34 A gift

Before I knew it, the days had flown by so easily. Ever since 'that' day, I still haven't caught even the slightest glimpse of Sein's face, and neither have I seen those three. As more days passed, I had slowly realized that I actually felt bad for walking out on them. I admit it, I'd let my emotions get the best of me that day. They might have just wanted to help whilst I stupidly shut them out. Thinking about this all over again made me sigh in utter disdain. "Do you not like the gowns, young lady?" asked Aira with a pout, her thick black eyebrows met. I got so lost in thought that all these boxes wrapped in expensive-looking ribbons became invisible for a moment. The gowns we've commissioned from Lady Wynona's boutique arrived yesterday. Excitement rang out through the mansion halls as I asked my "Glam Team" to help me pick out the perfect gown to wear. My birthday was already in less than two weeks. And since the hosting of a banquet was unstoppable, I had no choice but to comply. "Ah-… no, I love each and every one of them." I showed them a grin. "I'm having a hard time from your choices. Can't you just tone it all down to one?" It was true. The gowns were crafted from luxurious fabrics with such fine and pretty embroideries. All of them basically glowed and shimmered as they were laid on my bed before me, as if polished gems that were minced to be formed into cloth. Now, if only I could just cover my eyes and randomly point at a gown. I tried to suggest the idea but it was instantly shunned down by these five meticulous girls. Anette was merely assisting me, only giving out compliments to the gowns—which definitely wasn't a lot of help at all. "No can do, young lady. We have to make sure that you will be the most gorgeous among all the people that will be attending!" "That's right, this will be the very first banquet in the East after soooo many years. That means everyone, whether a noble or commoner, is going to be wearing their finest attires that they had kept hidden for so long!" "We must not let anyone outshine our young lady so easily!" It was like a battle cry as the maids puffed their chests and clenched their fists. I saw the glint of light that flashed on their determined eyes and it made me feel a little giddy. "Alright, fine." I finally gave in. It really does seem like this needs some more serious thought. "How about this one?" I picked up the blue gown that transitioned into a darker shade at the ends, a black strip of cloth hugged the waistline that formed into a ribbon at the back. "Too simple." said Sera. "Find something with a little more detail on the skirt, young lady." I raised my eyebrows while nodding a couple of times. "Alright, this one." I hung up a peach gown that was box-pleated and the lower part was circled with white ribbon cloths. Vivian's nose scrunched. "Those ribbons are too much. Subtle details should do for the skirt. The bodice must be the one to stand out." "This, then?" I asked while holding out a soft pink one with little rubies that lined the halter. The skirt was asymmetrical—it fell low on one side as it climbed high on the other side. There were white ruffles on the ends. I had personally thought that it was cute. I quietly hoped that they would just stick with this one. "Those ruffles are awfully a painful sight." Gem, the usually quite, tan and petite maid, shook her head once. Then I picked another one. "Nope." I picked another. "No way." Another. "Too tacky." One. "Absolutely not." I threw my hands in the air and pressed my lips, almost giving in. Anette had already returned from brewing tea for everyone per my request. The maids seem to be deeply thinking about something—fiddling on their uniforms while the others had their fingers on their chin. "We might be missing something." No, you're not. "I agree." No, you don't. "Should we go through all of them once more?" That's it. I am officially done. I was about to speak when a knock made its way into the busy atmosphere of my room. "What is it?" I called out. "This is Karl, young lady. A box that seems to be a present had just arrived and your name is written on it." My eyebrows rose. The maids stopped talking as they looked at each other. "I'll get it for you, young lady." Sera said as she approached the door. Seconds later and the freckled maid was already carrying in a medium-sized white box that was wrapped by a blue ribbon. The wide smile of her face that seemed to have made its way into her brown eyes was very evident. As she trudged closer, she let out a quiet squeal and did a tiny jump. What the hell has gotten her so excited? "It comes with a letter." Sera finally said as she placed the box on the large bed. "The seal has the Dianthus crest." My eyes instantly widened. A wave of gasps echoed through the air. The inside of my chest was acting weird. I swear that I didn't miss my breakfast, so why does my stomach feel strange? Sera held out the letter to me and I grabbed it calmly, I have to make these girls think that this wasn't much of a big deal. "Read the letter to us, young lady!" Aira beamed cheekily. The others let out words of agreement, convincing me to read the letter to them. Anette was not able to hide the curiosity that was printed on her eyes either. I heaved in a breath. "Alright, but you better not start having weird ideas. Do we have a deal?" The enthusiastic maids nodded, their eyes were terribly expectant as they clasped their hands in front of their chests. I opened the letter, feeling the same eagerness rushing through me. I read the words carefully and loud enough for a few people to hear. "Dear Calla, How have you been? I pray that you are well and hopefully not mad at me for not showing up recently. Bad friend manners, I know. The Royal Academy is making me teach in place of a sick teacher, you see. I wanted to apologize, and since it's nearly your birthday, here's a little present from me. In turn, I want you to grant me a favor. Don't worry, it's not that important. I will tell you when I am finally free from the clutches of the staffs here in the academy. One last thing, you've always been lovely, I know—that's why this gift suits you perfectly. -Sein" I could certainly feel that my cheeks were heating up. As I lifted my eyes from the letter, I saw that the girls were desperately doing their best to hold in their smiles, and probably a fit of squeals too. They pretended not to have a reaction by throwing their gazes at random corners in the room. Now that was even weirder. Vivian clapped her hands once. "Everyone's satisfied now, right?" The maids nodded. "Then you can open the present, young lady." The maids' high-pitched giggles swarmed the air as I turned to open the box. I lifted the lid. Then the room became still and silent. The air turned quiet and tranquil, and I know that I was not the only one whose heart had stopped. I could feel from my sides that the maids' mouths were gaping with awe and astonishment. All of us couldn't remove our stares from what was inside the box. For behold, the most beautiful gown that my eyes had ever lain upon.