40. The Moment a Star Fell into the Earl's House (1)
It was a peaceful day when I was gradually getting used to living with Lucas. Violet, carrying a lot of luggage, came to the earl's house after a long time.
"Paula! I missed you."
As soon as she saw me, she hugged me tightly and whispered that it was a shame we could only communicate through letters. Then, she rubbed her face against mine, making me very flustered. I had never experienced anything like this and didn't know how to react. My body stiffened, and my lost hands flailed in the air.
Lucas approached us, watching.
"Sister."
"Oh, Lucas?"
She blinked and looked Lucas over. From her reaction, it seemed she didn't know he was staying here.
"My goodness, where have you been?"
"I've been a bit of a burden."
"That's too much. You said you couldn't stay with me."
Violet tilted her head and saw Vincent standing behind Lucas. Vincent, sensing her gaze, pretended not to notice and turned his head. Violet's cheeks puffed up, but she didn't grumble any further. Instead, she glared at Lucas, who shrugged and turned back to Vincent.
"Ethan has been so busy lately, and it's hard to see him. Everyone is so cold. Paula is the only one for me."
"I am honored."
She hugged me again, tightly. As her nose buried in my shoulder, a sweet fragrance wafted. It was a woman's scent. My cheeks flushed at the unfamiliar aroma.
"Hmph. I'm going to stay here too!"
She shouted at the two men behind me.
"Why?"
"Sister, did something happen?"
Both men reacted simultaneously, their curiosity evident. I looked back at them, flustered, trying to signal that there was no reason, but Vincent didn't catch on, and Lucas just blinked. Meanwhile, Violet's cheeks puffed up even more.
"Who said I came to see you? I came to see Paula!"
"Huh? Me?"
"Yes! Come on, Paula!"
Then, she suddenly pulled me up the stairs. Despite her slim build, she was surprisingly strong. I looked back, flustered, but the two men didn't seem to have any intention of helping me. Instead, they pretended to be uninvolved. My cheeks puffed up this time.
* * *
The mansion quickly became bustling with the addition of one more person.
Violet, who had come to greet me after hearing the news, unpacked her luggage in the room next to mine. The reason was that she wanted to be with me. She even made me promise to sleep together at night, which made me nervous. Unlike Violet, who was excited about the prospect of chatting, I was only watching for Isabella's reaction. Fortunately, she had a calm face and ordered me to check if there were any problems with the room.
Violet had brought quite a lot of luggage, as if she had planned to stay for a long time. Last time, she sent someone to bring her a change of clothes, but this time, it seemed she had come prepared.
"Ta-da! What do you think, Paula?"
While I was tidying up, Violet showed me a pink dress. The dress had layers of lace on the shoulders and the bottom of the sleeves, and the skirt was adorned with frills and lace, becoming more voluminous as it went down. There was a pink ribbon at the waist that could be tightened to make the waist look slimmer. Upon closer inspection, it was a very expensive dress, with rows of roses embroidered on it.
It would suit her well.
"It's beautiful."
"Right? I think it would suit Paula perfectly."
What? My hand, which had been touching the dress, went limp. She smiled at me when our eyes met. Her smile felt somehow threatening. A sense of foreboding rose in me. Instinctively, I took a step back and waved my hands.
"I brought it for Paula."
"I'll just appreciate the gesture."
"But that's no fun."
It was too expensive. Even if I felt guilty about the headband she had given me, this was different. I couldn't accept something so expensive. I refused, but Violet said nothing. She just held the dress tightly and approached me.
"V-Violet-sama."
"Come on, Paula. What are you doing?"
"Me?"
"Take it off."
This time, I repeated "What?" a beat later. Violet was still smiling. Then, taking advantage of my momentary lapse in attention, she pounced on me.
My screams followed. Her bold hands tried to take off my apron and black dress. I struggled and resisted out of fear, but she easily stripped me without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, I was left in my underwear.
I crouched on the floor, covering my body with my arms. This was my first time experiencing something like this, and tears welled up in my eyes. It felt like my clothes had been stolen by a thief.
