"Mother of gods, what the hell is going on? I transmigrated into a new place with a ghostly body and I'm in a ship!! Is this Isekai?!!!" she mumbled, watching everything around her in fear.
"Eloise!! Eloise!! My Darling Eloise, why are you out here like this," the kind lady who claimed to be her mother ran to her with a shawl in hand. She swiftly draped it around her shoulders. "why are you out here in just your inner garments, quick get back?,"
"Wait, I.."
"Get back, I say!" The woman pushed her from behind and led her directly to the familiar room. "how could you run out like that, what about your honor and dignity, the young lady I'm so disappointed in you," she roared and started pulling at her clothes.
"What are you doing!!! Let go!" Eloise tightly held onto her flimsy dress.
"Eloise, you little.... don't you think it's time to take a bath, you reek." The lady scolded with a frown.
"Do I?" Eloise sniffed herself. Indeed, her body was giving off an unpleasant odor. "Where is the bathroom?" she whispered, glancing around at the room, but there was actually no other door inside the room. "Is it outside?"
The lady softly sighed. "come here, I have already ordered Odette to bring your tub in here, before that you have to get out of those garments dear," she said and started pulling again.
"Eh, no, I can remove my own clothes," Eloise shouted, holding her shoulders tightly. From her pulling, her dress slipped off of her shoulders, revealing her pale milk-like skin.
The lady gave her a glare. "demonstrate it for me will you," she said with her hands folded over her ample bosom.
"um, you want me to strip here?"
She nodded,
"In front of you,"
The lady nodded once more.
"Not a chance in hell,"
"Eloise!!! Watch your mouth, who taught you to be so uncouth? Come here," she ran to her back, "do you think these clothes are easy to remove on your own." Her nimble fingers easily pulled out ribbons after ribbons. She placed her small hand against her daughter's pale back, "but.... I'm happy you are not sick anymore, I—I was so scared Eloise, scared that you would leave me like your father,"
Eloise sighed. 'I'm not your daughter though, I suspect that she has already left the world,' but these words did not leave her mouth. She turned back and held her small hands. "I'm fine right, don't worry so much,"
"Oh Eloise," the lady exclaimed and hugged her tight.
The hug.... it felt warm. Eloise tightly clutched her dress. 'Is this how a mother would feel?' she thought as her eyes started to tear up.
'Twenty-two years with no one to depend on and suddenly I have a mother now... Is this god's gift to me?' her lips rose in a soft smirk, "m—mother," she whispered.
The lady froze; she leaned back from the hug and peered up at her. "My baby Eloise, mother loves you so," her lips trembled softly. "Why am I getting so emotional?" she wiped her eyes and swiftly turned her over, "we need to get you ready for your bath, I have instructed them to infuse your favorite rose oil, just steam your skin until all those dirt and grime falls off," she said cheerfully.
Smiling, Eloise nodded. "By the way, where is this ship heading off to?"
The woman's busy hands paused. She ran over and stood in front of her, "What is wrong, dear? Are you burning up again," she touched her forehead with the back of her hand, "You are not hot, so why are asking such an obvious question?"
"About that....."
"WHAT!!!! YOU DON'T REMEMBER ANYTHING?!" she shouted with her eyes wide open. "Oh lord, oh lord, why is this all happening to you, my baby Eloise, do you know who I am?"
"um, mother?" Eloise whispered questionably.
"Yes, yes, I'm your mother darling, it looks like you remember few things, I—I will go call the doctor here," she ran out before Eloise could stop her.
Sighing, she plopped down on the fluffy bed. "Now that the cat's out of the bag, I guess I have to live as this world 'Eloise' now,"
"Honourable lady?" a soft voice whispered out the door accompanied by a knock.
Eloise sat up straight and cleared her throat, "come in,"
A little maid opened the door hesitantly, watching the ground. Following her, three more maids hurriedly carried in a huge wooden tub.
