Astraea

Briony signed when Brylee stopped the car in front of Miliani.

"I thought we are not coming back here after Uncle Lorcan warned you." She said.

"Are you kidding me?! I commissioned her to make me dresses. And besides, when did I ever mention Uncle Lorcan in front of her. We are not doing anything that should make Uncle Lorcan stop us from coming here. It's my right to choose my own designer." Brylee gave her a side-eye before she opened the door of the car and stepped out of it.

"Yeah, we are not. Until now." Briony rolled her eyes.

"Oh, come on! Have you seen Uncle's tailored suits? I am sure that it was Lydia who made them." Brylee said then she started walking towards the boutique.

"Yes, they are. But considering their current condition. I don't think Lydia would like to make him another suit. Or Uncle would like to wear anything that she touched." After being warned by her Uncle Lorcan and Bell, Briony seemed to be hesitant to go along with Brylee.

Meeting Lydia is simply dangerous. At least when they were threatened by their Uncle Lorcan and Bell.

Brylee stopped in her tracks then she turned to face Briony before she opened the door of the boutique. "I don't think Lydia would refuse to make a suit for me especially if I told her that it would be a gift. And I don't think Uncle wouldn't mind if I gave him a new pair of suits. He wouldn't even ask where I buy it."

"Miss Brylee, you are just in time for your fitting." The sales assistant greeted them with a pleasant smile before she accompanied them on the second floor of the boutique.

When they reached the second floor, the sales assistant immediately left them.

They saw Lydia on her desk with her head down. Her hand is moving swiftly yet smoothly on the sketch pad.

"Good morning, Ms. Lydia." Brylee greeted her.

When Lydia raised her head to look at the two, Brylee and Briony were taken aback. It was only more than one week since they last saw her, but she looked paler. Her eyes were dull and there were dark circles under her eyes.

"Miss Lydia, are you alright?" Brylee asked with concern.

"You looked terrible," Briony added. Worry was flashed on their faces.

Lydia forced a smile on her lips then she stood up from her seat and walked around her desk. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just a lot of work to finish." She said.

Lydia went to the cabinet and took out four dresses from it. Then she walked back to where Brylee and Briony were standing.

Brylee looked at the dresses then she looked back at Lydia's face. "It's finished already?"

Lydia nodded her head. "Yes, you can try it on so that we can make necessary adjustments."

Brylee suddenly felt guilty. When she commissioned Lydia to make dresses for her, she didn't intend to make it rush. Yet, Lydia looked like she was rushing everything.

Brylee took the dresses from Lydia's hand. "You know, I was not in a hurry. You didn't have to finish it all at once." She said regretfully.

But Lydia just smiled at her.

Brylee looked at Briony and they both looked forlorn.

"I thought I'd seen her worst at Uncle Lorcan's pad. She looks like she is not having enough rest. I wonder if she is eating well." Briony said in a hushed tone so that only Brylee could hear her.

They were both inside the fitting room. Briony decided to tag along and help Brylee with the fitting. Because she saw Lydia went back to working on her sketch pad and staying there would feel awkward.

"She is not looking good, which is bad." Brylee sighed heavily.

"Will you still commission her to make Uncle Lorcan a suit?" Briony asked because she is concerned about Lydia's current state. The last thing they wanted now is for Lydia to just collapse while making Lorcan's suit.

Brylee shook her head. "I don't know."

When they get out of the fitting room, Lydia sees them and immediately asks. "Is everything fine? Or do we need adjustments?"

Brylee shook her head. "No, everything is perfect." That was not a lie just to keep Lydia from working extra hours for her dresses. The dresses fit her perfectly.

Lydia smiled. "That's good."

Then Brylee and Briony looked at each other hesitantly. They wanted to say something but were hesitant.

And Lydia noticed it.

"Can I help you with anything else?" Lydia asked.

Brylee bit her inner cheek.

"Uhm...I was wondering...if you could make me another one. But it is not a dress. Just one pair of suits. And it is no rush. You can do it anytime you are free." Brylee blurted out making Briony glare at her.

