I woke up with my heart pounding, my breath heavy and ragged, cold sweat clinging to my temples and the back of my neck.
Then, my eyes shot open—staring at a ceiling that felt familiar. All too familiar.
Silence hung above me, broken only by the sounds of morning in the kingdom—birds chirping, the wind blowing, and frogs croaking from the small lake near the palace.
I rose from the bed with steady steps. Walked over to a small desk, opened the drawer, and found the calendar—dated six months before the Great Catastrophe.
『 She's back. No one knows—except herself. 』
"Damn," I whispered—soft, almost like a murmur.
『 Anastasia sat at the edge of her bed for a long time, unmoving. But her mind was filled with confusion—and emptiness..』
Suddenly, a faint voice came from behind the bedroom door. "Miss, Miss Anastasia. May I come in?"
"Go ahead."
The door slowly opened, followed by the sound of light footsteps.
The maid walked in gently, carrying a cup of warm tea and some neatly arranged biscuits on a silver tray. In her soft voice, she said to me—
"Good morning, Your Grace. I'll open the curtains for you."
She placed the tray on a small table not far from the bed. The thick sky-blue curtains were drawn back, letting sunlight pour in, washing over the marble floor and making the room feel more alive.
Now, the maid could see my face more clearly.
"Oh my goodness!" she gasped. "What happened? Your face is so pale, Miss!"
She looked at me with a mix of surprise and worry, while I simply sat there in silence, expressionless.
Maria kept asking, "Are you alright? Should I call for the doctor?"
I only responded with a shake of the head. But even when she checked my pulse, it was still racing.
Although I turned her down a few times and insisted I was fine, she kept urging me to go see the doctor.
"Besides, today is the day you return to school, isn't it? Wouldn't it be better to get a quick checkup first?"
In the end, I agreed to her request.
Maria gave me a polite nod, along with her usual warm smile, before leaving the room to arrange an appointment with the royal physician.
I glanced toward the balcony as I nibbled on one of the biscuits she had brought.
My eyes were fixed on the window—From here, I could see how vast the palace gardens truly were. White roses bloomed among green bushes, and the small fountain at the center sparkled under the morning light.
It was so peaceful... so very peaceful.
I closed my eyes as a gentle breeze brushed softly against my skin.
『 She may have looked calm on the outside, but inside her chest, her heartbeat was like a war drum. 』
I got up again and walked over to the drawer beside the bed.
My hand moved slowly toward the small drawer, pulling out an old, worn notebook—filled with scribbled poems and diary entries.
I flipped through the pages, reading each poem one by one.
Then I picked up a pen and began to write—slowly.
April 15 — I woke up again, six months before the Great Catastrophe.
I don't know what happened.
But if this is a second chance, then I choose to believe it's not without reason.
There must've been a mistake. I need to be more careful.
A knock came again. "Miss Anastasia, the royal physician is waiting for you in his office."
"Yes, alright. I'll be there soon."
Health checkups before returning to school were mandatory for young nobles. But a few months ago, when I last visited the doctor, he mentioned some dark spots and a few rashes on my back.
Still, since I hadn't felt anything like fatigue—well, I was always low on energy—dizziness, or anything like that, he said it probably wasn't anything serious...
"And yep, nothing strange. Just the usual. Except for those spots."
"You're sure?"
"As long as you're not experiencing any symptoms, I think it's fine. Just let me know if anything comes up."
His sentence ended there. I glanced at his face shyly, and when our eyes met, his smile widened. It felt like sunlight had slipped through the window just to shine on him.
He was handsome—wait, what?
"Understood, Miss?"
I only nodded, saying nothing more.
Maria accompanied me through the corridor since the carriage that would take me to school had just arrived at the palace gate—she came along to see me off.
But then I stopped in my tracks, because a nearby door suddenly opened.
Mother stepped out first, her gaze sharp, brows drawn slightly downward.
Mr. Rhaevorin followed behind. They had just come out of the council chamber.
It didn't look like the meeting went well.
Mother barely looked my way. "Anastasia, are your things ready?" she asked coldly. I straightened up. "Yes, Your Majesty." She gave a small nod, as if my answer barely mattered, then turned away.
