Becoming the Villainess Twice

Chapter 15

"Penny, you don't have to scrub so hard." I whined, sinking my head into the bath.

It's the next morning and I was so exhausted that I fell asleep right in my bloody outfit, luckily Penny changed me.

The doctor hasn't let me see my father yet, but has assured me that he is okay. I haven't even seen Rowan, Blaine or Victoria either. I hope they are doing well.

"I'm almost done miss..." She mumbled. "I just don't want to leave any traces of blood left..." She finished, finally standing and turning her back to me to grab a towel.

I can't deny it took some getting use to, you know, being bathed. Though I don't remember much about my past life, I remember the uncomfortable feeling of being bathed here for the first time.

When Penny helps me bathe she always is behind me, she also always wears a long sleeved maid outfit that she has to pull up over her elbows. I've never understood the reason she wore such a hot outfit, no one else did so.

Penny helped me dry off and then dressed me in a fluffy robe. She sat me down at the large vanity  with a large mirror that was fogged up.

I couldn't help but notice, her arms when she helped dry off my body. Usually she would roll her sleeves back down after bathing me. She had scars all over her arms, but they didn't look like they were from self harm.

Was that the reason she always wore a long skirt and sleeved maid outfit, even the collar went up above her neck. It's not my place to ask, but I can't help being curious if she has more and how it happened.

The fluffy towel patted my hair gently. I don't know why, but I tilted my head up and looked at her. She didn't flinch, being unbothered.

She was concentrated on gently drying my hair. I found myself smiling looking at how cute her freckles were.

"You're so pretty Penny." I giggled, causing her to blush and stop, momentarily, before gently facing my head back normal.

"Don't tease me miss." She coughed, standing and walking to the bath and draining it. I stared at her back and frowned.

"Penny, I'm sorry if I'm intruding on your privacy, but I saw your arms when you were drying me..." When those words left my mouth she froze and became still, "You don't have to tell me how it happened because by all means, it's non of my business, but I just want to say..." I took a deep breath.

"Hahhhhhh" Penny sighed from across the room. She turned around and had a small smile on her face, with her eyes at the ground.

She walked up to me where I was seated and motioned to the stool next to me.

"May I?" It took me a second as I looked back and forth between her and the stool not knowing what she meant.

Once the gears in my head finally loaded, I nodded profusely. Penny gave me a grateful smile and sat down, looking into the mirror.

"I was a slave." Her smile turned into a thin line. "I tried to escape one day and um..." She put her head in her hands trying to think.

"I don't remember if there was someone with me or not that day..." She murmured. "It's like someone was there, but when I was captured again I kept saying that there was no one else. I think because I said that so much it became engraved in my head, but I was punished for another person missing. So I couldn't of been too crazy." She lifted her head, her face contorted. "Hopefully if there was truly someone else, they are fine now..."

"I got all my scars from being punished." She smiled. My eyes were widened as I reached and held her hands in mine.

"I'm so sorry you went through that, but do you remember anything about the other person? Maybe I could help you find them!" I smiled, to which she only laughed at and shook her head.

"I can't even remember if they were real or imaginary, but um, they were younger than me. It was a boy or a girl, I don't remember, they were young and always wore a large, dirty, oversized shirt, plus their hair was long." She looked up at the chandelier and smiled fondly, "I used to comfort them, and held them in my arms when they were afraid." She looked down again and frowned.

"I can't even remember their name." She groaned, throwing her head back.

"A-ah! Don't force yourself! I'm so glad you're okay." I gave her hands a squeeze.

"As am I, I grew up in there and was lucky to be bought by such a good family and serve the best Young Miss." She smiled and poked my nose. The slave traders were very near so it's not like her old friend could've gotten too far.

"Does your head ever hurt from having your hair in a bun for too long?" I suddenly asked, changing the subject.

"Hmm? I don't think so?" She looked taken aback before touching her bun that was right on the top of her head. The bun all together wasn't bad, but it almost made her look old.

"Well..." I thought for a second. "Meet me under the tree on the hill." I smiled.

"B-but what about getting you dressed?" She asked.

"I can do it, just goooo, willow tree on the hill, be there!" I commanded and I pushed her out of the room and shut the door.

I looked around the large bathroom and found my clothes hung over a paneled room divider.

-

I quickly threw on the simple turquoise dress and pulled up my knee high socks. I shoved my feet into a pair of flats and clipped my hair up into a ponytail.

I ran out of the bathroom that was attached to my room. Once in my room, I looked around hurriedly, before running into my large closet and emerging with a brown satchel.

I went over to the vanity in my room and grabbed a brush from it and some hair clips, shoving them into the satchel that was slung across my shoulder.

I burst through my door and maneuvered through the halls. The halls were still eerily empty.

Rowan should be with Julius, and I'm sure Blaine and Victoria are trying to make sense out of their mother being accused. They are probably shaken...

-

"Ahhh I'm here!" I gasped, out of breath. Penny was sat down under the tree and as if she knew I wanted to do her hair, she had it out of the bun. Her hair was very long, to her lower back.

I set down the flowers I had collected on my way, and dropped my bag.

I gave her a smile and knelt down behind her. I dug out my brush and gently grasped her hair and brushed through it.

Her hair was so incredibly soft and silky. There were not rats or tangles.

I began to play with her hair. As if I knew how to do hair my whole life, I braided her hair. A french braid? I then twisted and turned it, putting it in a low bun. I dug through my bag and grabbed a large, gold hair clip with a red gem on it. I even stuck some of the flowers I collected into her hair.

"Princess? I saw you running up here and-" Julius ran up and bowed in front of Penny and I. Rowan was behind him and soon came crashing into me, but only to be pulled away by Julius.

"Show some respect kid." Julius said, making him bow. As soon as Julius looked up his eyes slightly widened.

He wasn't looking at me but behind me, at

Penny?