Two Different Worlds

Kalina and Lucille hadn't seen each other for two months. The house arrest time was up, and Lucille was no longer be barred from meeting her older sister.

Spring had finally arrived and the Ephraim estate was livelier than ever. The flowers in the garden were in full bloom and the air was filled with a fragrant scent. Vases full of freshly picked flowers were in every room, the maids made cosmetics out of crushed petals, and everyone exchanged their heavy winter wear for thinner garments. A year had already passed since Kalina had travelled back in time.

It went by quicker than Kalina had anticipated. She felt as though she hadn't accomplished much, but she still had years to slowly ruin Lucille. It wouldn't be satisfying enough to just kick her out of the household.

The past few months had been sheer bliss. Kalina didn't have to endure Lucille's constant glaring or hear her high-pitched voice calling her every time they met.

Now that she had recovered, she reckoned that Lucille would cling to her even more because of the incident.

Sure enough, as soon as Kalina exited her room, Lucille pounced on Kalina like a cat would a mouse. Eva, her maid, stood behind her with a stiff expression. She had tried to stop Lucille from coming, knowing that Kalina would be upset, but wasn't able to.

"Sister!" Lucille exclaimed, running up to Kalina and linking their arms. Two yellow bows in her hair gave her a childish and innocent feel. She watched Kalina with eager eyes, examining her reaction.

Kalina visibly stiffened and resisted the urge to pull her arm away. "Lucille," she forced herself to smile and greet the girl.

"Sister, I heard that the Spring Festival started. Later, can we go together?" She looked up at Kalina with clear doe-like eyes. Her appearance resembled that of a pleading puppy's.

It was as if the lake incident never happened at all. Lucille was a bit air-headed, but she wasn't stupid enough to forget events that happened only months ago. It seemed more like she was trying to sweep the incident under the rug.

Kalina paused for a moment. She usually didn't go to things like festivals and parades–not because they were events enjoyed by commoners, but because she disliked crowds and noisy areas. She preferred keeping to herself in a quiet, peaceful setting.

She was about to reject the offer when she felt Lucille grasp her arm tighter. She looked down and stared into Lucille's watery purple irises. The girl's bottom lip stuck out, quivering slightly.

"Sister, please? Are you busy? I really want to spend some time with you..." Lucille begged again.

Kalina chuckled softly. If Lucille wanted it so badly, how could she refuse? Clasping Lucille's hand with her own, she said: "No, I'm not busy. I'll be glad to accompany you."

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"What's that?"

Lucille glared at the plain, beige-colored dress in Eva's arms. Another maid carried a striped bandana and a pair of brown lace-up boots. All the items were shabby and frayed. It was totally unbefitting for a noblewoman.

She turned up her nose in disgust. She hadn't seen such lackluster clothes since she moved into the estate.

"Lady Kalina sent these over, miss." Eva said with a cool voice. Her head was lowered, so Lucille could not see her irritated expression.

"Sister?" Lucille froze. She looked over the ratty clothes again. Did Kalina intend for her to wear these? No matter how you looked at them, they were obviously commoners' clothes. She clenched her fist and frowned. "Lucille is a noble now. I will not wear these kinds of clothes. Bring me something else."

"Lady Kalina also asked me to inform you that it is common for nobles to dress discreetly when visiting towns, to blend in. She said that if Lady Lucille refused to wear the clothes, she should be more mindful of your actions in the future, as she is now representing the Ephraim family. These are the words that Lady Kalina asked me to pass on, miss. Please get changed quickly, Lady Kalina is waiting for you."

Was it supposed to be this meticulous to be a noble? Couldn't nobles wear and say whatever they wanted? After all, it had always been Lucille's dream to parade through the streets in an extravagant dress with an entourage of guards behind her while everyone cheered and gaped in wonder.

But what was this now? She had to wear an ill-fitting dress that resembled a potato sack with holes for her arms and legs, a hair scarf that looked like it would be worn by a kitchen maid, and working boots made of ugly brown leather! It was truly shameful!

"Lady Lucille?" Hearing no response, Eva lifted her head to see if Lucille had heard her words.

"Okay. Give me that. Tell Sister I'll be ready soon." Lucille decided it wouldn't be much of a loss if Kalina was also dressed as boringly as her. No one would compare them if they both looked the same.

Lucille changed into the clothes, her skinny frame disappearing under the shapeless dress that reached just below her knees. Her silver-blue hair that she was so proud of was concealed using a hair tie and the scarf.

Kalina was waiting in the parlor when Lucille arrived. "Lucille!" she exclaimed, turning around to greet the girl that had just entered. Her smile deepened when she saw Lucille's attire.

Upon seeing Kalina, Lucille was unable to hide her disappointment. As expected, Kalina's dazzling charisma couldn't be concealed with boring clothes, like how Lucille's playful charm disappeared when she wasn't wearing a fancy dress.

Kalina's smooth golden hair was neatly braided into two pleats that sprouted from behind her ears. The braids rested on top of her white cotton dress that was just as baggy as Lucille's–but somehow, it didn't swallow her up and instead resembled a pure . She wore the same boots as Lucille, yet their outfits had a completely different feeling to them.

"Sister...did you wait long?" Lucille forced herself to smile and swiftly moved to Kalina's side.

"No, not at all. You look perfect. I'm afraid I can't compare to you; I'm unaccustomed to these kinds of clothes and I feel awkward." Kalina said with a bashful tone. It was the truth–she had never worn commoners' clothes before, but she found them to be quite comfortable.

Surprisingly, Kalina wasn't intentionally mocking Lucille as she usually did with her exquisite way of speaking. She really did feel out of place. However, that didn't mean Lucille wouldn't think she was being insulted.

'Because I was once a commoner, I'm used to these kinds of clothes. Because I was once a commoner, I look boring in the clothes while Sister looks good no matter what she wears.'

The entire time they spent at the festival, Lucille's mind was muddled with a myriad of emotions–the most prominent being jealousy. Kalina watched with a grin as Lucille's face contorted along with her dark thoughts. The girls' contrasting expressions drew many strange gazes, but they were both too distracted to notice.

The two sisters cruised through the streets, side by side. They were less than a hand's width apart and in similar clothing, yet it was like they belonged to two entirely different worlds.