Chapter 18 - My Birthday

Yvonne woke up after a good night's sleep and rubbed her sluggish eyes.

"Young miss, let me help you get dressed."

She jerked up when she heard Mrs. Jacinth's voice in the room. 

She looked around and found the elderly maid standing by the door.

"How long have you been there?" Yvonne questioned after calming herself.

"It's been about an hour, miss." Mrs. Jacinth walked up to the bed and helped her up.

'She's been watching me sleep for an hour now? That's just creepy!' She cringed at that thought.

"Please do not do that in the future. I'll call you if I need anything." She said as she was carried in the maid's arms.

Yvonne was now used to being carried around so she just let them do as they pleased.

Mrs. Jacinth helped her wash up and got her dressed. 

'If I'm not wrong, today is my birthday, right? Then why hasn't she wished me yet?' Yvonne wondered as she was being carried to the parlor.

Though Yvonne disliked being around people she still liked to celebrate her birthdays in a grand way. It was one of the few joys that she had in her previous life.

'Previous life, huh? I'm already getting used to saying that.' She felt excited and sad that she was adapting to this new life.

Excited because it was a new life she could live but at the same time she was sad that she wouldn't see her family ever again.

Her thoughts came to a halt when Mrs. Jacint placed her on the floor.

She knocked on the door and announced Yvonne's arrival.

As the door was pushed open, she noticed her new parents standing together, all dressed up to the nines.

Rutherford looked dashing and handsome in a black and white ensemble while Raylene wore a white and peach bodice gown with flowy sleeves.

They widely smiled at her and walked towards her as she stepped in their direction.

Only now had Yvonne realized that her parents who seemed like lovestruck fools to her in their earlier meetings actually had a pure noble air to them.

They stopped in front of her and looked down at her with a gentle smile.

Yvonne remembered the etiquette lessons that were engraved in her mind and so she followed the steps that she had learned.

She lifted the edges of her dress and after pulling her left leg behind the right one, she slightly curtsied to her parents.

"Our Vonna turns five years old today." Rutherford nodded at her, satisfied with her curtsy.

Before today, his daughter would always barge into rooms rather than elegantly walking in and greeting them properly.

Though he was happy to see her proper behavior, he still felt that something was missing.

"Vonny looks just like a doll today! Mommy's doll!" Raylene took advantage of her husband's dazed expression and bent down to carry her.

Mrs. Jacint had picked out a light peach frilly dress for Yvonne that reached up to her calves. 

It was puffy and cute, exactly what a little girl was supposed to wear.

When Yvonne first saw her dress in the silver mirror, she was stunned at her own beauty but then felt annoyed looking at all the bows and frills on it.

'If someone had worn this dress and come on the stage of 'The Dreamer' then I would have chased them out! And here I am, in the very same dress!' She mourned for the loss of her old closet.

Rutherford looked at the mother-daughter pair and scowled at Raylene.

"Is that why you wanted to prepare Vonna's dress all by yourself?" He raised his brows at her as he pointed at their dresses.

Raylene ignored his accusing eyes and walked towards the seats.

Yvonne looked down at them and finally realized why he was so annoyed.

They both had worn matching dresses today. Raylene's was just a more mature version of Yvonne's dress.

'What a petty woman! She made me wear the same design as hers!' Yvonne glared at her and shook her head.

"But we look so good together! Don't we, Ruthy?" Raylene pouted when she saw their faces that overflowed with disdain.

Rutherford looked at them once again and reluctantly nodded.

'It's not like I can wear a peach dress to match theirs.' He finally let this matter go.

'What a pushover!' Yvonne rolled her eyes at her father when she saw how easily he had given up.

"So Vonna what would you like to do today? We can do anything you want. It's your special day after all!" He sat beside them and eagerly questioned her.

"We can go see those horses if you want to?" Raylene chimed in.

'Go out? Why? To meet those stupid people from the book?' Yvonne huffed inwardly.

"I would like to stay inside for the entire day and rest before we leave for the capital tomorrow first thing in the morning." She looked them straight in the eyes as she gave her answer.

"But what about spending the day outside? We can have a picnic by the stream." Raylene tried to get her interested in going outside.

"You always rush to the stream every chance you get." Rutherford agreed with her plan.

'Rush and go see that asshole and that liar? No thank you!' She tried to think of a way to refuse them without looking suspicious.

"But I feel weak and I do not want to worsen my health before we leave. Tomorrow. Early in the morning." She adorably blinked her big watery eyes as she said those words.

She had repeated the last words to make sure that they had received her hints.

'I just want to leave this place before something happens.' She even pouted and puffed up her cheeks when they did not answer her.

"We will do whatever Vonna wants us to do!" Rutherford quickly hugged his daughter and slyly pulled her away from Raylene's arms.

'Phew! They fell for it!' Yvonne rejoiced.

After she had gotten dressed she stood before the mirror and looked at her face. 

She made different expressions to see how she looked in this new body. 

When she saw her reflection while she pouted her lips and puffed her cheeks, she felt like a cute little arrow had gone through her heart.

'If this face can melt MY stone-cold heart, what more can it do to someone else's heart!' She laughed like a mad villain that was conspiring to conquer the world.

Mrs. Jacinth who had been watching her from the corner felt that her miss was very excited for her birthday. 

Because in her eyes, Yvonne just looked like a doll who was giggling adorably.