A disappointed Hermione left for her chamber after having a sour breakfast, alone.
The food was not as tasty as she had anticipated, and she had difficulty swallowing. Times without number, she urged herself to avoid shedding a tear without a reason, even though her eyes had become watery and were threatening to release the damn floods at the back of her eyes.
She lost appetite, and could only let go of the dishes. Ascending the staircase, she felt empty.
Hermione began to question herself, was this what marriage felt like? The dullness was not what she had imagined.
Truthfully, she knew she had no special relationship with Lloyd. The past was only a fragment of memory that clutched onto her brain. She was experiencing pain as a result of her excessive fantasizing. Lloyd couldn't have been thinking about her the way she had thought about him. She had been captivated by him since her eyes were laid on him, but he treated her like everyone else. Hermione was only hoping for too much.
Upon reaching her destination, she shut the door behind her and exhaled heavily.
Hermione's feet padded across the floor. She settled by the bed where she placed her hand on top of a white furry rabbit. She had been overwhelmed with what had been happening around her, she forgot to feed her dearest little pal.
"Here, pearl"
She opened her hand which contained the carrot she had snatched from the basket of vegetables before returning to her chamber.
The little rabbit sensed its favorite in the hands of its master. Pearl snuggled closer to Hermione and began to munch greedily on the carrot.
Hermione softly giggled. Feeling her hand become ticklish. Pearl must have been hungry. She definitely would, as it had been a while since Hermione fed her.
Hermione positioned her hand on the rabbit, smoothing the furs with her fingers, even though it was already perfectly smooth.
She began to mumble, "I--I don't know how I messed up" Hermione felt her throat tighten. She began to express her feelings to the rabbit as though it could talk back to her if necessary.
Cherry, who had been silenced for a long time, decided to speak up.
"I know how you feel Hermione. It's devastating to receive such silent treatments from your mate" she started to console the princess in a soft voice.
The worst part of his statement is, 'Stay away from me'. His statement was the only thing that occupied her fragile heart; it hurt her to hear it. She only realized now that she had fallen madly in love with him. Over the years, she had become obsessed with him and could not tolerate any form of him distancing himself from her.
Cherry continued, hoping it would make Hermione feel better.
"You have to hold on Hermione. It's been only a day and a half you've been with him. As you two get closer, he might show you his vulnerable side."
Listening to her wolf, Hermione wiped the tear that had managed to slip down her cheeks with the back of her hand.
Her smile was bright, as though Cherry had given her everything she needed to know.
She was overreacting, she told herself.
Not all mates were perfect. It took time to build a better relationship between them, for instance, her mother had explained how she'd been smitten with her father since she laid her eyes on him. She went through many heartbreaks but was able to survive because she was a strong woman, and now, she had him wrapped around her fingers. He hopped all over her like she was the only person that mattered in his entire existence.
Hermione had to be patient too, She had to strengthen her emotional state to avoid breaking down at the slightest thing being said to her.
"Thank you cherry" Hermione's smile widened.
As a result, she became happy and planned to forget everything. Being only with him for a day and a half, she couldn't easily get to know him. She would endeavor to be patient enough to allow him to reveal his affectionate side to her.
Sigh... Hermione fell back onto the bed, while Pearl climbed on top of her and sniffed her clothes as if searching for something.
Hermione brought out another carrot. "You can have everything" she muttered.
She began to watch her little pal lovingly while caressing its back. Then, a knock on the door alerted her. Hermione sat up on the bed and quickly adjusted her clothes and her hair.
"Come in" she announced.
Butler Oliver walked into the room in delicate steps, to not cause disruption in the room filled with tranquility.
"Your Highness, I was hoping to show you around the manor if you're not busy" He informed me with his head lowered.
Hermione shook her head. She had nothing to do anyway, and could just spend her time looking around the manor. it was essential.
She stood up from the bed. "L-lead the way"
Oliver bobbed his head. Lifting his gaze, his black eyes fell on the rabbit nuzzling on the bed. He swallowed.
Hermione wanted to call out to him but realized that she didn't know his name. He seemed distracted. From her perspective, she thought he was darting an evil glance at her rabbit. She shook the thought away.
What the hell was she thinking?
The butler looked normal. He wouldn't eat rabbits.
"I apologize for the delay, your highness. Please, follow me" Oliver proceeded to walk out of the room.
Hermione followed behind him. She ensured to double-check the lock of her room. Pearl needed to be safe!
Before going outside, Oliver decided to give her a tour of the mansion. While Lloyd was having breakfast this morning, he instructed Oliver to show the princess around and keep her away from areas that weren't meant for her. Oliver was content with being given the task and felt that things were back to normal, even though it wasn't exactly the same feeling as before.
Hermione took notice of the hall, although the dark ceiling made it unable to decipher most of the corners, she could see quite well with the assistance of the lamps that illuminated the hall.
The manor had high walls, tapestries hung on the wall, and some furniture of abstract meaning was attached to the wall. In the center of the hall was a huge chandelier with each of its handles holding candles, and they burned with a soft glow.
It was a simple decoration. Three long couches were situated in the middle. Two were facing each other and the last one remained adjacent to them. There was a furry dark rug spread in the center, and a vintage table was placed on top.
It appeared like a normal household setting. Below the high wall was a fireplace, in which woods were burning, Hermione stood there for a while, observing and basking in the warmth the place offered.