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Chapter 9 - Unbearable, Free Schedule

The first thing that I notice when I walk into my chambers is that they\'re more vast than the Duke\'s. The waiting room has a small sofa and a few armchairs. From here, there are two doors.

One brings to the bedroom, while I have no clue what the other room is. I\'ll find out, sooner or later, so I just follow the maid absent-mindedly.

The furniture is first-class, even though there is too much.

The bedroom is large but full of stuff. The bed is a mahogany four-poster bed, with blue curtains filtering the light.

Two bedside tables are used to keep a carafe and some glasses, and a small closet completes the pictures a few steps from there.

On the other side of the room, there is some space left empty. I suppose it\'s for the dressing. A dresser full of products stands in a corner, right next to the window. It has a big mirror, and I can see powders, creams, perfumes... Anything a lady could need.

There is no wardrobe with enough capacity to contain a lady\'s clothes, but the maid walks towards a door at the end of the bedroom. She opens it and doesn\'t utter a word before coming back with some undergarments in her arms. They seem so uncomfortable just by looking at them. Before I can complain, other maids come into the room, and they surround me.

I have no choice but to let them do, as they fix the clothes with small needles and ribbons.

The dress is of pretty colour, a delicate rose. Definitely not my style, but I have no intention to change. I\'ve passed more than half an hour like a scarecrow, and I don\'t want to repeat the process.

?Today\'s schedule is clear, your grace,? the maid that accompanied me from the start says.

?And how do you know?? I ask, curious.

She\'s been appointed as my maid at most a few hours ago, even though I\'m almost sure that the Duke decided when he got out of the room this morning. He must have randomly picked a girl to attend to his wife.

?His grace, the Duke, told me,? she explains, in fact.

Figures. He doesn\'t want me to step foot out of here.

He should have at least let me have tea with the other noblewomen, or they could start to think that he\'s unhappy with me and hides me in his chambers not to be disgraced by my presence. It might be actually the case, but he doesn\'t need to show it to everyone.

?Next time that I have to stay in the chambers, I don\'t want to change into these clothes,? I order. I don\'t need to be this presentable when I\'m alone. The Duke himself allowed me to wear comfortable clothes in my chambers.

The maid looks like someone that\'s going along with a fool when she nods. This attitude of hers is annoying, but I don\'t want to pick fights just yet.

?Is there a place where I can read?? I ask while moving the gowns. I\'m starting to understand how to walk in this, so it\'s not as bad as I\'ve initially thought.

?I don\'t know, your grace,? the maid replies, opening her eyes wide, in fear.

?Mhm, then what can I do for the whole day??

?You can walk in the garden. Also, the servants had brought everything that can be needed for embroidery or painting.?

Too bad I don\'t know how to embroider. Still, it can be the right time to learn. I\'ve never had time for a hobby, so now that I\'m jobless, it feels arduous to adjust.

?Please, find me something to do before I go mad,? I utter, in a voice so low that I\'m not sure anyone heard me.

?His grace, the Duke told us that you\'re allowed in his study, in case you wanted to choose a book for your readings,? one of the younger maids starts, bowing her head respectfully.

My personal maid glares at her, and I can\'t help but sigh. I haven\'t officially met anyone, yet I\'m already witnessing a scene of court fights. I\'m not in the mood for smoothing the waters, so I let the maids fight over my attention. I don\'t know either of them, so I can\'t trust them. I should use this chance to test them, but I\'m too tired to communicate with people.

?Show me the way,? I say, turning to the young maid. ?Has the Duke said anything else that can be of use to me??

?Not to me, your grace,? the girl utters, and she bows her head while accompanying me to the study. ?He just reminded us to serve you faithfully.?

?When were you assigned to me??

?This morning.?

?His grace, the Duke, had time for that?? I ask, surprised. I thought he was running late because of me, but it looks that he has a lot of free time if he stopped to talk with the maids. Isn\'t there some head maid that\'s supposed to take care of the personnel?

Ah, it\'s better this way. I bet that a Duke isn\'t supposed to select his wife\'s maids. If word gets out, they\'ll all know that I\'m taken care of.

The study reminds me of my private room in the Palace in Polis. It\'s tidy, there aren\'t too many papers around, and one wall is fully covered by books. In a corner, there is a lower table with a couple of small couches, right next to the giant window.

If the maid hasn\'t called this a \'study\', I would think it\'s a place where one can relax.

?What books am I allowed to touch?? I inquire. There are so many, I\'ll definitely find one to pass the time.

?The Duke didn\'t specify.?

I\'ll take it as if he allowed me to read anything. Still, I chose something that won\'t make him angry if he finds out. A treaty about philosophy. No politics, history nor economics, so that the Duke won\'t think that I\'m trying to plot anything. These books are hard to read, so I should be busy for a while. I observe the titles, wondering how many of these had the Duke already read.

I\'ll ask him if I have the chance. There are so many rare tomes and controversial topics. If my husband really has some knowledge about all of this, then it must be pleasant to have a conversation with him.

?Also, the Duke said that he will find a teacher for any discipline you\'d like to deepen,? the maid adds. She sees that I\'ve already chosen a book but don\'t move from the library. Is it a polite way to say that he will hire an etiquette teacher so that I can learn to be a proper wife?

?But not sooner than tomorrow. The Duke said that you should rest and get used to the environment, for today.?

This maid is more chatty than the other one, so I\'m starting to like her more. Still, silent people are usually more reserved. I don\'t want my daily activities to be the topic of court discourses.

I walk back to my chambers and dismiss the help. Only my personal maid remains, standing in a corner. I don\'t know if she misinterpreted my orders or just ignored them, but her presence is suffocating.

She opens the door when two servants bring lunch for me, and she never leaves the room. I\'m starting to think that she\'s a machine. She doesn\'t need a break, nor to eat or drink.

?You can sit down and eat with me,? I offer.

?I wouldn\'t dare to share a meal with your grace,? she answers politely.

Just like that, I have to eat alone under the stare of a stranger.

I try to start a conversation, a couple of times, but she always cuts it out with some mild remarks. After the second failed attempt, I give up and pass the rest of the afternoon in silence. It\'s not so different from staying in a cage: I\'m alone, yet continually watched.

When the day reaches its end, I\'m so tired of doing nothing but reading.

I change into a new nightgown, and I ask the maids to light a small fire. I\'m still not used to this cold climate, so I can spoil myself a little.

From the moment I start to change, the room becomes crowded. A dozen female servants are helping me with everything. I don\'t think I will get used to this, ever.

Two to three help me get rid of the clothes, another one undoes my hair. The third one brings me tea and the fourth moisturiser cream. When the latter tries to apply it for me, I step back and shove the hand away. I try not to be abrupt, but the maid looks at me with tears in the eyes.

It\'s harder than it looks.

When I finally lie in bed, I sigh, relieved that the Duke didn\'t ask for my presence. He told the servants to carefully attend me, so he must have been satisfied with me. However, it still hurts. I hope the Duke won\'t need me for a couple of days more.