Chapter 47
By now, her head might already be severed. The falling petals resembled a cut neck, so Daisy averted her eyes from the window. From now on, whenever Daisy smelled flowers, she'd think of Merai.
"How are the children? Adapting well?"
"Yes. Seems so."
Unlike Daisy's worries, the children blended into the Rohanson Mansion effortlessly. The staff feared Evangeline most, but the kids, brought by her, adapted quickest.
Yulma, handy, joined the kitchen. His orphanage habit of cooking large batches led to overly generous portions and scoldings.
Ranan worked under the butler. Known for smarts and math skills, he impressed the butler greatly. Dismissed at first for Lady Evangeline's whim, now the butler kept him close.
'Mary….'
Mary acted like Mary Rohanson, not Mary Gold, thriving.
No tasks for a young child, so she roamed freely. Especially stuck to Melek, who'd been trapped underground with her.
Melek volunteered as stablehand to earn his keep; wild horses obeyed him meekly, earning cheers. Mary fed them carrots nearby.
As Lady Evangeline promised, reclaiming sold children would add a few more.
"Satisfied?"
Daisy nodded at Evangeline's question.
Terrified when fleeing, she'd never dreamed of returning.
"Very."
Never imagined peaceful sentiments amid webs of fibers and sprouting eyes on walls.
***
What perfect dying weather…. Felt like exhaling smoke coolly.
Languid, wanted to lie back, eat grapes from Kanna.
Normally, lounging idly posed no issue, but now this was her sole respite.
After Sir Gabriel proposed attending the ball together, she became ten times busier.
Debutante troubles.
Evangeline, far from social pinnacle, hadn't debuted; full balls required prep.
"Miss too frail for debutante."
Daisy said frailty kept her from society, but energy to bully suggested Count blocked it fearing villainy.
Telegram to Count: debuting. Reply: do as you wish, just act normally.
Home teachers arrived with reply. Aware of amnesia? Retaining education.
But six? Etiquette, dance, painting, riding, embroidery—poetry? History spared.
Teachers unhelpful.
Poetry teacher, literary, sensed "hell fragment sprouting on earth, demon playground" in Rohanson Mansion, quit without entering.
Evangeline's infamy scared her off.
Embroidery teacher fainted begging not to kill after pricking finger.
Embroidery hopeless.
Riding: horses obeyed perfectly; teacher quit after a day.
Painting: showed gloomy storage; scared, viewed works—fled horrified.
Justified. Evangeline's paintings: same woman, frontal stare. Creepy, eyes seemed moving like horror film. Familiar… who?
"Recognize her?"
"Likely late Madam."
Sudden chill. Slip-up. Horror to ordinary film. Evangeline's art. Familiarity: resembled Evangeline.
Daisy entered post-madam's death, never saw her.
Diary cursed Count, despaired; painting smiled faintly.
"Beautiful."
Not her mom, yet missed moms. Glad she smiled for daughter.
Covered canvases from sun.
Painting scared teacher into quitting. Butler pleaded discretion; innocent here.
"Amnesia, but body remembers—fortunate."
Etiquette teacher dutiful to end. Possession buff? Etiquette passive, no reteach needed.
Body memory. Explains snide slips; tongue remembers.
"Dolliné worked hard."
"Thanks to Lady following well."
Grateful she stayed, tipped butler generously.
Dolliné shattered strict cliché: oblivious, kind. Unaware of infamy? Why stayed?
"Dance teacher soon. Frail body—dance okay?"
Body fine. Dance teacher issue.
Learned steps fast; practice refused, unable to touch.
"Lady, excuse me. Lesson done?"
Hena knocked outside. Entered, greeted Dolliné, handed letter.
Dance teacher sender.
"No way?"
Indeed. Excuses boiled to: mastered steps, quitting.
"Quitting too?"
"Yes."
All home teachers gone; Dolliné sole survivor.
Dance funny: taught all, then fled. Grateful for steps.
Told Hena, butler: full pay. Quitting mid-payless risks rumors. Evangeline learned all, fired unpaid? Merchant slur!
"Yes, will relay."
"Then… I'll go."
Dolliné eyed, packed, rose.
"Dolliné know dance?"
"Basics. But partnering needs gentleman role? I only know cultured basics."
Male part issue.
"Ask Sir Gabriel to practice?"
Right…. Dancing with him anyway; ask Gabriel.
Dolliné advised apologetically, left.
Afternoon free post-Dolliné. Bed flop; Pudding kneaded cutely. Not refreshing….
Jelly watched, shifted human, massaged. Fatigue melted. Jelly skilled.
"Trained?"
"Old master occasionally ordered."
Prodded origin—touched wound. Forgot: Jelly beastkin slave escapee….
"Ordering me? Perverted taste."
Aimed at massaged me. Dismissed: stop okay. Perverted, sorry.
"Jelly, dance?"
"Me know human dances?"
No. Escaped werewolf slave; massage from prior, maybe dance….
"You know?"
Jelly tugged Pudding's tail; scratched.
"Filthy temper. Can't say no?"
Your fault asking speechless kitten. Who wants to answer.
"Dance why? Teacher fled? Humans so cowardly."
True. Too fearful. Need more Dollinés.
"Dolliné staying fortunate."
"How long? Day? Week?"
"Who knows."
Jelly tempting quit. Betting timeline.
"At least two weeks."
"Two? Got it."
Debutante in two weeks. Late season, but….
