Chapter 91. Your Losses

~Months ago~

Mabel had just arrived from her classes in her family’s coach, carrying a soft smile on her face as her eyes moved between the lines on the pages of a book with a hard, dark-blue cover. She was happy—happy to see her parents and have dinner after a long day of studying.

The happiness on her face suddenly faded out as her smile waned—she had noticed something odd—the deafening silence. She raised her head to look out the carriage window and was met with a terrifying sight.

Instead of arriving at the door to find her parents waiting for her with bright smiles and open arms, she was welcomed by the scent of blood, burning wood, and the loud chattering of the soldiers who were responsible. As she rode through the family’s orchard and gardens, she saw the lifeless bodies of maids that lay about, over and beneath bushes and shrubs, bleeding from their necks, backs, and stomachs.

Her eyes widened and her stomach tightened at the unsightly scene.