Chapter 2.25: A Masquerade Begins
The next morning, the heiress woke up to absolute silence. Leila yawned, turned onto her side, and curled up under a thick wool blanket she had found. The blanket scratched at her skin as she thought about the previous night. After the exchange she had with Lili, the blonde broke down and apologized. Her brief rebellious phase was gone, and the woman was overcome with waves of guilt. The curly-haired girl beat herself up as she began to cry more than her apology went on. This whole display showed the noblewoman how easily manipulated the woman could be. It only made sense that someone with so little backbone would be preyed upon by someone like Cale, or Leila herself. It wasn’t exactly a good thing, as that meant anyone could get close and gain control over her sister-in-law for their desires.
This weighed heavily on the dark-haired woman’s mind as she got out of bed. Leila shivered and rubbed at her shoulders as her feet slapped onto the icy, cold floor. Despite their distance from the Skadi waters, the entire cabin was chilly and gave Leila a taste of the freeze that awaited her. Keeping this in mind, she wrapped a housecoat around herself before entering the bathroom. And instantly her jaw dropped from how gigantic and shiny it all was. In the real world, she would only see one this big in an LA influencer vlog or an old tabloid displaying the house of a one percenter. It was things like this that made her struggle to breathe; her wonder overtaking her senses as she touched the marble counter. There was a chandelier with soft blue bulbs hanging above her head and she smelled what had to be lavender oil on a hand towel. The room also was much warmer than the rest of the cabin, with a vent blowing heat at both of her sides. She swallowed thickly, putting the silk towel down, and let her housecoat drop. Followed by her nightgown.
“It’s amazing how the middle class lives in this world.” Naked, the teenager leaned over and pulled what reminded her of a lever you’d find on an old well. Instantly, water gushed out, and she reached for one of the many liquid soap options. “Back home, I could never afford this.”
As the water reached nearly the top of the tub, she turned it off and stepped in. Her feet hit the smoothness of the bottom of the metal, bouncing off of it as the young heiress slipped in. Immediately, the long-haired girl felt herself melt in awe. The water felt amazing and Leila sunk deep till it went over her shoulders. She let her hair sprawl behind her back as it soaked in the warm water that consumed her being. With one of her hands, she pulled over one of the chosen soaps and gave it a big squeeze. Her nostrils filled with the delectable scent of mint leaves that came from the green liquid. Bubbles formed, that carried the same smell as she let nearly half the bottle out into the water. Once she was sure that amount was gone, she put it up. It wasn't coming out of her wallet, and she wanted to lather her entire body in it. Her hands moved it onto her skin as she washed herself with an exhausted look in her eyes.
It was only like this she could slow down. Everything had been a constant barrage of needing to survive, that she couldn't stop to think. The noblewoman's shoulders felt tense as she cleaned her long tresses. The heiress was still a teenager. And to have such a tense reality pushed onto Leila began to squeeze the life out of her body. She felt like when she wasn't boiling with the drive to get revenge; she was a useless rag doll. It made her wonder how she would cope back home. No therapist or psychiatrist would believe anything she told them about this world. And there was no say in whether she would return to the present or years after if time moved the same. All of this just made Leila ache deep within her heart, her chest feeling like it was infected. Which was the truth in the matter.
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The teenager was being overtaken by Cleo. Sometimes she struggled with remembering key details of her actual life in the real world. Parts of her life had started to slip away, melting into nothing and replaced by what could only be blind rage. A fury so powerful that she just acted on it without thinking. Leila let her body loosen and laid down on her back so she was floating, the tub being big enough for her to do so without any discomfort. Reminiscing made her feel heavy, and it was just hard to process. The teenager wanted to forget about everything and simply relax her mind. But it was hard, despite the silence that enveloped her in the bathroom. A sinking sensation grew, a feeling that made a pit grow in her stomach and her watery green eyes squint. It was like the moment she stepped out of the room, it would bring her back into some sort of battlefield or carnage. Her mouth was dry as she quickly sat up and leaned over the edge of the tub. Instead of dry heaving, the noblewoman just panted and wallowed in emotion.
‘I’m a wreck,’ Leila thought to herself as a pool of water began to form underneath her. Her hair had fallen out of the tub in her blind burst of action and drenched the floor. She couldn’t even sigh. ‘I’m done.’
An hour later, she sat with her wet hair in a towel, and body dried off. The heiress had dressed in an outfit befitting of being on the water, constantly assaulted by salty air. A light sundress that was tied in the back by a soft ribbon that matched her sandals. She forgoes heels, not wanting to even imagine what might happen if she slipped and fell. Her hands patted against her inner thighs impatiently as she waited for her hair to dry. Back in the real world, she had thicker hair that was much kinkier and not as long. But she knew how to care for it better with the numerous products she bought online. Here, Cleo’s hair was long and silky smooth, but also straight as can be. Sure, it could curl and wave up, but it was pathetic compared to the curly buns and braid styles she sported throughout her normal life.
One of the many minuscule differences left her with an out-of-body experience. With a tired grunt, she stretched her arms above her head just as something slid under the room door. This piqued her interest as she got up from bed, careful not to knock off her towel, to look at whatever it was. She was met with a waxy card that had the ship’s name plastered on the front in cursive. When she picked it up, the heiress could feel its texture; it was thick but smooth. Curiously, she flipped the card over and started to read the thick printed text that covered nearly every corner of it. Her eyebrow raised a tad as she reread the parts that stuck out like a sore thumb. The request was unique, especially for her situation. If she hadn't been in such a bad mood earlier, she might have found its contents ironic.
“The ladies of this room are invited to a masquerade ball. Dress your best and mingle with passengers from every level of this beautiful ship. Refreshments and food will be free for the first three hours.” Leila rolled her eyes and laughed humorlessly. “A costume party? Seriously?”
The heiress saw no harm in going, she just found it an odd activity for a cruise ship. Though she worried about who would be behind the masks. The teenager hadn't seen anyone suspicious yet, but she didn't know the ship. If someone managed to corner her while masked, not only would she not know their identity, but when escaping, she could get lost. To make matters worse, she wasn't exactly sure Liliko'i would want to participate. The argument they had tuckered the younger woman out. And she wasn't a people person due to the crippling anxiety she suffered from. Being surrounded by touchy and, most likely, drunk strangers was a recipe for disaster. Lili wouldn't go. But they couldn't just not go and Leila couldn't go without her for long. She still regretted the event on the train. If something else happened while she was not paying attention, Leila would lose it. Plus, the roots still hadn't taken effect yet and they might, while Lili was alone.
Staying stuck inside was a stupid decision still. The long-haired exhaled loudly, annoyed. "Well, fuck."