New World, New Life: I Became A Bigshot In The Ancient World
Chapter 52: SHADOWS— UNDER THE VEIL OF NIGHT

Chapter 52: SHADOWS— UNDER THE VEIL OF NIGHT

Aristia looked on curiously as Adeline came to stand before her and opened the chest.

Inside the chest were transparent vials containing liquids of different colors neatly arranged, and folded cloths and cotton.

[Is this like a first aid kit?] Aristia was surprised.

Adeline took out a vial containing pink liquid and dipped the piece of cotton into it, using it to dab on Aristia’s injured hand.

Aristia felt a slight sting, followed by a soothing cool. Adeline then picked up the cloth and started to wrap it around Aristia’s hand.

[Seriously? You have to wrap my hand because of this?] That was what Aristia thought but she didn’t voice it out as she didn’t want to receive a lecture from Adeline.

"It’s done, princess," Adeline said as she closed the vial and returned it to its position in the box.

She returned the box to the drawer while saying, "It will prevent the wound from becoming infected and forming a scar."

"Thank you, Linny." Aristia thanked her.

"It is what I should do, princess," Adeline said, coming to stand in front of her. "Would you like to take a bath now, princess?"

"I would like to rest first," Aristia shook her head, moving to lie down.

Adeline moved to help her. She tucked her in, making sure she was comfortable.

Aristia fell asleep almost immediately her eyes snapped close.

She woke up a few hours later, just as Adeline entered the room.

She paused, seeing that Aristia was awake, before asking,"Princess Aristia, would you like to take a bath now?"

After receiving Aristia’s affirmation, Adeline left to draw the bath.

After bathing and dismissing Adeline, she lay on the bed again, feeling both strengthen and refreshed. It was almost dinnertime and she was waiting for a maid to call her the food was ready.

Not long after, a maid arrived as expected. After dinner, Aristia wished her parents and younger brother good night and returned to her room.

Alaric was once again sleeping in their parents room and Wilson... wasn’t really happy about that.

Aristia chuckled at the thought. She quietly walked out to the balcony, staring at the stars twinkling in the sky and listening to the sound of crickets. She just stayed there, looking up at the night sky and thinking about her situation.

"I don’t think I can change my situation and leave this world... So why don’t I just make the best of it?" She whispered with a sigh.

That was why she made plans about a business; if she was going to stay in this world, why not just live as she wanted and do as she wanted?

She couldn’t beat herself up for something that wasn’t in her control. After some minutes of thinking, she went back into her room.

***

In the dead of night, when not even a single cricket was heard, two shadows appeared on the Grand Duke’s mansion, their figures illuminated by the moonlight.

They silently made their way to the balcony of the first child and daughter of the Amberale Grand Duchy.

The first figure quietly pushed open the door leading to the room from the balcony and entered into her room, stopping the other person from following.

The wind from the opened door made the girl lying on the bed move slightly, hugging the blanket tightly to her body.

The figure silently walked to the girl lying on the bed and gently shifted the strands of hair that was blocking her face as she slept, their hand hovering over her face hesitantly.

"I finally have you back," they said.

After a few seconds, they retracted their hand and carefully pulled the blanket up to cover her properly.

Their gaze remained on her face for a while. Finally, they sighed, "Soon..." They turned to leave as they went back to the balcony where their companion was waiting.

"How is she, Master?" The other person asked as soon as they saw their master come out.

"It worked, just as he said it would."

Silence took over for a moment, then the other spoke, "But Master... the book she read did not contain much relevant or accurate information. Will that not make her misinformed?"

"That is the point of the book, what it is for. The book contained information that could help her be successful. The others do not need to be accurate. I will take care of the other matters." The first person replied, then they inquired about something else. "It seems she has met the boy?"

"Yes, Master. She has." They replied.

"Good. He will assist her, just as he had been doing. Let us leave." The person turned, gesturing to the other who nodded and they left, as quietly and unnoticed as they came.

The night passed peacefully, the inhabitants of the mansion remaining unaware of the visit of shadows, hidden under the veil of night.

