Vaela's eyes narrowed as her fingers traced the brooch, and her eyes flickered with a small glow of purple and red, though she did not see that; she was only focusing on the beauty of the object in her hands.
'Huh? Why does this feel so familiar even though I am certain I have not had one before?' She wondered, and her brows furrowed.
Before she could utter another word, an older woman barged into her room, alongside the butler. Startled, she looked up at them and her eyes narrowed, wondering what they were up to and why they looked so serious.
The butler took the brooch from her and placed it in the pocket of the blazer of her uniform and she looked at him. "This madam is here to heal you. I called her personally, so no need to worry; you cannot go looking like you went through a pit or tiger."
The butler gestured to the older blonde woman to step forward. She nodded and then gently placed her hand on Vaela's head, due to which her eyes widened, feeling the warmth coming off of her palm and the smile on her face.
It made a feeling stir in her chest, one that she did not quite recognize nor was she used to; her body felt light and warm, almost as though all of its problems were being erased and tears pricked at the edge of her eyes. She did not know why, but she lowered her gaze and gritted her teeth; she felt different and had a small clue as to why.
The butler looked at her with a pitiful gaze before glancing at the woman, who had a small smile on her face. As Vael's wounds, especially those on her face, began healing, she knew what the young lady was feeling, yet she chose to stay quiet and let the feeling sink in.
'Why do I feel like this? No one.. Other than..' She thought, then stopped in her tracks as the memories of her life came flashing before her eyes; all the hurt and the betrayal made her feel as though her heart was being pierced with something she could not remove.
"There, all done, you are good to go, good luck at the academy,, miss, do not let anyone bully you." The woman said, before leaving and when the feeling left along with her, her head snapped up; she was going to step forward, but her steps halted and she forced the feeling down.
Seeing that, the butler sighed. "Young miss, go freshen up; I will finish the rest of the packing; you cannot be late."
She nodded and went to freshen up without saying another word and he continued packing the things that she would need.
After a little while, he finished packing. She emerged from the bath, now dressed in her academy uniform — a sleek ensemble of long black pants tucked into high-top boots, a fitted black top, and a black and red long-sleeved blazer adorned with the academy's crest stitched above the top left pocket. Her long, silky hair was neatly styled in a braided plait, giving her a composed yet elegant appearance.
The butler's brows raised at her unexpected look; he had never seen her look so neat before, and he could not help but smile as he handed her the bag.
"You look beautiful, young miss," He said and she blinked, not used to this either, and she nodded, then walked out of her chamber, and he followed her down to the main area of the manor.
There, her so-called family was waiting for her. However, when they saw the way she looked, they stared in surprise, with an even more shocked expression than what the butler had and the servants smiled, since despite the family, they were fond of her and treated her well.
Her older brother, Darian, folded his arms, looking her up and down, but said nothing, while her sister, Mila, was glaring at her.
Meanwhile, her stepmother was looking as though she wanted to strangle her and a subtle smirk tugged at Vaela's lip seeing her reaction, though none of them opened their mouth to say anything, since the duke was there, looking at her intently.
He approached her, towering over her and she looked up at him. "Now you do not look like a barbarian. While you are there, I suggest you keep in mind our family title and how you act will reflect on us. I suggest you do not mess up, or the next time, I will not spare you."
Hearing his words, she felt that familiar tug at her heart once again and her brows furrowed. "Yes, Father."
He brushed past her, standing not too far behind her, before he glanced back with his eyes narrowed, fixed on her. "This is your last chance; you will do well to remember that. Get going; we will see each other soon."
She did not know what she or this body was expecting, but that sting was there; however, her gaze hardened further when she remembered her own life. "I will keep that in mind; see you soon."
With that, she turned and walked away, not looking back and her father did not either. However, the servants and the butler's gaze lingered on her; they had hoped for them to wish at least good luck, but even that they could not grant her, even at a time like this. To see someone being treated like that by their own family made them sick, even if they were used to the sight; it did not make it easier.
Though each of them remained quiet, for it was not their place to speak up, their position and garbage would be considered the same by some of the members within that family and all of them knew that well, though their wishes were with her, even if they could not say it, their gaze and hearts spoke louder than any of their words.
After walking out the front door of the manor, she found a carriage waiting for her, and the coachman opened the door for her. She thanked him, then stepped inside, and he closed the door, after which they took off, heading towards the academy.