Charlotte woke up that morning with a new resolution. She wanted to train herself not to be easily spooked with unprecedented supernatural sight anymore. Now that she worked at an antique shop, she could not afford to make any mistake to drop anything fragile on the floor!
Putting on her usual maid uniform, she went out to knock on the mademoiselle's room.
"Who's that?"
"It's me Charlotte"
"Come on in!"
A soon as Charlotte stepped into the mademoiselle's room, she was surprised to see how monochromic her room appeared to be. It seemed like the mademoiselle fancy the pink colour as everything in the room was decorated with pink ornament.
The bed sheet, the blanket, the curtain and even her cupboard was painted pink. This revelation kind of making her mistress appeared less mysterious than Charlotte's first impression about her. But, that did not mean she was less weird though.
The mademoiselle was putting on her makeup in front of the vanity mirror. Charlotte could see abundance of cosmetics products scattered on her vanity tables. Charlotte did not hesitate to scurry away to the vanity table and admired every single one of them.
"Do you like it" the mademoiselle who was putting the red lipstick began to ask her.
Charlotte nodded her head.
"Why don't you try one" she held out the lipstick on her hand toward her.
"I don't know how to wear make up" she quietly admitted.
"I can put it on you"
"I….. don't wear bright red lipstick. It kinda old fashion to me" Charlotte flashed her guilty smile to the mademoiselle.
"Did you just mock my choice of colour?"
Charlotte proceed to examine at the mademoiselle's entire look. Today, the mademoiselle decided to don a low neck, plain mustard colour dress. This dress was a lot more tone down to be compared with her yesterday's outfit.
However she complimented the plain dress with extravagant diamond choker that covered most part of her neck. She also styled her hair into two buns and a new fresh bang. Combined with her winged eyeliner and bright-red lipstick, her whole look screamed "notice me!" just like how she looked like yesterday.
"Ah…no. But I would like to try the softer colour" Charlotte shamelessly pointed out at a much more cool tome rosy coloured lipstick. The mademoiselle passed the lipstick to her and Charlotte carefully applied it on her lips.
After she was satisfied with her looks, she put the lipstick back on the vanity table. The mademoiselle however decided to give Charlotte the lipstick as she stated that she was not fond of 'soft-coloured' lipstick such as the one that Charlotte tried.
Charlotte happily accepted the gift and put the lipstick in her uniform's pocket.
"Why are you wearing a maid uniform?"
"Errr…I don't have any other clothes"
"Hmm…..we need to fix this. But I don't really think a young girl like you suited to wear my clothes and I don't even have much money to give to you so that you can buy a brand new one"
Charlotte was relief when the mademoiselle assumed that she was not suited to wear one of her clothes. Truth to be told, Charlotte would rather stay in the room than wearing one of the mademoiselle clothes. They were too wild for her liking.
"I am so sorry, but you have to wait for this month's salary to buy a new clothes then" Said the mademoiselle
Charlotte nodded and offered the mademoiselle her reassuring smile.
Contrary to any other servants, Charlotte actually loved wearing the maid uniform. She loved the fact that the uniform did not attract unnecessary attention from other people and it made her felt safe in the middle of the sea of strangers.
Both of them had their breakfast together in the tavern's parlour that had been renovated into a small dining room for the tenant. Mr.Jones smiled when he saw Charlotte looking happy and fulfilled.
Right after breakfast, they went to The Morpheus to began their day. Charlotte was excited yet nervous on her very first day of working at the antique shop. She was praying all night that she would would not drop any valuables that she could not afford to pay.
Once they have arrived at the shop through the stairs that was connected to the mademoiselle's room, Roux jumped out of her usual position.
"Roux! I told you! No moving around on during the days. Someone could see you through the mirror" the mademoiselle reprimand her.
"Are you mad at me mademoiselle" Roux's voice sounded so soft it was quite different than the her yesterday's brazen behaviour.
'Does she speaks like this yesterday?' Charlotte find Roux's behaviour on this morning to be a bit different.
All of sudden, Roux reached out for Charlotte's shoulder. The mannequin then buried her face on Charlotte shoulder and began sobbing loudly.
'Is the mannequin crying?'
The mademoiselle rolled her eyes into the eye socket after watching the mannequin's behaviour.
"Quit pretending as if you can cry Roux. You cannot shed tears , you are a mannequin" the mademoiselle casually calling out the mannequin's bluff.
"Well, I still have feelings you know!" the mannequin lifted her head and refuted the woman's claim. Yup. No tears.
"Errr…Roux why are you crying? The mademoiselle did not get mad at you" Charlotte tried to comfort the mannequin by caressing her hair. She was just playing along with the mannequin to appease her new friend.
"I'm a sensitive person you know. Especially when that woman belittle me" she pointed at the mademoiselle that was trying to light up her tobacco pipe with much hostility.
"Huh? Why are you so mean to the mademoiselle? You weren't this sensitive yesterday"
"That's because this is the different Roux than the one that you have met yesterday" the mademoiselle interjected.
"Different? You mean, there were two of them?" Charlotte stretched her neck and began to turn around looking for another mannequin in the shop.
"No. Roux has two different personality. Her original personality was this sensitive young girl, while the brutal and violent Roux that you have met yesterday is her second personality" The shop owner offered a thorough explanation.
"Now! Enough of that. Roux go back to your position! Charlotte take this key and open the front door" she took out a set of keys out of her pocket and handed the key to the younger girl.
The young girl get hold of the keys and made her way to the front. She was busy flipping the 'open' sign when she saw a package in brown enveloped laying on the ground.
She picked up the package and brought it inside the shop.
"Mademoiselle, I've found a package in front of our doorstep" she waved the package right in front of the mademoiselle who was - at the moment- blowing smoke on the rocking chair.
"A package? I didn't remember ordering anything. Roux have you seen anyone dropping a package at the doorstep this morning?"
"Nope. I don't think I saw anyone dropping anything on the front door." The mannequin replied.
"Hmm….Charlotte, please check what's inside the package" She instructed.
The young girl began to excitedly unwrap the package.
"Ouhhh….."
"What's that Charlotte?"
" It's….. a pipe…." the young girl's girl nose was wrinkled when she intently examining the pipe in her hand. She had never seen a pipe as exquisite as this. With gold lining that shone brightly. The pipe appeared elegant and expensive.
"Here, look at this mademoiselle" she excitedly handed the pipe to the mademoiselle.
"It's weird, I didn't remember ordering any pipe." the mademoiselle carefully turning the pipe between her fingers. "But it does look expensive. This might be a new valuable from my supplier. Charlotte put this pipe somewhere safe. I'll send my supplier a telegram after this" she handed the pipe back to the young girl's hand.
The younger girl carefully chosen the suitable place to put the pipe. She decided to display the pipe on the shelf just beside a beautiful wooden box.
Perfect!