Chapter 8

Aesthelia yawned as she started stretching her arms up. She continuously hears Marie's voice coming outside of her door. Marie has been calling Aesthelia's name multiple times to wake her up without going in. 

Just hearing the servant's voice, it appears that must be something urgent. Aesthelia blinked a couple of times, adjusting to the sunlight that came from the open window. She remembered she left that window opened to stargaze.

When Aesthelia finally felt alright. She quickly walked and opened the door for Marie, who looked annoyed at the time. The hands on her hips and that kind of stare indicate she's about to nag Aesthelia about her tardiness. 

"I think I woke up pretty earlier than yesterday, right?" Aesthelia smiled before Marie could start scolding her. She tried to convince Marie. Aesthelia has been staying in the Rasc Mansion for about two days now. She's currently adjusting to the set of rules within the house. 

Aesthelia knows the reason why she needs to be awake early in the morning. The servants insisted that she must study etiquettes and things that royalty must learn, which was a big question for Aesthelia.

Aesthelia sat in front of the vanity mirror beside her. 

"Why does a wolf need these things?" Aesthelia crumbled sounded unpleasant. She'd rather have enhanced her combat techniques than her knowledge of basic socializing skills. 

"That's never been a question, my lady. You're the offspring of a royal member, therefore you are a member of royalty since you were born, "Marie said as her eyebrows furrowed. 

Aesthelia sighed. She doesn't mean to sound like she's disregarding that fact, but she will face death anytime soon. If that happens, her time spent learning these things will turn out to be useless. 

"What will you do if the royalties asked for you? It is better to come prepared and ready than to face embarrassment, "Marie continued when she saw that Aesthelia looked uncooperative.

Aesthelia frowned even more at that. 

"Do you think that they might actually hate and blame me for what happened to my mother?" Aesthelia couldn't help but sound furious at the time. She stated a probability that she was being loathed by her mother's family to the extent of ignoring her presence up until now. 

Marie's eyes widened for a second. She looked down. 

"Have you heard words from them? Have they tried approaching me? How can you guys come up with that conclusion? " Aesthelia asked, turning her head to stare eyes-to-eyes with the servant. Marie remained quiet, which made Aesthelia clear her throat. 

"You don't need to answer, based on your reaction. It must have been the case, "Aesthelia said, and she faced the vanity mirror once again. She looks sharply at Marie in the reflection. 

When their eyes met, Marie bowed her head and said, "Pardon me, my lady. I wasn't thinking more deeply and I spewed nonsense. " 

Aesthelia softened. She sighed and smiled to lessen the tension. She doesn't want to sound like this to someone who has been looking after her. 

It's just that the thought seems pointless. Pressuring oneself for a reason that would never happen is a no-no for her. Just how much time does everyone think Aesthelia has? Her time is running short. 

Aesthelia read enough books way back in her original body. Reading books has become her hobby when her body has become gradually weak and she constantly stays in hospital. Right now, the first thing she needs to prioritize is make plans and practice. She has to focus on the events that will put her at a disadvantage.

"I need to get ready. I must train, "Aesthelia announced, leaving no room for buts and opinions. She'd rather improve her physical strength than sit all day long reading books. 

Marie immediately attended Aesthelia. 

An hour has passed since Aesthelia got into the carriage. The ride was awfully quiet and no one dared break the silence, not until the coachmen shouted, "We are here." 

Aesthelia sighed and exhaled as she stepped outside the carriage. She can instantly hear whispers and chattering. It is obvious that they have heard about her imprisonment and the fact that she arrived with a service when a wolf doesn't need one. 

Marie followed her all the way to the training grounds to keep her in check and out of trouble. Aesthelia remained emotionless when she strided her way to an open space, not minding everyone's attention. 

Antoinette came running to her side with a smile hiding the worry in her eyes, and said, "You finally came," 

Since it is Antoinette, she can be friendly as much as possible. 

"We heard what happened," Antoinette said in a low voice, her eyes examining Aesthelia's facial expression. She was sort of expecting to see a furious-looking Aesthelia, but her expression surprised Antoinette.

