4. Senyora Marideth

It was a good day, I woke up feeling light. Three weeks had passed and it's been good. I still had my nightmares but they were bearable unlike my first week here. The next day, when Corro promised to take me to where my parent's ashes are he drives me to their cemetery and waited for me, I cried my heart out and apologize to my mother.

"Lady Roana," The maid called me, I turn my head in her direction. She's carrying two boxes. One looks bigger and the other is a box that as size as a shoebox.

"Senorito said that you will wear this tonight at dinner," she said, I then nodded and she gently places the box on the bed and bowed her head after.

"Thank you," I said and slowly walks to where the box was placed. I then play my lips with my fingers as staring at it. I gently open the first box my mouth parted as I look at the heels. It was a simple, pointed sandal, and its color was a faded color of peach. I then place the shoes beside me and opened the big one, I slowly raise the dress as I admire it. It was a slightly loose v-shaped and a straw strap type of dress, and the color was peach and it was silk. I slowly level the dress to my body as I stare at my reflection in the mirror.

I place the dress on my bed and then look at the box, It has a folded piece of paper. It was a note, I slowly opened it and read the note.

'I'm sure you'll look good wearing this, please wear this later'- Corro

A smile appeared on my lips after reading it. Oh, my! I can feel my heart beating so fast I giggled at that and shake my head. 

I took the letter to my journal, Corro bought me one last week because I said that I want to write my thoughts. I opened the journal then the pen from the table I then sat at the chair on the sofa and start rethinking things. I started writing as my thoughts came in.

'I feel so light today, I never experienced this before but it was a good kind of weird I feel like I'm floating. Corro was slowly opening up his self, he is mysterious and I'm curious about everything that concerns him I want to feel him, know his thoughts and take care of him it was amazing, he was amazing and every day he makes me feel special and oh! He gave me a dress and shoes with a letter I then felt happy because that it was so fast but I know it's worth it. I can feel it.'

After writing the date I then closed my journal and place it on my bedside table. 

Corro allowed me to roam around the mansion, I explored the library, entertainment room, and his office. It was two in the afternoon and I decided to spend my time on the balcony, maybe I'll get ready later. 

I smiled as I watched the snow falling. I sighed and turn my back, slowly walking back to the bed. I had nothing to do, Corro is now busy at his "company" as he says, but it's his business, not mine. 

I decided to take a nap. I immediately close my eyes, one hour it's more than enough.

I was woken up by knocks on the door, after a few knocks it opened I sat at the bed slowly I then place my hand at my eyes, trying to adjust my eyes from the light.

"Sorry to wake you, but it's already five in the afternoon, Roana," Corro said as he enters the room, my eyes widen.

"It's already five? Sorry, I overslept," I apologize as I slowly stand up. He then walks near my bed and smiled. "It's okay, get ready I want you to meet someone," He said as he places his hands in mine and guided me.

"Who?" I asked him, my brows furrowed as I turn my head to him. I saw him grin and shake his head. "You'll meet her later," He just said, I raised my brows. So it's a girl, hmm. 

"What?" He asked chuckling, he must notice my stare at him. I then shake my head and wave my hands signaling him to go out. I heard him laugh as I turn around and walk to the bathroom. I strip naked and opened the shower letting the water dripping down my skin. 

I wonder who was that girl he wanted me to meet. I shake my thoughts away before I think of something else and ridiculous.

I took my time enjoying the cold water, it relaxes my mind and thoughts. I got finish within a couple of minutes later and then wear the bathrobes and a towel for my hair. I slowly opened the bathroom door and walk into the closet to get my undergarments, I place them at the table inside the closet and took the dress that I place on the sofa earlier then go back to the closet and took my time doing the rituals of a woman before dressing up. 

After applying the lotion to my body I wear the undergarments and after was the dress. I smiled after wearing it and look at the mirror. I then walk to the sofa and get the heels and sit on the sofa and slowly wear it, it fits my feet perfectly. I then stand up and walk to the vanity mirror and applied a small amount of makeup on my face and nude lipstick. I checked myself one last time and spray my wrist with the perfume and at the back of my ears.

A heard a knock on the door, I then stand up at the chair and look at Corro who is now leaning at the frame of the door. 

"Beautiful," He said, I can feel my cheeks heat up, I slowly scan what he was wearing. He was wearing a white polo and the buttons at his hands were open and folded up to his elbows, and he's wearing black pants and a pair of black shoes. I raised my eyebrows as I stared at his face, slowly walking near him.

