gamblers debere

𝔠𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 2 : 𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔦𝔳𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔞𝔱 𝔣𝔦𝔬𝔯𝔢

Lucy didn't remember much from the night she arrived at the Heartfilia Manor. It felt like a hazy dream, coming back to the estate and walking down the halls of her past memories. The servants had prepared a feast for their arrival, but Jude and Lucy were too groggy from hours of travelling and fell asleep in the car on the way home. When she opened her eyes again, it took her a while to process that it was already morning, and she was tucked in the bed of her childhood bedroom.

She got out of bed and looked around the room. It hadn't changed much, the only difference was that instead of a trunk of toys occupying a large space of the room, it was replaced with a baroque-style vanity table with untouched, expensive makeup neatly arranged on it. She went inside her walk-in wardrobe and opened the closet doors, all of her old outfits were taken out to make room for her clothes from Stella and new ballgowns the family tailor had sewn for her.

"Huh, did they throw out my old childhood clothes?"

Pondering for a bit, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and went downstairs for breakfast.

She walked down the nostalgic yet unfamiliar halls, and managed to locate the grand dining hall where their family used to eat together.

Several maids were placing down plates filled to the brim with food that looked like ambrosia sent from the gods. As Lucy entered the room, the maids and butlers perked up and greeted her in unison.

"Good morning, Mistress!"

"Good morning," Lucy replied back. "What's for breakfast today?"

A short-middle aged maid bowed her head and apologized. "I'm sorry, Mistress. Breakfast isn't ready yet. We thought you and your father wouldn't be up this early in the morning, so we prepared it a bit late. It will be ready soon."

"No worries, Spetto," Lucy addressed the maid. "Wait, father isn't up yet? Where is he?"

"Master Jude is in his study. He fell asleep there."

"Alright, I'll wake him up. Make sure breakfast is ready when we come back, you know how cranky he gets if he has to wait."

"Certainly, Mistress!"

Upon hearing their replies, Lucy turned back and went on her way to find her father's study.

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆　　 ｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

Lucy knocked on the door of her father's study multiple times, but there was no answer. She decided to enter and when pushing open the heavy office door, she managed to heave, "Father, I'm coming in.."

She entered the room to find it books strewn around the floor and tables, with crumpled up pieces of paper on the floor. The blonde looked around the room and noticed a tuft of yellow partially hidden behind piles of documents stacked on the office table. She strode towards the windows and pulled back the curtains, letting in the soft rays of morning flood the room. Lucy heard her father sigh and lift his head from the table, his face filled with morning drowsiness. She side-glanced him as she picked up the books thrown around the floor.

"Breakfast is ready, and your office looks like a pigsty."

Jude rubbed his temples as he stood up from his chair.

"It was a tough night. I'll see you downstairs after I wash my face."

Lucy watched as her father slowly walked out of the room, and went to the office table to see what had kept him up all night. She felt like an intruder, going through her father's personal belongings. Between the books and documents cluttered on the table, she caught a glimpse of her childhood nostalgia.