Mr. Raev looked at me. His face, which had been stern a moment ago, now softened. With a warm smile, he said, "There you are, Anais. You look different today."
"Really? … Maybe I'm just a little excited to go back to school," I replied, trying to convince him there was nothing strange about me—though I knew he could probably tell otherwise.
He just nodded and went to join Mother.
Mr. Raev—that's what I called him—was my patron. He was the one responsible for me at school.
Every student was assigned a patron. It was a requirement for enrollment.
You know, Mother was completely shocked when she found out I'd received an invitation to the same school my younger sibling was accepted into.
Mr. Raev and Mother were two entirely different people to me.
I couldn't remember the last time Mother touched my cheek gently. Or called my name without giving me an order.
My own mother—whose blood ran in my veins—felt more like a stranger than some of the palace maids who only saw me twice a week.
Mr. Rhaevorin wasn't my father.
Not a relative.
There wasn't even a drop of shared blood between us.
But somehow, his presence always felt more familiar than anyone who was supposed to be family.
All he ever did was simple: sit beside me, ask how my day was, write little letters with words that never felt distant.
He didn't try to replace anyone.
He just came—and stayed.
And for Anastasia, that was more than enough.
I let out a quiet sigh, then looked over at him.
We locked eyes for a moment, and then he reached out his hand to me—offering to walk together to the palace gate.
"Come on. We've got a long journey ahead of us."
I stared at his hand for a second before finally nodding.
· ──────────── ✧ ───────────── ·
The clear sky stretched above us as Mr. Raev and I stepped out through the palace gates.
The royal carriage was already waiting, ready to take us to the school in the capital.
Mr. Raev opened the carriage door for me.
"After you," he said casually.
I got in without saying much and sat by the window.
Once Mr. Raev climbed in and sat across from me, the carriage slowly began to move, leaving the palace behind.
I turned back briefly to wave at Maria.
The ride was quiet.
The sound of the wheels rolling over the cobbled road and the faint call of birds in the distance were the only things I could hear.
Then Mr. Raev broke the silence, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"What are you thinking about?"
I stayed quiet for a moment, then shook my head. "Nothing. It's nothing."
He looked at me for a long time, as if trying to read my mind.
But he didn't press further. Instead, he said casually, "Alright. If you don't want to talk, I won't force you."
The silence returned, heavier this time, and I started to feel awkward.
I didn't want to be rude—but I also couldn't bring myself to say much.
He knew that well. He's the one who taught me that.
And so, the awkward quiet lasted for most of the journey.
He didn't say anything else.
When we arrived, Mr. Raev stepped out first, then offered his hand to help me down.
He also carried my suitcase to my dorm room. He's always been this kind…
A light drizzle began to fall as Mr. Raev stopped right in front of the old wooden door.
He gently placed the suitcase down, then looked at me with a kind expression.
"Let me know anytime you need help. I'll always come."
His voice was warm, before he turned and walked away without looking back.
His footsteps faded down the long, empty corridor.
Once his figure disappeared, I let out a soft sigh and reached for the doorknob.
When the door opened, there was no one inside.
Just the other empty beds, a large window facing the inner garden, and the desk I used for studying and writing letters.
No roommate. And for that, I was quietly grateful.
The silence greeted me like an old friend.
I walked slowly toward the bed closest to the window, placing my suitcase down without a sound.
A thin layer of dust clung to the surface of the small table beside the bed.
『 She locked her room again. There was no sound—except for her own breathing, heavy and uneven. 』
I walked to the window, pulled aside the sheer curtain, and looked out at the dorm courtyard below.
Then my gaze shifted—to my own reflection in the glass.
The face looked young, fresh, untouched.
But the eyes—empty. No light, no color.
That feeling slowly twisted into something anxious.
One of my hands lifted, trembling slightly, and clutched the fabric over my chest—tight.
『 As if she were holding something fragile inside herself—afraid that even the smallest crack would shatter it. 』
I closed the curtain again and began rummaging through my suitcase. There wasn't much inside—just a few books and spare clothes.
I pulled out my diary and a pen.Then I moved to the edge of the bed. Opened the last blank page—and began to write, firmly:
Day: 0
School begins again.
Time left: 6 months.
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