Chapter 5: One Step At A Time

AMERIE had never slept like a baby before, but she did.

Coming from her past life, she knew how to sleep with one eye open in any case that assassins will visit her at night or it is just Keres, merely destroying her sanity.

Still, she shouldn't feel too comfortable.

Even if she woke up without a threat to her life, that doesn't mean that she escaped her fate.

There is still the probability of that maid following with the plan of the Voulir, but witnessing the scene yesterday, she doubts that will be the case.

Amerie stood up, feeling refreshed, as she headed to a table where a basin of lukewarm water was already prepared for her.

She washed her face to wake her up from her sleepy state then patted herself dry with the towel beside the basin.

While she was doing so, a knock came from the door.

"Young mistress? Are you up?"

Amerie paused for a moment as she sets down the towel, answering the maid from the other side of the door.

"Yes. Come in."

The door creaked open and a maid came in. It was the same maid who spoke out yesterday to Amerie and was proven wrong later that day.

Amerie, who knew what is going to happen next, remained calm.

"Help me change my clothes."

The maid followed Amerie's order without hesitation as Amerie picked out her dress, which is a satin yellow that have minimal jewels but intricate patterns at the hem up to the waist. It was paired with pastel yellow heels.

While helping Ameria get dressed, the maid was silent.

She wasn't doing anything suspicious and was merely helping Amerie, to which Amerie looked at her more closely.

After that, Amerie walked towards her dresser and pulled a drawer, which contains hair accessories and jewels of different colors as well as sizes.

The air was tense, the maid could feel it while she is staring at Amerie's back.

Even if she is older than her, she has this feeling that she shouldn't test the young mistress.

That is what she felt yesterday when they witnessed how the assassin's head separated from his body.

That action should've made the young mistress turn her head away or make her pale, but she was calm and nonchalant about the act.

That made her even more scared.

"Young Mistress…" The maid's voice cut through that silence making Amerie turn to her.

"What is it?"

"…How did you know?"

Amerie couldn't help but smile at the maid's questions towards her.

It may seem like the maid is asking how sure Amerie was when she said she was going to be assassinated or how did she know that the maid is using a device to contact her employer.

All kinds of possible meanings can be interpreted differently and it may seem like the maid is just purely inquiring about it but Amerie knew what she truly meant.

'How did I know you were a spy?' Amerie completed the maid's sentence in her mind.

Amerie stopped browsing amongst her accessories as she turned her body towards the maid, a small smile appearing on her lips.

"You made yourself known, so how could I not?"

The maid panicked when Amerie announced that she was not going, meaning there will be a change of plans and that she has to relay this to her employer.

Besides that, the Margrave sent out an empty carriage to confirm Amerie's words.

If she, the maid, informed the employer about this and they knew about it beforehand then there is a chance they might have proven her wrong.

However, the maid didn't seem to think about it that way and was rather a dull blade, letting her emotions destroy the whole plan of the Voulir while also exposing them to the Margrave.

'As I said before, I have given the Voulir too much credit.'

"B-But, where d-did you heard me…"

Amerie let out a soft laugh.

"I didn't."

The maid looked at her, shocked about Amerie's confession. She couldn't speak nor could she breathe for a moment, thinking about her past actions and where she made a mistake.

'Then, that means that she…!'

Seeing the maid paled significantly as it dawned on her what Amerie did to know who the spy was, making the maid play into Amerie's plan like a blind mouse smelling cheese.

This made Amerie smile widely.

"Now that I said the truth, I wonder what your next step will be."

Amerie walked towards her as the maid looked at her with fear in her eyes.

The soft clanking of her heels seemed loud to their ears as the atmosphere in the room became heavier.

Amerie stopped in front of the maid and smiled sweetly as if she was an innocent child who knew nothing of the world.

She leaned forward the maid as her ruby eyes shimmered in delight, making the maid step backward before falling on the ground.

'S-She…! I'm…! I'm going to die!!!'

"I can't wait to see how you'll act from now on."

* * *

THE weather was nice so Amerie decided to have tea in the garden.

After what happened between Amerie and the maid, the maid was out of Amerie's sight for the rest of the day and even the other maids don't talk to her.

Some of them still held a grudge when she spoke out to Amerie.

Amerie, on the other hand, was calm about it and even felt entertained by how the maid responded to her words.

They aren't threats nor were they encrypted words that she normally uses, they are just plain straight-forward.

'I really want to know what step she would take soon, so I can prepare and deflect it.'

The maid has two choices now.

It is either she proceeds to conspire with the Voulir and be sentenced to death with them or side with Amerie, giving her a safe pass from death and acting as a double spy.

"Young Mistress, would you like chamomile for today's tea?"

Amerie looked at the maid and shook her head.

"I'll have peppermint tea."

The maid immediately bowed her head and went off to prepare Amerie's tea.

Meanwhile, Amerie enjoyed the silence that surrounds her.

She enjoyed the sun; it doesn't hurt her skin as she is under the shade of trees which she felt her body cool down.

The wind was warm, not hot but not too cold, making it a perfect temperature to laze around and drink tea.

"It was a good decision to go to the garden."

Amerie closed her eyes for a moment and feel the nature around her, calming her and making her think straight once again.

Now that she avoided her accident, she has no chance of meeting Keres normally aside from the parties that the royal family throws.

That means, she would have to think of a way to avoid those too.

Amerie opened her eyes and was greeted with a view of the blue sky, sending her in deep thought.

Even if she went back to the past, the facts that happened in the present don't change. The duke's heir is still the rightful prince to the throne and Keres is just a half-blood on the empress' side.

The truth is not revealed yet but Amerie dreaded for the day that it will be known.

If Amerie knew for certain about Keres, he would try to kill the Duke to fully claim the throne.

'It will surely end with a disaster; I'll have to stop it somehow.' Amerie said to herself, sighing.

A few minutes passed and she was quite satisfied, then she noticed the maid coming to her with a kettle of tea.

The maid immediately poured the tea on a cup that was already placed near Amerie.

The tea gave off a subtle minty scent but Amerie could see that it was mixed with honey, her favorite.

Just as Amerie was about to indulge in her tea, she heard a familiar voice that irritates her instantly.

"Sister!"

Amerie turned her head to see who called her, even though her gut is telling her who it was.

'Before I stop the disaster from occurring, I have to focus on this one first.'

From a distance, she saw a familiar blonde girl running towards her with a fake smile on her lips, her eye twitching as she ran in heels to the steep path towards Amerie.

'You're pissed that you ran from the main door to here…Perfect.' Amerie commented as she noticed the fake smile slipping off Amelia's face.

Amerie remained seated when Amelia approached, taking a drink from her cup before acknowledging the intruder.

"Amelia."

Amerie tried her hardest to hold herself back from dumping the tea on that girl's face, her blood boiling when she remembered what Amelia did to her in the past.

<You're crying? How pathetic! Is that how a Margrave's daughter should act? If I were you, I would have stomped them out until they are nothing but specks of dust!>

'Even back then, you are hinting that it should be you.'

Amelia smiled widely at Amerie, unaware of the thoughts that swirl in Amerie's mind as she spoke in an innocent tone.

"Have you been well, sister?"