Chapter 1
All's well that ends well.
Glistening, blinding flares of surging water welcomed Lily's eyes the moment her consciousness kicked in. It was morning already. There was a chilling breeze lurking around her—not wind or air, but rather the anxiousness and tightness of her chest—that felt to blow her up any moment now.
Lily wandered her gaze over the whole place. She was—no doubt—in a foreign woods. Tall, unknown trees came into her sight. She shivered at the hush of winds, the faint cries of damn-know-what animals, and the sound of surging water in a huge waterfall in front of her.
She struggled to sink all things that's happening before her. Lily remembered what happened an hour ago or days ago—all the roundabout accusations thrown to her.
A well treasured heirloom was found missing—or stolen—as what they insist after a grand gathering of their clansmen and they blamed it unto her. The accusations we're obviously false and fraud. Just because she was last seen loitering around the mansion's museum doesn't mean she was the one who stole it.
She was the 4th in line to inherit what's to be inherit in the family. Lilynne admitted she was always treated as an outcast—only a valuable asset thanks to her looks and brain.
A sigh of relief escaped her mouth, she couldn't believe she actually managed to run this far. Lily struggled to stand on her knees. She huffed a heavy breath. Eyes scanning the remote place. She glanced at the shoulder bag below her—she remembers running away in the depths of the woods with only a single shoulder bag in hand.
She grew up pampered and spoiled by material things, yet she knows how to be practical, especially calm in situations like this.
She released a heavy sigh before grabbing the bag and hooking it to her shoulder. Inside were a few clothes and money—of course, that's the first thing she grabbed when she realized that she was getting exiled the very evening, and before they did it to her—send her somewhere on an isolated island her family owns—she threw herself out first.
"What am I going to do now?"
She whispered in the wind. Her steps were slow; she was not sure what direction to take. But nevertheless, she follows the path that her instincts have been directing her to.
Her feet naturally moved her to the crystal-clear waterfalls. It was huge and enchanting.
She thanked the saints above, grateful that this is not a rainforest but rather just an ordinary one with lots of trees, grown bushes, and annoying flying insects.
Lily grimaced at the reflection of her in the water. Her night dresses were torn side-by-side. She was dirty, down to her feet 'til the last strand of her ash shoulder-length mermaid-curled hair.
She laughed out of nowhere. At least she's not thirsty—not yet.
The water looks inviting—she's never been on any freshwater before—but she has seen quite a few, and this one looks more enchanting than before.
She shook her head in denial. She can't possibly jump there as if her life's not at stake. No, no. Not now; she has a life to chase.
With a heavy sigh, she walks towards what she believes is the south. She can't fully run—not with strong twigs and bushes constantly bumping on her longsleeves and satin pants.
She closed her eyes in disbelief. She didn't see herself in this kind of situation—so hopeless and vulnerable. But what can she do when her fate is already decided? What more than to survive the sh*t out of it?
If she's lucky—lucky enough to get the hell out of here—then she will start another life. She could use the things she learned from her former life. She could take it as an advantage, but never herself to people. She will never let other people take advantage of her.
At 24, Lily possessed a wide knowledge of Art and History. She honed her skills with the refinement of a traditional lady from a prosperous lineage, flawlessly serving chicken dinners at the tables.
She was almost the impeccable granddaughter of a highly sought-after figure in the realms of Political Dynasty and Economics. However, there was what they call 'flaw'—her biological mother, now nowhere to be seen, was considered a wrecker and a source of disgrace to the family.
Her mother was the second lover—not wife—and yes, the second.
At the memory of her mother, her mood began to turn sour. She ran fast. She was not afraid of the distant cries of animals whom she might meet very soon. She ran carelessly, not giving a damn about her torn clothes. She ran not in tears but with determination.
She tried to wipe the bitter memory of her mother from her mind.
Her mother, Roséanne, embodied the typical stepmother found in heroine-villain tales: cunning and calculating, prioritizing her own interests above all else. Rather than fulfilling a maternal role, she served as Lily's mentor, offering strict guidance at all times.
Lily learned her etiquette from Roséanne, enduring verbal abuse whenever she made the wrong move, decision, and choices.
She was always treated as a marionette, constrained and manipulated. At gatherings and events, she portrayed the graceful Lady of the Cardía Clan, yet within the mansion's eerie confines, she was the outcast and despised granddaughter.
Who loves a life like that? No authentic affection or care, only a facade of purity in a toxic atmosphere.
She slowed down to walk—run—brisk walking while realizing a lot of things in her life. The haunting memories illuminated by the moon, and the life she was born into—a life cruelly imposed upon her.
She discard her identity as the dignified young Miss. The perfect example of a graceful lady—the marionette of Cardía. She dismisses the etiquette that constantly haunts her; the bloddy practices, and the surviving game of her bloody family.
Lily lost track of time. But she knew—she always knew the moment she woke up on a flat surface with shrubs on her back—that she was still under her cruel family's land. She was still here—at St. Cardía Flux. The vast land was owned solely by her family.
"Just a little bit more..." she whispered, her knees slowly giving up.
As far as she remembers, There was a huge highway here; that highway led to the Grand Mansion, where she lived for 24 and a half years. South and she's heading there.
She stopped on her track when she found another waterfall. This time, it's not as huge as the first one she encountered. She moved towards there; she knew a few survival tips. Even though the water seems so fresh and clear, she's still not sure what disease-causing living things were mixed in there.
But she couldn't apply those survival tips, not with limited supplies. She's thirsty beyond her level. Her throat is dry, and she could barely make a gulp.
She has no energy left, and she needs water more than anything right now. Left with no choice, she slowly bent down, her hand forming a curve. She reaches out for the water and immediately puts her hands on her mouth to drink the water.
She did it a lot more time before breaking in an extreme headache.
No—no. I must not.
Lily stood up straight, her body swaying as she ran. She didn't mind the branches and stones bumping into her. She continued to run with hazy, blurry eyes until she spotted a light. Running again, she finally reached a road that slowly came into view, and that was her breaking point.
She fainted.