No One’s Pov

Lily slowly opened her eyes, a sharp ache throbbing in her head. As the deep fog in her mind began to clear, she looked around, and her breath completely caught in her throat.

"This is..." she muttered, her voice sounding strangely high and squeaky.

Stunned, she looked down at her hands. They weren’t the bloody hands of a trained fighter anymore. They were covered in thick dirt, incredibly tiny, and trembling with weakness.

She looked at her clothes- she was wearing nothing but a ripped, filthy rag of a dress that barely kept out the cold. Looking through the rusty iron bars in front of her, she saw crowds of shady people loudly bidding and shouting.

She was sitting in a dark, smelly slave market. And judging by her small body, it looked like she was only around 12 years old.

The truth hit her like a cold water. The portal hadn’t killed her. It had thrown her back in time, forcing her back into her own past. The worst part was, as the seconds ticked by, her mind grew fuzzy. The memories of Vivien, the modern world, and the tragic fight with Enzo began to fade away rapidly into nothingness until she couldn’t remember anything about her future and past anymore.

All she knew was the harsh reality right in front of her. She hugged her small knees tightly to her chest and buried her face in her arms, her tiny shoulders shaking. "Those horrible days are starting all over once again," she muttered miserably to herself, dreading the brutal training and torture she knew she would have to face.

Suddenly, a bright voice shattered the gloomy atmosphere of the slave market.

"My Lady! Please, don’t run around here! This is a completely bad and nasty place! Your expensive gown will get absolutely dirty!" an older man’s voice yelled out from the middle of the crowd.

"Alright, alright! Stop worrying so much!" a sweet, melodic giggle came in response.

Hearing that beautiful, carefree sound, Lily subconsciously turned her head toward the bars. Her dark eyes locked onto the little girl walking through the filthy marketplace. The stranger was wearing bright, colorful clothes that looked like they belonged to royalty, and her long, silky hair was glowing bright red under the hot sun. To Lily, she looked exactly like a beautiful fairy who had mistakenly wandered into hell.

Suddenly, the little girl stopped walking. Her bright eyes scanned the dark cages, and her gaze fell directly on Lily’s miserable form.

Feeling exposed and deeply ashamed of her filthy appearance, Lily quickly turned her head away, staring at the dirt floor to avoid her look.

But she heard the soft pit-a-pat of small shoes approaching her cage. Soon enough, the little girl, who seemed to be only around 7 or 8 years old, walked right up to the iron bars. She pointed a small, delicate finger straight at Lily.

"Her... I absolutely want her!" she said loudly, her cute, childish voice echoing with stubborn authority.

Lily slowly looked up in total shock. Through the rust and the dirt, her heart gave a strange, familiar throb as she stared at the little girl who had just chosen her, completely unaware that their fated bond was beginning all over again.

"But My Lady, she is absolutely filthy! Look at her small body, she has no flesh on her bones at all. She can’t even protect herself, let alone a precious lady like you!" the senior maid standing beside the girl protested, looking at Lily with deep disgust.

Lily slowly lifted her head and gave the talking maid a freezing glare that felt entirely too dangerous for a twelve-year-old child.

Seeing that terrifying look, the maid instantly shut her mouth and took a nervous step backward.

The little red-haired girl stomped her small foot hard against the dusty ground, her cheeks puffing up in anger. "I said I want her, and that means I want her!!!" she said stubbornly, crossing her arms and refusing to budge.

"Okay, okay, My Lady. We will purchase her for you right away," the family butler sighed, quickly handing a bag of coins to the greedy slave trader.

Soon after the transaction was finished, the rusty iron lock turned, and Lily walked out of the cage. Even though Lily was technically several years older, her severe malnutrition made her look almost the exact same height and significantly more skinny than the pampered little girl standing in front of her.

"Hmm... you really are so small and frail. I guess I will just have to feed you very well from now on!" the little girl said cheerfully, tilting her head as if she were talking about a cute new pet she had just adopted.

Lily didn’t say a single word. She just calmly and silently followed a half-step behind her new savior.

As they walked out of the dark market alley, Lily looked at the luxurious black car parked right in front of them. It was a very expensive vehicle, and she knew it instantly despite her hazy memories. Her instincts were completely right; this strange little girl belonged to an incredibly rich and powerful family.

