Chapter 89 A New Day, A New Freedom
\[Lilia\]
Aya woke me up with a gentle tap on the shoulders, and for a split second, her face appeared blurry in my vision before becoming clear again. I didn't recall falling asleep. The last time I recall, I was squealing with so much joy after Val told me about the news that I was free to leave my room. I slowly pushed myself up and sat upright, rubbing the sleepiness out of my eyes and yawning loudly.
“Hey,” I murmured, but my voice was still raspy after a long nap.
“I brought some food. I know you’re hungry. It’s been three hours since you’ve fallen asleep,” she said, setting up my meal on the small glass table where I used to dine in the middle on the couches near my floor-to-ceiling window sill. I also noticed that she had already changed her clothes while I was still wearing the same dress I wore during the travel. No wonder I felt so uneasy the moment I woke up.
“Oh, what time is it?” I inquired, scooting over the edge of my bed and swinging my legs to the side. Standing on my feet, walking toward the lounge, I took a seat in front of the meal she had prepared.
“It’s already six in the evening,” she replied, setting down my spoon and fork before she took the place right next to me, asking, “Have you rested well enough?”
I was about to pick up my spoon when I noticed something. Aya's demeanor is a little subdued, and it is not at all indicative of her eccentric self. Did she not rest after we arrived?
“I’m fine, how about you? You seemed a bit low in spirit.” I remarked, wondering that there might be something troubling her.
I know what happened to us in Italy wasn’t that easy to forget, and I may have gone into a life and death situation, but what Aya's experience was not something that could be disregarded either. Both of us have been through a great deal of hardship.
She only smiled very slightly at me and nodded her head. “After I finished unpacking your belongings, I went to bed as well.”
Aya is one of the strongest people I know and the most caring woman. I suddenly remember she mentioned something about a man she quietly adores back when we were in Italy.
Is that what making her all gloomy? I have wanted to ask her that, but it kind of slipped off my mind, and I think tonight is not the right time either.
I turn to my food and reach for my spoon again when I remember the most important that I have to tell her. I hastily turn my attention back to her, leaning closer and clasping my hands together with excitement.
“Oh! I almost forgot!” I squealed, startling Aya in her seat. Her eyes were wide in surprise, brows scrunched up on her forehead while throwing me off an odd look as though I had transformed into an alien.
I didn't pay attention to her reaction to my sudden outburst of joy and continued on with the news that made my soul soar higher than an eagle could fly. There is no doubt that it would cheer her up as well.
“I have some very exciting news. Kael allowed me to go out and roam around the place, but not too close to the fences,” I blurted out in one go. My voice was pitchy, but I didn’t care and continued bouncing on my seat.
The expression on Aya's face shifts abruptly from one of gloom to one of amazement. Her jaw is hanging open and she is staring at me as if she had a fleeting moment of uncertainty about what I was saying, but I keep my excitement and shriek like a banshee.
“Really? Lilia, that is great!” She exclaimed, bouncing along with me on the couch, clutching our hands together as we both screamed in delight.
“It is, right?” Still squealing like a mouse, I nodded vehemently and grabbed Aya into a bear embrace. “You can give me a tour around the mansion, Aya. We can do anything we want,” I added.
We were shrieking our lungs out till our voices were raspy and my throat became itchy from the effort. If Val were to hear us at this very now, he would undoubtedly believe that somebody is attempting to kill us here in my room. Thankfully, I am situated on the far side of the west wing of the mansion, and there are only occasional servants that wander around the hallway unless they are going to clean the corridor.
“Master Kael, he’s changing. For good,” Aya commented soon as we finally got our wits together and calmed ourselves. The sullen look on her face faded just as I anticipated, and she was now beaming with happiness.
Though what she said caught my attention. Kael. That man, I could feel the drastic change in his attitude towards me since I first got here, and it has been a while now. But I still can’t be too sure that he indeed has changed for the better.
Well, he did allow me to go out, that’s one thing, right?
“Hmm, I think so. Maybe he realized something,” I said, finally able to pick up my utensil, scoop up a dollop of mashed potato, and pinch a clump of tender beef before pushing it straight into my mouth.
“Well, in that case, we have to plan our day tomorrow and rest early tonight,” Aya suggested, pouring me a glass of water while I pig out.
I told her to join me, but she adamantly insisted that she had already eaten in the kitchen. Kael wasn’t here, so the other servants seemed to have a feast. It’s not that he was starving them. It’s just that they are too scared to eat anything when he’s around.
Well, I do too if I were them. That man is quite scary as hell even without doing anything.