Hold Me Tight, For I Am Unlovely

Chapter 13 : It's a joy to be hidden, until you're not.

Chapter 13 : "Here is not where I want to be."

Knock

Knock

Knock

The continuos crisp knocks that came from the direction of the door snapped Leticia out of her reverie. Her hands were quick and deft on closing the notebook in her hands, it was almost in tandem with how her heart was beating out of her chest in surprise.

Without a second thought, she shoved the fountain pen and ink on the drawer of the study table. And her notebook directly under her pillow.

She took a peek of her mirror, and arranged her messy hair for a quick second, because you can die from surprise or a hidden assassin but one should at least die with a presentable look. (Her dying being run over a truck was obviously omitted)

"Yes?" The young woman coughed lightly on her hands and called out. Happy that her voice was neutral and normal. "Who is it?" She followed up.

"Miss, it's the head butler." The voice behind the door replied.

"Come in." Leticia made her way towards the couch inside her room. She brushed off some nonexistent dust on her dress as she settled to make herself look comfortable on the seat.

"Pardon me."

When the door opened, it revealed a middle aged man. Leticia soon realized that it was a familiar face.

However, unlike in her memories, the head butler in front of her right now was showing a rather awkward expression. It was a contrast with the self assured man in her thoughts. Unconsciously, Leticia could not help but feel that something was wrong.

"Please speak freely." The young miss motioned for the butler to come closer to her.

Sighing, the butler came closer to the lady that he served. "Miss, you have a visitor." He said, he spoke as if he was unsure if he should be saying this to Leticia in the first place. "The head maid took the liberty to lead the visitor in the drawing room so that the miss can prepare."

After saying that, the butler stayed silent. Just by looking at his face, Leticia was sure that he was recalling who the visitor was.

Furrowing her brows unconsciously, Leticia's green emerald orbs narrowed in confusion. Although she did not mean it, Leticia looked as if someone had wronged her. The butler could not help but flinch back seeing her expression.

Inwardly, the butler realized that although the young miss that he was serving was not well liked within her peers. It doesn't mean that she wasn't the daughter of powerful people.

The stomach of the butler churned thinking of the Duchess and the Duke if they found out that Leticia was in a bad mood after they finally dug their daughter out of the confinement that she put herself into.

They had specified that Leticia was to be treated with whatever she wanted until they got back.

It was obvious that the Duke and Duchess did not want for their daughter to remain heartbroken for the days to come.

The butler wanted to pound his chest after remembering who the person that was looking for Leticia. He could only hope that the Duke and Duchess could come back quicker.

"A visitor for me? And not my father nor my mother?" She asked slowly, and in response she saw the middle aged butler nod.

The hairs on Leticia's arms stood up. Her gut was screaming at her that there was something wrong, her hands were getting clammy and the expression on the butler's face wasn't doing her any good. She was too afraid to ask the butler for the identity of the visitor. And she doubts as Natalia, that the original Leticia was the type to ask who was looking for her anyways.

Pursing her lips, her gaze landed on her bed. More specifically, the pillow where she hid her notebook under.

She needed to retrace her steps and see if the novel mentioned something like this has happened to Leticia in the novel before.

"Alright, go and call some maids for me. Tell them I want to change my clothes." With poise and grace, as one would expect from Leticia, she waved her hand and dismissed the uneasy butler near her.

Bowing, the butler did as he was told. "Yes m'lady." When the butler was out of sight of Leticia, the panic on his face that he was carefully trying to hide finally bursted out, and with haste he ran across the hallways.

As soon as possible, the least he could do as the head butler of the estate was try and control the damage that was about to come.

Leticia was soon alone in her room.

Although Leticia didn't want to change her clothes. She had to make time so that she could look at her notebook for a quick second, asking the butler to find maids so that she could change her clothes was the quickest way she could kick the butler out without arousing suspicion.

Without wasting anytime, Leticia stood up and grabbed the notebook from underneath the pillow on her bed.

The pages were quickly scanned with her eyes, and she soon realized that she doesn't have a single clue as to who the person that was looking for her was. And that was because in the novel this event didn't happen.

"Of course this didn't happen, around this time I was still moping in my bedroom, refusing to eat and nursing my broken heart." Cursing, Leticia continued to look through the notebook, as if it would solve all of her problems right away.

Finding that staring wasn't the solution, Leticia closed the notebook in frustration. Shoving the book under the bed this time, Leticia turned around just in time for the maids that she asked for to knock.

This time, she could only purse her lips and pretend that her expression wasn't that of panic.

.

.

.

Leticia looked at the person on the mirror and once again found how devastatingly beautiful 'Leticia' was in the novel.

"Pray tell, why have you dressed me so extravagantly?" However, there was something that Leticia was curious off— why did the maids dressed her this beautifully when she wasn't going to a party of any kind.

The maids around her could not help but exchange curious glances at each other seeing the genuine confusion on Leticia's face. One maid ducked her head as she busied herself with Leticia's hair.

"Did the head butler not tell you m'lady?" After mustering up courage, a maid finally spoke up.

"Not at all." Leticia shook her head gently, her hair that was meticulously styled swayed along with her actions. She raised up her hands after seeing that the maids were trying to put make up on her face. She declined the suspicious looking powder swiftly.

Once again the maids exchanged looks above her head.

"The second prince of the kingdom has been awaiting your presence m'lady."