"I've been spending months in my room, and I've become a bit rusty. It'll be good to stretch a little bit," Scarlett said.
Viviane's expression immediately brightened, and she nodded approvingly at Scarlett. "That's the spirit!" She turned to Alice and Violette, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "And what about you two?"
The two of them stared at each other before shrugging simultaneously.
"I'm on board," Violette replied in a cute little voice.
"I don't have anything better to do right now, so I guess I'm also on board," Alice said.
"Wait a minute," Scarlett interjected, glaring at Alice, "didn't you say that you had work to do?"
"It can wait," Alice replied with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Yet you said that-"
"Will your research on my eyes finish in a few hours?" Alice questioned.
Scarlett shook her head.
"Well, I can't abandon my works for days right now, so your little research will have to wait," Alice asserted.
Scarlett was about to say something, but then shook her head. "Wait for me here, I'm going to change."
With a nod, Scarlett retreated back into her room.
You're letting her research your eyes?" Viviane inquired, her tone tinged with surprise. "What exactly did you need her help with?" She questioned a moment later.
Viviane might be carefree, but she still had a sharp mind. She was certain that Alice might have wanted something from Scarlett, which was why she was allowing her to run experiments on her eyes.
"That's a secret. I won't tell you anything," Alice refused to divulge the content of their discussion.
"Even to me?" Violette asked with puppy eyes, her hands clasped together.
'She's damn cute!' Alice thought as Violette's innocent and pure eyes pleaded with her.
Viviane, Alice and Scarlett all had differents personalities and liked different things, but there were things that all three of them had in common.
One such thing was their love for their youngest sister. All of them particularly doted on Violette and didn't allow any harm to come her way. In a sense, Violette could be said to be their reverse scale.
Even Scarlett, who, although she very much loved her family, was usually distant, was especially fond of Violette. The proof of that was the fact that she never asked for something in return when the one asking for help was Violette!
Violette was aware of how her sisters felt about her, and she never hesitated to use it to get what she wanted.
'Ugh, she's too damn cute,' Alice thought, 'should I tell her—no, that's a bad idea.'
She affectionately patted Violette and lightly shook her head, "Sorry, sweetheart, but I can't say it... Even to you."
Her answer surprised Violette and made her even more curious since she knew that Alice never refused her anything.
However, she was mature enough not to push for an answer when the other party had clearly said no. Plus, knowing her sister, pressing for an answer would definitely be the wrong move in this situation.
She stepped back from Alice and pouted cutely, "Hmph, then continue being all secretive."
"Haha, don't react like that," Alice smiled bitterly, "I really can't tell you."
'I don't want you ghosting me for years like you did with Dad,' Alice added mentally, 'my poor heart couldn't take it.'
At that moment, Scarlett emerged from her room, "I'm ready now, let's go."
She had traded her white blouse for an oversized sweater, slipped into a pair of comfortable leggings, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail.
Despite the sweater concealing more of her physique compared to the revealing blouse, Scarlett still exuded an enticing and captivating presence, especially when one focused on her leggings, which accentuated her curvaceous thighs.
"Where to, though? The training grounds are brimming with people," Violette wondered.
"We could go to the garden; no one is there, so we wouldn't be bothered," Viviane proposed.
"It's decided then, let's go," Alice said as she wrapped one hand over Violette's shoulder.
"I heard that you finally made up with Dad, that's good," Alice said with a pleased smile.
"Oh, is that true?!" Viviane wondered with an excited smile.
Even Scarlett seemed interested in the matter as she glanced at her younger sister.
Both of the girls knew that the relationship between their father and their youngest sister was....strained, something that was quite sad considering how close they used to be.
They didn't want to get involved in whatever it was that had caused Violette to be hostile toward their father, but still hoped that they would make up, which is why they were quite pleased hearing that it had finally happened.
"Mmm," Violette let out an acknowledging sound to Viviane's inquiry, a blush finding its way to her face as she did so.
"Great!" Viviane exclaimed in a cheerful tone, "come on, tell your big sister what happened," she added while placing her arm around Violette's shoulder, pushing Alice away in doing so.
"Hey!" Alice exclaimed in indignation, seeing Viviane steal her position.
"Forget it, she is always like this," Scarlett said with a chuckle.
Alice grumbled a little but didn't do anything in the end.
Together, the siblings walked towards the garden while chatting and laughing together.
"Ladies."
Once they stepped inside the garden, a soft and polite voice greeted the sisters.
Looking ahead, their eyes met the welcoming sight of a woman standing before them, holding a tray adorned with a teapot and several delicate cups.
The woman before them was undeniably stunning, with her honey blonde hair elegantly tied in a ponytail and her captivating emerald eyes shining behind her glasses. Her hourglass figure, complemented by her curvy hips, only added to her attractiveness. Despite her attempt to conceal it, her generous bosom was impossible to ignore, subtly teasing beneath her black and white maid outfit.
Under the bright sun, her flawless white skin radiated a soft light, enhancing the youthfulness and mesmerizing quality of her face.
All in all, the woman before the four girls was so attractive that it wouldn't be strange if she had a whole horde of men following behind her, vying for the attention of the beautiful woman with sinuous curves.
"Who is sh-" Scarlett was in the midst of inquiring who the woman was when she stopped in her tracks.
It was because she seemed to have caught sight of something moving under the woman draped in maid clothing.
Carefully observing, Scarlett noticed the shadow of something dancing behind the woman.
She directed her gaze upward and carefully examined the woman's features. It was only then that she noticed a pair of cat ears atop the woman's head.
"A half-feline?" Scarlett wondered. "Who is she?" She questioned, glancing at Alice.
"Aunt Anna's replacement," Alice answered. "She's the new head maid."
"Hoh," Scarlett and the others raised an eyebrow in unison.
Judging by the others two reactions, Scarlett deduced that they were also unaware of the new head maid.
"I've never seen her here. Where did she come from?" Violette inquired.
"She was brought by Grandma Candace after Dad left, taking Mom, Aunt Amelia, and Aunt Anna with him," Alice replied with a smile.
She looked toward the maid, who was slightly bowing to them, and smiled politely. "How are you doing, Aunt Eve?"
"I'm doing fine, but..." Eve corrected her posture to address the beautiful young woman before her. "...I've already told you, Lady Alice, I'm just a mere maid. You shouldn't refer to me as 'aunt,' and it's Evelina, not Eve."
"Evelina, Eve, it's the same thing," Alice shrugged. "And about not referring to you as aunt, what was my answer to that?" Alice inquired with a small smile.
Eve's eyes seemed to twitch slightly as she answered, "You said that you would continue to do so even if I told you to stop."
"Great, it's all sorted now," Alice's smile widened.
Observing this, Eve's eyes twitched once again, but she refrained from saying anything more.
"So, you're the new head maid, huh?" Scarlett said as she approached Eve, her scarlet eyes scanning the woman from head to toe.
"Yes, Lady Scarlett," Evelina replied as she lightly bowed to Scarlett, "but I have to specify, I'm not the only head maid."
"Oh, how come?" Scarlett raised an eyebrow.
"Lady Candace brought two of us," Eve answered, "the other head maid's duties consist of managing the other servants of the mansion."
"And what are your duties?" Viviane wondered as she approached the two.
"My primary duty will be to serve as your father's personal maid."