Duke Daughter's Becomes A Hunter

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I looked around. And I found a familiar shop. Designer’s Fashions. I remember it was a commoner’s shop where people buy dresses from the neighborhood where I lived before being adopted. Is it still here? It has been ten years since the last time I saw it. I remember I would always curiously look at the dresses and the owner would always push me away from this shop.

“This girl is here again” a man said in an irritated tone, “how many times do I have to tell you not come here. you only disgust my customers.”

I looked at the familiar face. An old man with grey hair, with wrinkles all over his face.

I backed off in horror.

Why is he still? Didn’t he die ten years ago?

I remember it clearly because I secretly went to his funeral. I just wanted to see him last time, even if he always scolded me, cursed me, but still realized my presence. A child’s heart is always soft. As I saw him standing in front of me, healthily, with the same expression, I could do nothing but run away.

“That girl” I heard him cursing me, “do I look that scary to her?”

I did not stop till I could not see his shop. I looked around, confused. I saw another familiar shop. Crystals and Jems. It was a jewelry shop of the commoners. It looked the same as before. I was never a fan of jewels, so I was never much interested in them. Even in duke’s mansion, I was more interested in dressed then jewelry.

But as I looked through the glass into the jewelry shop, I walked towards the glass, curiously. What attracted me isn’t the shining necklaces and earrings but a small mirror placed among them.

It was a small mirror, big enough to show person’s face and neck. But that is the type of mirror I wanted. I placed my both hands on the glass, that acted as a wall between me and mirror, and looked at it with wide eyes.

No way.

What I found inside the mirror was my younger face. My black dirty hair, my small face, thin because of malnourishment, and my big turquoise eyes. I looked at myself again. My small hands and legs, my small body, it feels more like I returned to my body when I was a young girl.

“Hey, stop staring at them” I heard a boy scold me.

I looked at him. I remember he was the boy who worked for this place. Shouldn’t he have grown up in these ten years? Why does he still look same?

“Why is this girl so scared? Did I scold her too harshly?” he said to himself.

I ran away. I ran away as far as I can. But I found that boy following me shouting me to stop. Hey! Why are you following me? Stay away from me. I am already confused of the present situation. I went and hid behind the flower pots near coffee shop. My small body was easily hidden behind the huge pots.

“Did you hear that the Winfred’s daughter has gone missing in last week’s hunting festival?” I heard a lady talking.

I immediately looked up. There were two noble ladies coming out of the shop. I remember this coffee shop is the only shop where nobles visited. No wonder they had such big flower pots at the entrance. I heard them with open ears.

“Yes. There has been lot of fuss made because of it. There are rumors' that she has been kidn*pped” the other lady said.

“All the newspapers and magazines are only focusing on it nowadays” the first lady said and climbed the carriage, waiting for them.

“Yes, you are right” the other lady climbed behind her.

Charlotte went missing? The empress? No. They said Winfred’s daughter.

The hunting festival? I remember it. Charlotte was only seven when she went missing in the hunting festival. Hasn’t it been eleven years since that incident? Then why is it only a week since the incident? And didn’t they already find her two years ago.

No. Something feels off.

“You are hiding here” I heard a familiar voice.

I looked up and saw the boy from jewelers’ shop. I immediately swallowed hard as I looked at him, horrified.

“Don’t be scared. I am not a bad guy” he said walking towards me, “do you want something to eat?”

He said and took out a box from the bag he was carrying. Inside the box there were sandwiches. Though they looked plain, nothing like those of duke’s mansion, with rough brown bread and cheap jam under them. Still my little stomach rumbled. It was then I realized my hungry stomach.

Though I shouldn’t eat from strangers, but the offer was too tempting to refuse. I did not realize I was so hungry until the food arrived my mouth. I immediately snatched the sandwich from his hand and took a big bite.

“Eat slowly, you can have more” he said but I ignored it and only concentrated on my sandwich.

After eating a dozen sandwiches, my stomach finally calmed down. If I had eaten in this way in the duke’s mansion, I would be looked like a hungry dog with no eating sense. But I am not in the duke’s mansion to care about the etiquettes.

 Now that my stomach is full, I can think clearly about the situation.

“You sure eat a lot even though you look small” I heard that boy say with a smile.

I looked at him suspiciously. Why did he waste his sandwiches on me? I am not his friend or relative? What does he want from me?

“Don’t worry. I am not a bad guy. You are such a small girl, but you seem to have no family to feed you. Even I was like you once, until the owner of jeweler’s shop took me in” he said with a smile.

So it was pity. He wanted to help someone who was in the same situation he once was. I understood then. I don’t hate it. At least for the sake of pity, I filled my stomach.

Suddenly I looked at him. He looks same as I saw him ten years ago. Even that rude old man is still alive. And Charlotte went missing last week. I became someone of my younger self. I suddenly felt the puzzles pieces attaching each other.

“Date? What is today’s date?” I asked the boy.

“Date! Hmm… it is ninth day of third month in the forty seventh year” he replied.

No way. I died in fifty eighth year. Then this means that I travelled back eleven years in time. That is why woke up in the shabby lane in a shabby dress in the same neighborhood where I lived before being adopted. That means I am living the life of a beggar, not yet adopted into Winfred.

A smile appeared on my face.

“What happened?” the boy asked.

“Nothing. Thank you for the sandwiches” I thanked him and ran away.

I stopped in the same lane where I woke up. There were still newspapers flying around. I sat there, thinking deeply.

A year later, duke will adopt me. And this time I should say no to his offer. But will he accept my rejection easily? With their personality, they do not like to listen no. They only want to listen yes. Be it by the other person’s will or not. In my past life, I accepted their offer easily. But if I rebel, will it guarantee my freedom?

No, I can’t take risks.

Going back to the Winfred mansion is the last thing I want. I cannot be their puppet again, craving for their attention.

No.

I looked around if I had anything important. But I had nothing but this shabby dress. I remember that I went empty handed to the duke’s mansion.

Good.

I should run away now.