CRIMSON LILY [To Be Published Under PAPERINK]

CHAPTER 2

A FEW DAYS HAVE passed since that incident at the lake, and some things have changed, like my family's treatment towards me.

"My lady, his grace requested your presence in the dining room. He asked for you to join them for breakfast," the butler informed me. This was the fourth time I was invited to join their meal.

Marina was in the middle of applying light make-up on my face when the head butler, Caesar, barged into my room. He was a man in his mid-40s, almost the same age as my father.

He had always been this disrespectful towards me, and normally I would just let it pass. However, things have changed. I'm already old enough to be called a lady, and my body has changed as well. They should know their place by now.

"Caesar," I called him, looking at him from the huge mirror in front of me. "You shouldn't barge in a lady's room like that. You might be reported as a pervert if someone had seen you doing that," I continued and turned to face him. Caesar kept his head low, and I smiled as I noticed his hand trembling from my words.

I don't expect them to respect me as a human anymore, but they need to learn how to at least respect my personal space. "Kindly knock and wait for my approval before you enter my room from now on, so we can avoid any indecent situation," I added as I stood in front of him.

"I understand, my lady," his voice was low, but I could sense the embarrassment lingering in it.

"Great."

Once Marina was done with my hair, I quickly went out of my room, ignoring both Marina and Caesar's insistence of changing into a different dress.

We're only eating breakfast anyway, what's the fuss about wearing a much more formal dress than this indoor dress?

Back then, they wouldn't even wait for me before they started with their meal, and now the duke, my father, personally requested my presence.

"I apologize for my tardiness, your grace," I greeted, bowing to them as soon as I entered the dining area.

"Take a seat," the duke said, pointing at the seat on his right. I sighed inwardly. On his left were my brothers, glaring openly at me.

I was a little happy that I managed to hide the disgust on my face, knowing that I'd be sitting face-to-face with these trash-like bastards.

I kept my gaze low as I took my seat where I was told to. I didn't want to meet their eyes, it would drain my mind having to deal with their impertinent behavior. To think that I was begging my entire life to be loved by these fools. The thought infuriates me so much.

"How is your health?"

Surely, the duke himself would ask the people in his estate about their health. I remembered him asking the gardener once when he was caught up in an accident. He must be doing the same thing to me.