[Shelly's POV]
Evening came, or so I believe it did, for the only thing I have to keep track of time was the wall clock hanging above my wardrobe. There is not even a single calendar present in this vast place, I do not know what day, or month it is. Unsure if I got my age right, but I do so by simply glancing in my reflection on the water - a lucky guess I believe.
I'm exhausted. I need sleep.
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"Shelly! Wake up! Get up Shelly!"
I guess there is no need for an alarm clock, for I already have a blaring one every single morning. Lazily getting up from my haggard sleep, I began zombie-walking out of the door not minding the fact that my hair was unruly as the clothes in my laundry basket looks like.
"What's in it?" I asked.
I was still half-awake and was currently scratching my belly at that moment. Weirdly, I did not hear Aunt Yurara's response immediately, and when I glanced at her she was giving me this scrutinizing look.
"Did I say something wrong?" I questioned before attempting to fix my hair without the help of a comb.
"Other than the fact that you stink? Yes, there is something wrong." She spoke, eyebrows furrowing.
The feeling of sleepiness faded away upon my realization. I immediately stepped back once before looking at Yurara awkwardly, while at the same time wondering what she meant by what was wrong.
"My plants!" She began.
I gulped.
"When did you learn how to use plant magic? Oh Shelly, if only I knew you had a natural affinity with magic and nature, I would have started teaching you a long time ago!" She happily remarked.
"Wait, what are you talking about Aunt Yurara?" I asked out of pure confusion.
"Oh, don't play silly dear! You turned the botanical forest into a flourishing paradise." She spoke happily, stepping forward in attempt to give me hug, only to hesitate when she remembered that I smell.
'Alright, you don't have to grimace so badly. I'll take a bath.' I thought to myself.
"Aunt Yurara, it couldn't be me. And wait a minute, did you say magic?" I asked her. I do know that magic truly exists given what happened this afternoon, but the fact that she personally revealed it to me means that she obviously knew about those superhuman maids in the first place!
'Should I continue to play dumb?' I contemplated.
"If... I did? I would not have any idea how it happened." I told her while scratching the back of my nape.
"And that's why I'm here!" Yurara stated, as she squints her eyes to show me how much she wanted to be a part of whatever this is.
"If only, I'd seen you demonstrate such skill, then you would have been able to leave this mansion as soon as possible. Blame your powers for manifesting so late." She muses while caressing her own cheeks with both of her hands.
'WHAT?'
I found myself clenching my fists behind me. Was the reason for my imprisonment in this mansion was because she was waiting for my so-called powers to awaken? This bitch. My train of thought was cut off when I felt her intimidating aura that caused me to start sweating unconsciously.
"Now, now! Take a bath and meet me downstairs. I would like you to introduce you to people you would be working with in the future! Apapapapap- no more Shelly, and get moving." Yurara insisted as she pushes me to the direction of the bathroom with a small nudge of her bum.
It took me nearly 30 minutes to prepare myself, including taking a bath, choosing what clothes to wear and what accessory to use for my hair. I feel hesitant about meeting new people, everything is so sudden and that I do not even have the slightest proof that I caused whatever flourishing occurred in the Botanical Area. I took one last glance in my reflection on the tub water before closing the door to my room.
From the small hallway here in the second floor, I saw that Aunt Yurara was talking to four people by the living room, all of these guests are facing Aunt Yurara so all I could see was their backs. But judging from their heights and appearances, I have a big hunch that they are who I think they are. All these girls are wearing the same uniform, the color of plaid gray and black in a checked pattern, no other distinguishing details in their clothes and in fact they look like decent nobles.
"Shelly! No need to rush, you could have prepared for more than an hour, they won't really mind. Right girls?" spoke Aunt Yurara to the girls sitting on the long curved sofa in front of me.
"We won't mind Miss Yurara." All four responded in chorus.
I shivered after hearing their voices, it may sound cheery at first, but the fact that they began and stopped speaking at the same time made it creepy. I was yet to confirm if these girls are indeed Lhea, Yona, Hori and Miki. I was yet to see them face-to-face as I take the steps going down the staircase, my hand tracing the handrail as I use it to carefully descend to the living room.
My eyes widened when I finally walked around to sit on the single couch to the right of the table in the middle of the living room, I slightly glanced at Yurara to check if she noticed my reaction but gladly she was pouring tea at the moment.
"Let's begin with the formal introductions. Shelly, this would be your new housemates. They are here to work and train under me, meet Lei, Hato, Horikawa, and Mikheala. they are my apprentice witches."
I fell into silence. It is them, but at the same time they are different. I found myself slightly crumpling the edges of my dress, what happened to them? Is this my fault?