[Second life.]

  "Young Miss, Young Miss, it's time to wake up!" A maid persistently said, placing both hands onto the slumbering lady. Sunlight flooded her room from the newly pushed back curtains. Despite the brightness, the Young Heiress was buried under her cotton stuffed silk blankets.

  "Hmm…"

  "Young Miss, hurry! Young Master Altan is here and waiting for you," the maid continued to chastise.

  "Altan?" The heiress repeated in confusion, stirring in her bed and poking her head out.

  "Did you forget? You promised Young Master Altan you'd see him today," the maid persisted.

  Finally, Lina sat upright, touching her head in confusion. She slowly blinked, as her recollection of last night flooded her system. Right, Altan said he had something important to tell her, so she agreed to see him today.

  Lina had grown up with Altan, for he was the son of her father's good friend. Altan Medeor.

  "I had the strangest dream, Estella," Lina murmured, still unable to properly pronounce the new name with her native tongue.

  With the foreign militia seizing a major control of this part of the city, many young women and men took it upon themselves to adopt different names. Lina, as the daughter of theprogressive Yang Family, didn't make the change, despite her close friend Belle doing it already.

  "Belle, it's derived from Isabelle, but also means beautiful in another language," Belle had said to Lina a few months back.

  To this day, Lina couldn't understand the trend of changing names to fit the foreign standard. She kept her ancestral tongue and refused to let any neutral soldier call her any differently, even if they sometimes struggled with the pronunciation.

  "A strange dream?" Estella asked whilst placing the rose petal water basin in front of the young woman.

  "Yes…" Lina murmured, quickly washing her face with the towel and climbing out of bed. She allowed Estella to guide her towards the enormous bathtub in the next room.

  "What was the nightmare about, Young Miss?" Estella questioned, as she helped the young heiress bathe. She washed Lina's hair, sprinkled magnolia flowers into the water, and ensured that there were enough bubbles for Lina to safely clean herself.

  "I didn't say it was a nightmare… but all of a sudden, I do not remember," Lina murmured, cupping the bubbles in her hand and gently blowing on them. Her lips twitched in amusement when they landed on Estella's apron.

  Estella pressed her lips together and gave a pointed look. "You're already twenty, Young Miss, you shouldn't be playing with the bubbles."

  "Oh I know," Lina grumbled, finally deciding the bath was finished as the water was running cold. She shivered as Estella poured a hot bucket of water over her gently, washing off the foam and everything else.

  "Now, Young Master Altan is rumored to be dressed in a finer suit than usual," Estella informed Lina. "You are not to bully him about it, Young Miss."

  "I don't tease him," Lina quickly corrected her. "I tell him the truth.

  "Some men of your standing will take it as a challenge, Young Miss," Estella softly said, easing the silk robe onto her Young Lady's beautiful body. It was no wonder peddlers always tripped over their bicycles when she walked by or men would peer over their morning paper.

  "You remember the last time you teased one of your cousins, you were slapped on the face, Young Miss," Estella murmured.

  "Yes, and Papa pummeled him to the ground," Lina sighed, recalling the event with a deep scowl. That day, her Papa was heavily reprimanded by her grandfather, whereas the cousin was canned ten times for his temper.

  "Ten times too little," Mila, her older sister, had spat out, wishing the cousin was canned at least thirty times.

  "But Altan is different," Lina reassured her maid. "He's a gentle giant."

  "As gentle of a giant as a man whose triad family owns the southern part of the city, Young Miss," Estella reminded her in a stoic voice, giving a pointed look to Lina.

  In this entire city, only Lina would dare to talk back to one of the richest and most eligible men in the city. Whereas other girls swooned at the sight of Altan, Lina would laugh out loud.

  "Oh, you know he will never hate me," Lina said to Estella. "We've grown up together. When we were kids, we'd have fistfights. Now, we fight with our words."

  "You are no longer children, there should be no squabbling in the first place. Now, I think Master Yang has important news for you tonight. You will have to smile, Young Miss, throughout the entire day. Guests will fill up the house soon," Estella stated.

  "Oh yes, our annual dinner. I can already imagine the mess and celebration," Lina said. "But before that, I would like to be in an outing dress, Belle has invited me to her new club!"

  "Club?" Estella echoed. "As in, the ones where singers are on the stage and men converse around a few tables, Young Miss?"

  "The very one!" Lina chirped, offering a bright smile. "My dear businesswomen, Belle."

  Estella instantly laid out a lovely and elegant morning gown for Lina. The gown was simple and white, consisting of silk and pearls. She helped Lina into the gown and zipped it up, whilst pairing the wealthy woman with graceful gold pieces of jewellery.

  "It is a dangerous matter for women to dabble in business. They are not respected. They are not deemed worthy to head a business. Belle could die early without completing her life mission," Estella grumbled. "A club like that is no place for a young lady such as yourself."

  "It's fine," Lina excused. "Papa gave me permission, but only if Altan went…"

  Estella let out a small sigh of relief. "Good good."

  Which was why Lina gave Altan the wrong address and time to meet her there. Her lips curled at the image of his face once he found out he was on the other side of the town and no longer watching over her.

  "Now, let's go greet Papa," Lina said with a grin, turning left and right to see herself in the mirror. The dress stopped at her ankles, making her appear modest, despite the heels she wore.

  "Ah, wait Young Miss—"

  It was too late.

  Lina had already headed for the door and thrown it open. Instantly, she was met with voices that sent her spine rigid and her heart stopping.

  Clyde.

  Lina's second uncle was in the house.