replaced as a daughter

Seraphina woke before sunrise.

For a few seconds, she forgot where she was. Then she noticed the unfamiliar curtains and remembered the guest room.

She sat up slowly.

Today, she would see her mother.

Before Blackthorn Labor Prison, Seraphina had known everything about her mother's health. She knew her medication schedule, which foods upset her stomach, and how to recognize the slightest change in her breathing.

Caring for her mother had never felt like a burden. It had been one of the ways Seraphina showed her love.

Perhaps that, at least, had not changed.

She dressed and made her way to her mother's private sitting room.

Inside, a nurse arranged medication on a small table while the family doctor examined a chart. Lillian sat beside their mother, holding a cup of warm water.

"She should take the smaller dose after breakfast," Lillian said. "The stronger one makes her dizzy if she hasn't eaten enough."

The nurse nodded. "Of course, Miss Lillian."

Seraphina stopped at the doorway.

She knew that medication. She remembered the dizziness and the adjustments their doctor had recommended before she went to prison.

Her mother glanced up. "Seraphina. You're awake early."

"Good morning, Mother. Have you taken your medication?"

"Not yet," Lillian answered. "We're waiting for breakfast."

"She usually takes it after—"

"Yes, we know," the nurse interrupted politely. "Miss Lillian has been helping us manage everything."

Helping.

Seraphina looked at the neatly arranged medication boxes. Everything was organized, every dose accounted for.

The doctor closed his chart. "Your daughter has been very attentive. She's familiar with your mother's routine now."

Your daughter.

Seraphina wondered which daughter he meant.Then she understood that it no longer mattered.

Lillian had learned the schedule and the symptoms. She had taken over the role Seraphina once occupied so naturally that nobody had noticed the change.

"That's good," Seraphina murmured.

Her mother studied her. "Did you need something?"

The question caught Seraphina off guard.

She had come intending to help. Now she realized nobody needed her to.

"No, Mother. I was just checking on you."

"That's thoughtful of you, dear."

Her mother turned back to Lillian, asking whether she had slept well.

Seraphina quietly left.

Nobody called her back.

---

The estate grew busier as the morning progressed. Servants hurried through the corridors, preparing for the Lycan King's visit.

Seraphina wandered into the kitchen, where a young servant struggled with a tray of glasses.

"Excuse me!" the girl called. "Could you help me take these to the east hall? We're terribly behind schedule."

Seraphina glanced at the tray.

"Of course."

She took it without correcting the girl's assumption.

For the next hour, she carried linens, arranged table settings, and helped organize supplies for the evening reception, nobody questioned why an unfamiliar woman was helping the staff.

Nobody recognized her.

Strangely, the work was easier than sitting alone in the guest room, surrounded by memories of a life that no longer belonged to her, at least the servants needed something from her.

Even if they didn't know who she was.

"Careful with those."

The sharp male voice stopped her as she carried folded tablecloths through the main corridor.

Seraphina looked up.

A tall man stood near the staircase, dressed in a tailored black suit. She recognized him immediately: Darius Blackwood, the son of a powerful Alpha and one of Lillian's strongest supporters. He had visited the Vale estate many times before her imprisonment.

He knew exactly who she was.

His eyes moved from her face to the linens in her arms. Then his mouth curved into a cold smile.

"Well, this is interesting."

Seraphina remained silent.

Darius stepped closer.

"Two years away, and you've already found a new way to make yourself useful."

His gaze swept over her plain clothes.

"Tell me, Seraphina." His voice dripped with contempt.

"Are you doing this because you genuinely want to help, or are you hoping everyone will feel sorry for you?”