***

After the figures left, Aristia had a dream.

In that dream, she was dressed in medieval clothing like the one worn in the book world, but she was a teenager and was inside a room she didn’t recognize.

Suddenly, a figure clothed from head to toe jumped in from the window with a sinister smile.

She was stunned for a few seconds before immediately making a run for it. She stopped at a door in front of her and pulled open the door.

But as soon as the door opened, the scene changed. She was now running in a forest.

From whom, she didn’t know, but she had a guess that it could be the same as the person who was chasing after her previously. What she was sure of was that she couldn’t let them catch her.

Aristia could only watch helplessly as her body moved on its own accord. She could only see what was happening through her eyes as if she was watching a movie that was playing from the eyes of a character.

Her heart beat strongly as she ran, feeling out of breath.

Whoosh!

She heard a sound followed by a patter of footsteps. At that moment her body turned, allowing her to catch a glimpse of a fully clothed person in black who was just within arms length. She couldn’t see his face as he wore a mask.

He stretched out his hand to catch her, his hand just a step away from making contact with her, but just at that moment, her eyes snapped open.

She realized she was covered in sweat. Her throat felt dry. She reached for the glass of water and took in large gulps before placing the empty glass back on the bedside table.

"What was that?" She whispered in bewilderment, the dream still fresh in her mind. The dream felt so real to her.

Her gaze was drawn to the window where light was streaming in. It was morning already.

"I don’t remember closing the window. Maybe Adeline did." She muttered.

Soon Adeline, alongside a few other maids, entered the room to help her get ready for the day’s activities. The maids helped in preparing her bath before leaving the room.

Throwing thoughts of the dream into her mind, Aristia focused on her classes.

She was in the room assigned for her music class now.

"After you have properly learned the piano, perhaps in the future, we shall move on to learning to play the violin." Lady Stella, her music tutor informed.

The main musical instrument for aristocrat females was the piano, but Aristia also liked to play the violin, so she asked the lady to add that to her lesson.

Even though she could play some other musical instruments back in the real world, she wasn’t proficient in them as she was the piano and the violin.

Lady Stella was a lover of music and was deeply pleased when she showed interest in another musical instrument.

After her classes, Aristia left to meet Owen in the servants’ quarters. She sat on a chair placed beside his bed and leaned down, staring down at his face.

He had been bathed and his clothes had been changed. He looked better, just a little pale.

Owen stared up at her face hovering over his and wondered what she was doing. Why was she staring at his face so heatedly?

"How are you feeling?" Aristia sat up straighter and asked.

"Better, your highness. What happened to me?" Owen felt a bit relieved now that she wasn’t so close to his face.

He sat up and tried to offer a bow, but Aristia held him back.

"There’s no need for that. You’re still recovering. When you took the oath, it affected your body which couldn’t withstand it, causing you to fall unconscious." She explained, but added when he looked worried,

"Don’t worry, you will be fine in a few days, after some rest," she waved her hand. "There’s no damage... I think."

Owen looked horrified.

"Relax, I’m just joking." Aristia chuckled.

Owen stared at her in disbelief, before sighing and lying back down on the bed.

"Oh, a servant will be here with your food. You must be hungry." Aristia said, then she got up from her seat. "It is good that you are fine. I will come to see you when you have fully recovered."

Owen nodded and watched as she left the room. Aristia went in search of the butler.

When she found the Butler, she requested, "Butler Henry, please prepare a room close to mine for Owen."

Her aide couldn’t stay in the servants’ quarters. She needed him close to her.

Henry nodded, "As you wish, princess." But, he had to go inform the Master about it first. He definitely wouldn’t be happy to hear that.

"I have already informed Papa about it and he agreed." Aristia said, knowing what was on his mind.

She really had. It had taken her a great deal of time and words to finally get him to agree.

The butler was surprised, but he acted immediately. "I will prepare it right away, Princess." Henry bowed and left, going to make the arrangements as requested by the little princess.

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