LIGHT NOVEL Chapter 2: Chapter 2. What Did I Do?
Sienna-Rose's breath caught in her throat as the realization dawned upon her. "Olivia Ashburn, Claire Bishop, Sophia Davies, and Haley Campbell..." she muttered under her breath, the names rolling off her tongue with a familiarity that sent a shiver down her spine.
She had found herself waking up inside the very game she had played and complained about for the past year, and now she was waking up in the midst of it all.
The shock of the situation overwhelmed her, and she let out a desperate scream, her hands clutching at her head as she struggled to make sense of it all.
After taking a few deep, steadying breaths, Sienna-Rose forced herself to meet the gaze of the four women surrounding her. Their expressions ranged from concern to disbelief, and she felt a pang of guilt for her outburst.
"You okay?" The pink-haired beauty asked, her voice laced with a gentleness that caught Sienna-Rose off guard.
Sophia Davies, the only child of a wealthy merchant family from the city of Aetheria, relocated from all the conveniences of her home in the east. Motivated by ambition and a desire for fresh starts, her parents had chosen to move their family to the remote Azure Valley.
The Davies family was enticed by the prospect of producing grapes in this scenic area due to the good climate and rich soil. They set out to build their dream with unwavering determination, putting their whole selves into the project.
Tragically, fate had other plans. Sophia's parents were caught in a violent, monster storm while they went into the nearby mine to find a rare, valuable seed that would benefit their new business. Their deaths were caused by the storm's fury, leaving their daughter alone in this valley, without her family to help and guide her.
Sophia now found herself alone in her parents' unfinished dream, a young woman left to deal with the challenges of running the incomplete vineyard and maintaining the family's modest home. She was forced to become an adult before she was ready, and her path was marred by the hurts of the past.
Sienna-Rose nodded, her voice soft and melodious as she replied, "I'm okay, Sophia, just... give me some time." The words seemed to ease the young woman's worries, and with a small pout, Sophia left the room.
"Are you sure you're alright?" The worried yet annoyed voice came from the elegant woman with short black hair.
Olivia von Ashburn is the woman with striking good looks and short raven hair; her beauty easily catches everyone's eye. At first glance, her noticeable features and reserved demeanor might have shown an unapproachable nature, but beneath that stoic facade lay a heart of extraordinary softness and compassion.
Olivia is the youngest sister of the Marquis of Ashburn, coming from the influential Marquisate of Ashburn in the western reaches of the kingdom. Her noble lineage, however, had not shielded her from the harsh realities of life.
After getting married, Olivia's husband was killed in the continental war, leaving her a widow and to raise their little son, Ivan, by herself. For many long years, Olivia lived in the marquisate's annex on the family estate, burdened by loss and the demands of being a single mother.
"... until I married her and brought her here, to this valley," Sienna-Rose murmured, her gaze locked with Olivia's. "Did you bring Ivan here?" she asked, her concern for the woman's son evident.
Olivia's eyes widened in surprise. "You didn't want him here, so I didn't bring him. He's still in the marquisate," she replied, her tone laced with confusion.
"How old is Ivan?" Sienna-Rose pressed, realizing that the game had never provided such details.
Sienna-Rose's brow furrowed with guilt as she considered the implications of her actions. Part of her felt genuinely shitty for apparently separating Olivia from her only son, Ivan. It hadn't been her own wishes—it was the game that forced her to do that—only take the mother away and leave the son behind.
"Fourteen," Olivia answered, her brow furrowed. "What? Why? Do you want to bring him here?"
"If he wants to, and the others are okay with it. Or he can live in the annex," Sienna-Rose mused aloud, only to be interrupted by the charming, red-haired beauty, Claire Bishop.
"We don't have an annex," Claire said, her voice carrying a hint of bewilderment.
With long, wavy red hair, Claire Bishop is a very beautiful woman. Back in the day, she was a famous singer and stage performer in the lively city of Erebus Citadel, the second biggest city in the kingdom of Aethelgard.
Claire's beauty and talent had captivated audiences, but it had also drawn the unwanted attention of the nobility. A lot of nobles wanted her, which made their spouses unhappy. The angry and jealous spouses were so hostile that they threatened to kill Claire, which made her work life more and more dangerous.
Claire finally made the hard choice to quit the stage because she was tired of the constant pressure and worried about her safety. She had run away to the peaceful Azure Valley to get away from the constant attention and to leave her troubled past behind.
"Then I'll build one," Sienna-Rose responded, her mind already racing with possibilities. "Can I build one?" she asked, unsure if that option was even available in the game she had grown so familiar with.
The last woman, Haley von Campbell, the innocent-faced blonde with a tragic past, answered matter-of-factly, "You can; you're rich. Just ask the carpenter to build one."
The last woman, the one with the innocent, cold-faced expression, was Haley von Campbell. Her family had no real wealth or assets; she was the daughter of an impoverished baron. Their noble name was all they had.
Haley and her older sister had been abandoned by their parents in Azure Valley, left with nothing more than a small, modest home. The baron and baroness had recklessly informed their daughters that they needed to work and fend for themselves, putting the burden of survival solely on the young women's shoulders.
As Haley grew older, the harsh reality of her parents' cruelty became painfully clear. Leaving their own children to face the difficulties of life in this valley, they had just abandoned them.
After a sorcerer showed interest in having Haley as his fourth bride, she had to make a difficult choice—she didn't want to put any more strain on her sister.
Though the decision weighed heavily on her conscience, Haley had agreed to the arrangement, knowing that the financial security it provided could alleviate some of the strain on her family. The decision was driven by a desperate need to protect her sister, regardless of the personal cost.
And that sorcerer is Sienna-Rose, and it truly makes her feel like a total asshole right now. However, Haley's words made her feel a small smile tug at the corners of her lips. Of course, she was rich—her unlimited funds had been a point of contention, even in the game she had come to love. "Okay, I'm rich," she said softly, her gaze sweeping across the four women.
And then the question that had been weighing on her mind bubbled to the surface. "Why do you all look so annoyed with me? What did I do to you?"