Adelia kept sparing glances at her mother while her maid, Lyra, was in the process of undressing her for her bath.
When she was younger, she would literally jump in excitement at the thought of her mother dressing her up, but now, the idea was nothing short of mortifying.
Years had passed since her mother had done something as ridiculous as this. If she was remembering right, the last time this had happened was when she turned fourteen and was preparing for her debutante ball.
At that time, Adelia barely had anything that could classify her as a woman, yet her mother had managed to make her literally tremble with embarrassment.
Every single detail, even the most private; her mother had something to say about all of it!
The memory made Adelia's cheeks flush with embarrassment. She couldn't possibly let that happen again!
But she was at least as grateful as her mother had asked her to be. After all, she wasn't insisting on bathing her.
"Mother," Adelia's voice broke the silence. "You don't seem to have rested enough today..."
Eva answered with a soft hum. "I assure you that I have rested well, Delia," she told her. "You needn't worry about me. As a matter of fact, I feel a little stronger today."
Those words made Adelia happy. Her mother's complexion did seem a bit brighter, and she looked stronger.
She was glad, truly. But she really wished her mother would direct all that energy somewhere else.
Adelia managed a faint smile. "I can tell," she said. "But I'm sure you'd prefer not to waste half of that energy waiting for my bath... Why don't you go see Father in the meantime? You haven't had a chance to talk to him since we got back."
The Duchess' expression shifted suddenly, turning dark and a little sad. "Your father..." she trailed off, "He will need a bit more time before I go to speak with him."
Those words alone were all it took for Adelia to know that she didn't need to probe any further.
They stayed in uncomfortable silence for a while until the Duchess chose to break it.
"By the way, how was Lavim, my love? I'm sure your father allowed you some exploration, considering your nature—did you enjoy it?"
Adelia flinched heavily at the question, and coincidentally, a pin that Lyra was removing from the side of her dress pricked her.
"Ouch!"
"My lady!" Lyra exclaimed in a panic. "I'm so sorry... I didn't mean—"
"It's fine, Lyra," Adelia managed, gently rubbing her side. "It wasn't your fault."
Her mother had already stood from her position on the bed and was now moving towards her.
"What happened?" Eva asked, closing the distance. "Are you hurt?"
Lyra quickly bowed apologetically. "Forgive me, Duchess," she began. "I accidentally pricked the lady with a pin."
"Oh..." Eva exclaimed quietly, then shifted her gaze to her daughter, hands on her hips. "Is that why you made such a fuss?"
"I didn't make a fuss!" Adelia protested, her voice higher than she intended. "The pain just caught me off guard."
The Duchess let out a sigh and returned to her spot on the large bed. "You should finish up, my dear," she advised, picking at a thread on her dress. "Lunchtime will be upon us before you know it."
Adelia gave her a small nod. She was now completely unclothed, and quickly entered the bathroom before her mother could spare a glance in her direction.
But what was the use, it was pointless since her mother would definitely see her as soon as she was done.
She let out a frustrated huff.
Still, at the moment, her gratitude presently exceeded everything else. Her yelp of pain, though not on purpose, had seemed to divert her mother's attention away from the Lavim topic.
So, of course she was grateful.
She didn't see how she could've lied to her, she couldn't lie to her. Part of it was because her mother almost always knew when she was being false.
Adelia breathed a relieved sigh as she eased into the bath, the warm water caressing her delicate skin in a relaxing way.
Lyra started with washing her hair, like she always did, before moving on to clean the rest of her body.
"You didn't answer your mother," her maid said suddenly, causing Adelia to flinch again.
She turned away, "I would have answered her, but she didn't inquire any further."
"And you're relieved she didn't, aren't you?" Lyra asked while cleaning her legs with scented soap.
Adelia fell silent. There were times she hated how easily those close to her in the castle could read her feelings. Was she such an open book?
Lyra's brows furrowed worriedly as she glanced up at Adelia. "Did something happen in Lavim, my lady?"
Her young mistress had indeed looked a little stressed ever since she arrived. When she asked her about it and she was told she would be informed of what had happened in Lavim later, she let her be.
Then Lyra overheard what Adelia had told the Duchess about the old Count and she had thought that was what was troubling her. But now, she felt it was far more...
Adelia pressed her lips together, contemplating. "Maybe…"
"My lady…"
"Yes," she responded clearly, shifting her attention to the soapy bubbles in the water. "But I'd rather not talk about it... and Mother would be better off unaware of it too."
The statement made Lyra wonder with dread what her dear lady had endured, but she knew better than to ask further questions.
"Of course, my lady," she relented, and deep down, she sincerely hoped her young Mistress would confide in her once she felt ready.
A few minutes passed, and Adelia completed her bath. Lyra gently dried her, all the way to her feet with a small linen towel.
Just as Lyra was about to put the towel away, Adelia reached for it, taking it from her grasp. Then she used it to cover her bosom.
Lyra sighed like she always did. "This is hardly necessary, my lady," she remarked. "Your mother is not an unfamiliar man."
Adelia's cheeks flushed. "Don't you think I know that?!" she retorted. "It's not about shame; I'm just anxious about what she might say."
"I'm sure she understands your reluctance, my lady," Lyra assured her. "The Duchess will surely be mindful of your feelings and try not to make you uncomfortable. Now, if you would kindly pass me the towel…"
Adelia hesitated for a while, and just when her maid thought she wasn't going to listen, she complied.
When she handed over the towel, Lyra stored it away and instructed her to wait for a few moments.
Leaving the bathroom, Lyra returned after a few minutes, holding an opaque white chemise.
Adelia beamed, she could have hugged her, though she stopped herself from doing so. She quickly wore the chemise, then made her way into the room.
Once she made herself known, her mother turned towards her and shook her head with a fond smile.
"Honestly, what am I to do with you?"
Adelia gave her a small but triumphant laugh, "Help me dress up."
Eva laughed softly and approached her with a lavender-colored dress in hand. She expertly put Adelia into the dress while Lyra stood nearby with a small smile on her face.
Once the Duchess had finished, she directed Adelia to take a seat in front of the vanity, then she glanced at her daughter's reflection with a warm smile.
"Let's begin with your hair, Delia," she declared. "And I'd like you to take off your pendant."
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