Chapter 4
After a while, Aurora turned away from the balcony and walked back into her room.
The reality of her situation was finally beginning to settle in. She was no longer Aurora Hart, the daughter of Sarah and Mike.
She was Aurora Ambrose once again, Daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Ambrose.
The thought left a bitter ache in her chest.
She rang the silver bell on the table. A few moments later, one of the maids entered and bowed.
"You called, My Lady?"
Aurora recognized her immediately.
Anne.
Anne had been serving at the Duchy since she was thirteen years old.
Her parents owned a small farm on the duke's lands, but years of poor harvests had left them struggling.
To help support her family and pay their rent, Anne had come to work at the manor.
She was a quiet, hardworking girl who stayed away from gossip and devoted herself faithfully to her duties.
"Draw me a bath, please," Aurora said.
"At once, My Lady", as Anne hurried away, Aurora walked toward her wardrobe. The moment the doors opened, rows upon rows of extravagant gowns greeted her.
Aurora stared at them in disbelief, "Oh, dear God..."
She buried her face in her hands, how had she ever worn these every day? Heavy skirts. Tight corsets. Layers of fabric. After spending twenty-eight years in a world of comfortable dresses, jeans, sneakers, and T-shirts, this felt like torture.
Then another realization struck her. There were no electric lights. No refrigerators.
No internet. No mobile phones. No Netflix......Aurora groaned, the more she thought about it, the more inconveniences she remembered.
At least she had her memories. With knowledge from her second life, perhaps she could improve some of these things. The idea brought the first genuine smile to her face that morning. Maybe being back here wasn't entirely a curse.
By the time her bath was ready, Aurora had already begun mentally listing inventions she could introduce to the Duchy.
After bathing, she selected a simple lavender gown. Instead of the elaborate hairstyles noble ladies favoured, she left most of her hair loose. She pinned two strands neatly behind her head and cut a soft fringe across her forehead.
The style was simple, elegant and natural. And completely scandalous by noble standards. When she turned around, she found Emily, Anne, and the other maids staring at her.
No one spoke for several long moments, the room remained silent.
Then Anne's eyes widened.
Emily blinked repeatedly.
The other maids looked as though they had forgotten how to breathe.
Aurora raised an eyebrow, "What?"
The women immediately lowered their heads.
"Nothing, My Lady," Emily replied.
But Aurora noticed the astonishment on their faces, she almost laughed.
In her previous life at the Duchy, she had spent hours wearing complicated hairstyles adorned with jewels, ribbons, and ornaments. Yet somehow this simple appearance made her look more beautiful than all those extravagant creations combined.
As Aurora walked through the manor and into the gardens, servants stopped what they were doing. Knights turned their heads. Gardeners froze mid-task.
Whispers followed her path. No one dared approach.
Emily's warning from earlier had spread throughout the estate. Everyone believed Lady Aurora was in a terrible mood. Instead, they found themselves staring at a young lady who seemed completely different from, the one they had known yesterday.
Aurora ignored the attention and settled beneath a large tree in the garden. For the first time since awakening, she enjoyed a peaceful breakfast.
The morning breeze carried the scent of flowers through the air.
It reminded her of weekends spent with Sarah and Mike.
The memory caused a familiar ache to settle in her heart.
She missed them, more than she could ever put into words.
She would never hear her mother's laughter again.
Never listen to her father's stories. Never celebrate another birthday with them. The loss felt fresh all over again.
Aurora lowered her gaze and silently wiped away a tear before anyone could notice.
Just then, footsteps approached.
"Lady Aurora."
She looked up to find Philip, the butler, standing nearby. Philip had served her father since the duke's youth and was among the most loyal people in the Duchy.
"You have received a letter from His Highness, the Crown Prince."
Aurora nearly rolled her eyes, "Please read it."
Philip opened the letter.
Philip finished reading and lowered the letter.
Aurora calmly sipped her tea. Every word sounded perfectly polite, perfectly proper.
Perfectly written by the Queen. She almost laughed. Lucian himself probably felt relieved.
In her previous life, she had chased after him endlessly, desperate for his attention.
Now she saw things clearly. If given the choice, the Crown Prince would likely celebrate having one afternoon free from Lady Aurora Ambrose.
"Thank you, Philip," Aurora said, "You may return to your duties."
The old butler looked surprised. Usually, any letter from the Crown Prince would leave Lady Aurora smiling for days. Today she appeared completely indifferent.
After breakfast, Aurora made her way to her father's study. The moment she stepped inside, she froze. The familiar room looked exactly as she remembered. The large desk and the overflowing bookshelves. The comfortable couch tucked into the corner.
When she was little, she would spend hours sitting there, sipping tea and talking to her father.
A painful longing filled her chest. Unexpectedly, her thoughts drifted to Mike.
Her father from her second life. She remembered his study as well, medical books scattered across the desk, research papers spread across the floor, his laptop open to countless medical journals.
He would become so focused on helping his patients that he often forgot to eat. Sarah used to scold him constantly.
Aurora smiled through the tears forming in her eyes.
As a child, she would sit beside him colouring while he worked. Later, she would study with him. Discuss medicine with him. Learn from him.
Sarah always joked that Aurora was Mike's miniature copy. The comment never failed to make guests laugh during family dinners.
A tear slipped down Aurora's cheek, and she quickly wiped it away.
She had been blessed with two fathers.
One who had given her life in this world.
And one who had taught her how to truly live.
Both had loved her beyond measure.
And this time...
This time she would save the father she still had.
No matter what it took.
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