Chapter 3: chapter 3
After lunch, Lillian left Nina alone to recuperate and have some time alone to collect her thoughts. Gazing upon the intricate ceiling, Nina wondered to herself whether this reincarnation was karma or god's gift. Falling into a deep sleep, Nina recalled the original person's memory, from early childhood right til the moment she passed.
Nina found out that she was an orphan, her parents perishing in a carriage accident. Her days at the orphanage were lonely and difficult before the Duke's father saved her and the other children. Afterwards, she was taught the lessons of being a maidservant before being employed at the Duke's house. Her life was painfully boring and routine, but she got along well with the other maids due to her kind nature and easy-going personality. In the end, she had died from the same cause as Nina, pushing herself to the limits arranging a tea party for Lillian and the other noble women. She never got to experience any of the things that Nina had in her old world, no relationships, no travelling and she rarely went out.
As Nina woke up, she said to herself, "all right, in this life I am going to change". Fortunately, Nina didn't have to worry about maid chores as her body seemed to move on its own, relying on the original owner's memories. Additionally, her personality was eerily similar to Nina's so she wouldn't be 'out of character'.
Neatly folding the bed sheets, Nina jumped when the door swung open.
"Good morning, Nina! Are you feeling better?" Lillian asked, checking Nina's body for any injuries.
"I'm fine, Miss. I need to start doing work though."
"Miss? Oh, your memories have come back. FYI, you don't need to call me Miss when we're alone, okay?"
"Yes, they came back as I slept last night. Luckily, Nina's personality isn't that different from mine so it'll be easy for me to adapt. But I need you to give me a timeline of the novel you've read so far so we can go with the plan."
"Of course! Oh Nina, you're so logical even in this new body."
"Tonight when I set your nightly tea, we'll discuss the novel in greater detail. But for now, I need to get to work or people will be suspicious, Miss."
As it turns out, Nina's job was to be practically by Lillian's side, from the moment she woke up to the time she slept. Washing her face in the adjacent bathroom, she placed on her maid uniform, which was a simple black and white dress that came below her knees. Entering Lillian's room, her young Miss was being served breakfast tea.
"Nina~ I'm so glad you're back!" A young maid came up, giving Nina a big hug. She was a head shorter than her, with cute freckles and short brown hair. Using the owner's memories, this maid, Betty was the youngest out of the three serving Lillian.
"Hush now, don't cry. I'm alright, aren't I?" Nina said, wiping Betty's teary eyes.
"I'm very happy you've recovered, Nina. We all missed you." Said the maid serving tea. This was the last maid, Holly, the tallest of the three and second eldest. Her hair was neatly placed in a tight black bun and she was the quietest out of the trio.
"Thank you, Holly. I miss you all too. Now, young Miss, let's get you ready for the day."
The trio all had separate roles, Nina was in charge of Lillian's clothing, Holly was make-up and Betty arranged the hair. Together, Lillian wore a light blue and cream satin dress adorned with frills and lace. Her long blonde hair was placed in a casual plaited bun, half down hairstyle and she wore a simple pearl choker and matching earrings. Nina was shocked to see Lillian look even more stunning and was saddened at the fact that despite her beauty, she was pushed to a side character.
"This son-of-a-duke must be fucking blind cheating on such a beautiful person." Nina thought to herself.
The rest of the day carried on according to the usual routine. Nina would accompany Lillian where she would spend her days either in the library or walk through the huge gardens, having lunch by the greenhouse and then repeat. Dinner had recently been with the Duke almost every night which only occurred since Lillian's transmigration. From her memories, their relationship was getting better and Lillian treated her husband as a good friend compared to the novel.
The Duke from Nina's early memories was a cold and reserved man just like his father, but treated everyone with fairness and honesty. He had shiny platinum hair and had striking red eyes, a famous trait of the Hillstone family. Nina only had brief interaction with him when he assigned her as Lillian's maid and was the 'classic male lead'. Recently, the Duke had started to talk more to Lillian and often smiled with her, a good sign that the novel was changing.
Because of Lillian's and the Duke's change, the estate became much more livelier. At dinner, Nina quietly observed the interaction between the married couple. Lillian was telling the Duke about a book she had read earlier whilst cracking jokes every so often. The Duke although quiet, Nina could tell he was closely paying attention to every word Lillian was saying.
"Awww, if only they were an actual couple," Nina thought.
After dinner, the couple said their goodbyes (sleeping in separate rooms). Preparing Lillian in her nightgown, she asked the other maids for private time with Nina.
"Thank you, Nina. Now, let's get down to business." Lillian said, with a twinkle in her eye.
Nina thought to herself, oh, what have I gotten myself into.
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