Chapter 24 Unraveling
\[Lilia\]
“Rise and shine!” Aya’s voice filled my ears and my eyes were stinging from the abrupt burst of brilliant light that flooded into my room, caused by her swooshing the draperies to the side of my window. The burning sun rays penetrating through my closed lids immediately earned a loud groan eliciting from my throat.
“M...rning,” I mumbled half awake, slurring off the word as I rolled to my side, gripping my blanket and pulling it over my head.
How come it is already morning? I haven’t gotten enough sleep yet, and my body is feeling heavy, along with the soreness tingling between my legs. Just then, everything dawned on me faster than lightning speed as last night’s event came rushing down to my senses like a fountain of cold water. My eyes shot open and I remained rigid under my duvet, the warmth of my own breath fanning off my face as I stared on my knees that had been curled up closer to my chin, noting the faint pink scar left by my healed wound.
It wasn’t a nightmare. Kael.
His steel-cold face.
The gentleness he made me feel while bathing.
His thing inside me. Even the ghost of his size lingers in the recesses of my depth.
It was real. It's all too real, and it makes my stomach churn with all the familiar sensation.
I drew a long sigh, deeming that it would be worthless if I kept myself hidden under my thick duvet for the whole day just because that nightmare really happened.
“Lilia, your breakfast is ready—” As soon as I pulled the blankets off my bed and popped my head out, Aya cut herself off in the middle of her statement.
Her eyes quickly shifted to my face, with her attention drawn to my lips in particular, and I became more conscious of how I appeared following last night's events.
Kael might have thoroughly cleaned me, but the evidence of his assaults was still visible on my skin.
“He came here last night.” Aya continued on, albeit she phrased it more like a statement than a question, as if she already knew what happened without asking.
The faint bruise at the side of her mouth serves as a prompt to me as well that we both suffered Kael’s wrath but on very different levels based on our respective scenarios.
It is also a great reminder to myself that if ever I get a notion of escaping once again, Aya will be the person who suffers as a result.
What happened already happened, and there’s no use for me to mop around it and cry like a baby. I already accepted my fate, no matter how hard it was for me. Kael had already planted his seal on my body, and there was no way of reversing it.
“Yeah,” I attempted to bring out a smile on my face as I tried to push all those sentiments to the back of my head, but instead it turned out to be a grimace. At least I tried even though it miserably failed.
But, hey, I still want to consider this day a blessing, that I have yet to face another day in my life despite my pleading last night for Kael to just kill me. That was really silly, but I was desperate and depressed.
And now, I think otherwise. I needed to be strong for myself as there is nobody who will but my own. So at least, I can give that to myself to be happy at the little things I could find in this horrible place. Laugh when I can and savor it while it lasts. Even though I am merely deluding myself with it until the last day of my life. I already don’t care.
Aya cleared her throat, erasing the pity lingering in her eyes. Immediately diverting her gaze away from my face and went to the wheeled table tray and prepared my breakfast. Taking a box of milk and pouring it into the glass. I also noticed that instead of having single glasses in each drink, Aya had prepared extra. Just like, instead of one glass of milk, she brought the whole box of it, same with the pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice and a jug of water. I frowned internally as it came to my mind that she was taking extra precautions now. I can say that she didn’t want to make the same mistake she did as leaving the door open just because she forgot to bring me a glass of water.
I immediately dismiss the somber thought out of my mind as I push myself up from the bed, letting the duvet fall entirely off from my body. The pain isn’t as bad as I have imagined, except in the lower part, especially between my legs.
A sharp intake of breath caught my attention, and I lifted my gaze only to see Aya’s baffled face staring down at the bruises littering my skin.
Nobody spoke. She just stared at me for a second with sympathy in her gaze, and I just waited for her to recover from the shock plastered on her face. She already had seen me like this before, all bruised up, though I can say that the marks were worse this time.
