Memories of the Dark: "The Perfect Daughter"

Peronell Keen,

I was on my way to Sleeping Cedany. However, once I was actually inside the infirmary. She was nowhere to be found!

I immediately ran towards the Academy's Infirmary Head in panic. She looked at me in confusion and I noticed that she also had a name brooch.

"Yes? Who are you visiting today?" Gladys Finley, the head of the infirmary lit up tobacco.

It was very unusual since I thought they were supposed to promote a healthy living life. However, Gladys Finley breaks all the stereotypes. She looked very pale, almost like a dead person.

"Umm... Cedany Shaw. She's supposed to be here, however, I can't see her." I was panicking inside.

"Oh! Sleeping beauty? She left with a very pretty lad. They looked like they were on some kind of date." Gladys spilt the tea immediately.

"I— that is very unusual of her..." I was speechless by the news.

"Well... if you're bored and have nothing to do. You can waste your time here and maybe have a chat with me. I'm on a break after all." Gladys smiled as she gave me a lollipop.

"Thanks. I think I'll just waste my time here then." I removed the wrapper and shoved the lollipop into my mouth.

"What should I call you?"

"I'm Peronell Keen. You can call me Nell if you want to. Since Peronell is a bit long, I guess." She nodded in response.

"Nell it is then! Where are you from?" Gladys seems to be genuinely curious about me.

"I'm from the Gold Empire. Summerpond to be exact." I was trying to avoid eye contact since it would be very awkward if I stared at her.

"What is it like in Summerpond?" I was taken aback by the question. A lot happened at Summerpond after all and it got me all thinking about my memories in Summerpond.

-Flashback-

I had the perfect life as a noble in noble society. I was the perfect daughter every noble parent would dream of. Obedient, beautiful, and intelligent, and my body would fit any beautiful clothing. In a more simple sentence, I was PERFECT. I was only 11 years old and I already have fully adult men asking me for my hand in marriage. Yes, things like that would happen to me. It was a sad reality for a girl like me. However, as a girl, all I could do was nothing but accept it how it was. No one could see how wrong it was, only I could.

I turned 16 years old, it was the age when noble ladies would be debutantes and have a lot of suitors lining up for them. Noblemen like their ladies young and fresh. I went to a debutante ball and immediately there were a lot of men lining up for me, the men were all old though, they were persuading me to marry them. They thought it was easy to persuade me with their money since almost all of them were above me. I turned them all down. Mr. Brown took care of me, he even threatened the old noblemen who would always stalk me.

Javier Bennett is a young gentleman, whose father had died because of a disease and that's how he became the Grand Duke of Summperpond. His sister, Victoria Bennett happened to be my friend because we would always cross each other's paths at a lady's tea party. I've seen Javier countless times in every massive ball noble's held. From my observation, Javier is very aloof while his sister is the opposite. He would only interact if it was about business or if it was very important. There was a time I met Javier, my parents introduced me to him because everyone knew that Javier was looking for a fiancée. My parents thought it would be a nice idea to introduce me to him, they were certain that Javier was going to make me his fiancée.

"Your Grace, I would like you to meet my wonderful daughter, Peronell Keen." My father introduced me and I stayed unfazed.

I was scared that if I create even a small mistake, I'll get in trouble.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your Grace." I curtsied.

"I know who you are, you are Victoria's friend. I've heard many great things about you. You are, as they say, the most beautiful noble lady in Summerpond. You don't disappoint my expectations." Despite the compliment, he still looked at me with the same look he gave to the other nobles. It meant I wasn't any special in his eyes. It made me interested in him.

"Thank you for your kind words, your Grace." And just with that, our conversation ended.

I wanted him to notice me, I craved his attention, I wanted him to see me in a new light, and I wanted him to be interested in me. Yes, I would call it an unrequited love. It was the very first time I felt like this, and I fell for the hardest-to-get man on earth. It was foolish, I knew that. But soon he did see me in a new light, in a bad way though.

My father was falsely accused by those nobles who were jealous of his growing wealth. He was accused of stealing and profiting from the mine of the Grand Duke. Father then told us the truth, he had an agreement with a Marquess. The agreement was that the Marquess would be going to give him a mine full of exotic gems and my father would give the Marquess half the amount that my father would get from his business. My father was desperate for us to get rich, so he accepted it without knowing that the mine was not owned by the Marquess. It was a mine of Javier Bennett.

I confronted Victoria about the accusation of the other nobles toward my father, however, it seems that she'd rather believe the other nobles than her own friend.

"I promise you, I would never lie! I'm your friend..." I said to Victoria, who looked very unsure.

"I don't know, Peronell... I'm sorry, however, I don't think I can believe you." Victoria walked away and that was the last time we had a conversation.

