Chapter 6
While Leonard was having the worst morning in his life. Almost laughable since he was still granted the ability to live and remain in a luxurious and well taken care of arrangement. Margaret was already getting out of her bed, stretching and taking quick works around her room, opening the many underground tunnels that she walked down in on the solid sand stairs, picking up a wood torch that had been placed on the wall and ventured towards the pathway of her home to the other side of the mansion.
Nobody knew where her room was, not even Elizabeth. As it was a secret, a well hidden one for all members of the Asterlyn family to know and use, even if they had a loyal aide and many attendants. It was best to be on the safe side.
Keeping the wood torch by the attached metal caskets to the closest stairs in the sand tunnels, walking up and opening the cooper door. Her fingers pressed against it, as it slid to the side and allowed her to be back on the surface. Recognizing only her, since it could take imprints of her fingerprints easily, granting her access. Looking around to find everything ready and accounted for. Soaps and other sanitary products layered and restocked in her shelves by the head maid. Opening it to take the flower-scented bottle. One for her hair and face for a deep cleansing and subtle fragrance.
Her ceramic tub was filled with hot water ahead of time.
Sighing softly, as she unshed her nightgown and entered the tub. Relaxing her body inside of it, as the hot water helped with her stiff muscles and she was able to wake up and move properly now.
'It's like they wanted me to have no excuse to not exercise.'
She hummed in the tub; a washcloth being used to scrub her body for the day. Her feet were focused on the most from the cluster of sand for walking for so long. Then she climbed down fifty stairs and climbed up another fifty to reach her bathroom that was a kilometer away from her own room. Since the security of the mansion required all rooms to be shuffled and mixed for none of the duke household members to be easily found if an armed hostile barges in.
As much gratefulness she felt for having toned legs and a higher endurance for one. She wished she had the luxury of using the stairs like a normal person. Coming out of her tub and drying herself off with a towel. And ready to continue walking and travelling through tunnels in her own home once more.
Elizabeth patiently waited for her mistress in the meantime by the dining room area. Most of the Asterlyn family members were absent from the kingdom due to work with foreign affairs and trades. Leaving only Margaret only with the advisors and butlers to handle everything in their absence.
The dark-haired woman didn't move from her standing position at the end of the massive table and chairs on each side. Clothes woven around it to hide the iron by recreating fluffy cushion for the back, shoulders and buttocks to be placed and rested for a meal to be properly enjoyed by anyone sitting on it.
A modest lady-in-waiting, her eyes removed closed while the food had been served on the table by the maids. Elizabeth was wearing her glasses once more, wearing a purple dress in over form. Stopping at her ankles, puffed sleeves at the end of her hands with black gloves, her hair was in a ponytail, until she brought out a silk hair net, wearing it over her head before the food was revealed.
She found it more dignified if one always covered their hair in food related scenes, whether as the eater or the cook of the dish. The last thing needed was for her to find food in her meal.
"Oh. It's beans and vegetable sauce with roasted corn on the side."
Margaret popped out behind her. The hazel eyed woman didn't flinch, merely looking in her direction and assessing her attire by instinct alone. The redhead grinned, wearing her eating hair net. Golden bangles were worn on both hands, matching the floral light dress worn under the grey jacket and belt strapping them together.
She cared only for the length of dress her mistress wore, looking down and nodded in approval when it stopped near her calves and wasn't fixed, tightening against her skin in any way.
"Always so formal." She teased the older woman, before pulling her seat and sat down. Picking up her cutlery, taking her time to eat only to pause from the absence of her invited guest.
"… Where is Miss Peyton?"
"Present, Lady Margaret."
Margaret arrived, still wearing her dress since Elizabeth only handed her night clothing to wear but would resume wearing her outfit from the previous night. Her green ballroom dress, as light clothing was mostly worn for handling the hot weather.
'At least we can rely on him to have some fashion sense from his mother in terms of comfort.'
Margaret didn't ask her to join, making sure she ate first before standing up, then Elizabeth and Katherine sat down and eat from their plates. Her lips were cleaned with the handkerchief placed on her table.
She waited for them to finish their meal before asking Katherine a question. She still had that relaxed demeanor that would disarm anyone until she asked a specific question that had only popped up in her head after seeing her.
"You want to be with Leonard?"
Katherine bowed her head, biting her lips when thinking about it. Margaret was okay but Leonard wasn't. She couldn't answer that, because she caused this situation to happen in the first place.
"Yes."
She replied, as she remembered her promise to Leonard. But his words of using Margaret didn't seem fair either.
Was her prince really a devil to others?
She thought he was nice.