Page 63 of Mermaid on Heels
“I hope you find your accommodations to your liking, Princess. If you require anything during your stay, please do not hesitate to ask. Susie here will be at your service,” Mrs. Philomena said from behind.
Liriya turned to the head housekeeper and nodded, a grateful smile on her lips. “Thank you, Mrs. Philomena. Everything is exquisite.”
Mrs. Philomena nodded back and took her leave, and an eager Susie soon helped Liriya to the bath she had drawn for her. When Liriya stepped behind the screen, saw the bathing and manicure essentials, she got a mini heartache. And seeing the long bathtub at the center, filled with water and sprinkled with rose petals, Liriya’s knees shook.
Horror gripped her; she couldn’t transform in front of Susie, the poor girl would freak out. But was there an excuse tonothave a bath in a tub, dipped in the water?
Why couldn’t she just have a standing bath like she had at Bianca’s?
Liriya immediately realized why. Because the standing bath was for commoners since they couldn’t afford bathtubs like nobilities. And she, as a princess, was supposed to feel normal about this.
Before meeting Bianca, Liriya hadn’t known such a thing as bathing existed. Sure, she used to scrub her tail back in the sea twice a week to make it shiny, like every merman and mermaid did. But cleaning the rest of herself…? No, it wasn’t required.
Liriya remembered the first time Bianca mentioned to her about bathing and she asked herwhyit was needed. Bianca had tried not to laugh and said it was to wash away the dirt and grime of the day from your body—and hair. Then she had sent Liriya into the small bathroom in her house with a bucket of warm water, a sponge to scrub her body, and a towel to dry herself before putting her clothes back on.
And it had been the weirdest thing Liriya ever did as a human.
Though, as days passed by, she got used to it just like the rest of the things around her in the human realm.
However,this… Liriya didn’t know what to do other than staring at the filled bathtub in horror.
Then an idea sparked in her mind.
She turned to Susie. “Can you give me a moment?”
“Sure Your Highness,” Susie agreed and curtsied before backing off. “You can call me in for the hair wash and manicures when you’re comfortable.”
Good. That was exactly what she wanted.
Liriya stripped off her dress and undergarments hastily, and plucked up her courage before stepping into the tub. She sank into the water immediately and waited for the transformation.
One, two, three…
Nothing happened.
Liriya waited, anticipating, holding her breath and staring down at her legs through the water for her transformation. When her tail grew in the water of the tub, she could tuck it in and pray that the floating rose petals would prevent Susie from seeing what lay under the water.
Only, nothing happened.
At this point, Liriya would’ve likely panicked that she somehow had stopped transforming and was stuck as a human. However, she hadn’t forgotten that Luke’s mother transformed during her unwell situation—evenafterstaying away from the sea for three whole years.
And Liriya had been to the sea not longer than a fortnight ago, so this wasn’t it.
It seemed she needed theseato transform, not just any water could do the transformation.
Liriya sank deeper into the water in relief, her whole body relaxing. She then called Susie back in, who washed her hair with something that smelled so good, like the water she was dipped in. After her hair, Susie scrubbed her arms and back, then worked on manicuring her fingernails and toenails—specifically then, Liriya thanked the Creator for designing her transformation in the sea alone.
After almost half an hour-long beauty bath, Liriya sat in front of the dressing table, wrapped in a soft and cuddly bathrobe while Susie worked on her hair that was yet to dry.
Before long, Liriya was dressed in an elegant aquamarine gown with long sleeves that reached her wrists and a low-cut neck that revealed her neck and shoulders, though it was not too revealing. She wore her pearl necklace instead of choosing one from the many jewelry pieces available to her in the drawers.
With one glance at her reflection in the mirror, satisfied at her appearance and hearing Susie’s compliments, Liriya turned on her heels and went for the door. Susie followed behind, to escort her to the parlor.
Stepping outside, however, the last thing Liriya expected was to see Princess Aeira standing at the wide glass window that overlooked the balcony garden, glancing outside.
Liriya halted in her tracks and Princess Aeira turned to her.
“Good morning, Princess Liriyalda. I heard you’ve arrived and thought I should wait so we could go to the parlor together.” She grinned. “When did you arrive?”