Darkness. Darkness and a sense of falling. The darkness was everywhere, so deep it felt like it might suck the life from my lungs. It was all around me, pressing in on me with its cold weight. I couldn't see anything, not even the faintest glimmer of light. My eyes were closed, but I could still feel that I was moving. Falling... or maybe floating?

I tried to open my mouth to scream, but there was nothing there. No sound.

Then I started to feel something else. A pressure on my chest. Something warm and soft. And then I realized what it was.

A heartbeat. Mine.

I felt my senses coming back to me. The first was the sense of smell. There was a smell in the air—a sweet, and fresh scent. A scent of flowers. Or maybe fruits? I didn't know what kind of flower it was, but it smelled like one. Was it some kind of perfume?

But there was more than just the scent. I could hear a sound too. A strange buzzing noise that seemed to be coming from afar. Cicadas, maybe? They sounded like cicadas, anyway.

Then the sense of touch came back to me next. It was soft and gentle. Warm. Like someone had wrapped their arms around me.

The warmth continued. It was almost as if I was being held by someone.

It took a moment for me to realize what it was. A soft bed. That's right, I was lying on a soft bed. A breeze blew past me, carrying the smell of flowers and the sound of insects. I opened my eyes.

"Ugh. Where am I?"

I struggled to focus my hazy thoughts. My vision was blurry at first, but I slowly began to make out shapes. The first thing I saw was a pale white ceiling. Then, as my eyes adjusted, I made out a few other things.

There was a window on my left. The blinds were drawn, but I could tell that it was day outside. The sun must have been up. There was also a dresser on the wall across from the bed. It looked fairly expensive, with drawers and compartments.

On the other side of the room, I saw a door. I heard footsteps approaching, and when they stopped beside the bed, I heard knocking sounds.

(Knock, knock)

"Miss Katherine, are you up already?"

A young woman's voice. Not very old, but definitely female. The door opened, and a woman walked into the room. She wore a long black maid uniform. Her hair was a shade of blonde that I'd never seen before. Her skin was very pale, and her face was framed by long lashes and a pair of blue eyes.

She carried a tray with a cup on it. "You're awake," she said. "It's such a good day today, isn't it?" She added a smile to her words.

"Where am I?" I asked again. My mind was sluggish.

"Hmm? What are you talking about, miss Katherine? Are you still asleep? Fufufu~" The woman giggled. This is your bedroom."

'Miss Katherine? Was that my name? Oh wait, no. It shouldn't be Katherine. My name should be—

"Oliver." I think. I don't know. It's hard to remember things. Only that name came to my muddled mind.

"Oliver?" The woman tilted her head in confusion. "What are you talking about, miss Katherine?"

"I..."

The woman walked over to the bed and picked up a glass of water. She offered it to me.

"Here. Drink this. It'll help you wake up."

I looked at the glass. There was a little bit of liquid inside, it looked transparent. Was that water?

I ignored the glass and looked down at myself. I was laying under the covers on an extravagant four-poster bed. The sheets were a deep purple colour, and the pillows were embroidered with gold thread.

"Who are you?" I looked at the woman and asked again, this time in a louder voice.

"Hmm? Miss Katherine, are you really alright?" The woman gave me a worried look. "My name is Rosie. I serve as Miss Katherine's personal maid."

"Personal maid? What does that mean?"

"It means that I take care of you. Cleaning, cooking, taking care of dressing you, and all kinds of other things."

"I see. So, you're a maid?" I asked in a daze.

"Yes, I'm a maid. Now drink this, miss Katherine. It'll help you wake up."

"Thank you," I said, while sitting up and accepting the glass. I drunk the water in one gulp. The woman took the now empty glass from me.

Rosie walked to a small table beside the bed and placed the glass and tray on top of it. Then she returned to my side and asked. "Are you hungry yet, miss Katherine?"

"Huh?" I blinked. After she mentioned that I felt my stomach growl. "Oh, yes. I think I'm starving."

"Okay. Lend me your hand, please. We will freshen you up really quick and dress you up, miss Katherine." She said with a beaming smile.

"O-Okay."

