It's been 3 weeks since the ball and I can still feel the scornful glares of people as I pass by them. My uncle gave me a good lashing later that night and made Hannah look after me. Now he barely gives me any tasks to do, which gives me alone time at least. I had discovered a little grove area with a Cherry Blossom tree and little flowers that went around the bottom of it's trunk, it was like my little slice of paradise. As I was headed there, the book shop owner saw me and waved me inside. The kindly old woman smiled as I stepped into her shop.

"Hello, Mrs. Kamakura."

"Good morning Lilly, how are you?"

"I'm alright, thank you for asking. And yourself?"

"Oh I'm good dear. Don't you worry yourself with this old bag of bones."

At that we both chuckle slightly.

"I have something here for you. I figured it was about time I gave it to you."

As she says this she reaches under the counter and pulls out a small box.

Curious I lean over slightly and examine the box, it's a cute little wooden box adorned with white lilies.

I looked up at her and she smiled, motioning her head towards the box. Knowing what the gesture meant, I trace my fingertips along the edge of the lid before lifting it open and what I saw inside made me gasp and cover my mouth with a hand as tears came to my eyes. Laying inside the box was my fathers favorite book, Utopia. He read it to me every night before I went to bed, the sound of his voice always lulled me to sleep.

I look up at the woman and her smile widened.

"How?"

"You're father left this for you my dear."

"You knew my father?"

"Oh yes. When he was a young lad he would come visit our country quite often saying he had fallen in love with the Japanese culture. It's how he met your mother, she was visiting one day and they just happened to run into each other, it was love at first sight."

I knew my parents met in Japan, but I didn't know my father came here before that as well.

"Please, take it. Your father would want you to have it."

I pick up the book, look it over then smile as I hug it to my chest while thanking the old woman through teary eyes. She comes over and rubs my back gently until I calm down, telling me tales of when my father was a child and how he used to get into trouble. I laughed at this, my mother always said how much of a trouble maker he was when he was young. Then she told me how years later, Japan went into an isolation period and no one could leave or come until the Meiji Restoration came into affect.

We talked for a while, I calmed down and then it was time for me to leave. We said our goodbyes and hugged before I went on my way. When I passed the fabric store however, a hand shot out from behind the curtain, grabbed my arm and pulled me inside forcefully. Scared and taken by surprise I opened my mouth to scream but a hand clamped over my mouth, preventing me from doing just that.

"Shhh...I just need your heeeeelp." A voice whines in my ear.

Wait...I recognize that voice.

I turn my head and sure enough, there's Grell looking all flustered and panicked. I give him a look that says I'll help him and he sighs in relief before removing his hand from my mouth.

"What's the matter, Grell? Why are you so panicked?"

"Oh, it's just awful Miss Lilly. I was trying to make the perfect Kimono, and everything just went wrong because the girl who was supposed to be my assistant left me!" He says, sobbing.

I rub his back gently and smile. "I can help, if you wish. But I don't know what I'd have to do."

He immediately brightens up at this and throws his arms around me in a crushing hug.

"OHHHH! THANK YOOOOOU! You're such an angel! All you have to do is stand right here and just look beautiful!" He says while pulling me over to stand on a platform.

"It's no trouble, I'm glad to help." I smile and stand still as he circles around me before shaking his head.

"No, no, this won't do. Get undressed."

"Beg pardon?" I say with wide eyes and a deep red blush.

"Oh sweetie, we're both girls here. Now come on, hurry it up."

I nod and nervously undo my dress before letting it fall to the floor, standing there in just my undergarments.

"Cap too dear."

I lift a hand and touch the cap on my head before hesitatingly removing it, letting my hair fall down to my lower back.

"Oh my. Such beautiful red hair!" He says while lifting up a handful of it.

"I've never seen this type of red hair before! It's got a pink tint to it, what's the color called? I must know!"

"It's auburn."

"Auburn? I like it!"

I thank him and smile bashfully before he begins his work. First he puts my hair up into a bun before draping beautiful violet colored fabric over my shoulders. While he's doing this, my long bangs continue to sweep over my right eye and I can't watch what he's doing, so I try to blow it up out of the way and fail miserably. Seeing me do this, Grell snickers in amusement before continuing.

After about an hour he's assembled the type of fabric he wants to use and the colors. He had picked out a lovely silk violet color fabric for the base and a lighter violet for the obi. He then told me not to move and ran in the back to put it all together.

About another hour or so he's finished and has me put it on to see how it all looks. Upon closer inspection, I noticed little purple and white flowers beautifully sewn into the fabric. Once he's done he steps back and places a hand against his chin in thought.

"It's missing something..." He looks around the shop and once his eyes land on a long rectangular box he smiles. "Ah, that's it!" Rushing over to the box, he opens it up and begins to rummage through it before pulling something out and coming back to me.

Then he proceeds to place something in my hair and steps back once more with a gasp.

"So beautiful..."

I reach up and run my fingertips along the hair pin he placed in my hair, noticing that hanging down on a string it a little flower.

"Come, see for yourself."

He ushers me over to a long mirror and I gasp in surprise. The Kimono alone if beautiful and the light violet obi contrasts with the deeper violet perfectly. In my hair is a hair pin, the long part is a deep beautiful green that looks a bit bluish and at the end of it hangs a cute little purple flower.

I tuck the bangs hanging over my right eye behind my ear slightly as I stare at my reflection.

"Hmmm...this is a problem."

I snap back to my senses as I hear him say this and look over at him confused.

"What is? You made a gorgeous Kimono Grell." I say with a smile.

"Thank you sweetie, but it's not that. It suits you so well it's like it was made to be worn by you. Oooh, what to do?"

I look at him in surprise and look back at my reflection. It is beautiful but...

