The following morning, Lucette woke up with a headache. Last night, she weighed the pros and cons of what Hannah suggested and concluded that staying away from the alpha was the best she could do.
She never did something on her own in her entire life. Living in the palace, and working as a maid, her days revolved around doing chores, every day. She yearned to do something for herself and by herself. She wanted to prove that she was capable enough to bear such a responsibility.
Proving herself was the perfect thing. She didn't want to curry favour from anyone.
Lucette would do as the plan, and she would succeed. She brushed her hair, looking at the mirror. A tiny doubt grasped the bottom of her heart, but she shook her head to shrug the doubt away.
She went out and had breakfast with Hannah. Good thing Hannah didn't mention yesterday's matter.
They went to Lucette's room, walking through the corridor. She wanted to change the decoration here. Maybe she would include it when she started planning for the festive.
"Tell me, how does the festival usually happen?" Lucette asked as she sat on her bed.
Hannah sat beside her. "Every pack had its arrangement. My former pack held three-day celebrations, but the other pack held it for a day. Whereas, in other packs, the festival will take place for a week. Every pack plans it as they want. Some of them would only hold night parties. I remembered one time, my sister told me she attended a masquerader ball in the Grey Misty Pack. She said it was fun! There was one time the pack bought a circus to show off. That's quite exaggerated."
Lucette knitted her brows. Should she do all this?
"Don't worry if you don't know what to do. Just plan it as you vampires usually do parties," Hannah said, as she if sensing her confusion.
Lucette bit her lips. Parties in the vampire kingdom? She never attended such parties. The only thing she could do was watch from afar.
"You should ask Jordan too. For sure, he knew more about such an event. And would advise you," Hannah suggested.
Lucette nodded. They chatted for hours. Then, a knock on the door picked their attention as they looked towards the door.
"Jordan, I was about to look for you," Hannah said when her mate rushed to her and kissed her forehead.
Lucette pursed her lips. It was going a bit too much for her!
The beta asked why, and his mate answered it was about the festival. He explained more about the festival, and its budget, choosing the venue, hiring the servants and choosing what kind of entertainment they would pick for the festive.
He suggested writing everything she planned to do and giving it to him to see if it was manageable or not.
Lucette nodded. Then Hannah and Jordan bid her farewell and left the room. She grabbed a notebook and a pen she found in the drawer of her dressing table.
"You're going to do well. No need to feel nervous," Lucette cheered herself. She grabbed the pen, and then her hands trembled.
The sound of the mocking and threatening from the vampiress echoed in her head, causing the pen to fall.
'You're a maid, and you'll always be a maid.'
'You will never change.'
'You didn't even know how to take a pen. How could you think of education?'
Lucette grasped the hem of her shirt till her knuckles became white. Tears swelled in her red eyes, making them glister, going on her knee. She extended her hands to pull the pen, but they were still trembling.
She thought staying here and making friends would get her to forget the past when she was nothing but a useless maid, but she was wrong.
Although she forced herself not to think about it, she knew deep down how low and self-doubt she felt about herself. How much she hated her weak self every time the vampiress belittled her. And how much she wanted to tell her she wasn't just a maid. She had a name, Lucette. And the right thing was to be called for who she was, not for what she had been doing.
Lucette's tears poured down. Why was it easy to call someone with haughtiness because she was a maid? Did being a maid mean having no heart?
She stared at the notebook; she took it in her hand and threw it away.
And here she was showing how great she was, making plans to convince the alpha. She wasn't fit to be a member of the pack, let alone be the Luna.
After minutes of crying, she wiped her tears. "Snap out of it. You're not a maid anymore. No one dares to threaten you anymore. You're not a weak person. You're not…" Lucette chanted.
She eyed the pen on the floor. She shifted her gaze to the door when she saw Hannah getting in, "The lunch will be ready in half an hour," she said.
Lucette nodded and lowered her head. Hannah got in. "What happened?" she asked her, and she shook her head.
Hannah collected the pen and the notebook from the floor and stood facing her.
"I don't think I will succeed. I am not like you," Lucette said. Her thought was messy, and all her negative feeling surged out.
"You will," Hannah said, and Lucette looked at her. Her friend's hazel, clear eyes were as if she was encouraging her.
How could Hannah trust her when she didn't have that much confidence in herself?
"What if I failed?" Lucette whispered.
"Then, you will try again," Hannah responded, "But I know you'll make it. Why are you down like this? You're not alone. I'm here and Jordan too. We'll help you. And what is with you're not like us? Aren't all of us breathing and living so we are all the same," Hannah said, putting the notebook on her bed.
Lucette smiled with a tear in her eyes.
Yes, I am not alone.
"Let's go. I'm famished," Hannah said, making Lucette giggle. Her foodie friend.
Lucette looked at her friend. "Thank you."
"Don't say that. We're friends."
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Mini Theatre
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Hannah: Why do I feel like I became some Advice master?
Author: Thank you very much for cheering for my FL and the others.
Hannah: So did it mean I deserve higher pay?
Author coughed: The timing ends up. Let's continue with another character.
Hannah: ....