Dannep tried to move but it was in vain; her body floated in an immovable position as the woman in white approached.
"Am I dead? Did Ilyss kill me with magic? Or did I drown in the bath?" Dannep thought as she watched the figure come closer.
"Dannep, my daughter, your magic is still weak, but the magical link I created will last for a while until you can call me yourself."
"I don't have much time, so I will be direct. My daughter, you look beautiful—truly, you have grown strong and tall. I am very sorry for abandoning you, but we could not leave you with us."
The woman hugged Dannep's body, who could barely process what was happening.
Was this woman her mother? Why? How? Was she dead too, and that was why they could see each other?
Dannep's mind was a nest of questions; every word she heard from the woman created a new mystery.
But she could not respond because her body was paralyzed. It was frustrating, yet Dannep limited herself to listening—after all, she could not do much.
The woman's body began to become less tangible. Seeing this, she quickly stepped away from Dannep and began to speak:
"It seems you have been in a place where magical influence is high. Perhaps that is why you finally managed to release your magic. Dannep, my daughter, we need you to achieve what we could not."
The woman's body began to fade while the water started to take on a reddish tone similar to blood.
"Kill her, Dannep, kill her. You must avenge us, avenge our people. You must avenge your sisters—kill that monster. She was only a child back then, but we did not pay attention to that, but..."
The woman's face was the only thing left of her figure. Blood began to flow from her eyes, and her entire forehead showed marks of burns and cuts.
Dannep was instantly frightened. This was not normal—if this was the place of the dead, she was not happy with her welcome.
"You must kill Ilyss, Dannep. Kill her or the world will be destroyed. Do it for us, it is your mission. After all, you are a..."
Before she could finish her words, the woman's face lost its eyes before disappearing completely from Dannep's sight.
"KILL HER, DANNEP!"
Splash!
"Ha… ha… I'm… where am I… alive?"
After hearing that final scream, Dannep returned to the bathtub where she had been. Apparently, she had been asleep this entire time.
"That… was it a nightmare, right? But it felt very real—too real." Dannep began touching her entire body, trying to confirm that she was alive.
After doing so, she stepped out of the bathtub and returned to her room.
"But… what if it wasn't real? That woman said I was her daughter, but I don't remember ever releasing my magic… And above all..."
The words and orders the woman had given her—kill Ilyss? Why? Besides, it was impossible. Who could kill the demon queen?
"But… maybe Ilyss knows something about me that I don't know. Maybe my past, and why I was abandoned, are in this castle."
Dannep looked around the entire room, but then she closed her eyes and shook her head.
"No, no Dannep. You are only a servant. She is your master. Your past does not matter. Whatever she has done does not matter. The only thing that matters is sister Layla and being useful to Ilyss."
After scolding herself for having those kinds of thoughts, Dannep closed her eyes and simply went to sleep.
"Good morning."
She said this after arriving at the kitchen, ready for breakfast. Unlike yesterday, she wanted to be useful to the others.
"Ahhh, if it isn't our beauty from Viremont. Sit down, dear, today we have pancakes made by Martha."
Silvia said while serving Dannep four pancakes with honey and a glass of hot milk to go with them.
"I hope you like them. I added a lot of protein so you can gain weight and be strong like me," Martha snorted while striking a biceps pose.
"We will not let our model turn into a buffalo like you, so forget that idea," Zafiro replied in her usual manner.
"Who are you calling a buffalo, dwarf?" Martha responded.
"Alright, alright girls, just eat already. We have work to do," Silvia reproached them.
"Yeah, should we go wake Yumi up or wait until noon?" Zafiro asked while biting into her pancakes.
The name Yumi instantly unsettled Dannep; all the memories of last night's scene were vividly in her mind.
"Uhh… girls, can I ask a question?" Dannep asked for permission.
The others fell silent in response so she could speak, and Dannep felt a little nervous about what she was about to ask.
"You… I mean, you know what kind of relationship Ilyss and Yumi have, right?" Dannep asked, burying her face in her hot milk.
She's an idiot. How could she ask something like that? No, they will think she's a pervert, she thought, filled with embarrassment.
The others stayed silent for a few seconds, but Silvia made a troubled face and spoke.
"I told you Dannep's room was too close to Ilyss's. God, God, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry Dannep. We really didn't want you to hear that indecent woman moaning when you were trying to sleep."
Silvia apologized while putting her hands on her forehead, apparently believing herself responsible.
"When I see her, I swear I'll beat her up. How dare she make that kind of first impression? We told her that whatever she did, she should at least be a little discreet until we explained things to you," Martha added angrily.
"If it made you uncomfortable, just say it. I can switch rooms with you if you want," Zafiro suggested worriedly.
Actually, I was the one spying on them… Dannep thought as she watched the scene.
Everyone knew the kind of relationship Yumi and Ilyss had. Dannep felt more relieved; it seemed that Ilyss's words toward her had only been a way to amuse herself.
"We can use a spell to wake her up, and I can create rain over her so she wakes up all messy," Zafiro said while pulling out her wand.
"Hey, hey, what did we say about using magic inside the castle, Zafiro?"
But to the surprise of the four of them, a voice joined the conversation. Dannep had never heard it before.
When she turned around, she saw a woman with short white hair. She was a little taller than Ilyss and carried a sword at her waist while crossing her arms as she observed the scene.
But what caught Dannep's attention were the woman's blue eyes as she approached and took one of the pancakes.
"Oh, I didn't know you were here, Seraphine. When did you arrive?" Silvia asked while serving her hot milk.
"A few hours ago. Taking care of the garrison is difficult. Oh? And who is this beauty?" Seraphine asked while looking at Dannep.
"I am Dannep, nice to meet you," Dannep replied with a slight bow.
"No, forgive my manners. You are very beautiful—I should do this properly." After saying that, the woman knelt down to kiss the palm of Dannep's hand.
"Nice to meet you, Dannep. Allow me to introduce myself—I am Seraphine, Seraphine Argent."