Draven half smiled at her, and Avelina, who was seeing him smile a little bit for the first time, blinked her eyes.
Was it just her? Or does this man seem to smile oddly? It looked as though he was trying to make himself smile, but couldn't seem to do it more pleasantly. Apart from that, he had…dimples. Two dimples at that.
"Thank you, master—"
"Don't call me that, please. I am no longer your master, and neither are you my slave. You are my wife, so just call me Draven," Draven corrected her and stood up to his feet.
He reached out his hand for her. "Get up."
Avelina glanced at his hand. She reluctantly grabbed it with both her hands since they were chained together, and he pulled her up to her feet.
"Your maids will be in soon. Freshen up and change into good clothes," Draven said to her and turned around to leave the room, but before he did, he halted at the door. He half turned his head and looked at her with the edge of his eyes.
"The red thread, do not take it off. It has to be on your finger for five days before you can do so," he explained and walked off.
Avelina fluttered her eyes, and a deep breath fled her nose.
She lowered her head and stared at her wrists to see that she was still chained.
If I am no longer your slave, why have you left me in these chains? She thought in amusement and looked at her finger.
She examined the ring and the red thread, and couldn't help but feel devastated within her.
Not only was she cynical, but she felt disgusted with herself. To think that she would end up marrying a vampire after swearing never to have any form of contact with them. Still, here she was standing, wearing the ring that one of those creatures had put on her finger.
"Dammit!" she cursed in revulsion at herself and shut her eyes, her hands tightly clenching in anger.
No matter how ashamed she may feel, this was not the time to linger on it. Her life matters more now and she has to live, therefore, the shameful thoughts must stay stuck at the back of her mind.
"Good evening, Lady Avelina."
Avelina opened her eyes at the sound of two female voices and lifted her head to see two women. One was a bit chubby with brown hair and brown eyes, and the other was slim with dark short hair and brown eyes. They were both clad in white and black maid's outfits.
When did they come in? How had she not noticed them opening the door?…Avelina blinked her eyes and jolted back the moment the maids took a few steps toward her.
"My lady, you need not be afraid, we are simply your maids. I am Carmilla," the chubby maid spoke and took a quick look at the slim one. "This is Thalia," she introduced.
Avelina stood staring at them. Realizing that they weren't going to harm her, she fluttered her lengthy lashes and relaxed her tensed body.
She slightly nodded her head as a form of response, and both Thalia and Carmilla flickered their eyes in confusion.
"Do you not talk, my lady?" Thalia inquired.
"Huh?" Avelina asked in a low voice and slightly shook her head. "I do talk..."
"Oh… I see. You must feel different since you have never been here before. But it's okay! We will make sure to help you feel at home." Thalia widely smiled at her and gently grabbed a hold of her hand. "Let's give you a bath first, my lady."
They walked her into the bathroom, and Carmilla made her way to the wide tub. She turned the tap on and filled the tub, then she threw in some bubbles as well as some rose petals for the smell.
Once she was done, she walked to Avelina. She grabbed her hands and took out a key from her pocket to unlock the chains.
"Young master's butler gave it to me. You shouldn't walk around with these on," she said and took the chains off.
Avelina hissed a bit in pain as it came off and gently rubbed her sore, red wrists. She'd been wearing them days before the auction was even held.
A sudden gasp fled her mouth in the next moment when she felt Thalia unzip her dirty, tattered dress.
It slipped to the floor, leaving the cold wind that came in through the windows to slap against her skin.
She shivered, and goosebumps arose on her skin, causing her to immediately react by wrapping her arms around her slender body.
She ambled towards the tub, and with Thalia's help, she stepped in and sat down.
"Close the windows, Carmilla. She is very cold," Thalia said to Carmilla.
Carmilla walked off to the windows. While she closed them as well as the curtains, Thalia grabbed the soap and sponge. She took extra time to wash Avelina's hair, and Camilla joined in as well to help her.
"My lady…do you like His Highness?" Carmilla suddenly asked.