Chapter 1.15: Showered With Love

Alek's alleged beating of her spread like wildfire. The maid who helped her that day was infuriated at the sight of the girl curled up in pain. The woman was a new hire that worked as a nurse on the battlefield for many years. She cared for Leila and shushed Jisu when the other woman suggested it was just a misunderstanding. Her stern gaze was like a knife, the younger maid made sure not to come back when she was near. No one could deny the blood that dripped from her body that day.

Every butler, maid, cook, tutor, guard, and driver witnessed her suffering. The household erupted into chaos and many arguments started over what to believe. The older, veteran staff defended Alek viciously against the newer staff who cursed his name. Still, all of them visited her and prayed she was free of tragedy in the future. She acted like a wounded fawn when this happened. The teenager made sure to soften her voice and thank them endlessly with tears streaming down her cheeks.

This contrasts Alek who was living in hell. It didn't take long for word to travel to their father. The man's area interfered with the household, choosing to stay locked in his study. But once his butler confirmed the truth in the story the man demanded Alek come out. The two men stood before one another, one's jade eyes cold and the other full of heartache. Her brother left the estate for a couple of weeks and her father sobbed at her bed.

The burly man held her hand tightly and cried at her wounds. He only did it when he thought she was sleeping, his head laying on her lap. Her mother had only come down once. The woman looked at her silently with frigid eyes before she closed them. Her expression was so intense the teenager found it hard to think. Slowly, she nodded and walked away. It left Leila with the feeling she knew the truth and chose to accept her actions. That disturbed the teenager for some time. She made sure to silence any of those regrets.

Her bed rest ended after two and a half weeks. There was some scarring in her mouth, along with some soreness but it didn't bother her. The entire time she was cared for and looked after. It was sad that it was ending but she had to get back to work. The teenager sat up from her bed when two maid's entered her room. They carried large whicker baskets and buckets of warm water. She was going to be pampered today and styled for a special event.

Cleo's father was holding a banquet and she requested to attend. The man tried to protest, stating she needed to focus on healing. But she held his hand and promised to take it slow. Leila desired to see who these guests were. They had to be more than nobles and merchants. She suspected they were other assassins and that made them possible connections for plans. He agreed and assigned two guards to be by her side the entire time. This was annoying but she just smiled and agreed to the terms.

The maid from before who cared for her came in with her bucket. She brightened up at the sight of Leila awake and waved. "Miss, you look so much better! I'm so relieved."

Leila smiled. The woman was nice enough and held no loyalty to her family. She could be useful in the future when she took control of the estate.

"Thank you Yeonhee," The buckets were dumped into an iron bathtub they had brought. The three women rolled up their sleeves as they added in oils. "I thought I told you to call me Cleo last night?" She remarked, making the maid blush.

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The others giggled at the exchange between the two. The atmosphere in the room was light-hearted. All the servants trusted Leila wholeheartedly. They talked with her with the perfect balance of friendliness and respect. It made the teenager want to lie down and laugh. She was slowly weaving her way into the hearts of the estate. She wanted them to think of her as soft, an angel among the wolves they lived to serve. Her body felt light as she lifted the comforter off of her body and got up.

"Yeonhee, Elissa help me get undressed." She made sure to speak cheerfully as she clapped her hands.

Elissa, the maid with long ginger curls nodded timidly. She seemed the most uncomfortable with the new, less formal arrangement between them. Leila knew she wasn't used to cleaning either with how she struggled to carry in the water. Yeonhee, who was older, gave her a friendly pat on the back. Her touch was delicate. This helped her calm down and relax before they made their way over. The other maid kept preparing the bath attentively.

"Ma'am, your bruises are still tender," Elissa muttered as the two unbuttoned her nightgown. She looked ashen in the face at the sight of her body.

"It's alright. As long as you two move carefully, I should be fine." She made sure to wait until the maid nodded before gesturing for them to continue.

Leila felt the dress slip off and fall into a pile at her ankles. The air felt pleasant on her body, her bra was next to be taken off. She was used to the shocked faces the servants made about her skin. No amount of time would fully heal the bruises. There was no point in worrying. She couldn't change what had happened to her with pity. She needed bloodshed. Her bra was unhooked and sat on her bed. The woman took her underwear off and stretched. The teenager felt like it was going to be a great day.

She was guided over to the bathtub, which was 2/3rds full of steaming water. Bubbles of flower-scented soap sat on top and parted as she stepped in. She was slow when she put her other leg in and slipped down. Her body sunk in while the trio cleaned up any water that spilled over. It felt like heaven to Leila as she let out a loud sigh. By the time she hit the bottom of the tub, it reached up to her chin. Her long black hair swam behind her and soaked up the warm water eagerly. She instructed one of them to wash her hair, while the others did her nails.

For the banquet, she would be wearing a mask. Leila was prepared to play the role of the dutiful daughter in front of these strangers. This meant she had to look the part and forgo her usual outfits. While they were varied in style and price, wearing one would make her appear cheap. No, instead she would be adorned in the finest of gowns. The teenager would be dressed in jewels and fur that cost millions to produce, straight from her mother’s closet. Her nails were being painted the family’s signature colors, gold and green, with tiny pearls added to them for sparkle.

“What gowns have you picked out for me?” Leila asked halfheartedly, she had never been into fashion that much.

Yeonhee smiled up from where she was filing her toenails. “We have selected nine for you. Your mother instructed us to get them all from your favorite dressmaker.” The dreamy look in the woman’s eyes told her just how extravagant the ensemble was going to be.

“I’ll have to thank her at the banquet,” She let out a soft hum as her hair was combed through. Elissa was careful with each stroke she made to avoid any tangles. She wore gloves that helped her grip. “Ah, that feels good Elissa. I’ll make sure to assign you hair duty again.”

To the three maids, the offer wasn't small. Every weekend Leila had someone wash her hair. And typically they would be responsible for doing it in the morning. This would make Elissa her maid, second to Jisu. It was a high position that earned the redhead opportunities outside of the estate. Knowing this made the trio look at her with shock, stopping for a moment. When they continued it was clear her words changed their opinion of her.