Chapter Twenty One

 Abigail strutted through the the manor towards her mother's wing. As she passed by she greeted the maids and servants she saw along the way and they greeted her back enthusiastically. They gushed at how adorable the little girl appeared to be. Unbeknownst to everyone, the Duchess observed everything happening from her window. She looked down at the servants who happily talked about Abigail. 

 Was this really Abigail? How did she she change so much? She felt like she didn't really know her children that well, they always distanced themselves from her and never really told her anything.

 She was fine with it before, when she didn't have to care for them so she focused on her work as the Duchess. But now... her children were changing so much, she had no idea that Gabriel was training to become an Elite knight and at the same time was studying to take over the Dukedom.

 And Abigail was already becoming so mature and sensible, she did well in her studies and also marvelously in her sword practice. She was growing up to be a beautiful young woman. 

 She was supposed to be proud of her children, every mother should but how could she when she contributed nothing to their current achievements? She had Rose but the latter didn't sit right with her.

 She had begun to feel the yearning to be a good mother, but how was she supposed to start? How could she make things right? As she was deep in thought she suddenly heard a knock her door which startled her a little, she wasn't expecting anyone neither did she call a maid so who could it be. 

 " Come in ", she said. Soon the doors opened and a cute little girl with jet black hair walked into the room. She looks exactly like me! She thought as the girl closed the door behind her. As soon as the doors closed, she snapped out of her trance. 

 " Abigail... Why are you here? ", she asked observing her daughter. Was something wrong? What could have happened to her? Her mind was in a mess but her face remained calm with an indifferent look.

 " Actually mother, I came to give you these ", she then gave her mother the desserts. Eliza was stunned. This was the first gift she ever got from her kids, she was so happy that she could cry. She then began cooking up scenarios of her thanking Abigail like a normal mother but of course it was all in her head and she wore her indifferent look.

 " Thank you... Abigail ", she then managed to say this after series of internal contemplation. Abigail simply smiled at her causing Eliza's heart to involuntarily beat. Was her daughter always this adorable? She was inwardly gushing as she took in every detail of this adorable daughter of hers.

 Abigail on the other hand was feeling uncomfortable with her mother's intense stare. Why was she looking at her for this long? Maybe she's in a bad mood, maybe I'll come back later? She thought.

 " Mother I'm leaving now ", Abigail said catching her mother off guard. " N-no, dont leave yet! ", she gently caught hold of Abigail's arm startling them both.

Eliza then gained her composure and coughed, " What I mean is... how have your studies been coming along ".

This question shocked Abigail as she stared at her mother wide eyed. Is this how people felt when Abigail.... herself changed? The feeling was really unique. She then mustered up the courage to answer, " Its been going really good actually, the tutors dont really know what to teach me anymore ", she laughed. Eliza felt a warm feeling in her chest as she watched her daughter laugh.

 " I'm really glad ", Eliza smiled at her causing Abigail's to shock to heighten. Her cold mother actually knew how to smile? But at the same time, her smile was mesmerizing. The mother and daughter duo continued this peaceful silence for another moment.

 " I'll leave now mother, I'll make sure to bring you more desserts later on ", the cute little girl then hurried out the room. It was empty again, Eliza thought. She then focused her attention on the bag her daughter had given her.

 " It's a gift... from Abigail ", a cheerful expression replaced her previous indifferent one. She was beaming in joy as she stared fixatedly at the dessert bag. What now? Do I eat it? Why not. 

She then put a brownie in her mouth and her eyes sparkled. These were delicious, she thought as she took another then another. She didn't even notice when she had eaten half of the desserts she had received. 

 " I'd better keep these away for later, till she brings another ", she said happily as she stored the desserts away. Sure she could just get some herself but it'd taste better if Abigail brought them!

 Elsewhere, Abigail wasn't as joyful as her mother but she was still happy she got to relate with her mother nonetheless. She didn't have a mother in her past life so she decided to not let this opportunity go to waste. She must feel motherly love in this life time. 

As she skipped away, she didn't notice a pair of beautiful red eyes throwing hate at her. What was she doing at the duchess's wing? Why did she seem happy. Rose had so much hatred flowing in her that it could flood a town. 

