Chapter 1.35: Bejeweled Prima Donna
A box of jewels sat in front of the heiress as she got her hair done. She looked down at it and counted the number of rocks gifted to her. Ever since her visit to the dressmaker, she'd been getting anonymous love confessions. Reporters spotted her walking away from the building and went wild. Articles described her as an ultra-confident socialite radiating despite her broken engagement. This led to men and women of various social classes trying to bewitch her with these presents. They all were monetary in value and she gave most away to her servants carelessly.
Leila had no interest in starting any relationships at the current moment. She had her hands full with the revelation of Ezekiel's enslavement and her parents' hand in it. The heiress was determined to get back at them for their actions. But for now, she had Alek to worry about, and he was stressing her out. The man was watching her from the sidelines with a stare she could only describe as odd. He had bags under her eyes that worried her servants and made them glance at him suspiciously. In turn, he scowled at the women enough they scurried away.
She gave the man a look, and he shied away from her glance, turning to the side. The dark-haired woman sighed and knew she'd have to work on that. The man was a shell of himself being scared senseless one minute and downright feral the next. Jisu had even commented that she feared the drug use had messed with his brain chemistry enough to change the man. The navy-haired woman told Leila she couldn't stand to help him any longer. The mistreatment he directed towards her was foul enough that the heiress understood her choice. She made sure to give her a heartfelt apology.
"You look stunning, Miss Cleo." Elissa was one of the women she chose for today's dressing. The maid had been excelling in her new position with a smile.
The ginger was glowing as she instructed the other woman where to put which bedazzled pin in her ponytail. The maids eagerly listened and went hard at their work with diligence she hadn't seen in them for months. Leila had made a brilliant choice by charming her to her side. She was sure the curly-haired servant would be loyally serving at her side as long as she desired. It pleased her that some of her plans were working out in the long run. Now all she needed was the connections she made to have a domino effect that left her at the very top. And then she'd be strong enough to go after her real enemies.
They announced the royal wedding to be at the end of the new year. Hundreds of reporters flocked to see the new princess's baby belly. Leila could not deny that she looked overjoyed to be the prince's baby mother and new fiance. Her long black hair glistened under the tiara atop her tiny head. The woman had stolen everything from Cleo while saving her from a life as a baby maker. A girl like that who was raised as a peasant with minimal education could never rule. The king probably saw her as the perfect victim of abuse. Leila thanked her silently for taking the bullet for her. Depending on how things went, she might spare her child.
A monstrous cat-like grin sprouted as the heiress fantasized about exterminating the family. "Thank you, Elissa. Could you use plum lipstick today? I want to match my dress." The noblewoman gestured at a nearby box of lipsticks.
Eagerly, Elissa grabbed a plum-colored lipstick with a light undertone and handed it over. Leila put it on and heard the other women gasp in awe. It really made her appearance pop. She was finally going to speak to the Fountaine family, and she had to look her best to impress them. From across the room, she heard Alek lean forward. She watched as he looked over and felt weird. The whole idea of incest and marriage was very discomforting right now. The maids looked fine, but she could tell they wanted to the peeping man to fuck off. The heiress found the implications gross, but it was all a play.
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With a hand under her chin, she smiled wider. "Big brother, do you like what you see? Purple is your favorite color after all." Her voice teased the man as he turned increasingly paler by the second.
"Um, well." Alek gulped as he looked her up and down. She was dressed rather sparkly for the tea and discussion. This made it hard for him to avoid certain assets the heiress had to show. "You look perfect for the meeting you're attending, sister."
At her side, Elissa couldn't hold in her shutter as she glimpsed at the man. Her fiery gaze was engulfed with judgment and disgust. The maid saw him as nothing but an abusive addict, and all of them did. Leila played a hand in that and she was fine with the outcome for now. Turning the man into a model citizen and helping him get clean would earn her tons of praise. The heiress's image of a scorned woman with a heart of gold would slowly become invincible. She smiled even wider and held back a smirk as she thought it all over. Her mother's callous actions had been a blessing in the end.
Addicts needed something to thrive. They had addictive personalities that didn't change from one attempt at getting clean. Leila had full intentions of having Alek become addicted to her. The man was going to be at her beck and call soon. She still felt guilty that he was in this state. The heiress never intended for this to happen. But after some time mulling over what had happened, her mind was made up. The dark-haired noblewoman decided that this was the best course of action. So, she would clean his vomit up and hug his feverish body close. She intended to be his beacon of hope for a while.
"Thank you! I promise to bring you and the ladies back some goodies from the tea party." Her voice was full of joy that warmed all the maid's hearts. They were loyal and pleased to have such a charitable noblewoman as their current mistress.
One of the maids, a woman with strawberry freckles, dusted across her face, flushed. "Miss, please have fun at the party! I heard that noble ladies from all over the land will be there!"
At her side, a younger maid with olive skin nodded her head in agreement. She smiled and looked at the heiress with pure joy. "You'll be the best looking there with that dress. I've never seen anyone wear anything like it here."
The praise flattered Leila, and she smiled. She had gotten in contact with the old man from the banquet who gave her the dye. He was happy she enjoyed it and was floored when she offered to buy and promote it to other nobles. The dark-haired woman communicated to him through letters and was sent a case of the dye. Not only that but fox fur from his village was made into a dress for her. The dress was tucked in her closet for the winter as she wore something much looser. With her hair done up into a curly pony that had gemstones and jewels in it, the heiress was stunning.
The woman knew Ezekiel was outside the door waiting for her. She had made sure to ask him to come publicly. This way, none of his men gossiped about her sudden constant inclusion of him. They did slap him on the back and teased him about their relationship as she walked off. Any other noble would have sworn at them for suggesting such a thing between a guard and his boss's daughter. They would make them grovel until their mouths bled from constant apologies. But Leila just shook her head and made her way to get ready. This action added to the men's questions about what happened between them in such a small period.
It was an abrupt change, but she needed to bring someone who could stay silent. He would act as her bodyguard, something the other noblewomen would bring with them. They were all from various parts of the globe and their families dealt in hundreds of industries. So, it was common to see them bringing a guard, or a trusted official with them, to meetings. Even minor celebrations like festivals and hunting parties had these guardians at their side or not far behind. The Fountaine family had no idea she was bringing him. She planned to tell the noble family that he was a guard sent by her parents to avoid further questioning.