In the dressing room separated from Adeline’s bedroom by only a door, the young girl sat before the vanity table, watching Lina behind her through the smooth mirror.
“Miss, what kind of hairstyle would you like today?”
“Anything is fine.”
Adeline replied casually.
Lina held an ivory comb and carefully brushed Adeline’s long hair strand by strand, the teeth gliding from scalp to ends, her movements gentle and practiced, bringing a sense of comfort.
Looking at the mirror before her, this was the first time she had the opportunity to carefully examine her own appearance.
The young girl in the mirror appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen, with a small face and soft jawline.
Her skin was so pale it seemed almost translucent, taking on a faint cool tone in the morning light—the result of years without sunlight.
Long dark brown hair fell to her waist, the strands leaning toward an ashy hue, loosely scattered over her shoulders and back.
Her eyes were amber, with slightly drooping outer corners.
Her lips were very pale, almost bloodless.
The bridge of her nose was not particularly high, but its lines were smooth, matching the contours of her face perfectly.
This was what she looked like now—delicate features without being ostentatious, a cool yet soft temperament.
If it were in her previous life, she would probably be at a level where talent scouts would chase after her to hand out business cards.
Adeline stared at the face in the mirror for a few seconds, then looked away.
After Lina finished brushing her hair smooth, she took a dark satin ribbon from the drawer, gathered the locks from both sides to the back of her head, and tied a loose knot.
She stepped back two paces to examine it, then nodded with satisfaction.
“All done, Miss.”
The little maid turned and walked to the wardrobe, pulling open the doors to reveal a row of neatly hanging dresses.
The colors ranged from light to dark, with different fabrics—silk, linen, wool, and a few cotton dresses trimmed with lace.
Each one was ironed without a single wrinkle.
“Miss, which one would you like to wear?”
Adeline’s gaze swept over the dresses.
She really didn’t want to wear a dress—the idea of a man wearing a dress was psychologically hard to accept.
But she couldn’t show it.
A noble young lady raised in seclusion suddenly saying she didn’t want to wear a dress would be far too suspicious.
She casually pointed at a dark gray wool dress.
It was the most understated and simplest in style among all the dresses—high collar, long sleeves, clean cut, with no extra lace or frills, only a few fine silver threads embroidered at the collar and cuffs.
The hem fell to mid-calf, and it came with a matching short jacket.
Lina took out the dress and draped it over the back of a chair, then retrieved a pair of black short boots and a pair of dark gray stockings from the bottom of the wardrobe, neatly arranging them beside it.
Adeline watched her busy figure, her mind starting to consider the issue of changing clothes.
Lina was her maid, so she would certainly assist her in changing.
But being helped to change clothes by a young girl was even harder to accept than being fed—back then it was because of her physical condition and she had no choice.
But now her body had recovered considerably; at least she could dress herself.
She needed to think of a reasonable excuse to send Lina away.
Before Adeline could even speak, Lina had already draped the dress over the chairback and walked toward the door.
“Miss, I’ll be waiting outside. Call me when you’re done changing.”
She pulled open the dressing room door and turned her head, her tone no different from usual.
“If anything happens, be sure to call me, just like before.”
The door closed behind her.
Adeline was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood.
The original body must have been the type who valued privacy, not liking to have someone watch while changing.
Lina was already accustomed to her habits, so she proactively kept distance.
This piece of information was crucial; she had to remember it, so she wouldn’t slip up somewhere.
Adeline had never worn such a complicated dress—no, she had never worn women’s clothing at all.
And this dress she had chosen was among the most complicated she had ever seen.
She fumbled and struggled for nearly ten minutes before barely managing to put it on.
Standing before the mirror, Adeline looked herself up and down.
The dark gray dress made her skin look even paler, giving her an overall cool and quiet appearance, like a faded old painting.
She tucked the stray strands of hair falling by her cheeks behind her ears, revealing her pointed chin and gaunt cheeks.
“Done.”
she called out toward the door.
Lina pushed the door open and came in.
She smiled at Adeline, then walked over to adjust the lace at her collar and retied the ribbon at her waist.
Finally, she stepped back two paces, looked her over, and nodded with satisfaction.
“Miss looks beautiful in anything.”
Adeline didn’t respond.
She walked out of the dressing room first, letting the little maid follow behind.
After leaving the bedroom, the corridor was surprisingly spacious.
The thick, soft wool carpet underfoot swallowed all footsteps.
At intervals along the walls were brass gas sconces, their carved bases exuding a rich classical opulence.
Large oil paintings hung on the walls, framed in heavy gold leaf, with the figures’ clothing reflecting the intricate and refined styles of a bygone era.
Adeline wandered aimlessly through the mansion.
The wealth of the Castiya Family was on full display in every detail—from the antique vases at corridor corners to the delicate oak carvings on the stair railings, all proclaimed the family’s riches and distinguished status.
Lina quietly followed two steps behind and to the side of Adeline, her hands folded in front of her apron, always maintaining a maid’s decorum, taking this leisurely walk as the young lady’s outing after a long illness.
This silence indeed saved Adeline from much trouble in dealing with conversation.
Since she couldn’t ask questions freely, she had to rely on her own eyes to gather information.
However, although the interior of the mansion was luxurious, it felt excessively empty.
Apart from occasionally encountering two or three servants bowing in greeting, Butler Swan was nowhere to be seen—perhaps busy with other work.
This mansion was more like a fortress built with money, ostentatiously splendid yet exuding a sense of heaviness and deathly stillness, yielding no valuable clues at all.
After touring the ground floor of the main building, Adeline got the idea to look around the manor outside the mansion and soon acted on it.
As she stepped out the mansion’s front door, the cold wind hit her face, making her instinctively shrink back.
Lina immediately stepped forward and carefully draped a wool shawl over her shoulders.
The manor grounds were absurdly vast, with large expanses of neatly trimmed lawn stretching outward, bordered by tall evergreen trees.
Not far away, although the fountain was dry due to the weather, the intricate marble sculptures still showcased the owner’s immense wealth.
A few gardeners were trimming shrubs in the distance; upon seeing her appear, they all stopped their work and doffed their hats in greeting.
Adeline pulled her shawl tighter.
The chill of early winter was clearly too harsh for a body that was both ill and unaccustomed to exercise.
After walking only a short distance, she felt her breathing become heavy, her knees gradually aching faintly, and a fine layer of cold sweat forming on her forehead.
Her body could no longer support much activity.
She had originally hoped that by going outside she could observe the manor’s layout more closely or find some clues related to the supernatural.
But unfortunately, aside from overwhelming wealth and class barriers, she had gained nothing.
Adeline stopped and turned to look at the little maid behind her.
“Forget it, it’s not interesting anyway. I’m tired. Let’s go back.”