"What are you talking about?" Andromeda demanded as she stood up from the chair.
"I saw Lady Rhea outside the mansion, getting down on her carriage while the coachman brought down her luggage from the carriage–" Before the maid could finish, Andromeda had already started walking to the mansion.
"What happened? Who is Lady Rhea and why are you so surprised?" Aylin asked as she caught up with Andromeda.
"Rhea...is my granddaughter."
The Duke's sister?
"Grandma!" Andromeda skidded to a halt as a loud and feminine voice called.
Aylin's gaze traveled to see a pale and tall Lady with wine-red wavy hair. She was dressed in a long off-the-shoulder red and black sleeveless ball gown with a red velvet choker around her neck.
"I missed you!" The lady's upbeat voice resounded throughout the living room as she reached out with her black-gloved hands and pulled Andromeda into a hug, which the latter did not return.
"Rhea," The older woman called, pulling away from the hug. "What are you doing here?"
Rhea stepped back. "What do you mean by what am I doing here Grandma? Are you not happy to see me?" She asked confusedly, tilting her head to the side "Wait, why do you look like that?"
"I asked you a question, Rhea. Answer me, what are you doing here?" Andromeda questioned.
Ignoring her words, Rhea walked forward, her eyes trailing Andromeda's facial features. "You look… Different."
"No Rhea, I look beautiful. Now answer my question. What are you doing here?" She questioned again and Rhea sighed, almost rolling her eyes.
"Alright grandmother, since you so badly want an answer, I will give you one," She said as a wide smile appeared on her face. "I've decided to start living here!"
Andromeda stared at her for almost a minute before starting to chuckle, "Live here? Didn't you remember the day you said you'd never step foot in this house? That you'd rather die than live here? You have been doing a great job of keeping that promise over the last 14 years, so what changed Rhea? Why'd you suddenly decide to start living here?"
"Grandma... I expected more from you, I mean, to think that you took the words of an 11-year-old seriously. Anyway, I was the one who said it and now I take it back."
"You were already thinking and behaving like an adult when you were eleven Rhea, and you can't just take back your words anytime you want to," Andromeda said sternly.
"Well, I can and I will grandmother. I want to live here and you can't stop me, after all, I'm your granddaughter; your son's daughter, a Casimir."
"Casimir?" Andromeda scoffed "You never change do you?"
"Mm," Rhea said as she smiled widely at Andromeda before glancing back at Aylin who was still standing behind Andromeda, witnessing their whole exchange. "And who is this?" She asked, jerking her head toward Aylin.
"No one you need to know."
"Grandma... That's not nice." Rhea told her.
"Her name is Aylin, she's a family friend and will be living here for some time," Andromeda reluctantly replied and Rhea slowly strode towards Aylin.
"Aylin hmm?" She hummed as her eyes raked all over Aylin, before finally stopping at her face, a wide and charming smile appearing on her dark red lips, "Hi, I'm Rhea Casimir, the duke's younger sister, and that cranky old woman's granddaughter." She chuckled, jerking her head at Andromeda who rolled her eyes.
"I'm Aylin Hill, it's nice to meet you, Lady Rhea."
"You don't have to be so formal, you are a family friend which makes you my friend. You can call me Rhea while I call you Aylin. Is that alright with you?" Rhea asked as her sky blue eyes stared intently at Aylin and her smile widened by the second.
Aylin returned her smile. "Sure, of course."
"Great! I've got a feeling that we will get along perfectly." Rhea said, her blue eyes twinkling in mirth.
"Yeah, I'm sure we will," Aylin responded.
"I would love to continue chatting with you but I have to change and have a good rest, it's been a long journey. I hope you understand."
Aylin nodded, "I understand, you don't need to worry."
"Aww, you're such a sweet soul. Alright, see you later Aylin." Rhea waved as she walked out of the living room to the lit hallways, her handmaiden following behind her.
"Later," Aylin smiled, watching her retreating figure before turning to Andromeda whose expression had turned grim. "Is something wrong?"
Why was she even asking, something was wrong.
"No, everything is fine. Just be careful."
"Of Rhea?" Aylin asked, now curious about the duke's sibling who just appeared.
"Yes, of Rhea," Andromeda sighed, seeing the curious expression on Aylin's face.
"I will be."
"I know you must have a lot of questions, considering the little show you witnessed earlier," Andromeda stated and Aylin smiled.
"I do but I don't think it's in my place to ask any questions."
"Thank you. Why don't you go to your room? Dahlia must be there waiting for you." She suggested.
You don't have to tell me twice.
"Sure, excuse me," Aylin said before walking up the stairs.
Sighing, Andromeda turned and strode down the same path Rhea had taken earlier.
"Hmm, It's good to see how clean and tidy everything is. Like it was just yesterday I left." Andromeda heard Rhea's voice as she walked closer to the room.
"It's neat only because you've been instructing one of the maids to clean it up. To be honest, no one would care to help you maintain this room and left to me, I'd love it if it was turned into a storage room," Andromeda said as soon as she stepped into the enormous and brilliantly colored room.
"Oh, grandmother! You hurt me with such harsh and cruel words" Rhea said as she made the face of someone who's been treated unfairly.
"Quite the acting Rhea, It doesn't look good on you." She said with a pinched expression.
Rhea chuckled, "I've missed that expression, though it doesn't suit your new look." She commented, referring to the annoyance on Andromeda's countenance "Tell me, grandma, what did you do to look like that?"
