A rhythmic, agonizing sound pierces through the fading warmth of the transition light. It isn't a heart monitor, nor is it the roaring ocean of the void.
It is a girl's voice, muffled and desperate, choked with thick, uncontainable sobs.
Who is crying? my mind asks, my consciousness still sluggish as it tries to reanchor itself into a physical form. Whose voice is that? It sounds so incredibly familiar... but my brain is too foggy to remember.
Before my eyes can even coordinate themselves to open, my other senses begin to fire. I can feel the unmistakable texture of smooth, high-threaded sheets beneath my back, a stark contrast to the sterile, thin blankets of my hospital bed. Then, a sudden warmth wraps around my right hand. Someone is clutching my fingers tightly, their trembling hands squeezing me as they weep non-stop right beside me.
Forcing my eyelids to obey, I fight the heavy remnants of sleep and crack my eyes open, little by little.
The blurry, dim shape of a grand, lavish bedroom begins to resolve itself. Sitting on her knees right at the edge of my mattress, her head buried in the velvet duvet, is a young girl in a crisp uniform.
The fog in my mind clears instantly. I recognize her.
"Lily..." I croak, my throat dry and raspy, the vocal cords of Elanore's body feeling entirely unused.
The crying stops instantly. Lily jolts upright, her tear-stained face gasping in absolute shock as her eyes lock onto mine.
"M-My lady?!" she cries, her voice cracking as she throws her hands to her mouth. "You... you have woken up! Oh, my god! I—I was so terrified, my lady!"
Fresh tears spill over her red, puffy cheeks as she leans closer, trembling. "You have been asleep for eight days! A whole eight days! You have no idea how worried I was... I thought you were never going to open your eyes again! You finally woke up! Oh, my lady!"
She breaks down into a heavy sob all over again, burying her face.
Looking at her raw, genuine distress, a wave of pity washes over me. My corporate brain tells me I need to stabilize the environment and calm my only ally down. I slowly move my hand, placing it gently on her head, trying my best to stop the waterworks.
"Just stop it, Lily," I say softly but firmly, offering her a tired smile. "Look at me. I am perfectly fine now. I was just completely exhausted from everything that happened, which is why my body needed a long sleep. There is absolutely nothing to worry about. See? I have come back."
Lily sniffs loudly, wiping her eyes hurriedly with her apron as she tries to compose herself. "O-Okay, my lady. Please just wait right here! I am going to call your family immediately. They were so incredibly worried about you!"
The word hits me like a splash of freezing water.
"Worried?" I repeat, a humorless, bitter laugh bubbling up from my chest. "My family? Are you talking about the Duke, Lily? He was worried about me?"
I shake my head slightly against the silk pillows, my gaze turning incredibly detached. "That is a very funny joke, Lily. You don't have to console me by making up stories, and you definitely don't have to lie to me to make me feel better. I know them. I know exactly what their nature is like. So don't worry about it. I am not hurt anymore, and it won't damage my feelings to hear that they didn't care. It's truly okay."
"No, my lady! You are entirely wrong!" Lily protests aggressively, her voice desperate to convince me. "They were worried about you! This time was completely different, I swear! Young Master Orlando... even though he was completely buried in his academy classes and exams, he still came to your room every single evening the moment he returned home. He sat right where I am sitting just to check on you."
I freeze, my analytical mind instantly trying to find the catch.
"And the Duke..." Lily continues, her voice dropping to a soft, reverent whisper. "He came to visit you late at night, when the entire estate was asleep. I only noticed him by pure chance a few times. He would walk in silently, stand by your bed, and just watch you sleep for the longest time... before leaving without saying a single word. They really do care for you, my lady!"
A heavy, suffocating silence falls over the grand room.
They care about me? No, no, no. That is statistically impossible. People don't just change their baseline behavior overnight. There must be something deeply wrong here.
"Maybe they are just worried that something happened to me, and it will look bad in high society," I calculate aloud, my corporate logic twisting their actions into a strategic move. "Yes, that must be it. They are probably checking on me to make sure I don't wake up and ruin their reputation. They are just checking their liabilities."
"My lady, that's not it—" Lily breaks in, her face twisted with a mixture of frustration and heartbreak.
"Stop it, Lily," I interrupt, my voice dropping into a barely audible whisper, so low that the words barely drift past my own lips. "You don't know them yet... but I have seen their true faces. I don't expect anything from them anymore... That's the only way I can survive in this world..."
Lily strains to hear, but my quiet murmur completely slips past her. All she can gather from the cold, distant look in my eyes is the painful truth: I don't believe a single word about my family's care.
"No, my lady," Lily insists, refusing to back down. She stands up, her eyes burning with determination. "Just wait. I am going to call them right now. You will see their reaction with your own eyes, and you will finally realize the truth. You will see by yourself that they really do care for you. Then you will believe my words! Just wait, my lady. Give me just a few minutes."
Before I can even open my mouth to protest, Lily turns and bolts out of the room, the heavy wooden doors clicking firmly shut behind her.
Left entirely alone in the massive bed, I stare up at the ornate ceiling, my thoughts racing as I try to steady my breathing. Everything is okay right now, I tell myself, forcing my modern, corporate brain to regain control. The contract is active. I have my survival systems. No matter what face they show when they walk through that door, I am ready.
Worried? No way!. I scoff internally, refusing to let down my guard. If something fatal happened to Elanore while under their roof, the rumors would ruin them. People would openly blame them for neglecting or murdering the daughter of the house. They are only spying on my comatose body to make sure no scandalous rumors spread outside these walls. It's pure damage control.
I let out a slow, deliberate breath, steadying my racing heart. I cannot afford to be naive. If I am going to survive this dual life and successfully continue as Elanore, I have to treat this place like a hostile corporate takeover.
They are cold. They have always been cold. I know their true nature, and I will absolutely never commit the amateur mistake of getting my hopes up.
That will be my way of surviving.
"Lily has rushed off to bring the Duke and Orlando to the bedside, determined to prove that their cold demeanor has thawed. But Sara remains fiercely guarded, locked behind the walls of her own cynical calculations.
When the doors swing open, what kind of reaction will the Duke and Orlando show? Will their expressions validate Lily's hope, or will they confirm Sara's darkest corporate theories? How will Sara's newly bound contract system react to their presence?
The confrontation is only moments away. Let's step into the next chapter to witness the family's arrival! Stay with us to find out!"