The moment they finally reached the grand, sprawling mansion, the little girl immediately ordered her staff to give Lily a thorough bath, feed her a warm meal, and prepare her properly before showing her up in front of the playroom again. The maids rushed into action, dragging Lily to the washrooms. They aggressively scrubbed her tiny body until her pale skin turned bright red, washing away years of dirt and filth until she finally looked presentable.

Finally, after dressing her in a set of clean, simple clothes, the head maid started leading her down the long, carpeted hallways toward the young lady’s private room. But on the way there...

Bump.

Because she was staring down at her new shoes, Lily accidentally bumped directly into a tall figure turning the corner. The maid following behind her went completely pale, her entire body shaking as she looked up with a nervous, terrified expression at the person blocking their path.

Lily slowly looked up, her dark eyes meeting the gaze of the person she had just run into.

Standing right in front of her was a young boy who looked to be around 14 or 15 years old. Apart from the little red-haired girl she had met earlier, this boy had a highly unique appearance.

His soft hair was a striking color that sat perfectly between a bright white and a pale blonde, gleaming under the hallway lights.

However, even though their hair colors were completely different, he and the little girl shared the exact same glowing, sharp eyes. Lily quickly assumed that this arrogant boy must be her new little lady’s older brother.

The boy stared down at Lily, his expression shifting from a brief moment of surprise to deep annoyance the moment he noticed her cheap, plain servant attire. "Who is this? How dare a poor, little thing like you bump into me?!" he shouted, his young voice echoing down the grand hallway.

The maids standing behind Lily looked at each other in sheer panic. They nervously stepped forward, their hands trembling as they tried to explain the situation to the angry heir. "Young Master Lucian, she is- "

"Did I ask you?!" the boy snapped, turning his glare toward the servants and cutting them off instantly. "Why are you opening your filthy mouths right now? I asked her, so she will be the one to answer me. Answer me, you filthy girl! Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?"

Lily, whose memories had been completely wiped clean by the mysterious portal, couldn’t say her own name even if she wanted to. She didn’t know who she was, where she came from, or why she was here. So, she just stood completely still, remaining entirely quiet as she silently stared up at the furious boy. To her, he looked very pretty, but his attitude was incredibly annoying.

"Can’t you talk?! Are you a mute or what?!" The young master became extremely impatient, his pale face turning bright red with pure anger at her total lack of response. He hated being ignored, especially by a servant.

When Lily still didn’t say a word, a sudden rustling sound came from inside his silk sleeve. Slowly, a long, slender green snake slithered out from his cuff, wrapping its scales tightly around his forearm. The snake hissed softly, its tiny tongue flicking out into the air as it stared directly at Lily’s face.

"If you don’t start talking right this second, I will tell her to bite you to death!" the boy warned with a malicious smirk, stepping closer to shove the dangerous creature right in front of her eyes.

"Brother!" a high-pitched voice suddenly interrupted them from down the hallway.

The tiny red-haired girl from before came running, her colorful dress fluttering behind her.

She pushed past the terrified maids, ran straight up to the boy, and stood firmly in front of Lily like a tiny shield.

"Why are you bullying her?!" she demanded, glaring up at her older brother with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.

The boy glared right back at her, his expression twisting in annoyance as he pointed a finger at Lily. "So, this is your new servant, huh? She is the one who blindly bumped into me! Both of you will pay for this disrespect!" He raised his sleeve higher, making the slender green snake hiss aggressively toward them.

The little girl didn’t look scared at all. Instead, she slowly looked down at her small wrist, checked her watch, and a clever smirk spread across her face. "Oh, really? Or should I go tell Daddy right now that instead of taking your private tutoring classes, you are running around the hallways playing with your stupid snake, hm?"

Hearing her words, the young master’s eyes widened in pure panic. His face turned pale as he realized he had been caught slacking off. "You- you absolute brat!" he sputtered, completely losing his confident stance. Knowing he couldn’t win this argument, he quickly pulled his snake back into his sleeve and turned around.

"Hmph!" With that angry grunt, he stormed off down the corridor, running away before his father could catch him.

Though neither of the young girls noticed it, the boy’s ears had turned a deep, bright red the entire time he was looking at Lily’s face.

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TO BE CONTINUED