Looking up at Violet, flustered, I saw her still smiling as she threw the apron and dress far away. I couldn't reach them. My eyes followed the discarded dress. Then, Violet suddenly handed me something. It was a corset.
"Why...?"
"Since you're dressing up, it'll look better if you do it perfectly."
"Please, let me go."
But my plea fell on deaf ears. I ended up putting on the corset. When Violet tightened the laces at the back, I panicked. After securing it firmly, she complimented me, saying I looked beautiful, but I felt suffocated, as it was my first time wearing one. However, it wasn't as suffocating as when it was first tightened, and after a while, I could breathe a bit better.
When I actually put it on, my waist became slimmer, and I even had a chest. Wow, this is amazing. As I touched the ribbon in the middle of my chest in amazement, Violet handed me white stockings. She gave me new undergarments as well when I obediently changed into them. Seeing her hand over the next outfits as if she had planned everything, it seemed she had really come prepared.
After I put on the dress and shoes, Violet circled around me to check my appearance. Her gaze was quite sharp. After circling me a few more times, she smiled contentedly and clapped her hands.
"Recently, if the bottom is too voluminous, it looks old-fashioned. This is just right. Paula is slim, so showing a little bit of skin like this suits her better. But, as expected, it suits you well!"
"Thank you."
I awkwardly smiled and touched the skirt. The feel of the gloves I was wearing for the first time was unfamiliar. Violet looked me over again, appreciatively, and reached for my hair. I panicked and raised my hands to block her.
"Why? Your hair needs to be fixed. And you need makeup."
"My hair is fine. M-Makeup is also done."
"Oh dear, if you dress up so beautifully and leave your hair as it is, what will people think?"
As Violet approached, I kicked and moved backward, clearly showing my dislike. I didn't want her to touch my hair. Even though she emphasized that it was unacceptable, I said I would rather not wear the dress and tried to take it off.
Violet, taken aback by my attitude, tried to stop me. I insisted on taking it off. A struggle ensued between me trying to take it off and her trying to stop me. Then, in a moment, we both lost our balance and fell to the side.
As I fell, my bangs parted. When she got up and saw my face, her eyes widened. I quickly covered my face and moved backward. I raised my remaining hand to block her, fearing she might come closer.
"Paula."
"Don't come, don't come. I'm sorry."
"What are you sorry for?"
"For being ugly."
She blinked.
"You're not that ugly."
"You don't have to say that. It's fine."
"Paula, I'm serious."
"I'm sorry."
I kicked and moved my buttocks backward. Violet tilted her head.
"I know you're plain, but I don't think it's something to apologize for."
"I'm sorry."
"Paula."
She leaned in, trying to get closer, and I flinched, quickly moving further back. I didn't even care that the dress was getting dirty. Violet hesitated, stopping her approach. Her outstretched hand paused in mid-air.
"I'm sorry. Really sorry..."
"Paula, look at me."
A calm voice reached me. I shook my head. She called me again. Paula. Her gentle voice was warm. I stopped begging for forgiveness and took a deep breath. Then, hesitantly, I lifted my head and saw Violet sitting upright, facing me.
"Paula, listen. I don't care what you look like. Whether you're beautiful or not, it doesn't matter. You're Paula. I like the Paula I see now. You're kind to me, give me sincere advice, cheer me on, and understand me even when I'm stubborn. I think the Paula who showed me these qualities is the real Paula. Your appearance isn't important."
She smiled tenderly. Her unwavering purple eyes were full of warmth. Her firm voice and gentle tone conveyed her sincerity.
"I like Paula no matter what she looks like."
"..."
"Don't apologize. What do you have to apologize for? You haven't done anything wrong."
"But..."
"Oh dear. Do you think I like you because you're pretty? Would I dislike you if you were ugly?"
I immediately shook my head. She laughed, saying I was silly. Her clear laughter echoed in the room. I couldn't look away from her radiant smile.