Chapter 7 - Two Types of Troubling Tangles

It took a few detours, but I was able to find my way back to my bedroom without incident. And so my first night in this strange new world came to an end.

When I sat up in bed the next morning, my first reaction was to sigh heavily. I was hoping that I would wake up in my old apartment, or at least in the setting of a more reasonable game, but nope, this was still Alexander Halesworth's room. The reincarnation wasn't a dream after all.

"Screw it. Let's get ready." I muttered as I clambered out of bed, rubbing my eyes.

Mother mentioned that Francesca was going to leave today. Wonderful. Unfortunately, she also ordered me to see her off. As much as I would like to just stay in my super comfy bed all morning, that would probably bring me more trouble than it's worth. Better to just get this over with as quickly as possible.

Putting my slippers on, I made my way to the bathroom to wash my face and freshen up.

…

When I stepped out of my room, Emma was coincidentally passing by with a full laundry basket in her hands. There was a thin gauze bandage stuck on her right cheek, covering up the lash wound that "I" inflicted on her yesterday. My heart twinged with guilt when I saw it no matter how much I tried to tell myself that Alexander's actions weren't my fault.

"Good morning Emma." I greeted her. "Shouldn't you be resting? You're still injured."

The maid was startled, but hastily returned my greeting with a forced smile.

"G-good morning, young master Halesworth. I'm fine, please don't worry. My body can handle this much."

She still seemed to be a little scared of me, and looked like she wanted to run off as soon as possible. I was about to say something to reassure her when I noticed that her face had warped into an odd expression. Emma was staring at me, hard.

"Umm, young master?"

"Yes?"

For a few seconds the girl was at a loss. When she finally spoke, it was in a hesitant tone. "Forgive me, but were you planning to walk around in… that condition?"

I tilted my head in puzzlement. "Is there something wrong with how I look?"

Emma's face visibly paled. "Worse than I thought…" the girl said under her breath. She then looked at me with a troubled expression. "Please allow me to speak impudently, young master. Your hair is untidy and you're still dressed in yesterday's wear. If anyone were to see you like this, it would cause quite a commotion." Her eyes suddenly widened and she gasped. "Wait, young master, did you actually sleep in those clothes!?"

"...Yes?"

I was pretty tired last night so I just crashed right into bed without changing. But for some reason, the very idea seemed to horrify Emma.

She bit her lip, as if struggling internally. Then she bowed deeply and spoke. "Young master, I understand that you hate having servants assist you in the morning, but would you please allow me to step in just this once?"

Eh?

"Er, sure. I'll be in your care then." I said, feeling a bit taken aback by her sudden burst of assertiveness.

...

The two of us were once again in my room. This time I was seated in front of the mirror, and Emma was diligently brushing my hair.

"It really doesn't want to be tamed…" She muttered, her brows furrowed while working on an especially stubborn tangle. "Oh! Forgive me, young master, I did not mean to complain."

Apparently my hair was the type that had a will of its own. How troublesome.

"It's fine. I should thank you for putting up with this."

Our eyes met in the mirror's reflection, and her cheeks flushed as I smiled at her.

Through some light conversation, I was able to determine why Emma was so shocked. Alexander was the type to pay meticulous attention to his appearance, and wouldn't be caught dead in public with a single thread out of place. Me looking so sloppy would have sent the entire mansion into an uproar, and in the worst case, the servants might even be punished for 'allowing' it to happen. Man, it's not like I was about to do anything important, I just wanted to eat breakfast and say good riddance to my scary fiancée.

I was somehow able to pass it off as absent-mindedness caused by my memory loss, but no matter how innocent Emma might be, even she must have her doubts by now. Thank goodness she was still willing to help me out. This girl was a lifesaver.

"There. All done, young master, though I am not sure if I did it as well as you would have."

My hair flowed neatly down to my shoulders like a golden waterfall. There were no stray locks or tangles in sight. I wasn't used to keeping my hair this long, but looking at it now, I had to admit that it did have its appeal. Alexander's pretty boy stats were completely maxed out. Shame that my eyes were too intense, it made my face kind of intimidating... though very fitting of a villain.

"It looks great, thank you!" I said, beaming.

The maid returned my smile. "Please do not mention it, young master. This is my duty. Now then, would you also permit me to offer advice on your outfit for today?"

Apparently she had no confidence that I'd be able to dress myself competently. How low had my stock fallen? But then again, she was probably right, so I had better just accept to avoid making yet another ridiculous noble faux pas.

"That would be much appreciated."

Emma wasted no time in moving to my dresser. She opened it, and began picking through my wardrobe with enthusiasm.

"This would be nice… but it's a bit cold today, and these tones are perfect for spring… wah! What a cute scarf! Young master, please try this and this on." She turned around and passed a few things over to me, humming a happy tune.

...Was she actually enjoying this? And here I thought she only offered out of a sense of obligation.

Over the next few minutes, we decided on what I should wear today. I had to veto the scarf suggestion though, much to Emma's disappointment. It felt way too showy, and like I said, I wasn't even planning to leave the mansion.

"But if I remember correctly, this is a gift from Lady Francesca… she would be delighted if you wore it while seeing her off!"

All the more reason not to then.

__________________________________________________________

I emerged from my bedroom, dressed in fresh set of clothes and looking much better put together than before.

"Well?" I asked with a grin.

Emma seemed to be taken aback when she saw me.

