Chapter 17 - Get Ready For The Ball - Part 1

"Miss, come in here!! Quickly" Odette exclaimed from inside the room.

Eloise walked over with a frown. "What is it? Is anything wrong?"

The servant girl who was squatting near a huge opened crate looked up. "We don't have time," she said anxiously. She hurriedly took out a midnight blue fluffy gown and a corset. "Blue... where are the blue accessories?" she ran around the room searching for it.

All the while Eloise silently watched her. 'Why is this girl hurrying so much, the ball is in the evening? There is plenty of time.' Having this thought, she peacefully sat on her chair next to her bed and opened the book she had half read. "Where was I?..."

"Miss!!! You are still having time to sit!!" Odette ran to her and pulled her up unceremoniously. "I have ordered the other maids to bring in hot water. We need to get ready!! now!!!"

"What the...." Eloise was dragged into the room with a huge wooden tub and the maid helped her untie her ribbons of her dress. "Odette, aren't you panicking too much? We still have a lot of time,"

"No! We don't!!" Odette rushed to the door and anxiously looked out. "Where are the other maids they should be here by now?"

Soon after, an array of young woman dressed in drab clothes ran in with bucket and buckets of water. After pouring it all in, it only filled an inch in the bottom of the tub.

Eloise already had experienced this when she first came here to this world. She ordered at the maids to stop after the tub was filled halfway. "All of you leave; I shall take my bath now,"

Odette hurriedly bought over a wooden box. "Miss how about lavender toady miss? It will go so well with your dress," she happily poured droplets of essence inside and left.

Eloise sighed and got in. The life of an aristocratic woman was quiet tiresome. After just a few days, she felt exhausted. "I want to just run free like a horse. Not wear a bra. Eat hot cheetos and watch anime again...….Being stuck in a ship sucks..." she glanced out and picked out the book she had half read. It was an interesting book, but not as spicy as the ones she had read in the 21st century.

She sighed loudly. "Life is boring~~" she sunk in into the tub and blew out bubbles. When she was almost out of air, she came up with a gasp. She slapped her pale cheeks. "Eloise, you can't give yourself up to fate. You are a modern woman, if the society doesn't suit you then change the society," she resolutely said to herself.

With renewed confidence, she got out of the tub and wore her bath towel. Her wet hair dripped water everywhere. She tied it up like a turban over her head and came over to her vanity.

"Miss, are you done?" Odette whispered from out the door.

"Yeah," she said. As soon as she replied, the maids rushed in with different things. One maid brought in a coal brazier as well. "It's hot here. Why do we need that?"

"It's for the tongs miss," the maid tremblingly whispered. She did not elaborate.

Seeing her tremble like a little leaf, Eloise glanced at her reflection. 'It's not that bad. My face is really good but just my hair is white as snow. Why do these maids act like they have seen a ghost?'

Her eyes went over to Odette, who was happily taking out the jewellery. 'She doesn't have trouble with my looks. Maybe she got used to it by now,'

Odette ran to her with her corset. "Miss soon,"

Eloise lifted her hands up and gestured for her to continue. Odette happily placed the corset in place and started tying it up. "Don't tie it too tight I feel faint already,"

"Miss, what is wrong? Is your head aching again?" she worriedly whispered.

"Yea, a little so don't make it too tight,"

The maid reluctantly agreed to her. She tied it moderately so that her boobs were held properly. "Miss, here wear your jewellery," she handed her a huge velvet box.

Inside laid a small dainty chain with a bright blue diamond beautifully laid in it. It had a matching earring set as well, which had the same shade of diamonds but in smaller size. 'Whoa, looks like only this alone might have been enough for us to survive.'

"How much does this cost?" she asked, but she knew that its price would definitely be high.

Odette, who was talking to the other maids glanced back and said, "That diamond was mined from our mines miss. It's a treasure,"

Eloise turned over completely. "We have diamond mines!!"

The other maids looked at her weirdly. Odette sent them out momentarily and explained it to her. When Mister Ayles passed away madam Ayles had sold their diamond mine and took all their wealth over to the new Duchy that was close to her mother's place.

"That's how the gold came to?"

"Yes, miss," the maid happily said.

"Did the mines run dry?"

Odette shook her head with a confused look. "It was a good deal and madam took it!" she smiled happily.

Eloise on the other hand wanted to slam her head on the wall. 'Her mother sold a diamond! Mine! For a crate of gold!!! Goodness, that is a complete loss.'

Thinking about the gold, something else came to her mind. All the documents that she looked at, there were no such records of a diamond mine being sold, or even owned. "Odette can you bring me my documents,"

"No, we need to get you ready for tonight," the maid outright rejected her.

Eloise pouted. 'I'll check through this after the ball,'