Anna woke up in a soft bed, definitely the softest bed she had ever lain on. Each movement made her feel like she was falling deeper into the mattress, drowning in it. The delicate floral scent made her believe she was not in a hospital. Oddly, she did not feel any pain in her body, maybe aside from a slight headache. She reached her side and felt a fresh bandage wrapped around her stomach.
She opened her eyes and looked around. The room was of imperial decor. Handcrafted furniture full of ornaments was covered by porcelain tapestry. Fancy vanity stood beside the greyoak desk.
A house of a noble family... Fuck.
She was probably in deep shit.
She had no idea what to think. What series of events could make her end up in some noblewoman's bed? Should she run away? But her wounds were tended to. Why would they tend to some commoner's injuries? If they needed her for something, they could leave her in the servant quarters.
Steps from outside the room disturbed Anne's thinking. It was time to act. She stood up. Suddenly and unexpectedly, pain spread through her body. All limbs, all joints, burned with agony. The pain came from deep within; it felt like her bones were drilled through.
She barely limped toward the window. Each step is harder than the previous one. Her plans of leaving through the windows turned out not to be possible. She was on the second storey; additionally, under the window, gardeners trimmed some exotic flowers. It was impossible to leave unnoticed.
"Are you sure, Leopold?" A woman's voice could be heard from just behind the door.
"No turning back now, Lady Cornelia." A second voice answered.
Before she could react, two people entered the room.
First came a young lady with long brown hair and dark eyes. Her look and pose were dignified. Her dress was lavender. Although she tried to hide behind a cheerful smile, Anna felt an odd tension behind it.
Second was a young man of similar height. From his clothes, she guessed he was some sort of servant, probably a butler. He had a serious, even worried look on his face.
She looked at them, and they looked at her. The butler whispered something, but didn't manage to hear what. The lady and the servant look at each other. After an oddly uncomfortable and long moment of silence, the noblewoman cleared her throat.
"Hkm, from today onward, you belong to me and are to serve Shalyb's family. My right hand," she put her arm on the servant's arm ", Leopold, will make sure you are acquainted with the inner workings of the mansion and your daily schedule.
"I..." started Anna", Any questions you have will be answered by him, please do not bother me with them." The lady interrupted, "Additionally, I have one and only one rule for you to follow. NEVER talk to anyone from my family but me.
After those words, she turned around and stepped outside the room.
"And Leopold. After you find a dwelling for the girl, clean my room thoroughly." She said as she disappeared from sight.
Butler Leopold, although oddly nervous, came closer to Anna and bowed politely.
"Although you are of a higher rank than I, I was appointed to take care of you and lecture you about your duties. I'll allow myself to skip honorifics and talk to you as I would with an equal."
He raised his head and looked at her "What is your name, miss?"
Although she had no idea what was going on, she had to adapt to the situation. "I am Anna, as a lowborn, I do not possess a surname," she lied "Could you be so kind, Mr Leopold and explain my situation as well as how I ended up here to me?"
"That is my duty and this I shall do", he replied "You are currently inside the estate owned by the esteemed family of Shalybys. As for your situation..." he moved towards the door, closed and locked it. "It is, in fact, a delicate matter."
"Can you elaborate?" she asked
"Of course", Leopold continued ", Lady Cornelia, the young woman you had the pleasure to meet a moment ago, saved you from the grasp of death. You see, you are the only person to survive a demon attack that happened two days ago in the roots."
"Demon?" Anna raised an eyebrow
"Yes, a demon", butler continued ", Lady Cornelia, because of her interest in the occult and lack of belief in the capability of the police, started her own investigation into this matter. "When the news about the demon attack reached her she rushed to study the place of the attack."
"Okay, so what role do I play in this?" Anna asked
"You are the only one to survive any demon attack that has ever happened in this city. And my lady... allowed herself to step out of line to save you."
"Stepped out of line?" Anna questioned the butler, "In what way?"
"To save you... She used her precious blood and... made you her spawn"
"A spawn?"
"Yes, a vampire spawn. I am afraid that from here and out, you are no longer a regular human but an undead created by Lady Cornelia"