I didn't even have the time to feel sentimental about our broken friendship as the guards and knights of the Summerpond dukedom investigated all of us inside the residence of Keen and they happened to find a piece of proper evidence against us. Without any proof that my father was falsely accused, we immediately lost our wealth. Grand Duke Javier even looked at me disgustingly when we cross paths, I got depressed because of it.

I stopped contacting my friends, even Lianna and Cedany because I was ashamed. I didn't want anyone to know I was broke and most of all I didn't anyone to see me with a stain.

To help us get us back on our feet and return to the noble society. My father and mother went on a business trip, of course, and they told me it was not just any normal business trip because that business trip will help them grow more customers. I tried to stop them, however, they were so sure that this was the only way. So I supported them, and I waited until I turned 17.

I always asked Mr. Brown about my parents since they stopped sending me letters. Mr. Brown told me they were too busy to send me one, however, they would always send Mr. Brown letters. I got super curious that I decided to peek into Mr. Brown's bedroom to see what they told Mr. Brown. The letter they sent Mr. Brown shocked me, it turns out they've gotten involved in a cult. The letter even had a different kind of seal on it, it wasn't the usual seal of the Keens.

Of course, I've gotten worried. However, I didn't want to confront Mr. Brown about it because if I did I would have to tell him that I invaded his privacy. It would be very disappointing because I'm supposed to be the perfect lady of the Keen family. I don't want to disappoint both my parents and Mr. Brown, so I stayed quiet like how they want me to be.

-End of Flashback-

Years have passed and now I'm 19 years old, still acting like I know nothing about my parents being members of a cult. Throughout those years, I even abandoned my friends because of how hurt I was. Even now, I'm still waiting for my idiotic parents to come back.

"Can I be honest?" Gladys nodded with a smile on her face, she looked like she already knew the answer to her question. "The Gold Empire is pure hell and the people are the devil themselves." She laughed at my statement.

"Yeah, all people are like that after all. That's why you can never let your guard down or else you would perish all by yourself." Gladys smoked on the tobacco she's been smoking on.

"It looks like you've got some unpleasant memories as well."

She smiled at me, however, I could feel the sadness in it.

"Despite everything that happened to me... I'm proud to say I never gave up on myself, my friends, my life and my purpose." Gladys finished her tobacco and her words were still stuck in my mind.

"Do you think I'm capable of being that way?" I asked her and she gave me a blank look.

"It doesn't matter what I think, it's your opinion that matters. What do you think? Are you capable of never giving up?" She asked in return.

"I don't know..." I answered.

"It's alright, you should take your sweet time for a serious situation." Gladys patted me on my back and I faked a smile since that didn't sound so reassuring.

I left the infirmary after finishing the lollipop Gladys gave me. I stopped walking for a moment, I looked around if someone was spying on me.

I get this gut feeling that someone was watching me, however, I see no one. I continued to walk in a faster phase since I'm scared that someone might harm me.

I kept looking around frantically and I bumped into a tall figure. I, of course, fell to the floor in the process. How can you not fall from that kind of impact? My butt was in agony and I screech in pain. I couldn't even stand up.

"Are you just going to stand there stupidly? Are you so shocked by my beauty that you can't help this pretty lady get up?"

I was annoyed. How can he just stand there after he bumped into me? I mean, it's kind of my fault too. However, at least have some remorse and help me up.

"You again!?" I looked up to see a familiar face.

"Oh, hi." I greeted Josef who looked angry.

"You have no shame, huh? You got a lot of nerve, after lecturing me about your friend, and now you're saying I'm stupid?"

"I never said you were stupid, I said are you just going to stand there stupidly? Anyhow, can you help me up, good sir?" My butt was still in pain.

"I won't, help yourself up." Josef rolled his eyes at me.

"This pretty lady is sad that you won't help her out, however, she will not be discouraged by a guy like you." I stood up by myself and tried to look as if my butt wasn't in pain.

"What do you mean by a guy like me?" He looked offended by that.

"You're not aware of how arrogant and selfish you are? Do you need a list of the evil things you've done?"

"No, it doesn't matter. I am a son of a Grand Duke, there is no such thing as imperfections in a person like me.." Josef looked down at me with a cocky smile.

"Oho? And does that make up for the bad things that you do?"

"Of course, it does." I can't believe that this guy exists.

"Well, I have a friend whose father is also a Grand Duke. Except, she isn't stuck-up like you."

"You and that blue-haired girl annoy the bloody hell out of me. Do you know the things that I can do to both of you?"

Josef was walking closer to me and I just walked backwards with every step that he took.

"I think I know," I said with an innocent look. "are you perhaps developing feelings for us?" I was now on the wall and he was standing close and my face was facing his chest.

"You have a lot of guts to think that I can even develop feelings for women like yourselves." Josef put both his hands on the wall, so I wouldn't be able to get away.