“Uuugghhh!”

A loud groan emanated from inside the carriage. My carriage.

The wooden wheels bumped against the rocky mountain road, jostling the contents of the carriage. Me.

Blazoned across the side of the carriage in purple, gold, and blue was the Jurofisk family crest, a golden-horned purple fish jumping out of the water below. And alongside the carriage, a contingent of soldiers walked while a lonely knight led the way on his stallion. The carriage was pulled by a three-horse team, as was needed in this steep terrain, driven by a coach who held the reins steady.

Ever since I had recovered my previous life’s memories, the carriage rides that I had so adored previously now felt like torture! This is what nobles were subjected to? This?! It was a far cry from the smooth asphalt roads and sophisticated carriage engineering—oh, sorry, car engineering—of my previous life.

‘Why do I have to attend this stupid ball?’

Of course, I already knew. To strengthen the Jurofisk families ties with the Eastern houses. But still.

‘Stupid.’

The carriage made its way down from the mountains and out onto the eastern rolling fertile hills of the Quilroy territory. The road transformed from bumpy rock to bumpy dirt.

‘What an upgrade. Rock to dirt. I’m a veritable alchemist!’

Finally, the dirt road transformed into a stone brick street as I entered the city. I passed the city walls without even a second look, thanks to the nobles crest. The city itself looked normal if one found themselves in 18th-century Europe, but they were a far cry from the skyscrapers of my previous life, with no building over three floors high. The carriage stopped before a metal gate where the knight exchanged words with the spear-wielding guards before they let us in. Once the carriage had stopped, I stood from my cushioned seat and threw the door open, accidentally hitting my carriage driver in the face as he made to open the door for me.

“Who stands in front of a door?” I scowled at the driver while throwing him my handkerchief. “Here. Take this useless thing and clog that snoze, dude.” I shook my head as I jumped off the carriage. “Ga’damn.”

I almost fell over as my prissy heels threatened to break from the impact of the jump.

“These fricken shoes!”

“Lady Elowyn. Language.” The knight reminded me.

‘This guy. You try wearing high heels! Lucky boot wearing bastard!’

“Of course, sir Isaac.”

I smiled at the knight while thinking about how to kick through his armour straight at his nuts.

Turning around, I walked away from the miniature procession that accompanied me on the way here and made my way into the elegant mansion before me, led by a suit-wearing butler wearing silver rim glasses and white gloves.

The mansion itself was made from large blocks of white stone, as almost all noble abodes were made from in this kingdom. The Jurofisk mansion was also built from the famous white stone. The floors were polished and shiny, reflecting the white light from the enchanted chandeliers above.

My heels clicked on the floor as I walked, and my overly frilly pink and white dress swished along with every step. The corset was pressed tight against my skin, tightened until I could barely breathe. And I knew I shouldn't be able to feel it, but the makeup felt suffocating, like there was a wet blanket over my face.

The whole situation made me grind my teeth in annoyance. I didn’t even like these people! Too hoity toity for me.

The butler led me to a closed door. “The party is right through here, Lady Elowyn.” And with that, he opened the doors, revealing the scene on the other side. A sea of bright colours splattered into my eye like unicorn barf. The grand hall was filled with noble ladies, mostly around my own young age, which meant bright colours and no black at all. The far wall of the hall was a series of large windows that reached from the ground to the ceiling and provided a commanding view of the carefully manicured gardens, filled with sculpted hedges and a series of different types of flowers.

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“Elowyn! How good to see you.”

A girl with the same cream-coloured hair as me and dressed in a blue dress with a large blue bow tying her long locks together floated over to me, her feet taking small steps hidden by her dress.

It took me a moment to fish the name out of my newly expanded sea of memories, but I was able. “Adellin.” Another Eastern noble girl, Adellin Werder.

Adellin laughed softly behind a raised hand. “You speak as if you didn’t recognize me at first. But thats just silly.”

