After Raymond left her room, Ariel felt her stomach growl and she remembered she hadn't eaten yet.
"Is it really noon? Why did I sleep so long?" She wondered, rubbing the back of her neck as she walked towards the bathroom door.
But just as she reached for the door handle, a knock was heard from her room door and Allison spoke up.
"Miss, will you come out to have your food or would you like to eat in your room?" She asked.
"Oh, uh... If it's not too much trouble, I'd like to eat here." She said,
"Yes, Miss."
Allison's retreating steps gave Ariel the impression that she had gone to get the food and she quickly went to the bathroom to brush her teeth, as well as take a bath before Allison returned. She didn't want to have any one serving her while she took her bath since it was uncomfortable and burdening.
And luckily, she was able to bathe in peace with their 'help'. She walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her chest, only to be greeted by the sweet aroma of the food that had been set on the table next to the window.
"Wow, it smells good." She said and decided to wear her clothes but they kept their eyes on her, making her uncomfortable. "Um, I'm fine." She said, "If I need anything, I'll call. No, I'm sure I won't need anything so please, can you leave for now?"
They were silent for a while, exchanging words with their eyes and finally came to a conclusion.
"Alright, Miss. We'll be outside." They left and Ariel breathed out. It almost felt like she was on surveillance and her every action was being watched and it made her shudder.
Somehow, the feeling of being watched made her sick. It reminded her of Marco's behavior, how he'd always wanted to know where she went to, what she did and the likes. It was suffocating but she could not say anything about it.
She stared at the food. Now, she has lost her appetite.
"Maybe I should tell Sir Raymond that I don't need the maids to wait on me at all times." She said to herself and sat down. She had to at least take a bite of the food in order to gain strength.
But contrary to what she thought, she ended up eating it all.
"Ah, I guess I really was hungry." She muttered and suddenly started laughing. It was hilarious.
"Knock, knock." Came the door and Betty's voice followed after.
"Miss, are you done with your meal?" She asked.
"Yes, you can come in." They opened the door and took the plates away.
Ariel watched them silently till they left. Once they were gone, she went back to the bed and lay on her stomach.
"I believe the reason I slept so long was because I haven't slept in such a comfortable bed before." She mumbled. "It makes me feel like I'm lying on a cloud. It's so soft and relaxing..." Her eyelids slowly closed. "...and I don't feel my body ache one bit."
Like that, she once again drifted off into sleep. The next moment when she came to, she discovered the sun was already setting.
"Oh my God, what is wrong with me?" She rubbed her eyes. "I must be feeling too comfortable." She got down from the bed, wore her slippers and went straight to the bathroom. Once she was back, she met White, standing like a statue in front of her door.
"Miss Ariel, my master would like to have dinner with you." He said and she paused.
"Why would he...?" She quickly remembered when he said they would spend every moment together just so she could get used to him.
She palmed her face. How could she forget so soon?
"But I just ate though." She said but immediately remembered that she ate her first meal at noon and then slept for the rest of the day so it really was dinner time. 'What to do? I'm still stuffed.'
"Would you like to reject the invitation?" White calmly asked and she shook her head.
"I'll be there in a minute. Let me wear something decent first." She said, smiling to him but he did not smile back, neither did he react. He simply turned and headed out through the door. "He's like a statue." She found herself mumbling.
Where exactly did Raymond find someone like him? She wondered but then, shook her head. That was the least of her concerns.
Now, she would have to have dinner with Raymond and stuff her already stuffed belly.
"I'll just touch the food a bit." She concluded and started wearing the pair of jeans pants she had worn the previous day, as well as the brown t-shirt.
Those two things which had been provided for her by Steve before she left the hospital were the only set of clothes she owned.
All the while, she had been wearing the silk nightgown she wore when she went to sleep the previous night.
That nightgown had been provided for her to sleep comfortably on. And aside from those two pieces of clothing, she didn't have anything else to wear.
While smelling her t-shirt to see if it could be worn a second time, she realized it had already been washed and dried. It also had such a nice scent so she gladly wore it.
But as soon as Raymond saw her, he frowned. She didn't think too much of his frown but felt a bit uncomfortable with his eyes grazing her skin and monitoring her every movement.
'What is it? Do I look weird?' She thought. She knew it didn't have to do with her hair because she hadn't worn a wig since they got there.
She was still wondering the reason why he was staring at her like that when Raymond finally spoke up.
"White, why does it look like I'm having a 'deja vu'?" He asked in a serious yet sarcastic way.
"You're not, Master. It is just Miss Ariel wearing the same clothes she wore the previous day." White explained but Raymond already seemed to be clear on that fact.
"And why exactly are you wearing them again today?" He asked and Ariel blinked.
"Because I don't have any other clothes to wear." She plainly answered and Raymond's cutleries fell from his hands and landed on his plate, causing a disturbing noise.
"What?"