 She had to stop whatever Abigail was planning no matter what. 

As it was already evening, Abigail prepared to go to bed. After her bath she settled in bed and was about to drift off to sleep when there was suddenly a loud bang that came from the manor and screams ensued the whole of it. What was going on? She got out of bed and quickly ran out the room, she reached the main hall only to see a sight that bewildered her. 

 It was a gory sight as blood soaked the floors and walls. Dead bodies littered the hall way, she couldn't help but throw up at the sight and wished to unsee such a scene. This might not be her first time encountering such but it has been a while since she had witnessed something so harrowing.

What happened here? She could recognize some of the dead bodies, they were the servants she had grown acquainted to for the past month she had been here. Her heart ached, what of their families? Their loved ones? She could feel tears streaming down her face but a scream of terror soon brought her out of her daze she followed the sounds of screaming down a corridor only to arrive at an open space.

More dead bodies were present, mostly those of guards, the common ones at least. She saw her brother, father and some elite guards currently engaged in battle with dastardly gruesome looking abominations with pale skin, elongated uneven limbs and black eyes. 

She involuntarily shuddered at the sight of these abominations. She was all to familiar with them as she has recently been studying different creatures in this world and these were not the good kind that one would like to encounter.

They were wights, a lesser vampire that fed on flesh. They were mindless and usually moved in packs. They were known for staying in secluded areas and never went anywhere near human settlements. Why could they be here, could their habitat have been destroyed, why would they appear at the Stone manor. 

 She had so many questions she wanted to ask but who could she ask? Soon a scream came from near by, a maid was currently cornered by a lesser wight but the other knights were busy and couldn't reach her on time. As it slashed its blood soaked claws a the maid, a blade came into view stopping the claw from proceeding further.

 The maid looked up to see a petite girl with her black hair standing before. The maid was so shocked that she didn't hear what Abigail was saying the first few times. " Get out of here, run! ", she screamed again hoping to catch the maid's attention. Luckily, the maid quickly regained her senses and ran off while Abigail was holding of the lesser wight before her.

 Once the maid ran off she decided not to hold back and began attacking the wight ferociously. It didn't have a chance against her at all and could only drop dead a few moments after. Sensing the death of one of their own, the majority of the wights rushed towards Abigail ignoring their prey. Gabriel noticing the shift in the wights attack looked towards where the majority were concentrated and his heart beat stopped for a moment. 

 " Abigail!! ", he screamed, she was surrounded by seven or so wights with majority being intermediate wights. He tried to force his way through but the wights surrounding him weren't giving him a chance so he could only grit his teeth and try to break through the encirclement. 

Ronald was equally surprised, what was Abigail doing here? He tried getting to her but he was currently engaging with two advanced wights that weren't giving him a way through. 

 Even the knights were busy as well so Abigail could only face it herself. She attacked the lesser ones mostly and she managed to kill one but as she aimed for the other two she was blocked by an intermediate wight. The weight of four intermediate wights and two lesser wight was getting to her.

Aren't these creatures meant to be mindless? It didn't seem that way at all, their attacks were weirdly coordinated. They even made sure to protect the lesser wights as she could kill them easily.

 She began to see some flaws in their attacks, she then swung her sword towards one of the intermediate wights and she successfully landed a hit. She smiled as she continued her assault and soon an intermediate wight dropped dead. She finally understood how to get rid of them. As she was about to aim for her next target all the wights let out an ear splitting shrill.

As everyone was trying to figure out what was going on, the temperature dropped at a frightening speed, " Why, what's happening ", they began to question and to their astonishment, a new wight arrived in the hall, it was bigger than the rest but its aura was what really made it different. 

 "Oh no.... it's a king!! ", Ronald screamed, " Everyone fall back and wait for reinforcements ".

But before anyone could move, the king wight rushed towards its first target, Abigail. Sensing its approach she immediately raised her sword to block the incoming attack but it was futile because as soon as the attack connected she was sent flying by several feet before crashing into the wall.

 " Abigail!! ", Gabriel ran towards her as no wight blocked his path.