I shake my head and smile softly as I look back to him. "I'm happy to help. But something so beautiful isn't for someone like me."

He's taken aback for a moment and then sighs. "Why would you say something like that? It's too sad."

"Because I am but a servant, and unworthy of such a thing."

I say and go to take out the hair pin, but Grell stops me which causes me to look at him.

"I am but the son of a peasant. What does that have to do with anything?"

I look down at the Kimono once more and run my hands down along its length.

"You know what. Keep it, free of charge!"

That takes me aback and I look at him in protest but he simply waves a hand at me and winks.

"You can keep it and show off my amazing skills. Then more people will come, think of it as helping out my store."

I'm so moved by this that I bite my lip and nod.

He smiles then ushers me out the door after I gather the rest of my things and winks at me as if to remind me to let people know who made this Kimono.

So many things happened today in such a short time, I'm tired. Holding my servant clothes in one hand and the book I was given in the other, I head towards the grove to enjoy the rest of the day in peace before having to return to the Estate. Along the way I hear whispers of a different sort and look down with a slight blush as people admire what I wear.

Finally I arrive at the grove and take a seat beneath the shade of the tree, leaning back against its trunk I then pick up the book and open it up to read. About halfway through the second chapter, my eyelids begin to grow heavy and I fall asleep under the beautiful tree while the open book lays across my lap.

Having had to run an errand for the royal family, Sebastian passes the grove on his way back to the palace and stops short when he sees a figure laying back against the tree. It's getting late and the person doesn't seem to be moving, curiously he walks closer to the person and his eyes go wide in surprise. There, sleeping beneath the tree is Lilly with a book still in hand it lays open across her lap. He smiles in amusement at the sight and kneels down at her side before placing a gentle hand onto her shoulder.

"Miss Lilly, if you don't wake up soon you'll catch cold."

"Mm-mm five more minutes." She says sleepily, waving off his hand.

He chuckles and leans closer with a mischievous smirk before whispering against her ear.

"If you don't wake up I will eat you."

This causes her to dart upright in surprise and look around in confusion for a few moments before her eyes finally meet his.

"Sebastian? What are you doing here?"

"I was running an errand and saw you asleep here, Miss Lilly. You'll catch cold if you don't get home soon."

She looks at him confused for a few minutes and then suddenly stands up as realization hits her.

"Oh god, he's gonna kill me."

As she stands and brushes off her clothes, he finally gets a good look at her and his eyes widen slightly. With the setting sun behind her, she looks as if she had just jumped from a beautiful painting, her stunning Kimono and hair pulled up into a bun while a elegant yet simple hairpin secures it into place, the hair that sweeps over her right eye could take even his breath away it seemed. He composes himself before standing up and helping her gather her things.

"I must say that Kimono is quite stunning."

"Huh?" She says in surprise before looking down at herself.

"Oh, right. Grell made it."

He nods and runs a finger along the fabric, causing her to tense in surprise and blush slightly.

"It suits you, Miss Lilly."

She becomes flustered which causes him to grin in amusement.

"Oh uh...thank you. I must be going now."

She bows to him before clutching her things to her chest and running off.

"You're welcome." He says to himself before looking up at the sky and heading off to the palace. "She sure is amusing." He thinks with a small chuckle.

I'M SO DEAD!

I think to myself as I run back to the Estate. If it weren't for Sebastian waking me I'd still be asleep under the tree. I then remember I'm wearing the Kimono and duck into a dark alley to quickly change out of it and into my servant clothes after making sure no one was around. After finishing I run with everything I am back home, as I get to the front door and open it however...

"There she is officers, that's Lilly." Says Alois as soon as I step inside.

Two men with swords strapped to their waists come over and grip both my arms before bringing them behind my back forcefully.

"Wha!? What's going on?!"

"You are under arrest for the crime of drug smuggling. And don't even try to deny it, we have witnesses who saw you entering and exiting one of the drug lords shops on several occasions."

I'm completely stunned and try to speak but no words come to me.

"Oooh, Lilly. How could you!?"

Says my uncle in mock sadness as he raises a hand to his head in a dramatic fashion.

"But I haven't done anything!"

"Save it for the executioner!"

As they say this they roughly turn me around before dragging me outside and throwing me onto the back of a cart with my hands bound behind me.
I'm so confused that my eyes look around everywhere trying to comprehend what's going on. I catch sight of Hannah and Mey-Rin looking as though they know what happened but can't say a word. And then it hits me and I look over at my uncle who is sobbing but I can tell he's faking as a smile of triumph crosses his lips.

I've been framed...by my uncle!? And Alois was in on it!?

I am so hurt, so confused that I don't even feel the rocking of the cart as it pulls away, nor do I see the Estate as it grows smaller and smaller. My mind has completely shut down to the point I can't even cry, speak, or feel. If I had it my way, I would want it to forget how to even breath. I'm as good as dead anyways.

As I'm lost in my thoughts, the cart suddenly stops and the two men drag me out the back of it before pushing me forward. I stumble slightly but walk in between them as they head towards what looks like a small wooden shack. Once we get to the door, someone from the inside unlocks it and I am pushed forward once more. I see two doors, one on each side that have barred windows on them. A man wearing a black Kimono with long grey hair and bangs that cover his eyes stands there, leaning against the wall before opening one of the doors and I am literally thrown into a small dark room.

I pull myself up and lean back against the wall as I sit on the floor emotionless and just stare up at the ceiling. I can hear the three men outside talking, but nothing registers in my mind. I am alone, in a cold dark room with no windows, and I have been framed for a crime I didn't commit. I have never felt so alone and so empty in all my life. Soon it wouldn't matter though, soon I will join my parents and never have to feel this way again.