Aesthelia felt unconcerned by it now. She tried forgetting her stay there in the back of her mind, wanting to pretend it didn't happen or at least she hoped for.

Sure, that bastard may have gone too far with his punishment, but it is probably because Merideth and him are mates. He wanted to protect his destined partner. 

Aesthelia weirdly felt unpleasant with that thought. 

Her eyes were automatically drawn to Gior's. She found him right in the middle of the training ground. Shirtless and full of sweats. Aesthelia wanted to smack her face when she found him rather dazzling than gross. It can't be denied that Gior possessed a well-built body. He is a fine young man.

She was staring at him when he turned, and their eyes met. Aesthelia tries to hide her expression by being as cold and nonchalant as possible. 

"You're spacing out, aren't you?" Antoinette, on her side, exclaimed and waved her hand in front of Aesthelia's face to make her snap out of it. 

"What were you saying?" Aesthelia asked, turning her face in Antoinette's direction. She had forgotten that she was with a friend for a second. She was distracted. Someone made her distracted. 

"As I was saying, the alpha's son has taken over the lead on the training ground while you were away," Antoinette said. 

"Isn't that normal?" Aesthelia asked, unsure why that was a thing to worry about. He's bound to take over everything when the position is passed onto him. 

"Are you for real?" Antoinette gasped at Aesthelia's response. 

"The ranking changed ever since you got defeated. You know what will happen to those who are in the lower tier, Aesthelia. " Antoinette said. 

The moment Antoinette said that to her, she recalled how the story mentioned how ranking defined a wolf's status or how it works. Their designated positions are determined by their ranks, and those who are in the lower tier are most likely to become omegas. 

Aesthelia shook her head. She believed that there was no way that her rank would go from top to bottom. The real Aesthelia worked hard for it. Not everything is handed to her in silver spoons.

Before Aesthelia could even respond to Antoinette, someone with an authoritative voice announced from a distance. The sound of it seems to have everyone quiet down and listen. That's the ability of Alpha's voice. 

"Today, hunting will become our sole subject," Gior announced with his booming voice. 

"You may call it a competition because it will boost your rankings," Gior added. He stood out from the rest. 

Whispering among wolves becomes louder. Some seem excited, and some seem nervous that they won't do well. 

"The hunting starts now," Gior said firmly when no one dared to throw questions. It is a hunting event. Of course, everyone knows about it already. Well, not everyone knows it. Aesthelia apparently doesn't. 

"That's it?" Aesthelia asked in disbelief and disappointment. She was waiting for the rules or so. 

"What happened to the rules and mechanics?" Aesthelia asked in a high tone while Antoinette was getting ready to transform. 

"We've done this a couple of times already. Everyone already knows the limit and rules. " Antoinette responded. 

"What mechanics? Hunting is hunting. You hunt down a prey and kill it. The bigger, the better." Lily, who appeared out of nowhere, blankly stared at both of her friends. She said it with a smirk. 

"That's very much it," Senia, who followed right after Lily, agreed. "Wow, you actually took the time to explain. I thought you were just a bad bitch." 

Lily laughed in surprise at that comment and playfully punched Senia.

Aesthelia watched them getting ready to transform, and of course getting naked wasn't a thing to worry for them. Aesthelia was left dumbfounded when everyone, in an instant, went out of sight as they sprinted into the woods, leaving her all alone in that area. 

'They are taking the ranking scores seriously.' Aesthelia mentally thought.

Aesthelia decided to walk. She guesses that it is safer since it is an activity they have to do in broad daylight, unless everyone insists on hunting even at night, but that's impossible since rogues are known to be lurking within the territory's borderline at night. 

"How am I supposed to hunt?" Aesthelia asked herself. She can't transform and she can't even imagine killing a living creature, let alone a big prey, and on top of that, she's kind of weak when it comes to blood. 

The thought of doing it is absolutely impossible. 

"We've come prepared," Marie said, appearing right beside Aesthelia. She quickly handed him a bow and arrows. 