I reached out and took Rosie's hand. She led me to the dresser. As we walked, I realized that I was wearing a light blue nightgown.

After that the woman let go of my hand and went towards the door. She opened it and walked out.

"Rosie? Where are you going?"

"I'll be back soon, miss Katherine. Just wait here for a moment. I will just bring a tub with water. You can wash your face and hands. Please stay still until I return."

I nodded, and Rosie closed the door behind her. I walked over to the wardrobe absentmindedly and pulled open the doors. Inside there were several dresses and skirts. Then I saw a full-length mirror attached to the door.

I faced it and stared at my reflection.

I was wearing a nightgown. With a small ribbon around my neck. My face looked pale, but not too much so. It was beautiful, like a painting. My long hair was a light brown colour, with two strands of blond mixed in. My eyes were blue, like small mirrors. They were a deep ocean blue, but somehow seemed to sparkle.

A beautiful girl. That's what I looked like. I could feel a faint warmth emanating from my body. It was a pleasant feeling. I closed my eyes and listened to the sound of my heartbeat. It was a bit unsteady.

I opened my eyes. My cheeks were a little flushed. I guess I was nervous.

I didn't recognize the girl in the mirror. I touched the mirror with my fingers. It felt cold.

"Who..." I whispered to myself. "Who are you? What's happening to me?" I started to shiver. Tears started to flow from my eyes.

"Miss Katherine?" A voice called out from outside the door. "What's that sound?"

"Rosie!" I cried out. "I... I..."

"I'm coming in!"

I looked at the door. It opened and Rosie stepped inside. She held a wooden bathtub in her arms.

After seeing me crying she put down the tub on the ground and rushed over and embraced me. I hugged her back and sobbed into her chest.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

"Miss Katherine, are you alright?"

"I'm sorry, Rosie. I don't what's happening." I sniffled. "I'm scared."

"Don't worry, miss Katherine. Everything will be alright." She patted my head and smiled.

"Shhh. It's alright."

She helped me calm down. After a few minutes I calmed down enough to talk.

"Did your sickness came out again, miss Katherine?" She asked with concern.

"My sickness?" I looked at her blankly.

"Yes. You are sick after all. For such a young girl you've been through a lot."

"Y... yeah" I wandered what she was talking about. Was I sick. I wasn't sure.

"Let me take care of you." Rosie said, as she went to the tub and picked it up. "Come here."

I followed her to the tub.

Rosie took off my nightgown and my underwear and laid me down in the tub. I felt really embarrassed. I never got undressed in front of anyone before. I think? I felt like a child.

"Miss Katherine, relax." She said soothingly. "Everything will be fine. Just close your eyes and let me take care of you."

I did as she said and closed my eyes.

I felt her hands gently patting my shoulders and back. She washed my hair, and then my body. I felt the cool water washing away all the sweat and haziness of my body.

I felt the warmth of her hands on my skin. It felt nice.

"Rosie, it feels so warm." I said.

"Fufufu~" She giggled. " This Rosie is really happy to hear that. You're still wet, miss Katherine. Let me help you dry yourself."

I got out of the tub.

I felt her hands rubbing my body. They were soft. Her hands glided over my body.

"Rosie, you're touching me everywhere." I blushed. "S... stop it!"

"I'm just helping you dry off, miss Katherine." She giggled. "Haha. How cute of you."

I stood there and watched as Rosie dried me off. What's with this situation? I felt so confused.

"Alright, you are all dry and fresh, miss Katherine." She said. "Your skin is all shiny now. Now let's get you dressed." Rosie went to the wardrobe.

I looked down at my body. I saw a pair of small shapely breasts poking out. I touched them with my hands with curiosity. They felt soft and squishy. I felt my nipples harden.

"Waah!" I cried out in surprise.

"Miss Katherine?" Rosie turned around after hearing my cry. "Are you okay?"

"Oh... yes." I quickly let my hands down before she noticed and blushed. "It's nothing."

"So what dress do you want to wear today, miss Katherine." Rosie pulled out a set of clothes from the bottom part of the wardrobe. They were folded neatly and had a nice scent.

"W... what's this?" I asked.

