Chapter 15

This way to the dining room.

"Did Pietro not say anything?"

Pardon?

"About the decor? I thought we had similar tastes, but maybe even that has changed recently?"

Young Master has recently been out of the Family Home. That's why dinner is with everyone today, including yourself.

"Why do you make it sound like I'm the plague or something? I didn't bring any weapons this time, you know. Clearly, he doesn't know either, then. I guess Mother really did time her moves right."

Yes, the dining room also received a complete makeover.

Delphina's eyes darted around to take in all the fresh decor before settling on, once again, the striped wallpaper. "I know it's supposed to be Victorian, it's a steampunk setting. It's Victorian. It'll be fine."

"Any hints so I can brace myself?"

Purple.

A simply macabre, gothic, Victorian, velvet, and dark purple chimeric mess of a room passed behind her eyeballs. It immediately made her feel nauseous. Was it a premonition taken from the old Delphina's memories? Hopefully not. Eating would be impossible otherwise.

"Just open the door, I have to see if I can even stay in there."

This way.

Taking a deep breath in, Delphina proceeded to follow the automaton tentatively. This wouldn't shake her; it was just bad decoration. She tried to tell that to herself as her fingers gently trembled in pre-emptive disgust.

As Jenkins opened what seemed like a clone of the previous light coloured flat wood door, Delphina squeezed her eyes shut before forcing them back open. And found herself looking at a room that was not even remotely Victorian. Well, apart from the once again striped wallpaper.

Moving forward into the room, she felt like she was stepping onto a jewel-toned set from Prejudice & Pride. "Yeah, this is Georgian, right? Even then, there were some patterned stripes. However, that purple wallpaper is definitely a Victorian-era style. Look at those chairs! Those are antiques, are they okay to sit on?"

As Delphina's mind raced, she mechanically walked into the room and around the dining table to where the Head of the House currently sat. Alongside was his Wife.

"Phina! You look lovely!"

This statement immediately snapped her out of her reverie. Sitting awkwardly down on the right-hand side of the man, who had to be 'her' Father. She looked across at 'her' Mother. Truly, a sense of alienation began to rise as she realised that she was in somebody else's body once again.

Whilst depressing, she had to push through it.

"Mother, I noticed some changes. They weren't exactly subtle."

The woman in front of her began to laugh charmingly. Her wavy, silver hair caught the light coming in through the draped windows. She hadn't opened her eyes once since Delphina came into the room, "blind? Or just one of the characters who's sly and doesn't open their eyes unless it's for special occasions?"

"Of course, I took my chances, didn't I! Do you hate it, Phina?"

"If you mean everything except the stripes, it's quite nice actually."

"What can I say! I have to try the Capitals trends!"

As the woman said this, she clapped her hands together excitedly, for someone who must be in her hundreds by now. She seemed very childlike.

As Delphina took note of this, she looked down and noticed there was nothing but silver cutlery placed in front of all of them. Pietro still wasn't here. And that man still had yet to say anything. She quickly decided to broach any conversation topic with him.

Turning to face him, he looked like the poster boy for 'Duke of the North'—cold but strong features, red-eyed and dark blue, not black hair. Looking at her Mother out of the corner of her eye. She could see it now.

Childlike behaviour, free as a lark. With the Cold Duke of the North looming behind her. An invisible chain on her ankle. Bonus points for a contract or kidnapping marriage after regret, or a shotgun wedding even. Truly, 19+ tropes flowed through Delphina's mind before coming back to the task at hand.

"Father, you still haven't taken Mother to the Capital? We'll have to go for mine and Pietro's coming-of-age ceremonies anyway." Shouldn't you make it up to her then?"

Depending on how he answered, it would change how she would treat him going forward. She wasn't a fan of certain tropes that sprang to mind when looking at him and her Mother as she giggled away witlessly like she was.

His ears started blushing.

"I haven't had the time. Your mother doesn't want me to go without her. So I have to wait for now. Your coming-of-age ceremonies should be held here, though."

Oh, would you look at that, it's the other way around, isn't it? Delphina's Mother was undoubtedly an intelligent Lady who had the gentle inside but cold on the outside, Duke wrapped around her fingers.

Nodding to herself at one of her favourite (if done right) tropes being uncovered in front of her very eyes. She fully realised what Delphina's Father had just said.

"What do you mean? I know Pietro wanted his at the Imperial National Ball, and quite frankly. Now so do I, not because of Pietro, but because I want to socialise. Then it would be a good chance to get to know others. Even if I do end up secluded here afterwards."

"Phina, that's not what your Father meant."

Turning her face towards Delphina's Mother, she could see that her eyes had opened just a crack. That couldn't be a good sign.

"They should be held here because you would receive the pomp and circumstance that you truly deserve for your accomplishments. At the Capital, well… Would the quality even be high enough?"

With this, she closed her eyes thoroughly once again and cupped her chin in one hand.

"But you are right, you need some time to socialise. That was thoughtless of us. You can't just keep pushing at such a young age without some fun. Right, dear?"

Delphina's Father looked embarrassed at this statement, clearly a juicy story was unfolding there.