rumor wasn't exactly false.
Was it a cultural difference? The rumor itself was already a huge scandal, regardless of the content.
Anna knew that Benta wouldn't pay so much attention to just that rumor. There was even more behind it.
"That isn't all, right?" Anna wasn't so sure if she wanted an answer anymore.
"They're saying that My Lady is no longer a damsel."
That term was so old-fashioned that it took Anna a few seconds to understand.
[They're not wrong, you've been quite active in your med school.] Celeste spoke inside Anna's mind.
Anna couldn't take it anymore and started laughing, which made Benta despair.
"This isn't a joke, Lady Anna," Benta said, trying to make the girl stop laughing.
"Sorry, Benta. I know this is a serious matter." Anna struggled to compose herself.
"How are you going to get a groom like that? No one would want to court a lady who has that kind of rumor going around."
Benta's concern for her future was touching to Anna, but she knew there wasn't much they could do.
"It's Sir Alphonse who's spreading these rumors, probably."
Anna had no way of proving it, but for some reason, her intuition screamed that she was right.
"The man is not the best person in the world, but my lady shouldn't go around making accusations like that."
Anna knew that, despite saying that, Benta thought exactly like her.
[He's a genius, no competition will appear, and your father will end up with no choice but to grant him your hand.] Celeste spoke again in her head.
[We need a plan, Celeste. I can't marry that man.] Anna was lost at the moment, but she knew she needed to start moving soon. [Can you stay away from me?]
A course of action began to form in her head.
[Not much, but yes. What do you have in mind?] Celeste asked.
[You couldn't read my mind?] Anna asked, curious to understand her Guardian's powers.
[I can read your memories, not your thoughts.] That answer was a bit of a relief.
Benta had interpreted Anna's silence as a sign that the girl didn't want to talk anymore, so she started serving breakfast.
Anna made a note to pay more attention to her surroundings when she began these conversations with Celeste. The last thing she wanted was another rumor that she had some kind of mental problem.
[We need to understand the situation on the farm.] She continued talking with Celeste. [The other Anna's memories haven't much]
[This I can do,] Celeste answered. [You also need to start your magical training]
[What? I thought I could only start my training after my baptism, in a few months.] Anna was taken aback by that new information.
[That was true for the other Anna, but not for you.] Celeste started to answer. [Your soul isn't from this world, so it's not bound by some of the rules that are normally applied.]
Anna was curious to learn more about it, but her conversation with Celeste was interrupted by Benta.
"Your breakfast is already served, Lady Anna. Eat before it gets cold," Benta warned.
[While you eat, I'll go out to explore the farm.] Celeste didn't even wait for a reply and flew off.
The breakfast consisted of the same bland soup and unsalted bread from the night before, but with a few luxurious additions—eggs, fruit, and even a piece of bacon.
Anna knew this was only for that day. Benta had probably gone the extra mile to soften the blow of the news she had to deliver.
*
Meanwhile, as Anna had her coffee...
In a flying carriage approaching the Sousa's farm, someone was talking about her.
"Why do you even care about these people? Your sister isn't even alive anymore."
The speaker was Valentina de Soares, Anna's cousin.
"I don't care about them. But the Empress is concerned about your cousin."
The reply came from Henrietta de Soares, Anna's aunt and Valentina's mother. Seeing her daughter's skeptical expression, Henrietta continued explaining.
"The Empress was very close to my sister Marieta, so she cares about your cousin." Henrietta began. "I don't want our name reaching the Empress's ears with accusations that I neglect my sister's daughter."
"All this trouble for a bunch of nobodies…" Valentina began dripping venom. "Do we really have to spend an entire week in this backwater?"
"Yes, unfortunately." Henrietta's face betrayed that, like her daughter, she was not at all pleased with the situation.
"Afterward, we also need to help put an end to that disgusting rumor going around," Henrietta added.
Valentina merely shrugged. She herself had been one of the people who helped spread the rumor.
Perhaps without her help, the rumor wouldn't have gained so much traction, after all, the gossip was about her cousin.
The conversation between mother and daughter was interrupted as they arrived at the Sousa family's manor. The Viscount was already waiting for them, alongside a far-from-impressive line of servants.
"Welcome, My Lady and Miss Soares," Carlo, the Sousa family's butler, greeted them as he helped them descend from the flying carriage.
"You've brought quite the entourage, Sister-in-law." The Viscount received his sister-in-law, ignoring all protocol.
He had no more patience for dealing with her politely.
"I wasn't sure if you'd still be capable of properly hosting high nobility in your home, so I took the liberty of bringing my own staff," she said with the arrogance typical of her. "It seems I wasn't mistaken."
She finished in a low voice, meant only for the Viscount.
She had left the capital, Rio de Janeiro, with three flying carriages, bringing a team of over thirty servants.
The Sousa farm, in contrast, had only twelve servants in total, the last remaining after their bankruptcy.
"Don't worry, we'll occupy the guest wing. You just need to stay out of my way, as I'll stay out of yours. In a week, we'll be gone." She concluded.
It seemed Anna was in for a very eventful week.