A maid led Selah to a side room and then left. Selah stood in the centre of room where there was a mandala painted in vibrant colours.
She made a full turn and looked at the room, a four post bed sat idly in the room with organza curtains that shines in the sun light, the walls were painted white and decorated with pantings of mountains, similar porcelain vases like the ones in the dining hall were placed in all the coners, what did the Marchioness like so much about these stupid vases.
In all her past life she has only slept in two rooms of this quality, the first is this one and the other is the room that Princess Larisa had assigned for her which was twice as big as this one and way more luxurious.
When she had been given this room in her past life she had thought that her days of being a pushover had stopped and she would be treated nicely just like the first and second miss's, after all she was the third miss of the Wormwood Marquis mansion, she couldn't understand why she was treated differently when she was one of her father's daughters too.
When she had asked this in her previous life, the Marchioness had looked at her with disgust and said in a condescending manner.
"How can trash like you born from your equally trashy concubine mother compare to a single strand of one of my daughter's armpit hair?"
Selah's voice was void of any happiness as she laughed to herself, that's right. She wasn't even worthy enough to be compared to someone's armpit hair, she wished her mother should have aborted her if she wasn't even planning to raise her, the woman hanged herself when Selah was ten years old, Coward.
Selah sat down at the vanity and looked at her reflection in the mirror, a young bruised face stared back at her. She looked at the countless medicine bottles on the table and started to pick them one by one to take a look, wound medicine, pain killers, and scar cream.
How funny, The Marchioness wants her to be completely healed in a month's time so that when she takes her along to the palace later, people won't say they ill treat one of their daughters which may cause their reputation to be ruined, as if they had one in the first place.
Selah opened the wound medicine bottle and applied the paste to the countless wounds on her before she bandaged them up.
She went to the closet next and browsed through the pretty dresses inside before she picked a sage green dress with floral print and put it on, she wanted to treat herself nicely no matter what someone thinks this time around.
When night fell, Selah was invited by a maid to go to the main courtyards dining hall. She rejected the escort since she knew the way and also because she didn't want the company of a sour faced ugly girl.
She kept her footsteps as light as possible and slowed down when she came close to the dining hall's door and slowed down her breath as she listened in on the conversation inside.
"Mother what do you mean we have to treat that bastard nicely,"
"Right mother, I also heard that you gave her a room in your courtyard."
"What would you have me do, we need a daughter who can volunteer to be the princess's study partner, it's either her or one of you two girls."
"Can't we just beat her into submission and force her to volunteer when the time comes."
The Marchioness said sharply, "You know nothing at all, violence can't solve all of your problems, think about it. She will be close to the princess if she becomes her study partner, we need to treat her nicely so she will be willing to put in a good word for your brother when the time comes,"
"So that's how it is, but do we have to treat her nicely?"
"Of cause, it's just for a month anyway and then she will be gone and who can say how long she will survive as the princess's study partner, I heard she kills her study partners, we might receive news of her death in less than a years' time,"
"Alright," Two voices grumbled in reply.
"Where is she anyway, keeping us waiting for her,"
Selah quietly went back a few feet before she walked forward again with loud steps this time, she heard someone shushing someone before she entered and gave a low bow as she lowered her head.
"I am sorry I am late,"
The Marchioness and Julia gave her fake smiles while Sapphire just looked away with a tsk. The Marchioness beckoned her over.
"Come and sit down, there is no need for formality between family members,"
Selah sat down and looked around as she asked, "Where is father, first and second older brothers and little brother,"
The Marchioness's hand paused as she was about to put a fork with fish in her mouth, Selah looked at her with innocent and curios eyes although she was rejoicing inside her head at having hit the Marchioness's wounds.
She knew that her father was quite the lustful man, if he wasn't here it was one of two things. He was with a concubine or maid or he went out to drink and he always drank at brothels so either option led to the same conclusion, him between sheets with a woman. This has always been a sore spot for the Marchioness.
The Marchioness gave a forced laugh, "you are 'such a good girl' for worrying about your father and brothers"
She said the words such a good girl while griting her teeth.
"Don't worry, your father is busy with paper work, your little brother is with his nanny while your two older brothers have gone to the surburbs."
More like they have been kicked out, Selah wanted to say but just gave a nod of acknowledgement and a smile as a reply and the lest of the meal was eaten in silence.
A month passed by in no time much to Selah's displeasure. She had fun this month, she deliberately did things that infuriated her two sisters and watched in amusement as their faces turned red from anger but they couldn't to anything in retaliation.
On the day when they where about to set off to the palace, Selah woke up extra early for two reasons. She wanted to get ready properly and look her best for when she goes to meet her benefactor aka the princess and because she exchanged the shampoo in her sister's bathroom with hair remover.
She quickly got ready and went to the main hall where her father was. She knew that her sisters would not let her off with this one, so she might seek the mans protection for just this once.
Sapphire and Julia entered the hall while the both wore vails over their heads. Sapphire came over to sSelah and raised her hand to slap her but her hand was caught and thrown to the side by the Marquis.
"What do you want to do." The Marquis boomed.
Sapphire eyes watered up as she pointed a finger at the smiling Selah behind the Marquis.
"It was her, she swiched our shampoo with hair remover."
The Marquis wasn't interested in listening, as it stands, Selah was currently more valuable to him and it was just hair, there was no harm done.
"Selah wouldn't do that," he casually waved sapphire off.
"But Father," Sapphire cried out on the verge of crying.
"That's enough, its just hair that will grow again after some time, go and get your mother and we should set out."
They soon set off to the palace, the banquet would start at noon but they had to get there earlier to go through the security checks which may take some time considering the fact that they would be checked according to rank.
This means that higher ranking families can cut the line and go infront of someone with a lower rank than them, so they where trying to arrive eailer when there are few noble family at the gate and they may get through the checks quicker.