Why do I spew something weird again.. Ah, fuck it, we ball!
"Since Madame Rosetta claims that Odilie's service is sufficient for my request while Arnold disagrees, this disagreement shall be settled with your skills. I will supply you with paper and pen, and you two shall try to draw a design of a riding suit for me. The time will be limited until midday. Whoever can come up with a design to my liking will be the winner. Is this acceptable?"
Does that make sense? Hell no, I know my artist friends will be judging me from beyond their graves for telling these two to design under a very sadistic time crunch but I really have no choice! I gotta kick these two out and that's the first excuse that comes to mind!
As expected, the two look at me with surprise on their face. What's not expected is the difference in their surprises. While Odilie's frowning lips and narrowing brows display hesitancy, Arnold's smile and glittering blue eyes show an unmasked relief, which is kind of weird considering the situation but I just can't pinpoint the exact reason why it's bothering me.
"Very well, if that is your wish, my lady." Arnold hits his chest with confidence, not so subtly throwing shades at his new competitor with his glaring eyes. "I will show the reason why I'm befitting of my title as your personal tailor!"
Meanwhile, Odilie only nods and says in a voice barely a whisper, "I.. will do my best." and her eyes water, as if she's going to cry next but is doing her best to hold it in.
Eugh! I'm sorry! I don't want to do this either but the medicine can't wait any longer! Even if yours turned out bad, I'll make sure to heap your design with praises so Arnold can't stomp all over you later!!! Odilie, Fighting!!!!
It seems that since both parties have agreed (albeit reluctantly for one of them) the two can be temporarily divested elsewhere as Sasha and Winnie escort them out of my room, while Ina huffs, the displeasure aimed at Arnold's back, muttering something under breath before tending me again. "Miss, let's get you ready to watch the battle! I'm sure that the competition will turn exciting!"
A~ah, I really don't want to. I'm already exhausted, mentally and surely soon, physically. However, it is very hard to go against Ina's puppy-eyes attack and so, I let myself be manhandled by her and Sonya to dress into something more appropriate to receive guests.
The style they chose for today is similar to what I wore during my first outing here, though the color is darker, and a little bit heavier than that one in a way that's comfy, rather than restrictive, shattering my preconceived thoughts regarding ancient dresses being a literal death-trap for women bodies.
Right, speaking of restriction, I should also address the situation that's left while I still remember about it. "Call Doctor Keller here and tell him that one of his patients escaped."
Sonya's brows lifts ever so slightly as her lips parted in surprise, as if she just remembered about the situation alongside the surprised Ina, who gasp as she hit her palm with her fist. "Oh my god! We didn't realize! I'll go drag him out right now!!" and ran out of the dressing room with purpose in her strides.
I'm so thankful that when she does that, it's done after I'm done dressing, so now I only need the face touch-up which Sonya can do by herself. Sonya sighs in a way that once again reminds me of an adult scolding a child before she takes the makeup again to begin the last touch-up. "I hope you forgive her, that kid is a little bit too.. energetic these days."
"Hm." I hum as the brunette spreads some powder on my cheeks, the blush powder I think, and starts blending. "You two are close."
"You can say that," Sonya smiles slightly as she brushes my lips with rouge, "We have shared a room ever since her first day, and somehow, it turns out like this."
"I appreciate your approach to remaining responsible for the both of you."
That somehow got Sonya to smile a little wider, her eyes softening as well. "Your praise is a grace for my humble self, miss."
Despite the silence between us, the feeling of annoyance from earlier doesn't dissipate. Man, Carla, you really know how to hold a grudge, don't you? Let it go, damn it! I need my peace and zen!!!
In any case the situation has already unfolded and the ball is already rolling, so I let Sonya finish her work while calming the bodily reaction to something more manageable, waiting until she pulls back to admire her work from a distance, waiting until she gave the nod before checking for myself on the mirror.
As an amateur who only ever does the barest basic of make-up due to work, I can tell that something is different, though not what or where exactly. The face that I've been staring at for the past month looks a tad healthier than usual today. Is that due to the makeup alone or because I'm starting to take care of this body? I can't tell at all! Guess that's what separates the pros from the noobs.
Now it's Sonya's turn to wait until I give the approving nod, which I always give since I don't want to bother, and we both set out of the dressing room into the bedroom again.
Sieghart is, surprisingly, still around. The man is standing by the door being nagged by Ina, who is straining her neck to look up with her hands resting on her hip, no doubt pouting too based on her tone of voice. "-take care of yourself, okay!" is all I catch of her words as I enter the bedroom proper.
"I'll do that, thank you for your concern…" the blond answers with a customer-service smile and aura so thick that I flinch by instinct from seeing it, though he thankfully misses it when his attention finally diverts and his gaze finds mine again. "Ah, miss Carlyanne!"
"How did you end up here?" I ask with as straightforward tone as I can muster since I'm not in a calm mood yet, to which, the man's smile stiffens momentarily before he gives a short, polite bow along with his answer. "I was on my way to the infirmary when I ran into the sight of sir Arnold th- making a scene, that I felt the need to help diffuse the situation.
"My apologies for causing you to worry, it won't happen again."
Hah, you're about to say throwing a tantrum, aren't you? Just be honest about that man, I don't think I can get any more angrier than I already am! "See that it won't." Ugh, why does that come out so snappy, get over it, body!
Despite myself not appreciating the tidal of emotions that's borderline choking my breath right now, I still have to make sure this future terrorist doesn't scope his aim at me while I'm down, so I say what I've always wanted to say to the guy. "Your help is appreciated."
That, of all things, broke his polite smile and turned it into something else. Still a smile, but somehow, more guarded than his usual ones despite him hiding it with another polite bow. "It is my honor to be of service, miss."