"Archery isn't that well known here, but I just thought you might need to learn how to use it," Marie explained. The truth is that she had wanted to teach the lady archery ever since she saw her sparring match. 

Aesthelia looked pleased with herself. She's in awe. On top of that, the designs are of extreme beauty. 

"If you'd prefer a dagger, a sword, or an axe, there's one of each in the carriage, my lady," Marie added, as she didn't hear any response from Aesthelia. 

Aesthelia cleared her throat as she raised the bow to her eye-level, as if copying the archer she saw on television. "No, It's fine. I truly like this one. You never fail to amaze me, Marie." "You are truly reliable," Aesthelia commented with a smile. 

'I guess I am not alone in this world. I could rely on others, at least those who cared,' Aesthelia mentally said as she stared at the servants who came along with her. 

"Do you guys keep weapons in the carriage? For what reasons?" Aesthelia asked questions when she finally realized that there was something unusual and somewhat cool about her. 

"Yes, living among the races we're unfamiliar with, we considered them dangerous. The only thing we could do is be on guard, "Marie said. She didn't try to deny it and straightforwardly blurted out her thoughts. 

"Understandable," Aesthelia nodded. If she were them, she'd do the same thing. There's nothing wrong with keeping oneself safe. 

"Have you seen Merideth?" Gior voice can be heard from a distance. It seems like he's asking the others who stayed at the training ground. 

Aesthelia shook her head and started walking in the woods. The footsteps followed. It appears that the servant wanted to tag along. 

"Are you going with a large group of people, princess?"Gior comes into view. His eyes roamed and he examined each one of them. 

She wanted to get away. There must be a reason why he is suddenly talking to her, other than provoking her.

"If you suspect me of getting involved with your girl. It's a no. I've been reflecting on my actions and regret everything, "Aesthelia elucidated.

Gior looked dumbfounded as he listened to Aesthelia. He can't bring himself to argue with that when he hears nothing but sincerity.

"Relax, I'll go alone, right Marie? It's not like I will cheat, "Aesthelia said, looking at Marie, secretly sending a message to agree. 

When Marie nodded, Aesthelia didn't wait and sprinted into the woods. She doesn't want to be involved with Gior anymore. He might drop some rude remarks, and Aesthelia would likely talk back. That's why it's okay to just avoid it rather than trust her patient. It suddenly might run low.

Aesthelia finds herself surrounded by tall trees. Looking around, the trees look similar to each other.  She forgot where exactly she came from. It confuses her, and she just hoped to recall her way back. 

Aesthelia took the bow and an arrow. She'll spend her time practicing archery. At least there's a gain while staying in this world before she goes back to her original world. She promised to have a talk with the author when she's back. 

Aesthelia raised the bow right at her eye-level, placing the arrow's butt in the string and pulling it. She attempted to target the tree right in front of her, but unfortunately, with all the arrows she used, she missed. Nothing hit the target. 

It's a complete failure. It is almost past noon. 

Aesthelia sighed heavily. She felt disappointed with her lack of focus and ability to accurately hit a target. 

"I suck at this," Aesthelia mumbled. She started gathering the arrows that fell on the grounds. It leads her to an open field full of tall grass. 

Aesthelia took a step forward, and sat down underneath a tree. She inhaled and exhaled the fresh air. 

From her location, she can see the borderline of the territory that separates the western wolf pack from the unclaimed territories. She wonders if there's another pack on the other side. 

"Afterall that practice. I guess I feel sort of sleepy, " Aesthelia mumbled as she felt her eyelid become heavier and when it was about to close, a scream interrupted her. It's a scream of a woman.

"That voice, "Aesthelia frowned. It seems familiar to her. 

Aesthelia quickly got up to search for the person who let out that scream, indicating that the person was facing a dangerous situation. As if someone's attacking that person. 

The scent of blood thickened through the air. It appears that someone has been wounded. She searched harder this time. There's a pond and the tall grasses surround it. Aesthelia hears rustling from that side.

From that, she knew that the person she was looking for was there. This part of the territory is rather a ghost spot, not even an animal that Aesthelia came across. 

