Shelly PoV
I sighed and kicked my legs up. Living in a mansion was more boring than I thought. I'd spent the past few days sitting around doing nothing. It was nice to have some rest, but I was starting to go crazy. I wanted to go outside and do something. But, I was stuck in here with nothing to do.
At least Toren had a tutor to teach him and help him learn. Zara had taken up the responsibility of tutoring him. While she didn't have any professional experience, she did have some from helping Damien with his studies. And it helped that Toren seemed to like her. I didn't know what I'd do if he didn't. He was picky about who he'd listen to.
I watched as Toren scribbled in his notebook, his brow furrowed in concentration. He looked so cute when he was focused. But, his handwriting was awful. Well, he was barely being taught the alphabet, so that was to be expected.
"Sir, can you make them a bit neater? Take your time," Zara said.
Toren nodded. "Me trying."
Zara smiled at him. "I know, sir. You're doing well."
Toren beamed and scribbled some more.
My heart ached a little at the sight. Toren deserved better than me as a teacher. I could only teach him so much. But, at least now, he had someone to teach him properly. Zara had a lot of work to do. My brother missed out on kindergarten, first grade, and now he was in the middle of second grade. It wasn't going to be easy to catch him up, but I had a feeling she was the woman for the job.
I sighed and stood up. I needed to do something. I couldn't just sit here and watch. It was driving me nuts. I walked over to Zara and tapped her shoulder. She turned and looked at me. "Yes, ma'am?"
"I'm gonna go out for a walk," I said.
Zara nodded. "Okay, ma'am. I'll watch over Sir Toren."
Toren looked up at me. "Don't leave, sis."
I smiled. "It's okay, sweetie. I'm just going out for a bit. I'll be back soon."
He pouted. "Okay. But beware of evil dino hags! Rawr!"
I laughed and kissed his forehead. "I'll be careful, sweetie. Love you."
He hugged me. "Love you, too, sis."
I smiled and hugged him back. "Okay, I gotta go now, buddy. Be good for Zara, okay?"
He nodded. "Okay, sis."
I smiled and walked out the door. Taking a deep breath, I decided to make my way downstairs. Hopefully, I wouldn't get lost. The place was huge and I still didn't know my way around.
As I walked through the halls, I saw a few maids and butlers cleaning. I waved to them and they bowed to me. I smiled. It felt nice to have some respect. I walked on, enjoying the feeling of being respected. It was a new sensation for me, but one that I liked. Although, part of me wanted to help them clean. Working as a waitress and taking care of Toren had made me feel like I always had to work. I didn't know how to stop and just let others do the work.
I sighed and continued walking. I could always help them later. I was still adjusting to my new life.
I made my way downstairs and wandered around. I saw a few more servants, but I didn't wave to them this time. I didn't want to be a bother. I walked through the halls, admiring the paintings and sculptures. There were so many of them. Some of them were really beautiful, and others were a bit strange. I stopped in front of one of a woman in a red dress. She was pretty, with her long black hair and pale skin. I wondered who she was. Her hair reminded me a bit of Damien. Could it be his mom or grandmother?
I moved on to another painting. This one was of a man in a black suit. He was handsome, with his chiseled jaw and piercing eyes. He reminded me of Cassian, actually. His eyes even looked like those of a playboy.
I stared at the name and saw it was indeed our grandfather in his youth. Interesting. I guess that's where Cassian got his looks from, not to mention his personality.
I walked on and found myself in front of a painting of a woman in a white dress. She was pretty, with her curly blonde hair and bright blue eyes. She reminded me of someone, but I couldn't put my finger on it.
I stared at the painting, trying to figure out who she was. My eyes widened. It was the hag. How old was this thing? She looked so different. She was actually pretty here. But I guess that's what time and being a greedy jerk does to a person. It turns them into a monster.
I shook my head and moved on. I didn't want to think about her right now. I just wanted to explore.
I walked on and found a painting of a young boy. He had short black hair and red eyes. He looked like a younger version of Damien. I smiled as I saw his name on a plaque. Damien was a cute kid. Well, he was still kinda cute, but more in a handsome weirdo kind of way.
"Are you an admirer of art?" Damien's voice said behind me.
I jumped and turned around, my heart pounding. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"
He smiled apologetically and rubbed the back of his neck. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
I took a deep breath and calmed down. "It's okay. I was just a bit startled."
He grinned. "Yeah, I can see that. You really scare easily, huh?"
I rolled my eyes. "Shut up."
He chuckled and gestured to the painting. "So, do you like art?"
I nodded. "Yeah, I do. I mean, I'm no expert or anything, but I think it's interesting."
Damien grinned. "Well, that's good. I'm glad you like it. Most people don't appreciate art these days.
I chuckled. "That sounds like a thing a rich guy would say."
He snickered and looked back at the his childhood portrait. "I may be weird, but I'm still a noble. Say, Zara told me you've been looking pretty bored. How about we go do something fun?"
I hummed. Just what kind of fun did he have in mind? Was it wild stunts like sky diving? I might've pride myself as a tough girl, but falling from the sky was way too much even for me.