Aria was laying in a large tub full of scented water, stewing with anger like a teabag in hot water.

She was still pissed at seeing her ranking in the Golgotha Glamor Times. This was the year she had her best photo shoot. She believed that no one could argue she looked good and it was some of her best work.

In Aira's mind, the only explanation for why she was ranked second was that someone was bribed. She believed that’s what it was, because she had done so herself before.

Aria had bribed certain publications to put her photos front and centered. She felt it was necessary. Believing that if she didn’t pay off people, they would purposely hide her in their articles. She believed that the modeling world wasn't ready for someone like her, that her rivals had to purposely resort to underhanded methods to get ahead of her. It was after all a cut throat industry.

She slowly raised her hand, water gently dripping from it.

She looked at her delicate slim fingers and her wonderfully done manicure. It was a hand that belonged to a perfect beauty like herself, she believed. Aria then reached off to the side, trying to grab a hand mirror to allow her to examine herself in greater detail, but she grasped at nothing.

The mirror that would normally be there was smashed by her earlier. Aria had smashed all the mirrors in the mansion, so she didn’t have any to use now.

This did not help her mood.

She needed to examine every little detail in her appearance, even if she thought there was none. Aria was already perfect in her mind, but she was willing to make minor adjustments in her appearance, to please the few fools who couldn't see her true beauty. But, any adjustments she does make will not be to get into the Gologatta Glamor rankings. Oh no, she had very different plans for that magazine.

The Gologatta Times had slighted her, and that could not go unpunished. When she demanded that Patrick kill the editor that did the rankings, she wasn't joking. She really did want that person dead, and was willing to go through the steps to make it so. She knew that Patrick wouldn't actually do it for her, he was too unwilling to get his hands dirty. It was why she had to constantly “whip” Patrick like the dog she thought he was. However, Aria knew Patrick would still gather information about that editor for her. Once he did that, all she needed to do was pass that information on to the right people.

Aria had connections to the criminal underworld. She knew the right people that would handle it for her. She just needed to give them a few coins and they made her problems go away. She had used their “services” before when a disgruntled former butler started bad mouthing her. The audacity of someone spreading such unbecoming falsehood of her was inexcusable to Aria. She thought he should have been grateful that he could see Aria’s beautiful vestige regularly. Afterwards, that butler was dealt with by her associates, who were even kind enough to even dispose of the body.

“Once that idiot gets me enough info on that editor, I'll give my contact a call and see if they can take care of it for me. Maybe, they’ll take out that skank they rank above me in the process too.” Aria thought to herself.

Aria shifted her body in the tub and then stood up. She let the water drip down her immaculate body, before carefully stepping out of the bath. She grabbed a towel that was hanging nearby and began to gently dry herself, while examining her delicate skin in the process.

“Everything about my appearance needs to be perfect. No, It is already perfect. They’ll all someday see that. Then I finally can get the respect that I deserve.” Aria thought to herself as she gently padded the towel against her body to help dry.

Once she thought that her body was sufficiently dry, she put on an expensive red silk bathrobe and exited to the room next to where she was. Inside was a group of maids nervously waiting for Aria to exit the bathroom. The anxiety the staff had on display made Aria smirk.

“Of course they would be nervous with someone as gorgeous as me around.” Aria thought to herself, not realizing that the maids source of anxiety was her recent outburst and not her beauty.

Aria: “Well, get to it,” she said.

The maids quickly went to work. They approached and surrounded Aria and went through the regular routine of preparing her for the day. One maid started combing her hair while another helped get her lingeries on, and the third was powdering her face. The maids had done this hundred times now and were efficient like a well oiled machine. As they went through the routine, one of the maids spoke up to ask Aria a question.

Maid: “Lady Aria, what would you like to wear today?” she said with a forced smile.

Aria: “Hmm, how about the one I was given recently.”

Maid: “Um, that’s the black camisole dress from lord Garf, right?”

Aria turned to the maid talking to her with an indignant look.

Aria: “Of course you fool! What else could I be talking about?”

Maid: “Eek, I-im sorry. I’ll go get it right away,” she said as she ran off towards Aria’s walk in closet.

Aria just shook her head as the maid ran off.

Aria: “It’s so hard to get good help nowadays. If only my beauty could draw competent people to me.”

The two other maids kept nervously working away at preparing Aria. Eventually the maid that left came running back with a box. The maid carefully pulled out a black silk camisole dress with a high slit spaghetti strap with fabric that would reach just halfway down Aria’s calf. The dress looked expensive and elegant.

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The maids quickly helped her get into the dress. Once Aria was dressed and makeup was applied, the maid backed away from her and bowed.

Aria: “Mirror,” scarlet demanded.

The maids looked at one another nervous before one of them spoke up.

Maid: “I’m sorry my lady. We haven't had time to replace the mirrors quite yet”.

Aria: “You're all useless,” she muttered.

The maids looked at one another uncomfortably. While they weren't feeling great about Aria’s mood, they were glad she hadn’t broken out into a rage like before.

Aria stepped aways from the maids and approached the large window in the room. She pulled back the curtains of the widow and looked at her reflection in the glass. The reflection wasn't very clear, but the details she could make out were immaculate in her mind.

