Milliflore and Sereughe stood side by side by the modiste's door. Milliflore peeked inside from time to time, getting impatient as seconds went by. If she could, she would have snatched Miss Yoren out of that shop and into her carriage so they could go about their way.
"Milliflore, do we really have to do this? I mean, shouldn't you be preparing for your balls?"
Milliflore only leaned her head to her side while still keeping her eyes on the shop.
"It can wait, sister. Besides, aren't you supposed to give your thanks to Lady Lorendale? It would be rude of you to take something from her without showing appreciation," Milliflore remarked, her tone that of a sheepish liar.
The time has come for Lady Lorendale's beloved suits to be delivered. Naturally, a woman who is bored with her life is doomed to follow through on a gossip, which is exactly what Milliflore is trying to do.
Last week, when Miss Yoren had mentioned Lady Lorendale having a young lover, Milliflore and Sereughe were thrilled and inevitably surprised. How could Lady Lorendale, infamous for her disdain of men, keep a gentleman by her side?
Sereughe thought it improper to peek anymore and left her knowledge at that. Milliflore, on the other hand, was willing to go to the depths of hell just to get one more piece of information. So, there they are, waiting for Miss Yoren to assemble everything and accompany her to Lady Lorendale's home.
"How are we, young misses? Ready to go?"
Miss Yoren slammed the door shut. Her hands were full of three boxes, each containing a suit.
Sereughe took it upon herself to lighten Miss Yoren's burden by carrying the two boxes with her. Milliflore went up to Miss Yoren and anchored her arm against hers.
"Miss Yoren, you have to tell me. Do you know anything more about this man?"
Sereughe could only roll her eyes at her sister's eagerness.
The three went aboard the carriage. For the whole duration of the travel, Sereughe was occupied with the sceneries they'd passed through and the thoughts of Nepherim. Meanwhile, Milliflore did nothing more but naughtily gouge some scandal from Miss Yoren, to which Miss Yoren, who had her fair share of gossips and kept to herself, enjoyed so much.
Milliflore noticed Sereughe's silence. Sereughe had fallen into a deep sleep despite Milliflore's noise. Miss Yoren, too, can't help but take a close look at the young miss.
Sereughe had a fair complexion. Her hazelnut hair was unkempt, yet its natural fall even enhanced her beauty. Her cheeks had a natural rosy tint, the same color as her lips. And her eyes, she remembered how majestic they are. They were the same color as her hair, and it looked like an innocent doe was staring right into her. Miss Yoren felt a bit of a loss.
"Miss Milliflore, why is it that your sister has not been let out into society?"
Milliflore let out a smile that did not reach her eyes.
"She has far more dreams than having her own family."
A few more minutes, and they have finally arrived at the Lorendale's residence. Miss Yoren took the first step outside, fetching the boxes. Sereughe and Milliflore followed suit, helping Miss Yoren with the boxes.
Just as they had fixed themselves, Lady Lorendale made herself known, walking to them with her brows raised and a slight tug on her lip.
"I did not expect the young misses of the Mericon's household to deliver my suits with you, Miss Yoren." Lady Lorendale sighed. "Come, I have prepared some snacks and tea."
The three of them followed Miss Lorendale to the backyard, where a beautiful landscape awaits them along with some refreshments. Lady Lorendale offered them seats at the table and freely offered them snacks.
"Your house is extremely exquisite, Lady Lorendale. I love this backyard the most," Milliflore commented.
"And is that the reason you accompanied Miss Yoren today, Miss Mericon? You seemed excited to me when I saw you earlier." It should be noted that Lady Lorendale's tone showed a bit of sarcasm.
"They just decided to tag along, Lady Lorendale. By the way, I hope the suits are to your liking." Miss Yoren scoffed. "If I may suggest, I prefer that your ladyship check the suits while I am still here so I can make certain adjustments."
While what Miss Yoren said was true, her gaze held a hidden motive. And so did Milliflore's. The satisfaction about the suits comes second. The identity of the notorious man comes first.
"Well…" Lady Lorendale stood up from her seat. "Then I shall hurry to find out the wearer's thoughts. You can stroll around the house while I'm gone since you seem to like my humble abode so much."
Lady Lorendale's steps thundered as she made her way back inside. The three of them only watched until the lady finally disappeared from their sight. Milliflore was the first to stand up and approached the servant watching over them.
"Pardon me. We'd like to stroll around ourselves. Do you mind?"