Eloise curiously walked close and peered at the bathtub. It was as big as a small table. 'but...…it looks like I can't stretch my legs freely in there,' she thought with a sigh.
The maid scurried away from her and literally dashed out without even taking a look at her.
"Am I so ghostly?"
Looking at the mirror, a white figure peered back at her. Even now she was not used to seeing this reflection, "no wonder they all were so scared, I literally look like a ghost,"
Her soft hair tumbled down to her waist falling down in soft curls at the end. 'but this place might have a norm to have curly hair,' she thought, thinking back to her mother. She had a head full of tight curls that were styled in a small bun behind her head. Even the women she met out of the room had the same fashionable hairstyle.
Touching her straight silky hair, she sighed once more. "It really is hard to fit in with this hair color,"
There was a soft knock on the door again, this time the maids literally ran in with pails and pails of water. Soon the tub was filled halfway.
"That's enough!" she said stopping them.
The maids trembled and ran out.
"Was my tone too harsh? I don't think so," she shrugged and pulled the dress down by her shoulders, it had a wide neckline so it was easy for her to remove, "See that mother, I don't need help to remove my 'garments'" she said with a small chuckle.
The water was lukewarm, just about the right temperature. She got in and sat uncomfortably in the small tub. Her legs were folded and close to her chest, but the water was so soothing.
"How long has it been since I've had a peaceful bath?.."
Back in her world, she was an orphan with no family member of her own. School and college she studied hard with her scholarship, yet she was not able to achieve anything. Without any other option, she started working part-time in a convenience store to make ends meet. She lived in a small square-foot apartment with a dripping shower.
"oh, this is what a hot bath feels like. It's heavenly....But still, my legs are uncomfortably placed," she splashed the water onto her face. Back then in her past life, she rarely had hot water, much less a scented one at that. "This life... it is different, looking at the situation of the cruise ship and this room, I think I'm an aristocrat. That means I don't have to suffer much!"
Suddenly the door banged open from the outside.
Eloise swiftly pulled up a towel and hid her bosom, "m—Mother, why did you come in.... I'm taking a bath,"
"Doctor, please take a look at her, she forgot everything!!!!" her mother said urgently and pulled a white-clothed nun behind her.
The nun glanced at her and smiled. "Eloise, looks like you are well now?"
"Um yeah,"
"How is your body? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" she whispered and took her wrist gently. Her wrinkled fingers gently pried her pulse, "you are in good health now, tell me what's your problem dear,"
"SHE FORGOT EVERYTHING!!" her mother frantically shouted from behind, "Doctor, check her please, she doesn't even remember me!"
The king old doctor nodded, "Do you remember your name dear?"
Eloise blinked, "Eloise?"
"See she doesn't even remember herself, poor kid ran out in her inner garments this morning, doctor please heal her,"
"Calm down Mrs. Ayles, let me diagnose the situation," the doctor gently sent her frantic mother out of the room and came over to her tub, "Honourable Miss Ayles, what else do you remember?"
"Nothing, I remember nothing," she said firmly, 'it's better to admit that I don't know anything rather than acting like I know something,' she thought with a sigh.
"I understand," the old doctor walked out and whispered something to her mother. Even with the door closed, Eloise could hear their murmur.
'What is her diagnosis, I wonder? Back then they diagnosed every single woman's conditions that were weird as a lunatic,' she thought with hands on her chin.
The door opened and her mother walked in with a small smile. "The doctor said your fever burned longer, and it has burnt your memories alongside," she leaned closer to the tub and gently caressed her head, "Oh my pitiful darling, why is it always you that suffers?" her tears rolled down slowly.
Eloise hugged her waist and whispered, "Mother, think of it as a new beginning, from now on I'm your darling daughter Eloise and you my darling mother. Em?"
'Wait, a minute.... what is my mother's name? If I ask now, I bet she will cry a river,' Eloise hugged her tiny waist tightly. 'Well, we have all the time in the world we can deal with that later,'