"I believe you shouldn't assume that, Your Grace." Her sultry voice swam out of her lips as it curved to a cunning smirk on her face.
Adele raised her brow at the audacity of the witch to speak to her in that manner. Since the woman was obviously a maid in the Hayes' mansion, she saw her as someone incapable of addressing her as if they were equals.
'Seeing that this woman has no regard for me, no doubt she can betray me. It is so sad Madeline can't see this.' She concluded in her thoughts and shook her head in pity as she cast a look in Madeline's direction.
"Hahaha..." Adele's cheerful laughter wrapped the chamber in its embrace. The faint rays of sunshine fell on her figure as she crossed her legs in elegance, still laughing.
She sent the cloaked witch a look of fondness which was quick to be replaced by iciness in her brown eyes. "You should know how to speak to your Master." Her voice never sounded friendly and innocent.
Instead, there was an underlying threat in it. Something she couldn't ignore.
'I have to be very careful the way I speak around her.' Her electric blue eyes moved in the shade created by the hoodie.
Pursing her lips together, she bowed her head as a way to make Adele feel better. Even though the Consort looked so harmless, she could foresee something dark looming around her.
This woman's determination was strong and deadly. To think of becoming her first enemy... She shuddered at the thought of it, and decided to push it to the back of her mind.
"Apologies, Your Grace. I acted way out of line due to being used to our norms." She certainly never meant the Napoleonian norms, but the norms of beings like hers.
As a Witch, she was to be treated with equal respect as the person who was hiring her for duty. This was to ensure that a bond was created, and her purpose for doing a spell might be more effective.
She doubted her powers would be effective seeing the pure arrogance coming from the white lotus, the Consort and her cousin.
"It is understandable. You are pardoned." Adele spoke raising her chin up in contentment. A fulfilled smile appeared on her face as she stared at the witch again, before looking at Madeline through her side eyes.
"She has always talked to you as though you were her equal? This is one reason why Reginald won't even look your direction. You allow people to mess you up without shame." She tsked, trying to encourage her cousin in the worst possible way.
Adele thought she would be spicing Madeline up as the lady was a little too new in what they were going to engage in together.
She was not aware that Madeline was ahead of her whenever it came to manipulative conspiracies. She could win a thousand trophies for her schemes.
"How do I make him look at me? Enlighten me, Eldest Cousin." Madeline tried her best to keep herself comported.
She was starting to get pissed by her Cousin's arrogance. Any wrong move from Adele again, she would be forced to go against her.
'Let's just hope that never happens.' She sighed as she waited patiently for Adele's reply.
"We'll talk about him later on, after we're done with her." Adele batted her lashes in an exaggeratingly slow manner before turning her attention on the Witch again.
"First..." She trailed as her eyes started to darken with an intensity that spoke of malicious intentions and disastrous actions.
Madeline got the gist of where their conversation was going to, and her countenance grew serious as she waited to listen.
=======
Olivia heard a knock on her door and she rushed to open it, skillfully dodging the mini-dining in her chambers. She was trying her best to leave things more organized as her maid never showed up after two days.
She thought Antonia must have taken her words to heart and decided not to show up. After worrying for two days, she steeled her heart and reminded herself again that she was meant to be alone.
Even when she never wanted to believe it.
The knock she heard today however was something that gave her a little hope.
Twisting the knob, she pulled the door backward only to be welcomed with the same woman who led her here the first night she came in.
"Oh... you." Her expression fell as soon as she realized it was not Antonia. Though the woman before her looked like her, the great difference was their eyes.
'I wonder where she has been to all these while. Does she know about the bruises?' Olivia raised a brow before taking a step backward.
"I see you have gotten used to Antonia's presence." A friendly smile appeared on her face as she walked in with a tray holding the Princess's breakfast.
Olivia never noticed it before, but now that she was seeing it she was shocked she was to eat in her chambers.
Eh...? Did I wake up in a goat's pen? I'm being served in my chambers! Finally!!! She rejoiced in her head as she watched Antonia's twin sister placing the tray of food on the table, before taking out some plates.
The Princess contemplated on whether or not she should ask about Antonia. Besides, she didn't know her sister's name. Well...
"Is something happening...?" She asked in a cautious voice while taking slow steps toward the maid who dished a spoonful of chocolate pudding on the plate.
She raised her head and shook in reply after placing the plate on the table. "Nothing that might inconvenience you, Your highness. Why do you ask?"
Her confident response made her know the reason why Antonia was never like her sister. Besides, her twin sister was much bubbly and looked skilled as though she underwent a secret training.
Olivia's keen eyes took note of all these. She even started to question herself inwardly.
"Where's your sister?" A crease was seen in between her brows as her eyes lingered on the chocolate pudding.
Something was fishy... she could sense it.
...
I guess this is a bonus chapter.
Dedicated to whoever sent summoning pens.😂
Love you.
Empress!