"Make yourselves at home."
Rosalind said, her blue orbs shining in delight. Something that hadn't dawned the Oliver estate for years. She led them through the corridors, through a certain room and welcomed her guests to sit.
Lizette and Doctor Sue both felt shy under her propaganda but still warmed themselves to the host. Even Liz with her experience in tea parties and lavish balls had never felt so welcomed at someones' home, not just a house.
"Aunt! Is that you?!" A young voice called out from the kitchen and asked.
"YES! Mariel !" Rosalind replied. Rosalind quickly offered her guests sugarblocks on the sofa table and went of to place her basket in the kitchen.
Minutes later, Mariel came with tea and snacks. Her gaze down at the old serving cart, her expression unreadable. Until, she looked at Doctor Sue her eyes gleamed a little before dimming quickly. Such a handsome young man...
Unbeknownst to Sullivan or Doctor Sue who was munching quietly and happily, he was already being targeted by someone. Buried upon one delicacies after the other, Sullivan felt had never felt the need to cry more than ever.
The sweet taste of the sugarblocks, some covered in local honey ,some with a pinky of matcha and other covered in salt.
Dr. Sue quoted that he found his long-lost taste buds and cried inside. Lizette too felt rejuvenated with every bite of the food. 3 months of her cooking was enough to turn her tongue into smoke. Although, they did stay nearby villages. COULD THEY BE THE SAME?!
Lizette felt like she was alive again. THIS TATSE?! Oh! Where hath you gone? Liz munched, making a cracking crunch as she broke a piece off the Rock. Ooooh~! This is salt and sugar!
Her eyes sparkled.
They took a bite and couldn't stop even if they wanted to.
Since morning or even yesterday food, even after elaborating on the taste. It was also a hard expense in their travels, more often than not. Lizette not only learned to cook , she and Sullivan even found themselves scavenging food for days or nights.
Sigh, she thought pitifully, a noble lady to be reduced like this. She looked at the cake she was eating devoid of fruit and the reception smaller than her previous room and the servants quarters. Even cluttered and a mess but at the very least free of soot and dust. She thought a lot on with each bite and found her food dissappearing.
Gone?
Lizette glared at Sullivan, taking a chunk of the food in his plate in a huff.
Mariel giggled at their expense, looking like she found something extremely amusing at their behavior... her eyes stopped wandering and immediately straightened her spine, her cup raised with a pinky out and her stomach in.
Lizette raised her brows and couldn't be bothered with her, her eyes fell on another piece of sugarblock, oooo~! Heavenly!
The house wasn't big but it was warm. Rosalind was exceptionally excited with her new guests .She felt a newfound vigor overflow from her bones. She skipped inside and busied herself around the house for her guests. From their rooms, to necessities , to clothes, to tea and to dinner later ....
She fussed at just about everything!
In the closet room, for blankets then pillows and out of it, too. Fussed even more at their clothes, especially Lisettes'.looking at a pile of clothes she dug from who knows where, she felt nothing right and nothing left. She even felt extremely bad about having no clothes for children her age. Even when Lizette sensibly expressed that she didn't need new clothes under Sullivan's stare and just about anything, anything that fits would do.
Rosalind still didn't feel right, finally, she went to the neighbors' house. There, she found the new old clothes that the neighbors' late daughter never got to wear.
Meanwhile, Liz and Sullivan watched in awe from the reception room window as Rosalind came back with a bunch of dresses. Rosalind's niece, Mariel chuckled behind them. As she set the table, she remarked:
"Let her be, she hadn't been this excited si---these days."
She paused a bit before carefully rephrasing her words , a vague haze blurred her eyes before returning to normal and replacing her words.
Lizette pressed her face against the glass window, grumbling a few words about her fate and Sullivan secretly chuckled at her misfortune but he sternly faced her. Probably, being a real adult for once or rubbing in his experience, he elbowed her. Telling her not to go far or fix her face when Rosalind comes back.
"Come on. She's letting us stay for free."
He can only whisper at her grumbling as he leaned closely and Lizette couldn't disagree anymore. Lamenting her fate of being a doll, Lizette went back to the couch to await her Trial, unable to escape a thousand triads of gowns.
They'll be the death of me, she even quoted glumly.
Sullivan or Dr. Sue managed to cozy himmself up on the hot tea Mariel brewed for them.
"Hello!" Mariel chirped,
" Nice to meet you".
Her strangely endearing smile finally dragged Lizette back to Earth or here, Enderre. Thanks to her and her weird habit of forgetting people with no importance like servants. She hadn't really payed attention to Mariel the whole time. Until now...
" So, what's your name?" Liz seriously needed to ask. Pitiful Dr. Sullivan who was peacefully drinking tea right beside her almost choked to death because of her.
"Mariel", Mariel answered swiftly in the same sweet voice, but this time Lizette had proper good look at her and sneered inside her mind.
Mariel, her eyes tinged in warmth, had short blonde hair and evergreen eyes. A contrast to Rosalind's fiery beauty and personality. Mariel, was more tamed, she looked soft-looking even. Like, someone who looks easily pushed around.
"Don't mind my Aunt, she is just excited as we haven't had such young guests for years"
She smiled her voice tinged with something not venomously sweet but rather utterly disgusting, glancing over at Liz. Her wandering eyes caught Doctor Sue for the 3rd time since she came they had this conversation.
Doctor Sue a flamboyant gentleman to his bones, flashed her a billion worthy smile. A gull row of his upper teeth paired with his apple-red lips.
Something that made Mariel swoon but managed to kept her poise to.
"No worries! It's the least we can do." Sullivan answered for Liz who was busy sining up the woman infront of her. She stared so hard but Mariel was still so busy she didn't pay any attention to Liz.
In fact, Liz thought she didn't even feel her eyes boring holes at her!
Sullivans' orbs flashed as he looked at Lizette who subtly rolled his eyes at him.
" Don't worry sis Mariel! I really like Aunt Rosa, she's been very good to us, since coming here" Lizette said, taking a sip of that tea infront of her.
"Thank you" a relieved smile drew Mariels' tensed shoulders to relax. Her hazy eyes and sweet smile, tinged in warmth as if she was really relieved.
A cordial atmosphere enveloped the reception as everyone grinned ear to ear, a silent consensus reached all of them at once.
....
The lampshade was so warm and buzz of the fly was always my companion. It fills me with serenity. The ants crawled at the corners of my body when...BAMMMM!!!
Here, she is again, the door sighed. If it had a face, it would have wrinkled it's nose against Rosalind in disgust.
Every.
Blasted.
TIME.
This lady had her emotions shoot through the roof, her good golly manners would, too. She'll slam every door in the house!
And, unfortunately, me too. Since, I'm also a door, it's frustrating but, what can you do.
After the room door slammed open under her unforgiving hands. Rosalind entered with a giddy look in her eyes with her face flushed red like an apple ready for the taking.
Yet for the door... No!
If the door had eyes, Rosalind would be at the mercy of its scorching stare, not to mention hands. Unfortunately for the door, it still can't express its fiery feelings to Rosalind nor does she have the ability to comprehend them.
Right now, all Rosalind is focused about is what's going to happen but what greeted her made her momentarily confused. She scratched the corner of her mouth in sweet stifled laughter.
Her excitement waned a bit as she paused on her toes. A bit stunned. Her eyes blinked twice when she asked herself inwardly,
What happened here when I was gone?