“Even a blurry reflection of me can not obscure my beauty.“ She thought to herself.

While she was admiring herself, her attention momentarily shifted to the gate in front of the mansion. The gate was open and a couple of half human, half animal, mutants were carrying something large wrapped in cloth. A scowl was beginning to appear on Aria's pretty face.

Aria not only believed that she was the most gorgeous model in the world, she also thought that she was someone that belonged in the upper class of elite society. And, being part of such a class ment having certain standards. Having mutants on her estate, who were looked down upon in the circles she ran, might cause some damage to that reputation. People might mistake her for employing mutants, the scandal of such a thing would be troublesome to Aria.

Aria: “Why are there filthy mutants on my property,” she angrily muttered out.

One of the maids approached from behind Aria and began nervously explaining the situation.

Maids: “I-i b-believe they're just here to deliver something.”

Aria: “Well go tell them to drop it wherever and get the staff here to carry it in. I will not have those disgusting creatures here inside my estate.”

The maid grimaced at Aria’s harsh words about the mutants before bowing and running off to do exactly as she said.

Aria continued to watch the scene of the two mutant men carefully carrying the object. One mutant was holding one end of the object while the other was holding the other, both slowly making their way to the front door of the house. Before they could reach the door, Aria watched as a group of maids and manservants came out and started talking to the mutant men.

Aria carefully watched to see what the reaction of the mutants were.

After the two men finished talking to the servants, they looked at each other and shrugged before gently sitting down the objects they carried. The two mutants calmly vacated the property while the servants that went outside picked up the cloth wrapped object and brought it inside.

Aria continued to glare at the mutants from her window until they were gone.

Before she could put any thought into the mutants that were on her property, she heard Patrik’s voice calling out from being her.

Patrik: “Aria I have good news.”

Aria: “You got a new mirror, she said to cut off Patrick.”

Patrik: Um, how’d you know.

Aria: “I just watched a couple of filthy mutants try to bring it into my mansion.”

Araia had already guessed that the object the mutants were carrying was the replacement for the mirrors she had smashed earlier.

Patrik: “Oh, um,” he hesitated unsure of what he needed to say.

Patrik knew that Aria despised mutants. If he had known that mutants were the ones who were to deliver it, he would have given them instructions to drop it off at the front gate so that Aria wouldn’t have seen them. But, it was Lenah that was the one that ordered and arranged to have the mirror delivered this way, so there was no way he could have known.

Aria: “It better be a damn good mirror.”

Patrik: “Yes, right. Um, would you like it brought to your room?”

Aria: “What do you think you fucking idiot!”

Patrik: “Right, ok. I’ll have them bring it to your chambers immediately. He said as he ran off.”

A few minutes went by until a group of manservants came into the room carrying the mirror wrapped in cloth. They gently set the mirror upright and leaned against a wall.

Aria: “Well don’t just stand there. Remove the cloth already!” she yelled out to the servants.

The servrate quickly and nervously did what they were told. They pulled off the cloth, revealing a giant mirror with a beautiful thick bronze frame with floral design. The reflective surface was polished to perfection and looked immaculate.

The mirror was abnormally big, making it appear even more extravagant. The size and shape gave it a slight otherworldly appearance, like a magic mirror in an old fairy tale. It was perfect in Aria’s mind, believing that she deserved such a grand mirror. Something that would properly capture her beauty in its entirety.

Aria: “My, my. Patrik really outdid himself this time, finding something that was finally worthy of my beauty.”

Manservant: “With all due respect my lady, I believe that it was actually Lenah that procured this accessory.”

Aria: “Of course she did,” she muttered angrily. “Why else would those filthy mutants deliver such fine pieces of furniture? It’s a good thing that they didn’t get their filth on such a fabulous mirror. But, I suppose I'll give credit where it’s due. The mirror she got is actually up to my standards. I guess my niece is not completely useless.” she said begrudgingly.

Aria approached the mirror and stared at her reflection.

“The reflection in the window was beautiful, but it’s nothing compared to a proper mirror. Now I can truly appreciate my beauty. I knew i looked good, but now looking properly, i can tell i looked better than even i thought.” She thought to herself with a pleased smile.

The servants present let out a sigh of relief. They felt the mirror they had brought in had managed to placate Aria's anger, based on the reaction they were seeing from her. The servants would later thank Lenah for this.

Aria gently reached out and gently caressed the reflective surface of the mirror.

She couldn’t explain it, but she felt her mood rapidly improving. Seeing her own beautiful face was giving her motivation and new ambitions. She would do another photo shoot and release new pictures of herself, and these photos would be so beautiful that no one would deny her the title of most beautiful.

Aria then turned to one of the manservants still present and spoke.

Aria: “Go tell Patrik to arrange another photo shoot.”

Manservant: “At once my lady,” the servant said before he quickly left.

Aria then turned back to the mirror and continued to admire herself. She would do this for another hour.

If Aria had paid proper attention this day, instead of obsessing about her own appearance, she might have noticed something that was peculiar about this mirror. It was only her own reflection that was crystal clear in it. Everything else reflected in the mirror was ever so slightly blurred for some reason.