Chapter 61 Chapter 61
Violet
So there had been a change again. Not that anybody thought it was important to let me know of it.
So much for me being a guest of honor and not being made aware of these frequent changes. But I kept that thought to myself.
Though, neither Cassie nor Elijah had mentioned anything requiring an attire that looked like it belonged in a royal portrait.
Two more maids moved behind me with the quiet precision of people who had rehearsed this a thousand times.
One gently gathered my hair, running a comb through it with such care that it almost made my chest ache; the other examined my nails, holding small shades of polish up to compare tones against my skin.
“Perhaps a soft rose,” she suggested kindly. “It complements the color Lady Aurelia envisioned.”
Lady Aurelia envisioned a look for me without even having seen me in person.
As though my appearance had already been decided without me.
“I was thinking maybe… something simpler?” I said cautiously. “Maybe a neutral shade.”
The two maids paused just for a fraction of a second before the head maid stepped forward again.
“Lady Aurelia believed this would flatter you best,” she said in a voice that remained respectful yet unwavering. “And it will look very fine on you, Miss.”
There was no threat in her tone. But I felt the weight of expectation on me.
They all stood there watching me as though my agreement mattered to them personally though I couldn’t tell what would happen if I denied.
I’d leave in a few hours either way, I thought and reluctantly nodded my head.
“…Alright,” I murmured quietly. “If you’re sure.”
A soft ripple of relief passed through them.
They resumed their work like a flock of birds falling back into formation.
My phone vibrated on the nightstand, startling me back into awareness. I snatched it up immediately as Cassie’s name flashed on the screen.
“Cass?” I whispered, shifting away from the hovering hairbrush and nail gloss. “Please tell me this isn’t real. I woke up and there were maids outside the door. A whole team of them.”
“Oh, yeah,” Cassie replied breezily. “Don’t worry about that. The Deveraux take hospitality seriously. Just let them pamper you. It’s their thing.”
“Thanks for not telling me that we are going to have dinner, not lunch today. But either way, I’m only supposed to be here for one evening,” I insisted in a hushed voice. “I don't need any of this.”
I wanted to speak more but told myself to stay silent in front of the loyal servants of the family.
There was a small pause on the other end after which Cassie exhaled.
“Violet, don’t overthink it,” she said lightly, like this was the most normal thing in the world. “Just enjoy it. Meet me in an hour for the tour, okay? You’ll love the courtyard. It’s huge.”
Before I could press her further, she chirped a goodbye and hung up.
The room fell quiet again except for the rustle of fabric, the soft clink of perfume bottles, the faint hush of polished shoes moving across marble floors filled the silence.
One of the maids lifted a silver tray to my bedside holding a bowl of porridge steaming gently, honey drizzled across warm bread, and berries arranged like something out of a painted still-life.
I whispered my thanks and hungrily gobbled it down.
The head maid folded a shawl at the bed’s edge and glanced up at me with a soft, unreadable smile.
“Lady Aurelia will be pleased to know you are well cared for. Would you like us to draw you a bath?”
“No thanks” I hurried towards the bathroom before grabbing towels and went inside. I took my sweet time showering and shampooing my hair, hoping that they all would have left to do important tasks instead of waiting for me.
There was no knock on my bathroom door, urging me to finish faster. So after nearly an hour of smothering myself with a cocktail of shower gels and scrubs, I stepped out of the bathroom door to pull out my suitcase and wear my trusted pair of jeans and a crop top.
But to my dismay, I saw all five of them patiently waiting for me in the room.
“Hope you feel refreshed now”
The head maid smiled but I groaned on the inside. “I thought you guys left for some other work”
She shook her head and smiled. “I told you our duty is to serve you.”
They were really persistent. I gave up and sat on a plush chair that one of them pulled in front of the mirror without letting me dry myself.
Each of them began working on me, my hair, nails, skin and face. And they were all exceptionally skilled at their task.
I recalled Ava’s words from before when I had been at Elijah’s apartment where she stated the maids were trained to do every single task and how she got bored of just dusting and doing chores.
Maybe, these were bored of their daily routine and found me as their new project.
I let my worries drift away and decided to enjoy being pampered.
It had only been a few minutes when I noticed my hair was straightened way too much. My face looked swollen due to that style.
“Hey, could we change this to my natural hair? Just leave them be?”
“Sure” She nodded and then I also suggested a series of changes in the color of the dress, my lipstick, shoes etc that I didn’t like.
I chose to wear a pretty yellow summer dress with minimal makeup and just lipgloss.
“This is not the look Lady Aurelia chose”
I smiled. “Dont worry, I will tell her I like this”
They were disappointed but nodded reluctantly. However, I was glad of my look and thanked them all before heading out to look for Cassie.
I gave her a call and she gave me directions to walk out of this giant maze of a mansion. And in the daylight, I could truly understand just how magnanimous it was.
The pictures I’d seen on the internet didn’t do it justice.
The place was every girl’s dream if I were to sum it up in one sentence. Luxury and abundance whispered from every corner of the Ironcrest Manor and for a second I felt jealous of the people who got to call this their home.
I craned my neck high and looked around in fascination, not really paying attention to where I was headed.
There was a small flight of stairs that would take me out in the courtyard but I missed it and bumped into someone accidentally.
“Uh sorry” I mumbled but my eyes widened to see who was standing in front of me.