Prologue

Is today some kind of a special day?" I wonder, looking at all the beautiful clothes that lay in front of me.

Even a stray dog would look like a prince wearing them. Not me, though. If I were to wear these, I would still totally look like a dirty slave that I am. The thought made me glance down at my dirt covered, patched-up clothes that were on me for a long time. These glamorous outfits are supposed to make me look like a million bucks, but who am I kidding?

But my Rag like clothes were a bit better than my own condition. I looked around the room which actually belonged to ‘The Lady of the house’ or whatever she deemed herself, "I don't belong in here" saying to myself I glanced at the huge mirror that was in the corner of the room and walked to it. I had to lift my hair from my eyes so I could actually see. "Another unpleasant sight," I thought to myself while trying to make out of what I saw.

My dirt covered brown hair was falling down on my shoulders, I could've sworn it was a different color last time I paid attention. I shrugged and continued onto my eyes that were hiding behind my huge eyebags. The weirdest part was my tiny frame. "Did I get thinner than the last time I had time to check my reflection in the mirror?". If any outsider were to see me like this, they would totally mistake me for a girl, which I am not. The reflections in the mirror seemed to mock me, showing a distorted image of a person I barely recognized.

Memory lane for me is pretty short. The last thing that I remember about myself is that I'm a guy. Other than that, I don't quite remember anything. My name or age, no clue to that. People just make up a name for me by themselves, leaving me to figure out the real one myself. My family... do I even have one? I don't know. My memory starts from this place, though they had sent me here and there for work, but I always end up getting back here. The only thing that I do know is that these people here brought me up, and they are the only ones who care for me, and they give me work so I can repay their kindness or so they claim.

At my previous work, another disaster occurred, though I was stupid enough to think that I was never coming back here again. But I managed to spill a bowl of boiling chicken soup on the master of the house. Well, that was my ticket out of there. I shuddered at the recollection, the embarrassment and clumsiness etched vividly in my mind.

I was still busy with my thoughts when someone’s voice from behind startled me.

"You…why are you still standing here?" The voice was so loud that it made me jump. I turned and looked at the person standing behind me, a woman covered in thick makeup and dressed like it was her wedding day. "Didn't I tell you to go fix yourself? The carriage will be here any moment." she screamed. Seeing that 'The Lady of the House' was here, I hurriedly sat on the floor and bowed my head.

"Um... I..."

"WHAT?" she screamed even louder and made me flinch.

"Mam... I... I don't know what to do...these clothes... they are beautiful...I... I really don't think someone like me deserves to even look at them..."

"I KNOW THAT..." she screamed again, I raised my head for a little peek at her, and she looked like a red tomato that was about to explode. nah-uh, not looking up, I quickly turned back down. A moment of silence passed, and she sighed, ignoring the figure trembling on the floor she went to the mirror and started applying another coat of makeup.

"Momo..., I know you are a good boy always helping out everyone. But your return last time brought disgrace to our family, you know that, right?" she peeked at me from the mirror, and I gave her a slow nod. "Family… are we actually something like that?” I thought to myself. The families I saw at the places I worked at were kind of… different. While I was busy thinking, she continued on talking by herself.

"The buyers this time, requested someone beautiful and rich to match their exquisite tastes, you're neither of it, I know that, but they were pleasant enough to give us good money for the cause, so… I thought, why go to such lengths of finding someone like that and waste our precious money, oh all these clothes were actually bought from that money". She paused and smirked at herself.

"It’s just an investment, we just have to get someone ugly like for example you and have to doll you up and send you there and when you settle in, you know what you have to do, right?"

She turned which made come back to my senses, she looked down at me and gestured me to get up, I slowly got up with my head still down but she grabbed my face and pulled it up forcefully to face her "You better not mess it up this time Momo" she let go of my face and made a disgusted face while looking at her hand, she wiped her hand with a towel and walked past me towards the door.

"I'll send someone up here to help you, meanwhile go inside the bathroom and take a shower, not that it'll make you look any better but it'll work" she said and left me alone in the room.

"Momo? It was a different name from what she called me last time. " I rubbed my face, which got red at the place she had grabbed it. I rushed inside the bathroom and wondered about the last time I took a proper bath, who knows.

I took the rags off and left them in a corner on the floor. The bathtub was already full so without a second thought I stepped in and the water was freezing, but again it was a while and the feeling of the cold water surrounding my body wasn't actually that bad, it stopped all the voices that were screaming inside my head.

The silence of the grand bathroom enveloped me, broken only by the occasional distant echoes of the Lady's commands downstairs. I never cared about her schemes anyway. After everything I’m still here alone with my conflicting emotions of resentment and confusion. I let out a loud sigh, which echoed inside the grand bathroom.

"Another place, rich people, clothes, good money" I didn't understood a word of what she said but for once I knew that whatever day today is, for me it would be a pretty long day. While thinking that I slowly submerged myself deeper into the cold water.

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