Music Recommendation: RV: 315 "L'estate": III. - Antonio Vivaldi

Lady Aurora lightly chuckled and remarked, "It is good to see that you are so passionate about the woman, Henry. This will make it that much easier. And without question, we expect you to attend the soiree that is going to be held in the Moriartys mansion the day after tomorrow. I have sent you the invitation, but I would still like to personally invite you," Lady Aurora let him know, and Henry bowed in gratitude.

"You are too kind to do that, milady. Thank you," Henry thanked her.

In the meantime, Marceline had trouble standing on her foot that she had earlier twisted. It was itchy, and all she wanted was to scratch it. She had been standing with the support of her good foot.

Henry, who noticed the disturbed look on Marceline's face, asked her, "Lady Marceline?"

Marceline quickly schooled her expression and smiled. She felt like she had started to sweat, and she said, "I would like to take a look at the gowns that are here."

"I have some things to buy too. Join us, Henry," Lady Aurora persuaded, and though Marceline didn't know what the man would do by tagging along with them, the Marchioness needed someone to pay for the things she would buy. And who better, if not the one she was offering her favours to?

Marceline and her company walked into the shop that belonged to Mrs. Russo. The young vampiress looked around the place when she heard Lady Aurora remark, "This place looks less shabbier than I thought when we were outside. Mm, this dress is pretty, isn't it?" She walked towards the mannequin wearing it.

Marceline's eyes fell on the gown, and her eyebrows furrowed, "I think I have seen this dress before." Where did she see it?

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"The woman must have imitated the style from somewhere," Lady Aurora whispered, and at the same time, Mrs. Russo entered the room to greet the customers.

"Good afternoon, ladies. How can I help you?" Mrs. Russo politely asked them with a friendly smile.

"This dress..." Marceline pointed at the mannequin.

"Unfortunately, that one is only for display. It isn't for sale," Mrs. Russo answered. "Would you like to see new dresses that might be to your liking?"

Marceline nodded, and soon Mrs. Russo's assistants started to display many different and expensive gowns. The young vampiress picked a gown that she fancied and decided to try it in the other room. Once she was all by herself, she removed the dress that she wore.

The vampiress stared at herself in the mirror, proud of how beautiful she was and she turned her body. When she was about to wear the chosen gown, she noticed something dark green on her stocking and her face scrunched in disgust.

The dirt on the ground must have stuck to her leg when she fell on the forest ground. She scowled in disbelief. Not wanting to walk around with this dirt, she pulled the door slightly ajar and ordered one of the lady assistants who stood outside, waiting to help her,

"Get me new stockings. Clean white."

"We have only cream ones, milady," the assistant woman answered.

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"You don't have a white one? Fine, get it," Marceline didn't have time to pick a colour and it wasn't like anyone would notice it with shadows.

The assistant woman left from the front of the room for a moment before returning with the cream stockings.

"Milady, here they are."

Marceline's slender and pale hand sneaked through the door's gap, snatching the stockings from the assistant woman and the door closed with a light thud. How embarrassing it would be if someone noticed the dirt on her stockings and an icky green too!

Soon the vampiress started rolling down the stocking with green dirt on it. When she pushed it further down, she wondered if the dirt had passed through the fabric and touched her skin. But then her eyes widened when she removed the entire stocking off her right leg.

"... w--what is t--that..."

After a second, Marceline screamed in shock, "AHHHHHHHH!!!"

People, not just in Mrs. Russo's shop but also outside it, who were outside the shop and walking on the streets heard Marceline's scream.

Mrs. Russo quickly rushed to the trial room with a frown. When her eyes met her assistant woman, the person shook her head and said,

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"She wanted a white stocking, but as we didn't have one, I gave her a cream one."

Mrs. Russo wondered if the stocking didn't fit the wealthy vampiress that had the vampiress scream. This was something she had often seen in her shop. Especially when the women couldn't fit into the dresses and gowns. She knocked on the trial room door and asked,

"Milady, is everything alright?"

But Marceline was in shock to hear what was being said from the other side of the door. She stared at the mirror that reflected her beautiful self, but when her gaze moved to her leg, which had no stockings on it, it didn't look like it was part of her.

The young vampiress's usual pale and dainty leg had turned hideous. It had turned bloated and slimy with a green texture as if it had an infection and boils on some side.

What the hell was happening!? Marceline screamed in her mind. She tried to remove the rest of the stocking from her leg, and noticed her slimy skin stick to the flimsy material that belonged to the stocking.

"AH!" Marceline winced in pain as her skin peeled out and her lips parted in an inaudible scream. She banged the wall next to her with her face contorted in misery. She pulled back the stocking because of how tender her leg felt.

How could a simple twist in the ankle cause this?! She had--

"No..." Marceline whispered in shock. The witch... she had cursed her! "That bitch!" The witch had done something wrong!

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Outside the room Marceline had occupied, Lady Aurora appeared, while Henry stood at the beginning entrance as it was rude to step further in. Lady Aurora demanded from the seamstress, "What is going on? Is something wrong?"

"The lady hasn't responded," Mrs. Russo bowed as she answered.

Lady Aurora stepped in front of the door and knocked on the wooden surface, "Lady Marceline, is everything alright? Do you need help?" She then turned to look at the seamstress and chided, "Don't you know that the young lady would like assistance while wearing the gown?"