Lydia looked at them silently without any expression on her face. She pondered for a moment then after a while, she said, "Okay."

"Is it for you?" She asked.

Brylee shook her head. "No, it's for my Uncle. This is supposed to be my birthday gift for him."

"Oh..."

That's when they see the hesitation in her face.

"Then...I need a measurement." She said without looking at them.

"Yeah, I got it here." Brylee searched for a piece of paper in her purse and passed it on to Lydia.

Briony eyed her with curiosity.

Lydia looked at the paper and frowned, nevertheless, she pinned it on her board.

"I'll have my assistant call you when it's done," Lydia said.

"Okay, but you don't have to rush it. My Uncle's birthday is in three weeks so you need not work hard on it." Brylee said to which Lydia just nodded her head.

"Uhm...Miss Lydia?" Brylee just can't help it. Lydia, who was back on her desk, looked up at her.

"Are you sure you are alright? I mean, I'm sure there is a lot of work going on, but you need to rest and eat. How about we go to our restaurant? You promised to visit one day. It'll give you time to relax." Brylee urged Lydia.

Briony nodded her head because she thought the same way. Lydia needs some break.

Lydia just smiled at them. "I promise to visit one day, but not today. Thank you."

"But you are not looking good. It is not right to abuse your body." Briony said.

Lydia was frozen for a while with her last words. Then she nodded her head. "You are right, I think I need some rest."

After a lot of convincing, Lydia finally decided to take a break. She instructed her assistant to order some food for her and to cancel her appointments for the day.

Brylee and Briony didn't persuade her to visit their restaurant because Lydia seems like she needed rest more than food.

When they left the boutique, Lydia went to her room and immediately dragged her tired body into her bed. She eventually fell asleep after that.

"I am not comfortable with this," Briony said as soon as they get inside the car.

"Yeah, me too," Brylee replied.

"And yet you still commissioned her to make Uncle Lorcan's suit. I feel sorry for her." Briony shook her head.

"I know, I just can't help it. I feel like I should do it."

Briony looked at her unbelievably.

Brylee is staring in front of her, her hands gripping on the steering wheel. "Do you think she is burying herself to work so that she could forget about Uncle Lorcan?"

"She is burying herself to work but I am not sure about the Uncle Lorcan part. We don't even know what happened to them. And Uncle Lorcan doesn't seem to care."

"Uncle Lorcan is such a jerk! Urgh! I hate men!" Brylee seethed while gripping tightly on the steering wheel.

Then there was silence.

"I guess we should stop seeing her," Brylee said afterward. Briony looked at her with doubt. Brylee is saying that she will stop being nosy? Briony raised her hand and checked Brylee's forehead with the back of her hand to check if she was sick.

Brylee irritably swatted Briony's hand. "What are you doing?"

Briony just shrugged her shoulders. "I thought you were sick. Thou you are right. If something was going on with Lydia and Uncle Lorcan, Lydia is obviously still hurting and trying to move on. Seeing us would not help. So, we should stop."

Brylee nodded her head defeatedly. "Thou I will still come to buy dresses."

"How about the suit you commissioned for Uncle Lorcan?" Briony suddenly asked.

"That will be the last time that I will have to see her," Brylee replied defeatedly and started to drive the car.

"By the way, where did you get Uncle Lorcan's measurement?" Briony asked when they were almost at home. She was certain that their Uncle Lorcan would never give his measurement to Brylee. And there is no way that Brylee could sneak in and get his measurement without being caught.

"I just assumed it." She replied, her focus is on the road.

"What? You mean, that is not his real measurement?" Briony said with a wide eye.

"Yeah, as if I can get Uncle's measurement." Brylee rolled her eyes. "I am sure Lydia has his measurement anyway. Now I wonder which measurement she will use."

By that time, they already arrived at their home.

"Bell and Bianca are back," Briony says when she saw Bell's car parked in the driveway.

"I wonder what they found out. Let's go!"