Albert was an efficient butler. Adelaide got to know that from how quickly everything around here was arranged. She could not help but stare at the new maids standing before her in less than two days after the previous ones were fired.
Manson and Mitchell were their names. Adelaide learned that they are sisters, Manson being the older one and surely, she could see the resemblance between them. They bought in Adelaide's steaming breakfast and as she ate, they tidied her room. There was much to be replaced and the pair decided to get some of the servants to clean the room after the young lady has exited the room.
Too much dust is not good for a child, they thought.
Mitchell drew a hot bath and after Adelaide ate her fill, helped her with her bath. Meanwhile, Manson shook her head with worry, seeing the plate of food left quite untouched.
Manson removed the plate and hurried back to the young lady's room to select an outfit for today. They were both selected personally to the young lady by the master of the house and were told personally to take good care of the young lady. Manson was wondering why they would tell the new hires such a thing but when they entered the young lady's room and saw all the bandages, Manson felt her heart broke for the child.
The young lady did not even finish the piece of bread this morning.
Manson was worried but she was determined to get her mistress back into a healthy body. She went to pick up an outfit from the young lady's wardrobe, only to find dresses that are too small or dirtied. Manson could not help but feel somewhat angry at how her mistress was being treated. Her hands clenched into tight fists, Manson was going to report to either the butler or the Duke himself when she heard a stern voice called her.
"Manson."
Adelaide had finished her bath and drabbed a towel around her when she walked out. She knew she had no clean dresses and would normally just wait for her body to dry before wearing the old dress she has been wearing for the past few months. It was the dress she got from Lady Rosabella who would gift her some clothes every few months to make sure that the Duke doesn't find out that his daughter's actual situation.
Adelaide saw Manson staring at her cupboard stiffly and peered behind her.
Ah, there are no more clean clothes left.
Adelaide nodded to herself and mentally took a note that she should sneak out to wash them herself later tonight, but her thoughts were interrupted by an angry voice in her head.
'How dare they treat such a poor child this way?'
'Even the children in my neighborhood had cleaner clothes than this.'
Manson and Mitchell are from the lower parts of the capital where the commoners live. They are not as rich as the nobles, so they have lesser flashier clothes but at least the clothes they had were clean.
Adelaide heard Manson's thoughts and immediately stopped her. Manson, hearing her mistress calling her, turned around to face her.
"Lady Adelaide, pardon me. Please wait for a moment while I fetch something for you to wear." Adelaide could see that the rims of Manson's eyes were a little red and could not help but chuckle.
Is this something worth crying over?
"It's fine, I don't intend to go out today, so I'll just wear this." Adelaide tied the towel around her more tightly as she walked to her bed.
Manson and Mitchell blocked her way with their arms crossed with angry looks on their faces.
"No way. You will get sick if you do that." Mitchell shook her head and looked at her sister.
"I'll inform the butler and try to find something for the young lady to wear. Mitchell, take care of her wounds at the meantime." Manson did not let Adelaide have time to say anything before she rushed out of the bedroom.
Adelaide stared at the closed doors of her bedroom, feeling somewhat tired.
Will they even give her something to wear? She eyed the towel around her and turned her gaze to Mitchell who led her to the bed.
She went to retrieve a medical box that she has bought along in the morning and started applying the medicated oil on the bruises. Adelaide stared at her in silence as she worked, not even batting an eyelash when Mitchell applied alcohol on some of the cuts to disinfect them. Mitchell raised her eyes hesitantly at the silent young lady.
"Lady Adelaide, you can cry if it hurts."
"Cry?" Adelaide raised an eyebrow at her new maid, wondering where she was coming from.
"Sister has applied alcohol on me before and I know it hurts. When I cry, it somehow feels like the pain lessened. So, I thought it would be less painful for you if you cried." Mitchell explained.
Adelaide looked at Mitchel, smiling at what she heard.
"It doesn't hurt."