"You look wonderful, young master!" She blurted out, eyes wide. "I mean, even more so than usual. Ah, not that I usually stare at you or anything, b-but it's not as if I dislike looking at you, I just-!"

As the flustered girl continued to dig herself deeper into a hole, I laughed and shook my head.

"Thank you."

Emma's cheeks were tinged red out of embarrassment. But soon she was distracted by something.

"Umm, pardon me." She said, reaching up to fix my collar. "There. It was slightly ruffled."

Seeing her satisfied smile, I got the feeling that she was pretty used to looking after others. What made me happiest though was that her apprehension towards me had already been significantly diminished. There was no way that the pitiful, cowering Emma from yesterday would do something like that of her own volition.

I was about to thank her again, but the sound of approaching footsteps startled us both. Emma immediately put some distance between us as we turned our gazes down the hallway.

A tall maid wearing black rimmed glasses was headed towards us. Her hair was done up in a bun and she was wearing a headband with white ruffles. The woman gave off the impression of a very strict librarian despite her young age. She was probably in her late twenties at most, and was quite beautiful. Strangely enough, there was a thin black rod strapped to her waist.

"Young master." The bespectacled maid said, performing a polite bow.

Emma respectfully called out from behind me. "Greetings, head maid Ophelia."

Whether that was intentional or not, thanks for the hint. So this was the infamous woman in charge of keeping the mansion's maids in line, huh? One of the three most important staff in our employ - the others being the head butler and the head guard. That stick should be what she used to beat people who didn't live up to her unreasonable standards.

According to Emma, this woman had been our family's head maid for almost four years now. She had started out as just an ordinary servant, but managed to earn my parents' favor and was chosen to be one of Christine's handmaidens. After some time, she rose up to become the head maid. This was when she showed her true colors. The formerly taciturn Ophelia became a brutal taskmaster who enjoyed making life difficult for her former colleagues. A typical case of power getting to one's head.

Ophelia gave Emma a cold glance and I heard a tiny, frightened "eep!" from behind me. As if losing interest, the head maid turned to me again.

"You woke up quite late today, young master. Everyone has already finished eating, and House Ettrick's carriage will soon depart. Your immediate presence is requested outside."

Ugh, really? What a pain. Looks like I had to postpone breakfast then.

"Very well, I'll head there soon," I answered, trying not to let my weariness slip out.

Ophelia nodded, then her gaze hardened as she turned towards Emma. "You. Pick up that damn basket and follow me." Her voice was filled with undisguised hostility.

Emma was dumbstruck, and I noticed that her hands trembled slightly when she picked up the laundry basket. Her head was bowed low as she stepped forward, and it was obvious that she did not want to go with this woman.

Seems like I needed to intervene. What would Alexander do in this situation?

I took a deep breath, straightened my back, and put on a cold, unforgiving expression.

"Wait."

The head maid flinched under the intensity of my glare, and even Emma seemed a little frightened as she unconsciously took a step back.

"Ophelia, find someone else to help you. I still have business with this maid," I said firmly, staring her down.

The head maid appeared confused and upset. Her eyebrows knit together as if she didn't know what to do.

"Young master-" Ophelia began, protesting.

With an impatient wave of my hand, I cut her words off.

"I dislike repeating myself. Stop wasting my time and go!" The irritation in my voice surprised even myself. I totally had a future in acting, didn't I?

At any rate, that seemed to do it. Ophelia swallowed, and quickly bowed in submission. "...Very well. Please excuse me." She walked away at a hurried pace, not looking back.

When she was safely out of sight, Emma let out a sigh of relief while patting her chest. "Thank you, young master."

"What exactly did she want with you?"

"I am not too sure. But perhaps… she was planning to punish me for yesterday's event." Emma said in a quiet voice.

Hm. It wasn't a far fetched idea. From what I've heard about the head maid, she was a bit too enthusiastic about maintaining discipline in the mansion. Ophelia certainly wouldn't ignore such a huge blunder like spilling tea on an important guest, even if Emma had already been 'punished' by Alexander himself. If anything, that naked display of hostility towards Emma may have been an attempt to curry favor with me, which would explain her confusion.

I stroked my chin thoughtfully. "If she tries something later, you have permission to use my name. Tell her that I said you have been appropriately disciplined already, and she should not overstep her bounds. Wait, there's no need to bow, just think of this as me paying you back for your help this morning." I added hastily, seeing that the teary eyed girl was about to bow in thanks again. "However, there is something I need to ask of you…"

__________________________________________________________

The head maid balled her hands into fists as she walked, thinking back to that earlier incident. Young master Alexander had actually scolded her. His frosty eyes would not leave her mind, and those dismissive words kept ringing in her ears.

It can't be, I was so close! He's been treating me differently these days, and I thought that it was just a matter of time before he succumbed, but… did that harlot manage to bed him before me!?

Ophelia shook her head. No, she shouldn't jump to conclusions. Surely the young master was just in a bad mood today and his interest in her hadn't dimmed. That girl was too clumsy, too plain to catch his eye. Alexander enjoyed the thrill of the chase, or else why would he have played along with her games for so long? Perhaps this was just a childish attempt at making her jealous. A way to take back the initiative.

Hmph, clever boy, but I'll have you wrapped around my finger soon enough, Ophelia swore to herself. Alexander might have a proud and domineering personality, but all men were ultimately slaves to their desires. As soon as he got a taste, he'd never be able to give her up.

And if that idiot really did manage to charm him, well, there were plenty of ways to deal with a minor obstruction like that.

She'd be damned before she relinquished her ambitions.