Andromeda gave her a tight smile. "Nothing you need to know."
"Makes me more curious."
"Well, you better not be."
"You're still so boring grandma, and about what you said earlier, acting looks perfect on me, you just don't see the beauty–"
"Shut up Rhea. Not playing along with your stupid games, lies, and pretense doesn't make me boring." She paused. "Did you inform Auretta you were leaving?"
"I did," Rhea nodded.
"And she allowed you to leave?" Andromeda asked, not believing that Auretta would have allowed Rhea to leave.
"I don't know." Rhea shrugged.
"What do you mean by you don't know?" Andromeda narrowed her eyes as she stared at Rhea.
"I didn't get to know her response because I told her through a letter that I left behind before leaving."
Rhea didn't tell her aunt her plans of leaving because she would have made a fuss about it and told her grandmother, spoiling Rhea's plans of surprising her grandmother. Rhea was someone who didn't listen to anyone and did anything she liked. She had simply left the letter so that she wouldn't worry and thought that something had happened to her.
"You informed her through a letter when you were about to leave? And here I thought your brother was something, you are something else." Andromeda stated, pinching the space between her eyebrows.
"Are you angry?" Rhea asked innocently.
"Angry is an understatement, Rhea... You make decisions without thinking about how they might affect others or how they may feel about it. You've been like this since you were a kid, you haven't changed one bit."
"And I don't wish to, Grandmother."
"Of course, you don't. Your brother will be the one to decide whether you leave or stay, though I wish he throws you out." She hesitated, "Oh, and please stay away from Aylin, I've had enough problems for a day or two, I do not want anymore." She left without waiting for a reply.
"I love you too Grandmother!" Rhea called after Andromeda before sitting on her bed, crossing her legs, and leaning back.
"But I don't think I can do that, considering how she has piqued my interest." She added, a sly smile forming on her lips. "Edna." She called and her handmaiden came forward.
"Yes, My lady?" Edna answered, bowing her head.
"I want you to find out what you can about Lady Aylin, ask Anna, she might know something." She ordered without looking at her.
"I will My lady, excuse me." The handmaiden bowed again before walking out of the room.
Edna unhurriedly walked to the kitchen where she knew most of the maids would be. As she stepped into the kitchen, she caught the curious stares thrown at her but she didn't pay them any attention as her eyes roamed before finally settling on who she was looking for.
"Anna!" She called and Anna immediately stood up.
"Yes?"
"Follow me," She ordered as she turned and walked off without waiting for her.
Edna stopped walking when she reached a secluded corridor and turned around just as Anna came to stand in front of her. "Is something wrong?" Anna asked in a low voice.
"No, nothing is wrong, I want you to tell me everything you know about Lady Aylin."
"Lady Aylin? Well... She arrived together with Her Grace yesterday evening and the Grand Duchess said she will be staying here for a while. They seem pretty close. They had lunch and also spent time together in the garden." She paused, "Her Grace instructed us to treat her like we would treat her or the duke, give her the same respect and serve her well."
"Does the duke know that she will start living here?" Edna questioned.
"Yes, he does. He was in the mansion when they arrived yesterday."
"I see... That's all, you can leave." She told her.
Anna nodded her head and left while Edna walked to her mistress room, to relay the information she got.
Edna reached the room and told Rhea everything Anna told her.
"So my brother consented? That is so not like him...." Rhea commented, resting her head on her hand as she lay sideways on the bed sheets.
"Anyways," She stood up and walked towards a couple of boxes placed on a table. She picked up two boxes and handed them to Edna, "Give them to my grandmother." She instructed.
"Yes, My lady," Edna bowed and left.
_
On one of the sofas in her room, Andromeda sat crossed-legged and leaned her back on the armchair as Selena massaged her shoulders.
"Do you think he will allow her to live here?" Selena asked, standing behind Andromeda.
"I don't know, she's his sister after all, even though she has a couple of screws loose from her head," Andromeda replied with closed eyes.
"The duke–" Selena was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Who's it?" Selena asked as she stopped what she was doing.
"It's Edna, Your Grace."
"Come in," Andromeda stated and the door opened. Edna walked into the room holding two boxes. Andromeda stared at the boxes before moving her gaze to Edna.
"What is it?"
"My lady asked me to give you the gift she brought for you." Edna bowed.
"Gifts? Thanks but no thanks. Tell her that I don't want it."
"My lady said that if you do not accept it, she will personally give them to lady Aylin."
Andromeda sighed, "Place it on the table and leave."
"I'm sorry Your Grace but Lady Rhea told me to ensure that you saw and liked the gifts." Edna insisted.
"She hasn't even spent an hour here and she's already driving me nuts," Andromeda muttered under her breath before turning to Selena. "Bring the boxes and let me see the gifts she brought."
Selena nodded and collected the boxes from Edna and handed it to Andromeda.
Opening the first box, Andromeda saw a pearl necklace glowing under the evening sunlight. It was a stunning pink pearl necklace and Andromeda wouldn't lie, she liked it. She opened the second one and saw a pair of white shoes, with sparkling diamonds intricately designed. They were both luxurious and high-quality items that would cost a fortune.
Andromeda sighed and closed the box before settling it on the table beside her. "Tell her that I loved them and she shouldn't have bothered."
"I will inform her. Excuse me, Your grace." Edna said and bowed one last time before walking out of the room.
Rhea... What are you up to this time around?