The movement of her hand stopped. Her body stiffened at the sound of the heartbreaking scream which, although not so loud, was still clearly audible in her ears. Her fingers unconsciously released their grip from the fork.
The sound of the fork clashing with the plate awoke Callista's reverie. Her gaze lowered, turning to the fork that had fallen to the floor. The fork slapped the plate, the table, and then the marble in turn thanks to her.
Callista let out a long breath. Her right hand gently stroked her chest, which was beating wildly. Though only two bites had entered her mouth, the destroyer of her eating mood had come uninvited. But inevitably he had to finish his breakfast, his body felt very weak, and the energy provided by last night's meal had been exhausted.
Deftly, one of the maids closest to Callista grabbed the fork lying on the floor. The other maid immediately placed the new fork on Callista's cutlery line.
Callista stared at the food in front of her. Although this was unnatural, she had to get used to living in this mansion. She shook her head to regain consciousness. With trembling fingers, Callista grabbed the new fork and immediately stabbed the sausage.
Her eyelids closed slightly when she heard the screaming sound again. She desperately tried to swallow the food in her mouth. She had to survive at all costs. Including trying to be indifferent.
Time passed very slowly for her hands, lips, and throat. Her shaking hands were very difficult to condition, her lips moved very slowly to chew food, and her esophagus was very difficult to work with to swallow.
Her stomach slowly filled up, though it took a long time. Just finishing three-fourths of the food on her plate made her very grateful. When she tried to put a piece of cake in her mouth, the aroma of the cake immediately made her stomach feel uncomfortable. Callista hurriedly put down her small spoon. Dessert was not that important at this point.
Her hand reached out to grab the glass of milk nearby. Gulping it down very slowly, somehow the smell of milk smelled like the scent of blood to Callista.
In the middle of her current activity, her pupils caught the image of a figure she was avoiding. Spontaneously it made her choke. She shakily placed the glass of milk on the table. Meanwhile, her other hand was patting her chest which felt tight.
Over there, a man in a black suit was walking straight without turning his head. His clothes and face were covered in blood, and even the footprints of his footwear were imprinted on the floor. Instantly, the previously pure white marble was now stained with the deep red liquid that made up Kenward's footwear. Without thinking too hard, Callista knew that the liquid on Kenward's body was blood.
Callista did not move her gaze from Kenward until he had completely disappeared. Her right palm smothered her lips with all her might. That feeling came back. The feeling of tightness is enveloped by fear and caution.
Callista was desperately trying to keep the food she had swallowed from rising to the top. After feeling that enough time had been given, Callista hurriedly stood up. She had to leave now to avoid Kenward!
But her body said otherwise. As Callista tried to rise to her feet with her crutches, a dizziness struck her head that blurred her vision. Her body was brought back down by her current unstable condition.
Both of Callista's palms gripped her hair tightly due to the stabbing pain. She bowed her head down with a frown printed on her forehead.
"Why does this dizziness come at a time like this?" she muttered softly.
The clock ticked relentlessly, and Callista remained in the same position until several minutes had passed. The sound of tapping feet with long strides made the pair of closed eyelids open immediately. Her heartbeat started racing again.
Callista straightened her gaze when she heard the friction of the chair being pulled. The handsome face she had been avoiding was now right in front of her. Although his face looked fresh which was very different from before, but still the threatening aura of the interlocutor was attached to Kenward.
Callista's hand hurriedly grabbed a pair of crutches. When the breakfast menu was served in front of Kenward, Callista was now ready with the bag resting on her shoulder. She slightly hunched her back as she did not want to offend Kenward. She had been taught to wait for her dining companion to finish the last of her meal as a matter of etiquette, but the current situation was different.
"I-I'm going to school," Callista excused herself. Her tone sounded a little shaky. Although dizziness was still lodged in her mind, Callista still forced her body to step away.
Callista, who had been walking with her head bowed, gasped in surprise when another sound was heard besides the clinking of cutlery. The sound of the dripping was getting closer, Callista froze in place when she saw the thick red liquid forming a line on the marble.
Callista suddenly straightened her eyes. The eight bodyguards, divided into two groups, were now lifting a white stretcher on which was a person with blood flowing freely. The person, whom Callista strongly believed was Kenward's prey, was covered with a white cloth all over his body.
No! That was not Callista's main focus!
Those round eyes stared fixedly at an arm that came out of the white cloth. An arm full of holes with all its fingers missing. No longer having any skin pigment, the arm was only filled with red.
"Do you want to be the new statue for this mansion?"
Callista immediately turned her head towards the source of the voice. If it had been said by someone else, it would have just sounded like a joke or a pep talk. Unlike the case with Kenward, the man said it with a stern look like he would make it happen.
Callista shook her head. "N-no, I'm going to school right now."
Callista straightened her gaze again. Fortunately, Kenward's men had taken another path and had now disappeared from her sight, leaving only the long dark red line.
Her steps were so hasty that the two new maids helping on either side were overwhelmed. Callista's cheeks puffed up slightly.
"I must survive. I have to survive!" she thought to herself.
***
The shuffling feet followed the footsteps of the fast-moving walking stick. Some of the students she passed looked at her strangely. But Callista did not care about that. She had to get to a room right now!
She smashed the door with the strength of her remaining hand. Some of the girls who had been watching her appearance in the mirror were startled by it. Callista, with her eyes fixed only on the toilet cubicle, simply walked away without looking at her surroundings.
Her left hand hurriedly locked the toilet cubicle. Her body slumped down by holding on to the support stick. Both hands stretched forward gripped the toilet closet firmly and immediately vomited all the contents of her stomach there.
In an instant, Callista was exhausted. She leaned her back against the wall separating the cubicles. Her right hand closed the closet and immediately pressed the button until the sound of water flowed from the toilet.
Callista sighed. She reached into her bag for a tissue. She roughly wiped the corner of her lips.
"I'm so weak," she muttered.