Aesthelia ran faster, not thinking of getting or requesting help from anyone nearby. She doubted that they would arrive in time. She felt extremely worried about the woman's condition. 

Aesthelia can't just ignore it. Her eyes caught the figure as she got nearer to the scene. The unique hair color belongs to none other than the female lead itself. 

Aesthelia's eyes widened when she saw another two figures she had never seen before. One was right beside Merideth's unconscious form. 

Just from the physical features, Aesthelia can tell that those two people who surround Merideth are outsiders. 

'What the hell are they doing?' Aesthelia angrily thought as she looked at them warningly. A death glare wouldn't be enough, she's going to beat them up. 

"Shit, we got caught," the guy shouted, which was enough to reach Aesthelia's hearing. She stopped on her track as soon as the voice reached her. 

It's familiar. 

That voice was the one she heard from the underground dungeon, the people she tried eavesdropping on. That night, the prisoners were next to her cellar.

"You!" Aesthelia exclaimed. She couldn't bring herself to control her emotions as she was overwhelmed by them. How can a prisoner escape the well-guarded dungeon? 

There must be an insider, a traitor who sneaked into the pack. Other than the voice, Aesthelia could see the red marks around their wrist, indicating that they were chained up for who knows how long. 

Aesthelia didn't hesitate to lunge forward, ready to deal with the runaway prisoners. 

"We need to go," the other guy said in a panic. He's practically pulling the other one, who seems ready to have a battle with a wolf. 

"Wolves used telepathy, idiot. "That other guy added some convincing. 

"This mutt," the first guy said and hissed angrily.

When their distance was getting closer, the two guys sprinted away, which made me scream in frustration. 

"I can't see them," Aesthelia hissed. The tall grass wasn't helping her case; how could she track them down when she had no idea where they went?

Aesthelia dropped onto her knees when she got nearer to Merideth's unconscious form. She quickly checked her pulse rate and breathing. 

She sighed in relief, knowing that Merideth was fine, just lost and unconscious. 

"Seriously, how do those prisoners escape that damn dungeon?" Aesthelia wondered a lot, and her attention was diverted back to Merideth.

"Why do you keep getting into trouble?" Aesthelia wondered aloud. The first time was when Aesthelia tried to apologize sincerely, and now at hunting time. 

Just what was going on? 

Aesthelia put her palm on her chin to think harder. Is this an author strategy to bring the female and male lead together? Isn't it too far to keep putting the weak and fragile female lead into dangerous situations like this? 

"Should I take note of this?" Aesthelia questions herself. She's an amateur writer, and she might as well use these events as a lesson. 

'I wonder if I was transmigrated here for this sole purpose.' Aesthelia thought as she stared harder at Merideth. 

Aesthelia decided to shake Merideth's shoulder, trying to wake her up so that they could go. It is almost night time, and it will be dangerous any minute now. 

Aesthelia doesn't have the strength to carry a fully-grown woman onto her arms, even though she confidently felt like beating up those intruders. 

Merideth is totally out of it. 

Aesthelia's head snapped in the direction where she heard noises such as footsteps and rustling. Due to the tall grass, she can't see anyone in sight. The sound indicates that it's more than one or two people. 

Aesthelia stood up immediately and instantly covered Merideth in a protecting stance. It could be the intruders' desire to get back and continue what they were doing. Are they rogues? Are rogues becoming pale as white sheets and their eyes turning red after being banished? 

"We should've left the moment they ran away like cowards," Aesthelia mumbled. She's overthinking what to do. She knows basic combat skills, but she doesn't know the opponent very much. 

Aesthelia held her breath harder. There's no other way to deal with this than just hide. 

But before she could hide, the group of wolves came into view. Aesthelia's eyes widened and her heart was about to burst, wondering if it was a rogue, but to her relief, she recognized Antoinette's wolf form. 

"You're here!" Aesthelia exclaimed in relief. 

Aesthelia furrowed when the wolves stepped backwards to make way for a large wolf that appeared to dominate others. 

From the looks of it, the wolf is an alpha, and the wolf is currently glaring at Aesthelia's way after seeing Merideth on the ground.