The servant nodded her head and stepped aside. Milliflore quickly held Miss Yoren by her arm and walked off, leaving Sereughe behind. Sereughe kept herself at the table a bit, wanting to savor the feeling of ease and freshness. After a while, she had grown bored and decided to follow her companions.
Sereughe took liberty in exploring the house, exploring every room that is not locked and touching any interesting sculpture she sees. Over the years, Sereughe had kept her passion for sculpting. And she can say that compared to the statues here to the ones she made at home, she is a much better sculptor. Not that she is arrogant; she is just being truthful.
On her way up the grand staircase, she bumped into Miss Yoren, who seems like she is running from a ghost. What caught her attention was Milliflore's absence.
"Miss Yoren, where is Milliflore?" Her voice beamed with concern.
Sereughe's presence was like a button for Miss Yoren. She stopped in her tracks and made time to catch her breath. She held Sereughe in both of her shoulders and stared at her persistently.
"I do not know. But do not go to the farthest room in the east wing of the second floor." Miss Yoren leaned towards her ear. "There is indeed a man in here. And he's a monster."
As soon as the last words left her lips, Miss Yoren darted off, her energy bursting as if some malicious being was closing in on her. Sereughe stood frozen, a mixture of confusion and disbelief flooding her mind.
And as if she was not reminded, her feet dragged her to the very place Miss Yoren had warned her about, her curiosity skyrocketing into unthinkable heights. Sereughe found herself in front of a wooden door, her breathing ragged as she twisted the doorknob, and it opened.
I wonder what Miss Yoren saw, she thought.
Sereughe took slow, quiet movements into the said room. It did not look like a place a man would stay at at all. It was a bedroom, yet all the furniture was still covered with cloth, dust forming on them for the heavens know how long.
The place resembled that of a normal room that had once been lived in but had long since fallen out of use. Yet, on the small table beside the unmade bed, three items were laid, their color standing out amongst the white fabrics veiling most of the items inside.
There, on the table, lay a bottle of wine, a coiled whip, and a watch. Sereughe took particular notice of the watch. Something about it seems to be calling to her.
She lifted it cautiously and studied it with growing unease, trying to convince herself that her mind was just playing tricks. She took a second and third look, but there was no mistaking it. The hands of the clock were moving in reverse.
Sereughe caught her breath, and all she could hear was the ticking of the watch. Her mind was sent into a frenzy, and an eerie feeling took over her. Suddenly, she wanted no more of that place.
A shiver ran down Sereughe's spine, her fingers instinctively releasing the watch, as if it had burned her. Every second seemed to stretch longer. She watched, as if bewitched, as the watch descended to the floor. But just as it neared its demise, a hand appeared out of nowhere, swiftly saving the watch from shattering.
Everything seemed to turn back to normal, time moving just as it should. Sereughe breathed hastily, trying to recover from that horrifying trance. That's when she noticed a presence closely behind her, that person's breath tickling the skin on her neck.
Sereughe spun around and met the most alluring, dangerous eyes she had ever seen. They were in deep red, two orbs of blood, staring right into her soul. Those eyes shimmered with a silent rage, twisting her chest uncomfortably.
Their faces were dangerously close to each other, the tips of their noses a hair away. Both of them refused to look away, but the intensity in his eyes made Sereughe back away. Sereughe moved back, tumbling in her steps and bumping into the table, almost breaking the bottle of wine.
"I do not appreciate people who touch my things," the man remarked, his voice deep.
"My apologies." Sereughe bowed her head, not really to show sincerity in her apologies but to have an excuse to look away from him. "I was merely exploring the house. I did not mean to intrude into someone else's space."
The man pulled up a sluggish smirk, playing with the watch in his hand.
"Ophelia had really done a great job keeping secrets, huh?" he uttered.
The sound of hearing the man call Lady Lorendale just Ophelia made Sereughe's ears perk up. But she did not dare make a sound.
As if grace had fallen from heaven, the door burst open, revealing the ever-graceful Lady Lorendale. Her eyes shifted from the lady to the man, watching them as they stared at each other with meaningful eyes.
"What have we got here?"
Lady Lorendale closed the distance between her and the man. The man bowed his head as Lady Lorendale reached for it. She got rid of the dust that had caught up in his hair. After which, she held onto the waist of the man and reached for his forehead, giving him a long, gentle kiss. Their eyes were closed, as if all they could feel were each other's presence and love.
Sereughe's face remained impassive, not a single flicker of emotion leaking from within. Yet, inside her was utmost chaos, and she just wished she had listened to Miss Yoren's advice.
A slow realization crept through her mind.
So, it's true, she thought. Lady Lorendale indeed has a lover.