CHAPTER 2

'She is drowning, but no one can see her suffering. She is dying, but no one is willing to save her. She is begging for mercy, but no one...'

A crisp knocking sound echoes inside the room. A young lady lifts her hand that holds a feather plume and stop writing. She momentarily stares at the door before saying something.

"Come in."

A young maid carefully opens the door. She bows her head a little to give her respect toward him. The young lady noticed that the maid who entered her room is holding a small tray in her hands. There is a glass of water and a bottle of pills on the tray.

"Young miss, this is the medicine that you asked from me."

"...Oh."

The maid lifts her head and sees a young lady sitting on a chair who is currently writing something in her journal. She has soft, bluish-silver hair, a pair of blue-colored eyes, a high-bridged nose, and soft lips. The bright sunlight coming from the window is hitting her face. When she tilts her head a little, with the addition of the sunlight from the window, it gives the young lady a soft illusionary glow around her.

The young lady who is calling her suddenly stops talking. Her face looks beautiful. Her eyes show no emotion, but they can make a person sink into captivation. The young maid can't help but sigh in admiration for her young miss.

"Are you done staring at me?"

The young maid suddenly stiffens and quickly bows her head to acknowledge her mistake.

"Young miss, please forgive me...."

Before the maid can finish her sentence, the young lady expressionlessly interrupted her.

"Just put my medicine on the table and leave."

The young maid did not waste more time and quickly follows her young miss's order. After putting the tray that contains a glass of water and a bottle of medicine tablets, she bows her head again and quickly steps out of the room.

When the door is finally closed, Charlotte let out a sigh. It is still ten in the morning, but she's already tired. Looking at the words she wrote in her journal, Charlotte can't help but sigh again. Today is just another boring day.

Charlotte stands up from her chair and looks at her reflection in the mirror placed inside the drawer. When people see her, they will say she is similar to her mother in terms of appearance. After that, they will quickly flatter her and speak flowery words. Charlotte may not say anything, but she feels annoyed with these people deep inside.

Before she can think more about it, someone knocks on her door again.

"...Come in."

This time, an old man wearing a black suit opens the door and respectfully bows his body in front of her. Somehow, Charlotte already expected his arrival today. Still, she maintains a neutral expression on her face.

"Young Lady Charlotte, Count Byron is asking for you to join the family's luncheon today." Butler Mel, the old man who entered her room, respectfully said.

'Ah, right. I almost forgot about it.'

If not for Butler Mel's reminder, Charlotte will surely forget about her father taking a short break from work to stay in their mansion for a week.

"Young Lady?"

Charlotte blinks her eyes and stops herself from thinking too much.

"It's nothing. Am I the only one missing in the dining room?"

"Yes, my lady. And today's luncheon is in the greenhouse."

"Why do they want to eat their lunch in the greenhouse all of a sudden?"

"It was Lady Roselyn's request since she discovered that the rose collection of Countess Rosalyn is blooming today."

"I see. Then I will go and see the family right now." Charlotte said.

"There is also a letter that arrived this morning for you, young miss." The butler said and gives the letter to Charlotte.

"Who sent this letter?" Charlotte asked as she put the letter on the table in the meantime and grab the scarf properly hung in his closet.

"It's from the eldest son of Marquis Lapil's family."

Charlotte frowns when she heard those words.

"His name is Young Marquis Anton Lapil, am I right? But why is he sending me letters?"

The butler looks at her with a forlorn look but he quickly fixed his expression.

"Young miss, you may not remember it now. But you used to be friends with Young Marquis Anton when you were still young."

‘Oh, really now.'

Charlotte did not ask more questions after that. She is not that interested in the person in their topic. After fixing the scarf around her shoulders, Butler Mel patiently waits for his young lady and quietly stands beside the door. Charlotte is not the one who always initiates the conversation that's why there is only quietness inside her room.

"My lady, are you sick?" Butler Mel carefully asked. "I heard that you asked a maid for medicine."

"It is nothing serious. I simply caught a slight fever from my trip the other week because I forgot to close the windows in my room." Charlotte calmly replied.

"Do you want me to call for a doctor?" the butler asked in concern.

"There's no need for that. As I've said, it is nothing serious."

Seeing that the young lady doesn't want to talk about it, Butler Mel can only put an end to their conversation and lower his head. But he made a mental note to find a good lady-in-waiting for Lady Charlotte as soon as possible. As a young noble lady, she should have someone serving her needs on her side.

After making sure that she is presentable enough, Charlotte looks at the mirror and her face one more time. Then the butler starts guiding her toward the greenhouse where everyone is already waiting for her. Soon, she takes the lead and the butler is following her from behind. She purposely walks slowly and secretly looks around their mansion. Charlotte knows this is the same mansion where she lived when she was still five years old.

Every time a servant sees her, they will stop what they are doing and shows their respect for her by bowing their heads. Charlotte is already used to it and simply ignores them. Maybe the maids are also used to her presence and personality now that's why they did not make a fuss and simply continue their tasks after their young lady passed by.

Soon, Charlotte and Butler Mel finally arrive in the greenhouse. The moment they open the glass door, they quickly heard joyous laughter from the inside. Charlotte is already used to hearing those laughs. Without any changes in her facial expression, the young lady enters the greenhouse and steadily walks until she reached the dining table for their lunch today.