While at it, I also take count of Sieghart, not seeing any hints of pain or discomfort on his face. The medicine Dr. Keller prescribed to him must have been good then.
However, I also know that he must be holding back pain since burn injuries aren't all that easy to shrug off, and that one, that comes from experience. Seriously, how high is your pain tolerance for you to go prancing out of your room while injured??
Ack, right! I need to dismiss the guy else he won't leave. Go rest you workaholic!!! Shoo shoo! "That will be the extent of your contribution today, you are excused until your recovery."
There's a moment of pause where no one moves or talks, a sudden flit of tension that comes and goes like the ever-indecisive summer wind. From the corner of my eyes, I take note of Sieghart giving me another bow, a deeper one than the one he greets me with and departs with the same not-smiling smile still etched on his face.
For some reason, his departing back looks particularly lonely today.
How odd.
Once that's done and taken care of, I turn my gaze away and return to my room to eat breakfast, as always trying my best to down the medicine in one go and sit on my lonesome while enjoying the lovely summer air.
Even though I so desperately wish I could use this time to ponder, I find the fact that the two intruders today are occupying my thoughts so fiercely from both guilt and curiosity that I can't help but ask about them, just to chase away the icky taste of the medicine. "How long have I employed Arnold?"
"He's been under your service for about four years." Sasha hands me a glass of water to help rinse my mouth, "This year will mark the fifth year, miss."
Wow, that's a long ass time for a guy to be someone's personal tailor! I'm not the type of person who has brand loyalty, so the fact that Carlyanne let this man stick around for so long is kind of mind-blowing to me. "And Madame Rosetta? How long has she been making dresses compared to him?"
"They should start about the same time." Oh? The same time as he does? This smells like a rivalry. "If I reckon, sir Arnold should have started making dresses for you slightly earlier than the countess inviting Madame Rosetta to work for the family."
Aha! Finally, some fucking answers! Rosetta isn't my sister's personal tailor, she's the Countess' tailor, and that makes all the sense among all the variables swimming around Carlyanne. "I now see why she dared send her apprentice to tend to me instead of coming personally, despite the request."
"That woman is always arrogant anyway! She's not that great of a tailor–" Ina chips in with a frown on her face, though Sonya is quick to hush her down before she can continue. "Anyway, you are wise enough to never have to deal with her, miss! Even though I can't say sir Arnold is the better of the two evils.. at least he's mean to everyone equally!"
...That's where your bar lies?? Ina, I don't think that's anything to praise about??? "So he behaves like.." I make some vague gesture of his eccentricity, "-all the time?"
"All the time!"
Ina reads my question as permission for her to keep talking, which it is, and starts to spill all the juicy intel on this redhead. "He's not so insufferable in the beginning, but after a year passed and he got into a fight with Madame Rosetta for some reason, sir Arnold starts to have looser lips and critiques our dressing as well!"
"It's not like we're not trying! He's so stupid like that." She ends with an angry huff, cheeks inflating and red from most likely annoyance. "The only saving grace of his is that his dresses are second to none. All of them look so good on you, though that, I can't say if that's due to his skills or just because it's you that wears them, miss! I'm sure even rags will look like silk on you!"
Alright alright, put a break on the boot-licking will ya? I look over to Sonya, who seems to be silently agreeing with Ina's words up until that last comment. Right? I'm so glad there's still someone with a working brain in this room.
"..It's not like we can wear something else as servants," Winnie whispers under her breath, though I hear it well and loud, panicking when she notices my eyes on her. "Ah, I mean! I just-"
"It's fine Winnie, miss won't get angry at you!" Ina reassures the girl with quite the confidence that Sasha is eyeing with dripping disapproval. "Right miss? Our miss is the kindest, after all!"
While I can't agree with the green-haired airhead's opinions, I am indeed, curious of her thoughts. So I tilt my head to the side, somehow trying my best to convey enough curiosity instead of rebuttal that Winnie feels compelled to continue talking. "He's not all that bad in my opinion."
Ina lets out a dramatic gasp.
"It's not that he says we look ugly, per se. Just.. most of his advice is impractical and unsuitable for those in our posts." the girl rubs her sleeves with a hesitant tone. "And you, for some reason, always like to talk back to him. So of course he'd bully you the most!"
"I have to agree with that."
Sonya finally jumps in the fray! Another unexpected event occurs!!! "I don't want to call him stupid, or ignorant like Ina claims. I can tell that the good sir cares as his loyalty ensures nothing less than perfection for you, my lady, even if it means unintentionally ribbing others under you in the wrong way."
That sounds weird as fuck. Loyalty?? To Carlyanne? Not the other way around??? What the fuck did the girlie do to get that?? I'd have believed it if you said the guy stuck around because of coercion and blackmail!!!
There's not much I can find out this way since Sasha's face doesn't seem particularly forthcoming right now, more like displeased at the maids for chatting away when they find the opportunity (that I supplied, mind you) so I don't feel like asking her right now.
Instead, how about I just visit the two? "Where are those two right now?"
"I've led them to the drawing room," Sasha gives a bow as she answers, "-would you like me to fetch them?"
"No need, I give them time until midday and I will uphold that." Instead of telling them to help me up, I just go straight to sitting up on the bed, "Clear these and fetch me my shoes, I will see how those artists fare in their struggle." There! That sounds haughty enough right? Please just let me go and have a walk!!!
My plea is answered as Sasha takes a few seconds to consider my order, perhaps weighing it against Dr. Keller's words, and lets out a sigh when I threaten to just rise and stand barefooted. "As you wish miss."
Ha! I'm learning well on how to be a villainess, aren't I? Let's fucking go!!!