The Calm Before the Storm

Kalina's birthday was on New Year's, so she didn't hold a birthday party and celebrated it during the New Year's party that her mother held every year instead.

This year was the same. The Duchess's close friends and some neighboring nobles came over to the mansion for the party. The party wasn't especially large, as most nobles headed to the capital to partake in festivities there.

The Duchess didn't go to the capital because she had to stay back and take care of work. She didn't mind it either, since she could spend more time with her daughter.

Kalina dressed modestly for the party and wore a dress with puffy sleeves and small, girly earrings. She appeared cute and lovable, and when she stood with her friends, all the noble wives gushed to the Duchess about how charming she was.

"It's nothing, really," the Duchess had said bashfully. In truth, she also thought her daughter was too endearing to bear.

"Duchess Ephraim, where is the Duke? He didn't even come back for Kalina's birthday." One of the wives whispered to the Duchess. She was a close friend who had raised four children and knew the importance of parental love towards children.

"Ah, that's..." The jovial mood turned awkward. Everyone knew how the Duchess was treated by the Duke, yet for some reason she remained married to him. "Perhaps he didn't receive the invitation."

"What kind of father has to be invited to his daughter's birthday?" The ladies scoffed and covered their mouths with their fans. They always loved to gossip, but at least they knew right from wrong.

"What are you talking about?" A melodic voice rang out from behind them. Kalina had overheard the wives' conversation and had made her way over.

All the wives turned to her, putting their fans down and greeting her. Even though she was a child, she still had a higher status than them.

Kalina smiled and took her mother's arm. She motioned for them to get up and said with a cheerful voice: "So, what were you talking about?"

"It was just some idle chatter." The wives somehow felt nervous as they looked at Kalina's innocent, doll-like face. She was as lovely as ever, but her eyes seemed to be condemning them.

"Mother, you should only talk about good things," Kalina leaned on her mother's shoulder. "Today is a holiday, you shouldn't let your mood be spoiled by dirty things."

The group of ladies was silent and felt out of place. They didn't know if Kalina was referring to them or her father. When they saw Kalina hugging her mother tightly, they scolded themselves inwardly, convincing themselves that she was just a child that had mistakenly used the wrong wording.

"Then, I won't disturb you for any longer," Kalina released the Duchess's arm and ran back to her friends. They went outside into the garden to play and chat and the adults were left alone.

"Kalina is very bright, Duchess Ephraim," someone commented after a few seconds of silence. The other wives hastily agreed and the topic turned away. No one dared mention the Duke again.

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After the guests had gone home and the mansion was quiet, Kalina stayed awake reading letters from Count Willick. The business was going well, and the Count had been sent letters asking him to invest in their projects. He wanted to ask Kalina whether or not he should invest.

Count Willick knew that Kalina didn't tell him about the mine solely because she wanted to help him. He had seen it in her eyes that day, the cleverness that all businessmen possessed. He treated her like a colleague, and not a noblewoman.

Kalina had figured this out and felt satisfied with his respect towards her. She decided to help him out, and looked over the names of the people he was considering investing in.

Unfortunately, they were all businesses that would fail sooner or later. Kalina wrote a blunt one word reply that simply read: "No."

She was about to give the letters to Olivia to send in the morning and go to sleep, when a knock sounded on her door.

Kalina felt annoyed and didn't respond. She had clearly asked the maids to leave her alone, so why were they disturbing her?

She waited for the sound of footsteps walking away, but they never came. A few moments later, they knocked again.

"Who is it?" Kalina called from her bed.

"It's me, Kalina." The Duchess's voice came from outside. Kalina quickly tucked the letters under her pillow and immediately sprang up from her bed to let her mother in.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you up?" The Duchess sat down next to Kalina on the soft bed. She held a blush pink box in her arms.

"Not at all," Kalina snuggled closer to her mother. "What's that?" She pointed to the box.

The Duchess placed it on her daughter's lap and stroked her head. "Happy birthday," she said, kissing her daughter's forehead lightly.

Inside the box were two beautiful white opal pendants. The iridescent colors of the stone flickered and danced as Kalina stared in wonder. In her past life, her mother had also given her this necklace for her fourteenth birthday. But then, she fell ill right before her fifteenth and the present became the last she would give to her daughter.

"One for you, and one for me," the Duchess's voice was tender and comforting. She had also said these exact words before. One of the necklaces was lifted up and clasped it around Kalina's neck, where it gleamed against her pale collarbones.

Kalina shakily picked up the other pair and fastened it around her mother's neck. Then, she reached her hand to her own necklace, feeling the smooth and cool stone. She had loved and treasured the gift so much in her previous life that it was always with her, all the way up until her death.

Tears began to fall from her eyes and onto her hands that clutched the necklace tightly. The Duchess pulled her close and wiped her tears with her finger.

"Do you like it that much? Mother will buy lots more gifts for you when you grow up."

Hearing these words of comfort, Kalina just cried harder, burrowing closer into her mother's chest. Since her rebirth, she had always acted calm and composed, and this was the first time she had lost her composure.

"Alright, alright." The Duchess stroked Kalina's back affectionately. "Don't cry anymore, your pretty face will be messed up."

Indeed, Kalina's clear eyes were swollen from crying and her the tip of her nose was an adorable shade of red. The Duchess reached out and pinched her daughter's nose. Seeing Kalina's reaction that resembled a baby rabbit, she couldn't help but laugh.

"Mother will always be here with you," she whispered, patting Kalina's head as she always liked to do. "Mother will protect you, no matter what."

Little did the Duchess know, the turning point in her and her daughter's peaceful life was growing nearer and nearer.