Chapter 71 Teatime with mother

One day, in a seemingly fine weather, perfect for relaxation, an unexpected notification came flying towards Aillenne's creaking door. Aillenne who were taking a nap in her cozy bed turned her head towards the fast approaching steps.

She usually sleeps like a log, but if the noise seems like elephants were marching, who would be able to sleep when the noise is extremely annoying?

Aillenne sat up and her large but short night gown gifted by Derrick, loosely cascaded her milky shoulders and stopped on her now big chest. Her white legs were showing but she doesn't mind.

For others, it was such an alluring sight, her languid appearance seem to evoke lust and arousal. If only the men who lust in her would see such sight, they will take it as an invitation and ravage her completely.

She lifted her legs and put her chin in it while waiting for the excited person to come in.

"My lady! A letter of invitation!" Aillenne's maid shouted, excited at the news.

Aillenne's face crumpled a bit at the annoyance since she's planning to take a rest all day.

'Is it goodbye now to my nap time?' Aillenne said and yawned. She took the letter sluggishly and opened her tired eyes.

'I should have slept early last night. I have been too excited of the new plant variety I've discovered and I lost track of time.'

Yawn~

Aillenne kept yawning but the maid's eyes were sparkling at the sudden attention to the lady she served. She's more excited than Aillenne, the recipient of the invitation.

For the days that Aillenne lived, the number of people who sent her an invitation can only be counted in one hand. However, if this continued her lady might eventually gain back the position of being the crown princess candidate... though that imagination is far fetched.

Tear~

She carefully read and re-read the contents. She paused and went back to read from the first part. Even if it's brief, the contents seem to not easily enter her head.

'Am I seeing right? I mean, is it time now to change my eyes?'

[Letter contents

Tea time... Marchioness salon... 9: 30 a.m...

(Omitted)

Your mother, Camilla]

'What?! Oh my gosh! I'm going crazy.'

Her drowsiness immediately vanished as she began to scramble for her things.

"Hurry! I'm having a tea with mother. There's only twenty minutes left. When have you been given this letter?"

"Huh? Just now, Milady. I even ran as fast as possible to get into you."

Aillenne bit her lips and called other maids to tend for her, it took too long to prepare but it's already expected. It's possible that her mother intentionally put her in disadvantage.

'How can she do that?'

Donning her with clothes take too much time even with many experts around. The maids panicked along with her and gave her the most simple but modest outfit that is easy to wear. The time is constantly ticking but fortunately, they were able to dress her up given the little time they had.

By the time it is finished it's already ten minutes past the given time. She ran hard towards the Marchioness' salon huffing and puffing her chest. Her breathing is even labored but she glared hard at the closed doors.

"Why did she choose this place? It's too far from mine... and why give me an invitation with only twenty minutes to prepare?"

Aillenne grumbled.

Aillenne knocked but it took almost a minute before it was opened by a maid.

"Lady Aillenne is here, Madame."

"Good."

"Good morning, mother. Thank you for the---"

"You're late. What do you think of me? I don't have much time in a day. And... What's with your leg? Is it broken? Fix the angle. What's with that neck too. Haven't Cynthia given you a proper teaching in etiquette? Your hands should be three centimeters above than that."

Aillenne was caught off guard at the woman in front of her. She's pretty with Platinum blonde hair and violet eyes and almost look exactly like Adele, her "cute little sister" but the words she spouted seems like venom.

Aillenne smiled awkwardly.

"I understand. Good morning, mother." She repeated her greetings following Camilla's teachings and waited for her response.

Camilla clucked her tongue at the appearance of her daughter. If not because of Klaude's words to take care of Aillenne, she won't even look for the girl. Ever.

"Yes. Go and sit."

She said and watched Aillenne's every move.

It wasn't that Aillenne made a mistake in greetings, Camilla just find her presence annoying and wanted to scold her for ruining her day. Her movements and greetings were perfect actually, even if she were only taught for a little time.

It's also impossible for her to learn etiquette with her commoner nanny, but her daughter seem to be a genius as what other say but she doesn't want to admit.

'My Adele's better than her. My lovely Adele should be the empress and not this trash.'

She took her large fan and fanned herself despite the cold weather.

Camilla doesn't recognize Aillenne to be her daughter, no she believes that Aillenne was not her daughter. But she can't deny that the girl really came out from her womb.

'I can't believe I've carried that trash in my womb for almost a year. I should've aborted her if only I knew she'd tarnish my name.'

The maid on the background was carefully preparing tea leaves and steeping it at a fixed way. After that, she served the tea and left the place leaving the two.

Aillenne sat quietly in her seat and waiting for her mother to take the sip first.

However, the Marchioness is not in a hurry. She wanted to see Aillenne's impatient actions but it never came.

'How come? If Adele's with me, she would have been the first to take a sip regardless of me being her mother and of high standing. What the heck is with this girl?'

The Marchioness thought, dissatisfied as she cannot find fault to Aillenne's actions any more.

She sighed and took a sip, then Aillenne began to take her part too. They have tea quietly while testing the waters.

'Aillenne's mother must have hated me. No, she just hated Aillenne in the first place. Uhh... this place seem suffocating even if it's huge and wide.'

She thought while disregarding the hateful and piercing gaze her mother gave her. She followed how Collin handled her father, and so far, it's effective. She smiled as she sip her tea.

'Ahh... delicious.'

"How's your life in the main house?"

"I'm living fine, mother."

"Hmmm... I knew you already know that Klaude was the one who brought you here. I never consented to even let you stay in the west. So if I were you, just live lowly like a rat and never let anybody know of your existence."

"Yes. I understood."

"I won't ever give you with things just like what your sister Adele has. I've took away your teachers. So you do not have to worry about learning. In fact I'm finding a suitable groom for you. Viscount Harshel may be suitable since he's interested in you."

The Marchioness kept on talking eager to see Aillenne's change of expression but everytime she did, it failed.

However, deep down Aillenne wanted to glare and throw the teacup with hot tea water straight to the Marchioness' beautiful face.

'I know she won't give me the things Adele has, but it's alright. I can live without it. She won't give me a teacher? That's fine, I've read almost all of the books available in the library. But if you say you'll give me a groom as old as Viscount Harshel? You must be crazy.'

Aillenne's knuckles on the teacup turned white but she kept rational as she cannot go against this character's mother.

'Really... how can Aillenne's mother do this? Are mothers supposed to be like this? Then I'll just choose nanny as my mother if it's possible.'

"Thank you for the invitation mother. Have a great day."

Aillenne bid her goodbye to Camilla who repeatedly clenched her jaw to control her anger. The teatime ended well but not to the parties involved.

'Goodness... I hope that my coming of age ceremony will just be around the corner so I'll have the pass to get out of here.'

She thought and went back to her room to revise her plans.