Lucia got off the desk gracefully, as if she had done numerous times before, and reached over to switch off the lamp that was perched on the edge of the desk haphazardly, having the darkness blanket the room.
Charlotte glanced down at her phone again to check if Vincent had called her, but there was nothing new per usual. She lifted up the phone in an attempt to read the map again to no avail since she couldn't spot anything different or important.
There were obviously people who were still up in the house with the steps creaking around from the thin walls that were in the verge of collapsing. There were voices too, but it was too far away to make out any words.
In the tiny glimpse that she was able to see, she had thought that those who lived on the outer circle had much more of a calmer lifestyle yet it couldn't be so since all she could see and smell was their despair.
Charlotte brought her hands together and hummed to herself since she was able to discern the atmosphere of the house since it seemed as though everyone was on guard and irritated with one another. It didn't seem like a normal household by any means.
She didn't want to dig any further considering that Lucia was already doing a lot for her, even if it was against Lucia's will. Yet, Charlotte didn't want to be inconsiderably rude by pushing Lucia too much.
It was true that Charlotte was curious as to why Lucia had always made her routine to go out, and by the looks of it always by the outskirts since she seemed well versed out there.
What business could Lucia have over there? Charlotte brought her gaze down Lucia's form and was able to discern that despite how Lucia was wearing a long black overcoat, she could be covering another outfit that wouldn't be for anyone's eyes but her employer's. Now, that would be a theory that could get her killed if she voiced it.
Charlotte watched from the corner in curiosity as Lucia went to the double doors and rummaged through all of the clothes, ripping them off from their precarious perches, as she dug through looking for whatever she had in mind. If her face needed to be covered, a simple mask could have done.
"You must leave often judging by how worn out the rope is," Charlotte whispered and ran her fingers down the frayed edges.
Lucia sent her another glare. "We don't have time for this since you need to leave before dawn comes."
"Of course. I would hate to stay longer than needed," Charlotte bit out since Lucia's words had turned frostier.
"Then there is no time to waste on your attempt at friendly chatter is there?"
Lucia returned to throwing racks and racks of clothing on the floor that Charlotte knew was going to be a pain later to clean up, but it wasn't her house to condemn her for anything that she wanted to do.
Layers and layers of clothing piled up, and Charlotte leaned her back against the wall since she didn't want to sit down on the bedding with her soiled clothing.
Charlotte gave her a sarcastic smile and played with the rope in her hands. "Yes. I do agree. However, you act as though you're all high and mighty when all you do is associate yourself with people who you deem aren't your own."
Lucia straightened and met her eyes in the darkness. The wistful frown that marred Lucia's face didn't go with her harsh features, and she finally brushed a hand down her overly wrinkled clothing not wanting to take Charlotte's bait that she threw out.
"I don't need your measly words to accept my life as it is," Lucia said calmly. "I do what I need to do to get by. Now, I need you to change out of that. There are clearly blood stains on it."
"You can't even see it though. It's hardly a problem," Charlotte retorted despite knowing the truth in Lucia's words.
"I can't have you out there smelling like death, Jesus," Lucia muttered. "You can keep it, but take it off."
"Do you have a backpack for me to take then?"
Lucia tossed Charlotte a black drawstring bag which she caught midair and brought down to the bed. Charlotte glanced over at her, but Lucia was busy still going through her clothing that despite being worn was in good condition. She sighed and lifted her shirt up to strip and wear whatever Lucia brought out.
Laid out on the bed was a see-through black dress which made Charlotte skeptically lift up into the air. "I'm sorry, but this? Aren't I supposed to be covering more and not revealing?"
Lucia placed her hands on her hips. "That's what I'm giving to you so wear it."
"This?" Charlotte repeated as she took in the open back of the off-the-shoulder dress that had lots of tiny gold chains dangling down.
She touched the delicate material of the chiffon skirt tulle and looked over to the rest of Lucia's clothing which was just as skimpy, so there didn't seem to be a difference as to what Lucia had just tossed to Charlotte.
Yet, there was a feeling of apprehension as Charlotte held the dress in her hands. Lucia went over to her dresser and took out all her jewelry and sorted through all of them before dumping the rest out the window.
Charlotte watched in shock as Lucia put the rest of the jewelry that she had deemed valuable into a small velvet pouch that Lucia stuck to the inside of her dress where her breasts were.
She knew that Lucia must have been selling herself out and was saddened by her outfit beneath the black coat that was pretty as it was daunting with the black lace slip dress covering all the necessary areas to be deemed as a normal dress.