"These are your clothes, miss Katherine. Fufufu~" Rosie giggled. She really like to giggle a lot, huh? That Rosie.

"I recommend you to wear these, miss Katherine. They'll look lovely on you." She showed me the clothes.

I looked at the outfit. It was a bright light blue dress with a yellow ribbon. The dress looked like it would cover most of my body. There were two buttons on the top of the dress.

"I... I don't know..." I realised I knew next to nothing about woman's clothes.

"Here, let me help you." Rosie took the dress and placed it over my body.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm helping you, miss Katherine." Rosie smiled. "You can try on the dress if you want. You'll surely look beautiful in it."

I blushed and nodded. Rosie also pulled a pair of small white panties and bra for me.

"Here, you can wear these too." Rosie said.

"Th... thank you." I said shyly.

I looked at the underwear with embarrassment. I felt my face heating up.

"Is something wrong, miss Katherine?" Rosie asked.

"N... no, nothing." I shook my head.

She helped me put on the underwear and dress. I felt the material cling to my skin. It felt soft and comfortable. Rosie then led me towards the mirror.

"How does it feel?" Rosie asked. "Do you like it?"

"It feels weird." I replied.

"Don't worry, miss Katherine. You look so lovely." Rosie smiled. "I'll help you fix your hair."

She helped me brush my hair and tie it into a ponytail. She used some kind of liquid to make my hair glossy and shine. I looked in the mirror. My hair was shining and looked really good.

"Wow! You look amazing, Miss Katherine!" Rosie said.

"Thank you, Rosie." I smiled.

"Let's go to the dining room now." Rosie said. She then took out a pair of small shoes from a drawer. And helped me put it on.

We walked out of the bedroom. I was wearing a new dress. It made me feel so weird and a little uncomfortable. Like I wasn't myself.

"Miss Katherine, you look lovely!" Rosie said happily. "Come on, let's go to the dining hall. The master and mistress are already waiting."

"Okay..." I replied.

I followed Rosie to the dining room. While we were walking we were greeted by other maids and servants that were walking around. They bowed to us as they passed.

"Miss Katherine, you look so lovely!" One of the maids said.

"Thank you." I smiled.

"That's great, miss Katherine." Another maid said. "You look so pretty today."

I smiled again. I felt awkward. I felt I was not used to this.

I didn't recognize anyone here. I didn't know any of these people. I didn't know where I was or how I got here. I felt lost.

"Rosie, how many people are here?" I asked.

"Oh, right. You might not know this because you rarely come out." Rosie pondered a bit over my question. "There are a lot of people here, miss Katherine. About fifty. There's the Master and Mistress, and you of course. And your siblings. But there are also a lot of other servants. Including the butler, cook, gardener, maids and other helpers."

"I... I see..." I replied. My siblings. I had siblings?

"Let's go, miss Katherine." Rosie said. "The others are waiting for us."

We went inside the dining hall. A man looking like a master was sitting at one side of the table. A woman was sat opposite him. Two other people sat beside the table. It was a young man and young woman. All of them were wearing beautiful, rich-looking clothes. I looked around the room. There were servants standing beside the wall.

"Master, Mistress, I have brought Katherine here." Rosie said.

"Ah, Katherine." The older man said. "Please come and sit down."

Rosie led me to the table. I did as he told me. I sat down next to the young woman. I noticed she was wearing a beautiful dress different from mine.

The servants brought the food to the table and we started eating. I struggled with a tableware a bit.

'Are they all my family?' I looked at them. I couldn't recognise any of them. 'Do I really belong here?'

"Katherine, you look very nice today." The young man said.

"T... thank you." I stuttered an answer. And smiled unconsciously toward him.

"Tch." I heard a scowl beside me. The young woman - my sister? - looked at me and with a face full of disdain.

"Don't play such an innocent girl, Katherine." She said. "You're just a fool."

"Ech?" I exclaimed with surprise. I was shocked by her words.

"Wh... what do you mean?" I asked.

"I said, you're a fool." My sister said again. "Didn't you hear me? You're just a stupid, foolish, ignorant girl. You don't even know how to speak properly. And look how you eat, like a pig without manners."

