Madeleine prepped me with a lime-colored dress. It's such a nice dress, so comfy and light. Even with all the thin layers of clothes, she made me wear, I could easily move around with them. After the final knot in the dress, I'm ready to go down.
"You look really pretty in that dress, Jeanne…" Madeleine commented as she looked at me from head to toe, "Are you ready to go downstairs…?" I nodded but she looked worried, "Are you really sure that you are fine…? Lady Celeste will understand if you're not feeling well…". I just smiled and then told her that I am fine.
Lady Jeanne and Madeleine are more like sisters than a master and a servant. Both have treated each other with care that most servants of this era don't really experience. So I understand the worry that Madeleine is expressing right now. I just had to embrace this woman, she had been with Lady Jeanne ever since they were kids and had always stayed by her side. It broke Lady Jeanne's heart when her closest friend died in her arms during their home invasion.
"Alright, alright, we don't need to be dramatic here… Let us go before young master Henry barges in once again." She said as I let her go out of my embrace. As expected, Henry was waiting outside her sister's room by the corridor then happily greeted and accompanied us until we reached a pergola at the center of their garden. According to Lady Jeanne's memories, her family loved having their breakfast in the garden.
"Ah, finally, my beautiful daughter graces me with her appearance." Lady Celeste then greeted us.
"Henry is here, too!" The young boy exclaimed while running towards their mother."
"Of course, of course, our strong little man…" Lady Celeste then helped him sit properly on the chair beside her. Henry then said with a pout on his lips, "I'm not little! Mother always says that… I grew a foot today!".
"Really…? That's great then…" Their mother teased him, "You silly little man." She then ruffled the boy's hair much to his dislike, "Mother, no!" He tried pushing away their mother's hand as I made myself comfortable at a nearby chair. All was giggling at the scene until one of the servants handed Lady Celeste an envelope.
"Milady, someone had left this by the slip of the main door." Lady Celeste looked at it and then asked, "Oh…? Does it say from whom…?" She took it and briefly examines the exterior of the envelope.
"No, Milady… I even checked outside if there was someone by the door but there was none. Though people are walking on the streets, I saw no particular person from our direction."
"Hmm…? Intriguing… Let's just see what's inside this envelope, shall we…?" She then broke the seal by folding it upright then looked inside. "Oh, what's this?" She then took out a plain red paper, much to my surprise.
"What does it say, mother?" Henry then tried to take a peek at the paper by standing on his seat. Madeline then quickly assisted the boy as his seat was wobbling and might cause a fall, she then subtly scolded the boy, "Young Master Henry, please don't be so careless." Henry pouted then pulled out his tongue at her and I swear I could see Madeleine popping a vein on her head but she held back on him.
Though more importantly is that paper. That paper is not just a plain old red paper, according to the play, that paper was the first of Lady Jeanne's series of heartaches.
"I don't understand…" Lady Celeste curiously flips the paper to examine each side, "It's just a red paper, no other messages except for our family name at the center of the envelope." She said further before letting Henry see it. No, Lady Celeste, you're mistaken, that paper is not 'just' a paper.
"Jeanne…? Are you alright…?" My thoughts then got interrupted by Madeleine's inquiry, "You look pale.". I looked at her and clearly, they don't know the meaning of that red paper but I do. In the play, the red paper means that you are a target. Lady Jeanne's family has been the target of a home invasion by the bandits.
"My oh my, child, you're clearly not feeling well, shall I contact a doctor later…?" No, Lady Celeste, a doctor is far from the one you need at the moment. I couldn't say it, how could I even say to them that today, later this night, a group of bandits will invade their home? That tonight will be the last day of their lives and the start of Lady Celeste's hell, how could I…?
"Lawrence, quick!" I then heard Madeleine tell one of the other servants, "Get one of the parasols and bring it here, young Miss might be feeling uncomfortable by the heat." The servant nod then did what he was told. Lady Celeste then sat near me and held one of my hands, "My daughter, tell me what's wrong, I'll do my best to help you…".
Oh, Lady Celeste, you're such a remarkable mother. It's a pity that you've gone mad when you saw your children being violated in front of you, especially when a shot in his back killed Henry. You helped Lady Jeanne to escape through the door in the back kitchen was jammed and it cost you your life.
Wait a minute… That jammed door… That's right, it's an escape route!
"Oh! Look, Mother!" Henry had then picked up something on the ground, he held it up in between us, and happily exclaimed, "A four-leaf clover!". He then handed it to me, "Here you go sister… This leaf will bring you luck.". Lady Celeste smiled at the boy and then also smiled at me.
I took the leaf and somehow, I felt a change in the air. Hope had presented itself to me; I can prevent it from happening, and I can save this family.
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