Vain - Chapter 16 Gifts

Aileene definitely felt a bit overwhelmed by the amounts of gifts she received for her birthday, it was frankly too much. And every year it only seemed to increase, she sighed pitifully. Isn’t this the problems of rich families, they have too much money and free time.But doesn’t she also own her cousin a gift? He had already given her a jeweled choker, among other gifts. And since she was going to left in a few days, she should definitely find him a suitable gift and give it to him before leaving. Though she had only herself to blame for being stupid and not buying the gift before leaving to Kinlar. And anything she could buy in Kinlar, her cousin could buy too.

Aileene lay her head down into her arms, as she sat at her vanity table. She was going to have to figure out something before it was too late. Buying something in Kinlar was out—the only option was for her to hand make something. It was going to be difficult, but worth it and her cousin wouldn’t be able to buy what she made anywhere in the market.

Pulling herself up from her desk, Aileene took out her luggage from under the bed. As she sat down on the ground, she was level to the large luggage that was even bigger than her when opened. Rummaging through all her clothing and random knick-knacks that she thought she might need, she found what she was looking for.

The item was unremarkable looking, only an old antique box, a little bigger than the size of her lap. Carrying the box up from the luggage, she placed it down on the bed and opened it. The box contained organized knitting supplies with all kind of yarns and colors filling every corner.

Smiling, Aileene pulled out her double-pointed needles. She was going to knit her cousin a scarf for the winters. And it would be the best scarf she has ever made!

Even though she hasn’t exactly made her any scarf yet, afterall she wasn’t the expert, her mother was. She simply tried to learn the skill awhile back and her mother gifted the box of knitting material to help her. Though she did manage to make a few representable items from her knitting, she wasn’t exactly a prodigy in the field. And now she was going to have to knit a scarf on her own with only her mother’s example and instructions in mind.

A part of her was already filled with dread at the prospect, but she was going to push through. Even if it turned out badly, at least she made it with the good of her heart. Wasn’t that enough?

Picking up a large navy blue ball of yarn, she walked over to a cushioned armchair in the corner of her room. Settling herself down in her seat, she glanced out the window the chair was facing. The sun was bright in the sky, indicating that the day was still far from ending. She unravels a part of the yarn and began working.

It was going to take a bit of time to make a whole usable scarf. So she was going to have to get to work immediately.

❅

It was late the next day that she finished, and Aileene was honestly so glad to be done. Her hand felt numb from holding it in the position for so long, but she persevered and made a semi-usable scarf. Sure, it did a little wonky, but when she tried wrapping it around her neck, it worked fine for warmth. If her cousin would just ignore all its flaws, it would be the perfect scarf.

Taking the scarf off her neck, she placed it like a little box and topped it with a red bow. Smiling at her creation, Aileene couldn’t help but feel proud.

“Aileene, there’s a package for you.” Her aunt called from downstairs. Her voice distanced and low in volume, and Aileene almost couldn’t catch what she said.

“I’ll come down.” She replied, breaking away from her thoughts, though the package in question greatly confused her. Who would send her a package? Was it Ruby or Xi? But they had already gifted her presents before she left for Kinlar. She wasn’t sure and she was only close to her family and her two friends. So she wouldn’t have been able to have that many connections with nobilities.

Walking down the stairs, she could see her aunt turning to her and giving her a bright smile. A small gift box in her arms. As her Aunt neared her, she handed out the box to her.

“This was sent for you, it doesn’t have a name for the sender.” Her aunt explained softly to her, a small smile still remaining on her lips. Taking the box off of her aunt’s hands, she examined it quickly, noting that the box was small and able to fix in her hand. So the gift inside must be something small and compact. When she shook the box, it even made a rattling noise, confirming her deductions.

“I have no clue who would send me a gift either,” Aileene replied a curious look written on her face, as she cleared her aunt’s suspicion. Opening the box, she was surprised to see a beautiful charm bracelet. The centerpiece being a charm of a similar candle she had used at the light festival. There was even a plate on the bracelet with her name engraved into it.

“Do you know who yet?” Her aunt asked her, as they both admired the beautifully crafted bracelet. It was simplistic but elegant and she could immediately tell it’s worth by the intricate design and thought that took place. It was a marvelous sight, and she had already guessed who the gift was from.

“I don’t actually, maybe it was some noble’s present for my birthday.” Aileene lied smoothly, she wasn’t about to let her aunt know that she had met the prince. It was a secret of the two, and she would rather keep it that way. Unlocking the bracelet’s hook, she gave it to her aunt to help put it on her right wrist. When it was finally on, she slid her nameplate to the front, still admiring the beautiful font.

“It fits you perfectly.” Her aunt commented, before pulling her into a hug. Aileene returned the hug warmly, a smile finding a way onto her face. Tomorrow was the last day she would stay in Kinlar, and she was rather happy to be going home. But she would definitely miss her relatives and especially her cousin.

“I’ll miss you.” She replied in her aunt’s embrace, her voice mostly being muffled in her aunt’s dress.

“I’ll miss you too.” Her aunt said, kissing her on her forehead.

❅

14.) If you’re beginning to read a new online story, how many chapters do you wait for it to have? Or do you read it immediately?

Answer:

It depends on the story itself, if I get hook on the description, I would usually read it immediately. But if I’m not, I would probably set it off for a later time, as it gathers dust in my library. If I chose to read the story immediately, I would usually read till the second latest chapter. And then stop and wait for it to gather updates. But sometimes I don’t do this either, so I guess it all depends on my mood.

15.) Do you mind grammar and spelling mistakes in stories?