“Oh?” My eyes slid away, finding their way to the snack table where there were plates of sugary delights.

“So how have you been? Surviving the dreaded north alright?”

My eyes snapped back. “Yes indeed. The lake has been quiet nice.”

“Huh?” Adellin seemed surprised but caught herself before speaking further. “Oh, well, that's nice.”

‘Oh right. I hate the north. Or more like I used to.’

Yes, it was true. The northern dukedom is a desolate place that I used to hate. But with my past life’s memories returned to me, I realized that it wasn’t that bad. Sure it was cold most of the year, and the environment was a desolate place of mountains and stone, but the people there say what they mean and mean what they say. I had also found a rather lucrative gambling den that I cleaned out almost nightly. Suckers.

“Kekeke.”

Adellin looked at me aghast, and I quickly raised my hand over my mouth, cutting the laugh short.

“Teehee. Is that what a pirate sounds like? I’ve always been curious.” Nice save.

“Oh. I don’t know. I’ve never met a pirate. But from the stories I’ve heard tell of, probably.” Adellin looked away at another group of girls. "Well, I will see you later, Elowyn. Perhaps we could set up a tea time in the future.”

I looked after Adellin as she left, knowing full well what she meant.

‘I want to leave and don’t actually set up a tea time because I won’t attend.’

Yes. A great example of Eastern noble speak. But on the up side, I am free to raid the snacks!

I quickly make my way to the table and grab a cookie to shove in my mouth. The first bite is delicious. The second bite is okay. The third bite is making me frown.

‘What?! I don’t like sweets anymore?!’

I used to be a sugar maniac, but it seems that is no longer the case. The memories of my past life are intruding into this one. What I really crave at this moment is not sugary sweets but, ramen! A big bowl of ramen.

Placing the half-eaten cookie down, I turn away from the snack table while frowning. It seemed that I was still adjusting. Suddenly having another life's memories stuck in your head is confusing. It had only been a week since I recovered the memories, evidently not enough time to fully settle.

A loud bang draws my attention from the cookie conundrum to the rest of the room, where I see a black-haired girl with bright golden eyes covered in what looks to be purple grape juice staining her grey-silver dress and a silver glass still rolling on the floor next to her feet before stopping against her shoe.

Standing facing the black-haired girl is a group of four noble girls, most of whom I recognize, including Adellin, who first greeted me, as well as the girl of the hour whose birthday I was attending, Contessa Quilroy.

Contessa apologized. “Whoops. My bad.”

It took a second for my brain to catch up, but that sounded less like an apology and more like a dig. I shook my head. I had really been slipping in my noble speak ever since these memories made there way to me. I wonder what else I had let slip past me in the last week.

“It looks like I spilt my drink all over your pretty dress. I’m sooo sorry.” That comment drew a series of tittering laughter from around the room, including my own.

“Kekeke-Oomp.” I covered my mouth as my eyes darted around, hoping nobody noticed my new laugh. But it was pretty funny. Contessa obviously just dumped her drink all over the girl.

An idea struck my mind for an even funnier joke.

“I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me, Aurelia Baker. Whoops! I mean Aurelia Thorne.”

Right as Contessa finished speaking, I punched the drenched girl right in the face!

“Kekeke! Wait!” I turned away from the girl who was now holding her bleeding nose to face Contessa. “Did you say Aurelia Thorne?”

Contessa looked at me with a surprised face. “What did you do?!” She shrieked into my ear.

“Ow.” I held my ear. “Are you a freakin banshee?”

The room quieted.

“Whoops.” I said, only to be greeted by more stunned silence.

After a few more seconds of silence, it was suddenly interrupted by the door banging open and the marching of boots against the floor as a few guards flooded into the room.

“What is going on here?” A man at the front of the guards spoke angrily into the silence of the hall, his hand resting on the pommel of his sheathed sword. His obviously more expensive armour and cape marked him as a knight, much to my chagrin.

How much trouble was I in here?