Chapter 17

After April left the room, Raine considered going back to bed but gave up on that idea as she knew that it would be an impossible feat. Instead, she removed the bedcover from her lower part and sat at the edge of the bed that was closer to the bedside table.

She opened the lower drawer of the table and brought out the golden rimmed black velvet box that had the Peter's crest. She caressed the box gently and with a soft and loving expression. Anyone who saw here would have been shocked as she had never shown such an expression before.

She continued to stroke the box for a while before she opened it to reveal a beautiful dagger and a pair of platinum signet rings that had the family crest.

The dagger was designed in a pirate style; its hilt was decorated with beautiful floral accents and the guards and pommel at the end of each of the hilt were shaped to appear as fleur de lis and were encrusted with a large sapphire gemstone.

She took out the signet rings and smiled. The pair of signet rings were meant for the heir and his partner. If she had been born as a male then the instant she had been crowned the heir of the family business then she would have been allowed to wear the signet ring. However, the case was different and she was born female instead so she wasn't allowed to wear the ring until she married and gave her partner his ring. 

According to their family rules, the signet ring had to have a male owner before it had a female owner. Though, that didn't mean that her husband would become the heir or take over her role. She was still the future Matriarch and head of the family while her husband was to be her helper. It was just that she couldn't fully access the privileges that came with her position until she married. 

She placed the feminine ring on her left pinkie finger. "Just wait a while…I'll bring you out after two months." She whispered with a dark expression then removed the ring and put it back in the box.

She gently placed the box on her bed then stood up from the bed to pick out her outfit for the day. Browsing through her wardrobe, she noticed for the first time that she rarely had any other clothing except for evening gowns and business suits. She did not even have a skirt!

Raine furrowed her eyebrows in worry and walked towards her desk. Sitting on it was a landline which had been programmed straight to the housekeeper's phone. She picked it up and waited for Miranda to pick her call which she did in less than fifteen seconds.

"Young Mistress"

"Hmm…I need casual clothes to wear; a simple white top with a mini brown skirt would do and buy brown combat boots as well." Raine ordered.

"Yes, Young Mistress." Miranda replied

"Please, get them quickly I need them before 11:30" Raine stated then looked at the clock hanging above her door to check the time; it was fifteen past 9. There should be enough time for Miranda to get the clothes she needed.

"Understood Ma'am. Should I get Chloe to replace me?" Miranda asked

"There's no need for that. I am not unable to take care of myself for the two or so hours you would be gone." Raine replied then hung up.

Since the cloth she was going to wear had been settled, she went to her accessories drawer and looked through it to pick out some that she could wear. As she glanced through her collections, she noticed some hair bands and pins. She contemplated for a while before picking two hair bands then she took a silver chain with its matching bracelet watch out.

The bracelet watch and silver chain pair were an antique that had been given to her by her grandmother on her eighteenth birthday.

Since her eighteenth birthday, she had only worn it once and that was during her crowning ceremony. Now that she was getting married, she decided to wear it again. 

After picking out her accessories, she went into the bathroom and indulged herself in a rose flowered jasmine scented bath. She stepped into the bath tub and sighed in relief, she could feel the knots in her neck loosening.

As she took her bath, she wondered if she had gone too far in her preparations as it was just a business marriage for now but she shrugged and got it out of her mind.

What mattered was that she was putting in effort into her marriage. She did not know what Kyle preferred or was like but she was willing to come to a compromise with him and that was the reason she was trying to dress feminine.

She was willing to give into a few of his requests as long as they weren't absurd.

She spent about thirty minutes in the bathroom then walked towards her dresser. Arranged neatly on her dresser were different skincare and cosmetic products, half of which she had never used and had been gifted to her by her mother and Rachel. 

Since she had no clue on how to use most of them, she gave up without attempting and chose to apply her usual skincare routine. She had never been a huge fan of makeup from the start and wasn't likely to change her thoughts on it anytime soon.

Just as she had finished applying her cream and facial treatments, her door was knocked on. Knowing that the person at her door was likely Miranda, Raine tightly the rope of her bathrobe and invited her in. "Come in."

"Young Mistress, these are the items you asked me to get for you. Since it is cold, I took the opportunity to buy you a white sweater as well Ma'am." Miranda said as she unloaded the clothes she bought onto the bed.

Raine stood up from the dresser and walked towards Miranda. She picked up the skirt and stared at it for a while before placing it down and picking up the white top. 

Miranda saw what her mistress was doing and held her breath in fright. When Raine didn't say anything, she forced open her mouth and spoke timidly. "Young Mistress, is anything wrong with the clothes I bought?"

"No. There's nothing wrong with it. I was inspecting its texture and I quite like it. Get me some more casual clothes."

Miranda breathed out in relief and smiled. "Yes, Young Mistress. Do you have any preference or color you'd like them to be in?" 

"No. You have free rein to choose based on what you think would be best for me." Raine muttered as she began to wear the clothes Miranda bought for her.

"Thank you, Young Mistress for your trust." Miranda bowed feeling overwhelmed.

"Hmm..." Raine hummed in reply.

"Are you going to eat, Ma'am?" Miranda asked absentminded as she stared mesmerized at her mistress as she wore her boots and stood up. She looked very different from usual and her aura changed from its usual commanding one to a more refined and compelling one. Instead of looking like a powerful boss, she now looked like a refined, elegant and enchanting young mistress.

"No, I'll dine out." Raine answered as she picked up her purse. As usual, her phone was with April. Raine walked towards her standing mirror and checked herself. Then she remembered that she hadn't tied her hair or put on her accessories. She looked back at Miranda "I'll be done soon. Tell Mr. Simon to get the Mercedes ready for me."

"Yes, Young Mistress." Miranda replied with a bow before leaving the room.

Once, the door shut after Miranda, Raine picked up the hair band she had placed on the dresser earlier and packed her hair into a messy bun. She left some tendrils of her hair down and used it to frame her face. After then, she picked up the silver chain, wore it then wore its matching bracelet watch and felt complete and fully dressed.

She looked at herself through the mirror one last time then went out of her room.