Felicity: The Sixteenth Life

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: No Matter What It Takes

Three days had passed since the day Felicity woke up from her five-day long coma. Those three days had been crucial to the residents of the Acker Countdom for it was the actual closest interaction that many of them had with Felicity. Little by little, they learned more about the little girl apart from the superficial knowledge they knew about her.

Within the three-day period of interacting with Felicity, every servant in the Countdom including the Count, his five children, the four esteemed guests and the knights of the Obsidian Order found themselves at a unanimous thought.

Lady Felicity was not only a tough nut to crack; she's an unmoving, solid volcanic boulder.

On the afternoon of the day that Felicity made the decision to live within the care of the Ackers, she asked a favor from the servants to have some things picked up from her cabin and taken to her. The said items were two of her satchels, a locked iron box, Kenley's harness, her sewing kits, a big container full of different fabrics and yarns, and several books and notebooks. After receiving the items, she took the iron box, unlocked it with a key from the small satchel and procured some coins. She then gave money to the servants who ran the errand for her.

The butlers refused the money but Felicity was unyielding.

"None of the people here are under my authority. I asked for a favor, thus you must get something from me to make it a fair transaction... I'm grateful that you did what I asked for out of loyalty to the Countdom and that you had the willingness to help me but I do not want to be indebted to anyone in this house. Please take the money, not for your sake but for mine," she told them.

When the incident was reported to the Count who was having afternoon tea with Baron Callum, the Baron couldn't help but laugh out loud. The Count couldn't had been more exasperated but he gave an order for the whole household not to go against Felicity's wishes and play along to her pace for the meantime as he struggled to come up with ways of how to deal with her stubbornness. Their main priority at the moment is Felicity's full recovery and for that to happen, no one must antagonize her or stress her out. Dr. Silas and the healers also emphasized the importance of Felicity's current mental health for it would directly affect her physical state as well.

When Liam, Hazel, Ryder, Chase and Carter were done with their lessons, they went to Felicity's room but were mercilessly turned down on their request to enter her quarters. They asked the maids tending to Felicity whether she was alright and the maids answered that she looked more than alright. She showed energy despite being bedridden and had been scribbling relentlessly on some papers for quite sometime after asking for absolute privacy.

Like the members of the household, the Acker heirs were also given a serious talking-to by their father and he ordered for them not to force their affections on Felicity if she doesn't want it.

"She would be living here from now on thus, you'll have more time to befriend your sister... You must give her ample time to adjust to her new life; you must not rush her," the Count told the five children and the Acker heirs were forced to retreat back to their playroom.

Later that night, Felicity fell sick after eating dinner. Everyone was at a frenzy and an emergency meeting was held in the kitchen after her condition subsided.

"I don't understand..." the head chef Emerill said in confusion. "We served the lady what we usually served to the young masters and young lady when they were ill... The meal was made with a child's preference and according to what she needed to replenish her energy..."

"What could we have done wrong for her to feel sick?" the assistant chef Royce added.

Ginger and Lala who were among the servants summoned to the meeting since they were the ones directly serving Felicity, looked at each other knowingly and nodded in silent agreement. Ginger raised her hand bravely and asked for permission to say her opinion. The chefs nodded for her to continue.