The Grand Mistress

Lucy woke up to a familiar warmth. She had no schedule to worry about that day and so she gave herself some break when it comes to waking up early. However, the moment she opened her eyes, she realized she wasn't alone in bed and so when she looked at her side and found Simione sleeping beside her, she gasped with relief.

"Sisi!" She plunged down a big hug for the girl whom she had been worried about for the past few days. 

Simione moved and found the teary Lucy burying herself in her. With a warm smile, she called her name to comfort her. "Hey girl, I'm fine,"

"What the heck happened to you?" Lucy raised her head to meet her eyes. "How come you are here? Hawk Monsanto is back in Devon City, didn't you know? His goons is everywhere looking for you,"

"He is the least of my problems now," Simione got up and started telling Lucilla all that happened to her. She told her how she got abducted by her very own grandfather and how the old evil wench sold her off to an old rich man to save Han's Scintillait. 

At the end, Lucy herself could not believe how things went and ended up pressing a hand on her chest, worried about the sudden flow of events that they had never anticipated.

"How do you know your soon to be husband is rich?" Lucy asked as she ran in her head all of the possible bachelors in Devon City, old and young. She was thinking one of them might be Simione soon to be husband but was having a hard time figuring it out since Simione had no other description of him rather than the fact that he bought her from the Don.

"His house is extremely luxurious and his servants weren't ordinary ones," Simione thought. "Also, the fact that he was able to afford the compensation for damage caused by the scandal…"

"He must either be as rich or probably richer than Hawk Monsanto," Lucy continued Simione's words. "However, I couldn't really think of anyone really. I knew almost every rich man in the whole country, none of them would be fool enough to pay off a compensation caused to Monsanto's just for the sake of buying off an heiress bride. He must be new in this country, also, the house you speak off….the property where it is located is actually a land owned by the government before, I was not aware that it was a private property now and that some house like that is built in there. What a surprising revelation…"

"Should I be scared?" Simione bit her lips.

"To be honest I don't know," Lucy admitted badly. "We should make an effort checking out who your husband is..or at least know something about him,"

"The servants were tight lipped. They won't tell me a thing," Simione was tempted to bite her nails out of worry but chose to settle her hands on her legs as she bawled her fists.

"Do you want to try it out?" Lucy looked into her eyes communicating clearly that she thought of something but it might be a dangerous idea.

"What? Try what?" 

"Let's test your soon to be husband," 

"How?"

"Well as of this moment, we can do nothing but just test his personality," Lucy told her. "I don't really know why he bought you with such a huge sum so either he was really a devoted friend of the Hans who was all willing to help Don Benedicto or somehow he was interested in you thats why he bought you,"

"Lucy, he's no way interested in me," Simione was sure of that.

"We couldn't be sure of that. Because to be honest Simione, I don't have a strong conclusion right now rather than the fact that he must liked you so badly he was willing to be met Hawk Monsanto head on for your sake,"

"That version of things is extremely incredulous," The girl refused to believe it. "I don't even know the man,"

"So you don't want to test him?" Lucy raised a brow challenging Simione's belief.

Simione thought about it. "But I think he is a very dangerous man.."

"He is. However, I don't think he is going to hurt you for defying him for the first time, especially when your wedding is fast approaching. Nobody wants a disfigure bride walking down the aisle,"

"So what do you suggest?"

"Do something that would extremely offend him," Lucy blurted away. "However, that might come as a hard thing since you knew nothing about him,"

"Right. I don't really know anything that would offend him instead by running away which I don't want to try out," Simione chilled when she remembered how extremely serious was Mr. Brown when he threatened her earlier with the Tangs.

Simione stayed almost all day in Lucy's apartment but before the sun went down, she obediently headed home to her husband's estate. She and Lucy talked about many things and the latter promised her she's going to help as much as she can however with the current situation she was in and the amount of effort that Lucy did to help her the past few weeks, she was then thinking perhaps she should just accept her fate. She had been such a burden to Lucy already and she feared that the singer will implicated badly on her current trouble.

"...your life is thoroughly cursed, Simione…" She thought to herself. She was tempted to cry and be frustrated over everything but she couldn't and so, she just went on and closed her eyes until their car pulled over in front of her new home.

"Madam we had arrived," The driver announced and soon, a servant opened the door for her and the girl exhaustedly pulled herself out of the car and headed straight inside. She was so full of thoughts that she had not realized she had been climbing the stairs up while female servants rallied at her back. 

"Madam, your room is at the right," Someone called her attention when she was walking without direction on the second floor. 

"Owww...I'm sorry, " She apologized even when it was not necessary and decided to turn to the other side but before she could, she noticed the beautiful paintings that had been pasted on the walls. There were many of them, almost flooding off that hallway extravagantly and the way they looked, she knew they were at least millions worth each.

"The master liked painting madam, do you like them too?" One of the maids thoughtlessly revealed as Simione busied herself admiring the paintings.

"He must have liked them so much as he had so many of them. I noticed the house is full of them," Simione replied and looked at the servants at her back.

"These are just a few of them, his priced collection is at the mansion's gallery on the third floor, do you wish to see it?"

"I sure do," Simione agreed and in no time, the maids guided her to the third floor and opened up a room where a massive collection of paintings were displayed. From the looks of it and the signatures she had seen, Simione realized they were indeed pricey. More expensive than she thought. She wasn't ignorant about paintings and so she knew most of the famous painters in the country and abroad. Looks like her soon to be husband owned the most expensive ones. He must really be so rich.

"You said he likes paintings?" Simione turned again to the maids as something hit her head. 

"Yes madam, all of these are his prized collection he fervently sought to have for years," 

"I see," Simione smiled deviously at the information the maids gave her. "Hmmmm….I want to rest now, please guide me back to me room," 

"Alright madam. Shall we draw a hot bath for you?" The maids saw how Simione's face brightened and they were pleased to see it, not knowing of the evil things that was running on their madam's head. 

"Yes please," Simione blurted with a smile and walked away from the gallery.