Count Byron, Charlotte’s father, is the first one who noticed her presence. He smiles at her before asking her to come closer. Because of the sudden call, Countess Rosalyn and Lady Roselyn temporarily stop their conversation to acknowledge Charlotte's presence. Just like what the Count did just now, they both smiles at Charlotte and ask her to sit down.

Charlotte sits on the vacant seat near the Count. She carefully placed the napkin on her lap and let the servants put the cutleries on the table. The whole family is just watching her move quietly. Soon, it was Roselyn who breaks the silence around them.

"Sister Charlotte, I asked the chef to cook roasted beef and baked potatoes for you. I noticed that you took a liking to those dishes after eating them last week."

"You are considerate. Thank you." Charlotte replied while trying to straighten the napkin on her lap.

"Charlotte, you should at least show your appreciation to your sister." Countess Rosalyn gently scolded her.

"Oh."

Because of Charlotte's somewhat lukewarm response, the Countess suddenly didn't know how to react. Seeing this situation, Count Byron asked the maids to start serving their lunch. Just like what Roselyn had said, she indeed asked the chef to cook the roasted beef with baked potatoes on its side. Knowing that the dish is meant for Lady Charlotte, the maids put it near her so she can easily reach for it.

As for Roselyn's lunch, she choose to eat a small slice of steak drizzled with meat sauce and steamed vegetables on its side. When the Countess sees her plate, she gives Roselyn a smile and tells her to eat more. Countess Rosalyn also helps her second daughter to slice the meat before reminding her to be careful not to burn her tongue. After that, the family continued what they were talking about.

It turns out they are talking about Roselyn's winning piece in the recent poem competition in their academy. According to their conversation, the poem she made will be published in the newspaper to let everyone knows how beautiful her composition is. Her poem is talking about the sweetness and love that a family gives to each other. Countess Roselyn said it will surely earn a lot of positive feedback for those people who will read it.

Before the Countess can make another pleasant compliment to her second daughter, she sees Charlotte wiping her lips and folding the napkin on her lap. She just finished eating her lunch. After that, Charlotte asked if she can now go back to her room since they are still a few things she wants to finish before the day ends.

"Why don't you stay for a while? I will ask the servant to serve you a delicious dessert." Count Byron tried to persuade his first daughter to stay.

"That's right. I personally baked the raspberry pie for our dessert today. You should try it." Countess Rosalyn added.

"It's alright, father. I am already full." Charlotte replied. "If you have no more questions, I will now go back to my room. Enjoy the rest of your lunch, mother, father, and Roselyn."

After bowing her head a little, Charlotte turns around and leaves the greenhouse. Countess Rosalyn looks at her first daughter's side on the table and sees that she did not even touch the roast beef and baked potatoes. She only ate a small bowl of thick soup and a piece of bread. The Countess can only let out a sigh and put a mental note to remind Charlotte to eat properly during their mealtime.

"I think I made a hasty decision. My sister did not even touch the food I asked from the chef to prepare for her." Roselyn said with a small frown on her face.

"Don't worry about it. Maybe Charlotte doesn't feel too hungry today." Countess Rosalyn comforted her second daughter. "I will talk to your sister later."

“But mom…”

"Rosalyn, maybe Charlotte doesn't have an appetite." The Countess added. “Don’t worry. I will make time to have a conversation with her later.”

"Mom, you don't need to do that. My sister just arrived in this mansion a month ago. Maybe she is still adjusting so we should not rush everything." Roselyn said as she touched the countess's arm. "So please don't talk with sister about it in the meantime, okay?"

"You are so understanding, Roselyn." Countess Rosalyn said with a sigh. "Alright. You can stop frowning now and continue your lunch. I asked the maid to prepare your favorite salad. You should eat it to make sure that you will not get sick in this cold weather."

"Okay, mom! I got it!" Roselyn happily replied. "Dad, you should eat too. I heard you were busy with your work last month. I am actually glad you took a break from your work. You should use this time to take a lot of rest."

"Hmm. I will do that, Roselyn." the Count replied with a small smile on his lips.

While the harmonious lunch in the greenhouse is still happening, Charlotte is already back in her room. There, a maid with a stoic expression on her face is already waiting for her arrival. Charlotte did not say anything at first and removes the scarf that she used in the greenhouse. After she hung it back inside the cabinet, Charlotte turn around to look at the maid.

"Did he send me a letter, Annie?" she quietly asked.

Annie, the maid with a stoic face, quietly nods her head. After that, she pulls out a letter that is hidden in her sleeves and gives it to Charlotte. The young lady accepted it and unceremoniously opens the envelope and read the letter inside. After reading the letter, Charlotte walks towards the small fireplace inside her room and throws the letter in it. She stares at the letter turning it into ashes first before looking back at the maid behind her.

"Tell His Highness that I will meet him at midnight."

After Charlotte said that, Annie still did not say anything and just simply bows her head. The maid quietly leaves the room and closes the door. Letting out a soft sigh, Charlotte walks towards the window and stares at the clear blue skies. The weather is nice today but the young lady doesn't feel anything good about it at all.