Moving to Modesty (2)

Princess Elucina mustered the courage to walk into the horrid mansion, her eyes quickly checking out the furnished room on the first floor.

There was still some old furniture left behind by someone who previously owned it. Some had covers, but those that had none were covered in dust, causing the fabric and leather to lose their color.

'…At least, it's not too gloomy in here.'

Natural light streamed in from the panes of the large windows, filling nice brightness in the residence, which Elucina found excellent for reading.

'Kitchen, servants' quarters, a small hall, and a living room downstairs,' she listed in her mind, noting each room.

She then made her way to the upper floor, using the wooden staircase, feeling the slight creaking beneath her heels.

When she reached the last step, she only realized that everything in this mansion was made of wood, different from her castle which was made of marble.

And the corridor…

It was incredibly narrow, barely wide enough for three people to walk side by side, making her feel claustrophobic.

Keeping a deep frown of disapproval on her face, Elucina wandered through the rooms.

The dressing closet was especially disappointing, no, infuriating was the word she would call it. It was so cramped, likely barely able to hold her extensive wardrobe.

"Oh, God."

She could feel the stress building in her shoulders as she struggled to figure out how to fit her grand dresses in.

What was even more frustrating was that the dressing closet was in a separate area from her bedroom, driving her to madness.

Elucina swiftly peeked into the other room on the second floor, standing by the threshold. Each room she checked out only made her disappointment grow stronger.

'This mansion is too small!'

Every room felt like it was mocking her, giving her a reminder of how much she had lost to be here. She despised everything about this damn place, from its cramped space to its outdated decor.

And when she finally stepped foot into the bedroom, an overwhelming feeling of disgust suddenly hit her. The bed, which she had hoped would offer some comfort, was covered in dust.

Elucina proceeded to walk into the middle of the room, her ears listening intently, noting the creaks and groans of the old wood beneath.

"No, wait. A, Are those," she mumbled out loud, her words trailing off.

When she tilted her chin up, she froze in her tracks. Her eyes spotted the hefty spiderwebs on the corners of the ceiling, prompting her face to contort in disgust, pressing her lips grimacingly.

In addition, the curtains were filthy, its fabric dull and dirty.

At least the library was what she was as spacious as she hoped it to be. The only problem was that it was musty; its shelves were filled with outdated books and the furniture looked worn.

"Uuu."

Princess Elucina's eyes welled up from the frustration and stress mingling inside her. Her legs gave in, and she slumped onto the dusty floor. As she did, the hem of her dress rustled, sweeping up the dust as she settled.

"I, I can't stand it here!" she muttered under her breath, cranky. "Uuu, I, I want to go back to my castle!"

She wrapped her arms around herself, seeking comfort in her own warmth. "I don't want to sleep here," she added, her complaints echoing in the room. "There's a stupid skinny spider on the ceiling, and this whole place smells so… old and musty!"

The spider on the ceiling seemed to stare back at her, almost as if it was offended by her words. In fact, it even twitched its tiny legs as they made eye contact.

'D, Did that spider just wave at me?'

Her voice broke as she sobbed, "Ahh, I hate this mansion!"

Elucina wiped away her tears, dabbing her wet cheeks with the fabric of her dress, grateful that no one was around to witness her distress. She let out a heavy sigh from her lips, trying to collect her thoughts.

Suddenly, she understood why the mansion felt so empty. Her servants, who were supposed to be with her, were not here.

She sniffed a snot, wondering out loud, "Where are my maids, anyway?"

Determined to look for her retainers, Elucina pushed herself to rise. She exited out of the bedroom and headed her way to the corridor, proceeding down the hall downstairs.

As she descended the staircase, she noticed a bunch of about ten servants coming into the mansion, holding their suitcases. She felt her spirits coming back briefly, only to sink back again when she realized there were not her usual attendants.

'What is going on?'

Elucina was confused and a little alarmed, uninformed of what was happening. "Who are you?" she demanded; her tone urgent.

One of the servants, a young woman with lots of freckles on her face, stepped forward from the group. "We are here to serve you, Your Highness," she said, giving a cautious curtsy.

Elucina's frustration bubbled over after hearing the lady's words. "No, wait… I, where, where is my handmaiden?" she asked, her voice growing quieter with each word, her confusion thickening.

The freckled young woman looked nervous but managed to muster the courage to speak up. "Er, I, I will be your handmaiden from now on, Y, Your Highness."

Elucina's eyes widened. "No! I'm asking for Countess Lenné, not you! Where is she?" she shouted with a tone piercing and commanding.

Her voice rang through the space of the mansion, filling every corner as she yelled, "Did none of your useless ears hear me?!"

The servants flinched at her words before exchanging worried glances at each other, unsettled by her sudden outburst.

"I order you to tell me where she is! Right this instant!" she demanded with an authority that allowed no argument.

The young woman trembled slightly but tried to remain calm. "Y, Your Highness, um, Countess Lenné could not come with you. She has been moved to another a, assignme–"

"What? R, Reassigned?" Elucina repeated, her voice dripping with disbelief. "Who has the audacity to reassign my handmaiden without my consent?"

The young woman hesitated before replying, "…The orders came from His Majesty, the King, Your Highness."

"Ha! T, The King, you say?"

Elucina leaned back a bit, trying to recover the air in her lungs after shouting. Her hands clenched into fists as her anger boiled up within her.

'I see, you're doing it this way, Father.' She paused for a minute, pressing her fingers to her temple as the stress reached her head.

Recovering, Elucina pointed at the young woman, "You," she called, "what is your name?"

"P, Please call me Daleah, Your Highness, " the young woman stammered.

"In that case, Daleah, accompany me. While the rest of you, quit standing around and start cleaning up this place! I won't live in this mess!" she ordered.

Elucina walked purposefully toward the exit on her heel, her dress waving behind her as she marched through the group of new faces with Daleah trailing her tail.

She wanted to leave and find her handmaiden. She had a nagging feeling that she already knew where Countess Lenné should be, but then…

"Crack!" was the sound the sole of her right heel made as it suddenly snapped, just after she passed the door.

"Uaahh!" Elucina shrieked in surprise as she landed on the ground, planting her face on the grass.

A collective gasp rang in her ears as witnesses saw her trip. Elucina fell silent, lying on her stomach in the front yard. Face flushed from embarrassment, she lifted her face and pushed herself up.

'Why isn't anything going according to my plans?'

She grabbed the grass, her knuckles white from clenching. She mumbled, "…Uuu, why! Why–"

"Y, Your Highness!" Daleah approached running to assist her to stand, coming to dust off the dirt that clung to her mistress' dress.

Elucina fought to hold back her tears in front of this stranger. She lifted her chin with pride, and demanded "Daleah! G, Give me your handkerchief!"

"Y, Yes, Your Highness!" Daleah quickly pulled her handkerchief from her dress pocket and extended it to her.

Elucina snatched it from her hand and wiped her face with it. With eyes filled with burning willpower, she vowed, 'If not today, then I will come and retrieve her tomorrow.'