[Celia's POV]
Celia walked out of the study, her legs wobbly and she could not breathe. She did not know what to think of the proposal that Sir Anthony had just made. She could not understand why Sir Anthony and Lady Regina had thought of getting her married to their son when they could get any other woman as their son's bride.
Gloria looked at her questioningly when she returned to the kitchen. "Where were you?" she asked.
"I… " Celia trailed off.
She did not know what to say to her friend because she was still reeling from the information that had shattered her whole world.
Instead of answering, she silently began preparing the herbal tea for Enzo. She did not know whether he would be still waiting for her at the parlor, or whether he had already left the house. She hoped the latter would be the case because she was in no position to face him and wonder what it would be like to be of the person who would be the apple of his eye.
She half-heartedly prepared the tea before placing the cup on the tray.
"Celia?" Gloria tried to coax her again but Celia did not pay heed to her. Her heart clenched at the sight of Enzo, who must have been waiting patiently because he stopped pacing in the parlor when Celia entered. He smiled at her as Celia placed the tray on the table.
She bowed, not daring to glance at him. "Apologies for keeping you so long."
She glanced up to find his smile had faltered, replaced by a confused expression.
"It's okay. I… was reading a very good article from this book," he replied, a little too hastily as he picked up a book that was lying on the table. Celia nodded but did not look convinced.
"If there is nothing else―" Celia began, her voice shaky, but Enzo cut in, "There is something I wanted to discuss."
Celia's gaze darted towards Enzo. He looked a bit flustered for some reason.
"Well… I was hoping that you could… be my apprentice?" Enzo's voice was so reluctant but hopeful, that Celia almost nodded.
If she hadn't gone to Sir Anthony's study, she might even have said yes, but now there was no chance of that.
As if to prove her point, she heard Lady Regina's voice from the doorway. "That is not possible I suppose, Doctor Enzo."
Celia stepped aside and created more distance between Enzo and her. She clasped her hands in front of her to stop the trembling. Her eyes burned with unshed tears, but she blinked furiously to keep them at bay.
"Lady Regina," Enzo greeted before asking, "May I know why? She has such a good knowledge of herbs." Although his tone was light, Celia could hear the underlying tension.
Celia closed her eyes before opening them. Her cheeks were red with anger and embarrassment. Couldn't the man have asked before?
"Ah… she is, but you see she is betrothed to Austin. So it would not look good if she worked for an unmarried man. I hope you don't mind," Lady Regina replied. Her voice was so polite, but the words were nothing but insulting.
Enzo let out an awkward chuckle. "Ah, I see. I will… take your leave then."
Celia did not dare look at him as he left, and neither did she raise her head when Lady Regina stayed back.
"Do not even think of talking to that man again. If I hear even a single word against you, or about your your character, then I won't hesitate to throw you out of the house and make sure that you don't get a shelter anywhere." Celia nodded, but in her heart, she wanted nothing but to make this threat come true.
After dinner, Celia went straight to her room. The cold atmosphere did not deter her, unlike other days. She lit a candle and sat down on the mattress. She felt worn and numb. Her mind whirled back to the events that happened that day.
'Why am I so unlucky?' She thought.
She slowly stood up and went to the chest of drawers. She opened the second-last drawer, took out a few papers, and then uncovered the wooden piece that acted as the bottom of the drawer. She took out the papers from there and held them under the candlelight.
The various sketches she had drawn were based on the forms she had taken. The initial ones were missing, but she knew that some of these were also the earlier forms. Her mind wandered to Enzo's praise about her having a good knowledge of herbs.
'Only if he knew why I know all of it so well,' she mused, her vision blurring for a moment before she blinked.
She took charcoal from the same drawer and drew a rough sketch of the form she had taken the last day. Her hands trembled as she drew her face from the memory, grimacing when she saw it again on paper.
God, she looked hideous. How would she be able to marry Austin? If he came to know about her identity, then she would not only be kicked out of the house but also shunned by society. She would be killed probably. The mere thought made her shiver badly. No, she cannot die, not until she finds her real family or at least someone who could tell her about the curse.
She finished the sketch, glancing at it once to see if she drew everything accurately before shoving the papers inside a satchel, which she had been filling in for some days now. She stuffed in the other papers as well before snuffing out the candle.
This time the transformation happened slowly, one of those days when transforming did not pain her so much. She did not bother to check, nor did she bother to feel the skin. She quietly lay down and willed her mind to calm down. She had lots to do tomorrow.
~~~~
At the break of dawn, when she knew that hardly anyone would be awake, Celia slipped out of the Wilson manor and went to Doctor Enzo's house. There was a dull ache at the back of her eyes. She did not know what kind of form she had, but she had checked herself in the mirror once before going out. She drew her shawl closer to her body as the cold morning breeze caressed her face.
Her heart thumped in her chest as Enzo's house came into view. It was a small two-storeyed structure, surrounded by a huge garden. She opened the gate and walked down the cobbled pathway and stopped in front of the main door. She raised her hand to knock, her heartbeat notching up a bit when she heard a familiar voice.
"Miss Wilson?" She whirled around to find Enzo standing behind her, looking concerned.
She secured her hood and lowered her gaze. "Doctor Enzo…is the position for apprenticeship still open?"
Her throat was dry but she was thankful that her voice had remained steady as she asked the question. She prayed that he wouldn't reject her because the last thing she wanted to do was return to the Wilson manor. She knew there would be consequences but she also knew that as long as Doctor Enzo backed her up, she would be comparatively safe.
She waited for his answer with a bated breath. She peered at him when the silence stretched on. Her heart dropped when she saw him frowning deeply.
She opened her mouth to apologize and leave when he said, "Let's talk inside about this?"
Her head snapped up. Enzo had a soft look on his face. Something inside her uncoiled. She smiled and nodded.