"Stop it Roseline!" The master of the house interrupted. "That's enough."

"Yes, father." My sister Roseline said and looked down at the table.

"You were late again Katherine." The older woman said. Her voice sounded cold and harsh. "I'm sorry, but you can't be like that. You need to learn how to behave properly."

"Y... yes." I said.

"Now, Katherine. I want you to listen carefully to what I say." The woman continued. "If you continue to act like this, you will end up in trouble. Do you understand?"

"I'm sorry." I said.

"Hey don't bully our little Katherine, everyone." The young man, my brother Carl, said.

"Calm down, Rianne." The older man talked to the woman. "Katherine is still young. Give her some time."

"Well, that's fine, Leon." The woman Rianne answered him. "But if she doesn't do well, she will have to be punished."

"Punished?" I asked.

"Yes, Katherine." Rianne said. "You must understand that you cannot behave like this, you are a noble lady. If you don't follow the rules, you'll have to suffer the consequences. You can't just spend your whole life sitting in your bedroom. You need to get out more and meet people. You need to start learning about the world outside."

"Yes, mother." I said hesitantly.

""""What?!""""

Everyone looked at me with astonishment.

"W... w... what?" I asked. Did I say something wrong?

"You said 'mother', didn't you?" The older man, my father Leon, said. "You never called Rianne mother. What happened?" He smiled at me. "Are you finally acknowledging her? I'm so happy."

"I... I..." I stuttered. Did I never call her mother before? Why? What's going on here?

"So, our little Katherine is growing up. Haha. It's good to see." Carl said.

"Hahaha! So, you're going to be a grown up real soon and get married soon to a man at this point. I'm a bit regretful to lose our little Katherine. But I guess I have to accept it." my brother added.

"R... right." I said. I wasn't sure what was happening. I felt strange. I didn't know what to say. Marriage? Do I to marry? To a man?

'It feels so wrong.' I thought.

"Katherine." Rianne spoke up. "You don't have to worry about calling me mother. I don't mind you not using that word. But you need to learn to behave like a proper noble lady. We are are not some commoners. We're nobles. You should act like one."

"R... right." I said.

"But..." Rianne's faces looked to soften a bit. There was a hint of a small smile on her face. "I'm glad you're finally starting to see things my way. Now, let's continue our breakfast."

Crash!

There was a sound of breaking glass.

Everyone looked around, startled.

"What?" I asked.

"What's with you Katherine?! You stupid girl!" Roseline shouted at me. "You think you are such a smart girl? You think you're so clever?"

"Wh... wha... what did I do wrong?" I asked.

"You're the stupidest girl I've ever seen!" She yelled. "And I've been a noble since before you were born! I will never acknowledge you as my sister!"

Roseline stood up abruptly and left the room.

"Roseline! Where are you going! Stop!" Rianne shouted after her.

"To my room." Roseline said. "I'm done with this. I'm leaving."

"Oh no." My father Leon said. "Let her go for now, Rianne."

"But..." Rianne started to protest.

"She is just a bit upset right now." He said. "Give her some time. Let's eat."

"Alright." Rianne sighed.

"I'm sorry." I said. "I... I didn't mean to make her mad."

"Don't worry about that Katherine." my brother Carl smiled at me. "It's okay. She is always like that towards you."

"Come on, let's finish eating." Rianne said. "We'll talk later."

"Okay." I said.

We ate for a while longer. After we finished eating, the servants cleaned the table. Then I was brought to my room by Rosie, my maidservant.

"Rosie." I said. "Does mother and Roseline hate me?"

"..." Rosie paused. Then she hugged me tightly. "You will be alright, miss Katherine. I know it must be painful for you right now. But you will be fine. Just give them some time. They will surely acknowledge you."

"Thank you, Rosie." I said.

"It's nothing, miss." She said. "Now, you rest up and try to relax a bit."

I looked at the smiling Rosie. She was the first person I saw when I woke up in this unknown place. She was kind to me. I was grateful to her. If it wasn't for her, my mind might have collapsed already.

"I'll see you later, miss Katherine." She smiled at me and left the room.

I lay down on my bed. I was alone in the room. I felt exhaustion take over my body.

***