Me and Cassia looked at each other, then turned back toward Tamsin in perfect sync.
"So he forced you then?" Cassia asked.
Tamsin immediately waved her hands in frantic denial. "No, no! I didn't mean that!"
I backed down a little and turned to Cassia. "Come to think of it… what is he doing here? Why are we still talking with Tamsin? We can just find him."
Cassia nodded with a quick "yes," but Tamsin was biting her nails nervously. When we turned toward her again, she looked up.
"Actually, he... left. His boss was here for some business and it went well, so they left."
We both let out disappointed noises. I held my head in mild frustration. Edmund remained a mystery for now. I thought I sensed someone at the door, but the presence was so faint my body simply ignored it.
"Seriously, I was planning to meet him… ahh."
Cassia jumped onto the bed and lay down while I continued to whine about Edmund. She backed me up with, "Tamsin, you are hopeless. On top of that, I don't remember anyone who is even similar to him. Weird."
Tamsin just looked down, struggling to find the right words. I heard a faint noise or whisper again, but my mind dismissed it once more because it was too small. Then Cassia shifted on the bed and said.
"Lysandra! Come on in, you don't have to act so formal all the time. I told you to be yourself."
We all turned toward the door. Our eyes landed on a girl who looked the same age as us, wearing a beautiful white-and-gold ball gown. She had smooth skin, soft pink lips, perfectly shaped eyebrows, and long brown hair adorned with delicate golden jewelry. She was blushing hard and seemed incredibly shy—more so than even Tamsin.
I won't lie—she looked beautiful, the very picture of an ideal lady according to society's standards. I hadn't expected to find another girl who carried herself this gracefully. Another young lady in our little group sounded wonderful. Was she a fashion girly? It certainly looked like it.
Lysandra kept her gaze fixed on the floor in embarrassment, too shy to respond or even lift her head. She might have been introverted by nature. I thought I had seen her in my previous life, or perhaps heard about her from Cassia, but the memory refused to surface clearly.
"I apologize, Miss Cassia."
Lysandra bowed deeply, as if she had committed a serious crime. Her voice was low and timid, which only annoyed Cassia in a fond, exasperated way.
"Don't apologize. You didn't even do anything," Cassia said, her tone laced with mild irritation.
"I apologize! I won't do it again—"
Lysandra's voice came out louder than intended, but she cut herself off mid-sentence the moment she realized she was apologizing for apologizing. Cassia looked thoroughly frustrated now, and even Tamsin wore a concerned expression.
If we locked both Tamsin and Lysandra in a room together, they would probably die of shyness rather than call out for help. Alright, maybe I was thinking too much.
"Oh nooo… How will you survive in this society?"
Cassia held back her frustration and swallowed it down. She got up from the bed and stepped forward toward Lysandra. When she placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, Lysandra gasped softly. Their eyes met.
"Don't worry. I know you struggle with people, but here everyone is a friend."
Cassia said it brightly, her voice warm and encouraging. Lysandra's eyes widened for a moment, then she nodded, visibly relaxing.
Cassia turned toward me and Tamsin with a smile.
"Oh, I don't think I have mentioned Lysandra before."
Our eyes shifted to Cassia, curious and focused. Lysandra didn't look at us directly; her gaze slowly drifted down to Cassia's hand placement on her shoulders before dropping to the floor.
"She is Lysandra Beaumont," Cassia continued. "As I said, and you can see… she is very introverted. I pretty much help her around every time."
I smiled and gentled my tone. "It's fine, Lysandra. We are all friends here."
I shifted my gaze toward Tamsin and added, "And our Tamsin is a little more like you already. I'm sure you two can get along."
Tamsin straightened instantly when I mentioned her name. Lysandra's eyes finally lifted to look at both of us, widening again. She stepped forward, palms pressed together nervously. Cassia stayed quiet, surprised, simply observing the interaction.
"Wow, you look so beautiful in that gown," Lysandra said to me, her voice bright and sincere. She didn't completely ignore Tamsin, but for the moment her focus stayed on me.
I smiled. Compliments really were the best part of the night.
"I'm glad you like it. I'm Lucia Thornvale by the way. You can call me by first name."
Lysandra's eyes stayed fixed on me for a moment, and she seemed a little more comfortable now. Then she turned to Tamsin and said softly, "I didn't mean to ignore you. You look stunning as well, Miss Tamsin."
Tamsin's mouth opened, but words failed her for a second. Her hands fidgeted awkwardly.
"You don't have to be that respectful. I'm just a servant."
Ahh, I take it back. These two would definitely die if we locked them in a room together.
"I don't mind at all," Lysandra said without hesitation. Then she blushed again, lowering her eyes and slipping back into her shy zone.
"Was I too loud? I apolo—"
Lysandra continued, but then caught herself mid-apology. Cassia stepped in smoothly to rescue her from the spiral.
"It's completely fine. In fact, you're doing better."
Cassia tapped Lysandra's back encouragingly. The girl's reaction was the same as before—a small gasp at the touch. Maybe she looked up to Cassia because she was everything Lysandra wasn't. Cassia turned toward me and Tamsin with a proud smile.
"This is the first time I've seen her being this open so fast. She's making progress."
"I'm happy to hear that," I replied. "Seems like we can get along nicely."
Driven by curiosity, I stepped forward. "Do you wanna know how I got this look? Are you a fashion girly?"
Surprisingly, the two questions at once didn't overwhelm Lysandra. She nodded.
But then my eyes shifted toward the doorway as a butler knocked lightly on the open door. The sound instantly caught everyone's attention.
"I apologize for the interruption," he began. Why do you have to use that word? I'm getting tired of it. He continued, "But people are waiting for your arrival at the party, young Miss Cassia."
Cassia's mouth fell open in panic. "Oh shit, I'm not even close to being ready."
Then she quickly regained her manners and said to the butler, "I will be there in twenty minutes."