“M-Master told me to dress you up after you finish eating, and you will be leaving in a couple of hours.” She stammered, trying not to choke on her words as she put down the box of milk back on the table and lifted the lid covering my meal.
My mouth immediately watered at the smell of mushroom soup along with the delectable aroma of fried breaded chicken. However, what she said momentarily took my attention.
“Leaving?” My brows instantly quirk up, tilting my head quizzically, “where?”
Aya shrugged her shoulders in response as she set up the plate in front of me and began serving my breakfast. “I don’t know. I was only instructed to get you ready by then.”
I carefully licked my lips, eying the huge part of fried chicken that Aya was lifting to transfer it to my plate before I looked up to her once again and asked, “Will you be coming with us?”
She only shook her head and replied, “No. Val will fetch you once you’re done. Eat now.”
Without saying anything furthermore, I finally gave in to my hunger and took my spoon, digging myself with the food that Aya set for me while she, on the other hand, went to my closet to find me a suitable dress for whatever today’s happenings.
I don’t know where Kael is taking me this time and why he’s bringing me along, but as far as my memories serve me right, he told me that I am never leaving his sight. Well, technically, he did leave me last night, but I am sure that if I ever consider fleeing, he has already increased the security around the mansion and, most importantly, barred all housemaids from using huge garbage bins or any container large enough for my size to squeeze in it.
I didn’t know that he would take it this seriously, tagging me along whenever he goes.
Or maybe he just wanted to put his million dollar purchase on display so that he could keep his hawkish eyes on me all the time. In that case, there will be no chance for me to plan out an escape. After what happened, I highly think I will be able to step an arm away from him in that matter.
That, unfortunately, could be the only sensible reason I could find for taking me out.
After I finished my meal, just in time, Aya got out of my walk-in closet with a bundle of dresses in her arms that I had never worn before. When I say bundle, what I mean is that I could only see the top of her head bobbing beyond those layers of fabric to the point I wondered how come she’s walking blindly straight ahead without tripping. Then she drops them all on top of my bed with a loud huff.
My brows knotted in amusement as I watched her, my mouth still stuffed with food as I spoke out in curiosity, “How many clothes were there for me?”
After everything that had happened to my life recently, I honestly never thought of rummaging about what things had been put up in my walk-in closet. I don’t even know the products I am using for my toiletries.
Aya just gave me one long gaze before blowing the stray tresses of her hair that were falling over the side of her face, then replied. “You don’t really want to know, and saying a lot already gives you an idea.” She quipped.
I said nothing else and swallowed the food I was chewing, chugged down a glass of fresh orange juice, my face slightly wincing from the little sourness, and then burped as the acid tried to reflux inside my chest. I watched her sort out the dresses, plating them on my bed, when something caught my attention. I put down my fork and reached for it, lifting it to my face and scrutinizing its shape.
“What is this?” I asked aloud, not moving my gaze away from the weird-looking piece.
The cottony fabric lace is held in place by a thin piece of curved wire that goes into a c-shaped curve form. Flaring on one side creates a triangle, while the other is just plain cloth-covered wire. I gave it a little bent, but the material is quite sturdy. I wonder what kind of use this is.
Aya blinked her gaze at me, her mouth gaping, looking at me like I had grown two heads with my question. Then she chuckled, plucking the ‘thing’ off my hand.
“That, my dear, is an underwear, and you’re going to wear it today.”
My mouth immediately drops, and one thing I am grateful about is that I had already swallowed my food, otherwise it would have fallen out of my mouth.
“What?” I exclaimed, very taken aback by how well that thing worked as underwear. I could even picture my eyes bulging out in bemusement. “But how?”
“Go, take a shower while I pick your dress, then I’ll show you how this thing works on you,” Aya’s chuckles turned to giggles, a huge stretch of grin plastered on her face, and then she winked.
Instantaneously, goosebumps appeared on both of my arms.
Oh, God. I had never thought that a day would come that I would look at her so terrifyingly.
And so is that wink.