Annalise

Today, the sun was shining brightly, and the air was filled with the sweet fragrance of flowers and the sound of birds singing.

The garden at the Duke's Castle was grand and magnificent. In the garden I was in, dozens of different flowers decorated the flowerbeds, creating a lush, vibrant scene. It was truly a sight to behold.

This was the view I had as I started my jog.

After running for about ten minutes, the sun became unbearably hot and blinding. The once pleasant bird songs now sounded like noise in my ears, and the sweet scent of the flowers became overwhelming.

Before I knew it, the colorful flowerbeds had turned into a sea of bright red roses. Out of breath, I collapsed onto the grass.

I had no choice. I had to choose between dieting and exercising, and dieting was not an option for me, no way.

I had a huge appetite, but what made it worse was Mila's increasing motherly affection toward me. She often brought me all kinds of desserts and snacks. Under her constant feeding, I couldn't control myself and ended up overeating.

She was so kind to me, and I was really touched. Just a moment ago, she had even suggested jogging with me to ensure my safety. However, after we had run for a while, the head maid had called for her to help with something.

Before leaving, Mila asked the other maids to watch over me, but they all claimed to be busy—though it was clear they had nothing to do.

Not wanting to make things harder for Mila, I told her I enjoyed the peace and quiet of being alone. Only then did she reluctantly leave with the head maid, still worried.

It was really wonderful to have Mila as my maid. I was so lucky to have her.

Besides, the novel had mentioned that although Ysabel was the Duke's daughter, she actually lived in a secluded part of the servants' quarters.

She was well-behaved and never ran around, rarely seeing the Duke or the others. She quietly grew up like a flower blooming unnoticed in the corner.

Since I rarely saw these people, my life was still peaceful and comfortable. No one else dared to hurt me.

I had that dream again.

Lately, I hadn't been thinking much about the memories of my past life, but some fragments had stubbornly stuck in my mind, haunting me in my dreams.

I remembered one time during a school outing when a group of girls locked me in a storage room at the scenic spot.

Hours later, when the door was finally opened, I found that the school bus had already left. No one had noticed I was missing, and naturally, no one came looking for me.

Things like this always happened to me.

Once, my bag was stolen, and I had no choice but to walk back. The road was freezing cold in the middle of the night.

By the time I reached home, it was already dawn, and my roommates were waking up and heading to the bathroom to get ready. I was dizzy, my face pale from the cold.

I went to school as usual that morning. Neither the teacher nor my classmates said anything. Did they not know? Or did they simply not care?

Sometimes, I thought—if I disappeared forever, no one would even notice.

I frowned in my sleep as someone poked my face.

So annoying! I turned over to avoid it, the fresh scent of grass filling my nose.

"Who are you? Why are you in my garden?"

A frustrated voice came from above. I cracked my eyes open slightly, and all I saw was a patch of green grass. I had fallen asleep in the garden!

I immediately jolted awake, sitting up so quickly that I nearly bumped into the chin of a girl who was crouching in front of me.

Her light brown eyes glowed like sparkling amber, with the edges slightly lifted, giving them an almost magical charm.

She stared at me, expression serious, not even hinting at a smile. Her fair cheeks had a healthy flush of pink, and her thick, wine-red hair was as vivid and fiery as the roses blooming around the garden—so striking, it felt like it could pull you in and hold you captive.

There was no mistaking it—she was the only one in the entire book who could wield such sharp, intense beauty. She was the Duke's daughter, the infamous villainess of the Velmont family—Annalise Velmont.

When she caught me staring at her in silence, she grew even more impatient. She looked down on me, sizing me up with a cold gaze.

"Are you the servant's child? Answer my question," she demanded.

I quickly answered, worried I might upset her. "I'm Ysabel. I was adopted a month ago. Sorry, I seem to be lost and can't find my way out."

Annalise was like a rose with thorns—but calling her just "thorny" didn't even begin to capture how dangerous she was. She was a rose with a scythe? Maybe?

Anyways, I couldn't afford to cross her.

She's as cruel as she was pretty.

"Who adopted you?" she asked.

"The Duke." As soon as the words left my mouth, her face darkened. She wore her emotions on her sleeve—nothing like Cedric.

At least with Annalise, I didn't have to guess what she was thinking.

But I was still wondering—Was she angry? Did she not know about her new sister?

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, a voice called out from a distance.

"…Miss! Ysabel, Miss!"

I was saved!

Mila had finally spotted me. Panting, she rushed over, leaning on her knees to catch her breath.

After a moment, she looked up, a little out of breath and frustrated. "Miss Ysabel. How did you end up here…"

Only then did she notice Annalise standing beside me. Mila immediately softened her tone. "My Lady, I'm so sorry for this."

Annalise didn't answer, but her warm brown eyes flashed with anger. Without a word, she turned and walked away, her fiery red hair brushing against my arm, leaving a burning sensation behind.

Once Annalise was out of sight, Mila sighed in relief. She crouched down to adjust my dress, sweat glistening on her pale forehead. "Miss, this is the late Duchess's rose garden. You must never wander in here again…"

I pulled out a small handkerchief from my pocket, one Mila had embroidered with a cute little white bear, and used it to wipe the sweat from her forehead.

She looked at me, surprised, her voice trailing off.

I asked, "Have you been looking for me the whole time?"

Mila gave a helpless smile. "Yes, Miss. I was so worried, I ran all over the estate looking for you."

Seeing me go quiet, Mila grew concerned. She gently lifted my arm to check if I was okay. "Are you alright? Did she hurt you?"

It was hard to believe how much she cared about me. To think someone would be that worried just to find me.

"I'm fine," I said as I stretched out my arms, and Mila instantly understood, scooping me up into her arms.

Her embrace was warm and comforting. I rested my cheek against her neck, feeling a peaceful sense of safety.

"Mila, thank you for coming to find me," I thanked her sweetly.

She hugged me tighter. "Of course, Miss Ysabel! You're freezing, and you smell like fresh grass. Did you fall asleep on the lawn?"

I felt a bit embarrassed. "Yeah… sorry for causing you trouble."

Mila shook her head. "No trouble at all. Let's get you back inside and into a warm bath. You can't get sick!"

Mila quickened her pace, and as I rested on her shoulder, I looked up and saw the top floor of the castle, the Duke's office, with shadow leaving the window.