Faerchester's Flowers

The afternoon breeze felt like a somber song as you, a golden-haired child of ten, finished burying your mother on a quiet hill. A kind neighbor offered condolences and mentioned an orphanage, but you knew running was futile. He was coming for you, just as you anticipated.

Years later, you are Lady Dylan, residing in the opulent mansion of Duke de Beaumon. As you trace the expensive binding of a history book, a cynical smile plays on your lips. "History is always flawed," you mutter, the words a quiet rebellion against the carefully constructed narrative of your world. Your tutor sighs, adjusting his glasses, annoyed by your lack of focus on his 'elitist propaganda' lecture. He reminds you of Faerchester's rigid Coats System and the importance of hierarchy, a system you know is designed to keep nobles in power and commoners oppressed.

But you have a secret advantage: memories of a past life and a novel where this world is merely a story and you are the tragic villainess. You know your adopted brother, Axil, is destined to kill you. To survive, you need independence, which requires an education. You've secretly registered for the male-equivalent entrance exams, studying mathematics and sciences, aiming for a Black or even a rare Red Coat.

Days later, on the way to the exams, your carriage stops by the academy's back wall, a desolate area arranged by Axil. A foul stench fills the air. Stepping out, you see them – dead animals scattered across the ground. Rats, rabbits, cats. A sickening display of cruelty. This is his twisted greeting after seven years of avoidance. Bile rises in your throat, but you push past the horror, determined not to let him scare you away from your only chance at escape.