"You're not so bad yourself," I said then smile at him, he then motioned his arms and I gladly link my arm with his. We the walk side by side, as we were walking I can see the smiles of the maids and how they bow when we pass every each of them. 

We were now on the first floor of the mansion, I saw a woman who is now sitting on the sofa in the lobby of the mansion her back is facing us.

"Mother," I heard Corro said, my eyes widen. It's his mother?! Oh, my! 

After she places her teacup at the table she slowly stands up and faces us, he eyes then widen with shock, I can say she is surprised. She then gasped and look at me from head to toe and slowly walk near me. I awkwardly smile at her, then the tears from her eyes slowly falling.

"Hija," She said, then hug me. "You look exactly like her, I thought my Corro was only joking," she said, then slightly pushes herself away from me to look at my face. She held my hands and look at Corro who is now staring at us, sadness in his eyes.

"Mother, don't scare her," Corro said jokingly. I look at him and back to the woman in front of me. "It's okay, Corro," I said and smiled. 

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Marideth, Corro's mother," she introduced herself, despite her age she was still beautiful. She has this regal looks that no one would ever dare to compare her and make fun of her, I can say that she was more gorgeous way back when she was still young and Corro got her eyes and lips.

"You're Roana, right?" She asked, I then only nod my head and smile at her.

"I too, also thought that he was just joking but turns out he was not," I said and held her hands. She stared at my eyes. "The color of your eyes is different from hers, but you two look alike," she said and slowly pats my hands. She then dried the tears in her eyes and smiled. 

"She was lovely, and a beautiful soul," she said. I nodded and smiled at her words, I can say that everyone loved her. "Let's go, Mother, the table is ready," Corro said after a second of silence, he then places his hands at my back and guided me to the table, he guided her mother to sit first and kissed her on her cheeks after making sure she's fine and guided me after her, Injust smiled at him after and he then sat to his chair.

We had our dinner and the talk go on, I had enjoyed his mother's lively personality. I heard that his father died due to a heart attack and she was now traveling and enjoying her time alone, she also said that she had known Mina, Corro's ex-wife since she was in her teen years, Mina was one of her scholars and then Corro had an interest to her, later on then courted Mina and ended up marrying each other.

It was a good night, we enjoyed talking and hours later her mother bid her goodbye and take a rest at one of the mansion's rooms. Corro snd I am now sitting at the bar counter of the mansion.

I was holding a can of beer, I bring the can of beer into my mouth and take a gulp of the beer. My face crumpled with annoyance as I tasted the beer's strong alcohol. 

"You're still not sleepy?" He asked. I just nodded my head and look at him. "How about you?" I asked him, he just shrugs and smiled. 

"I can feel how your mother adores Mina," I said, trying to start a topic. He nodded and sighed. "She was close to her, she treated her like her own daughter," He said and look at me. I nodded my head and lower my gaze back to the can of beer I was holding. 

"I can see how much you miss her, maybe seeing me makes you think of her," I added. "I don't know her but it was like a familiar feeling to me, the way how your mother speaks with so much admiration towards her, how you speak so much on how you love her and miss her," I said and I look back at him. His eyes, there was this sadness again I see every time we talk about her.

"You may look like her but I know that you two are different," he said. "And even though I miss her I can't just look at you every time and imagine that you are her, Roana," he said and stare at me. "I may be an asshole, and blamed myself for what happened but I will never look at you the way I look at her, I will not use you to get my ego better or my longing for her will temporarily vanish," He added as he cupped my face with his one hand and started to my eyes, he smiled sadly and sighed.

"You may look alike but I know what I feel," He said as his face slowly getting closer, I closed my eyes and followed the way his lips move in mine, his kisses are slow and inviting, his one hand reach my nape, and slowly pulling me closer to him our skin touching even with clothes on I feel like we are already bare, he then licked my lips and bit my lip I moaned as his kisses got deeper and rougher making my breath hitched with desire for more and my heart is now beating like some wild horses are running, I gasped for air as his hands slowly making it's way to my waist pulling me closer to him and his other hand is placed in my nape slowly rubbing his thumb to my skin making me feel hotter adding a sensation of new flamed desire that has been ignited by his touch and kisses, slowly burning and submitting myself to our desires.