Chapter 28 I'm innocent
Lyra's POV.
That didn't sound like Seraphina was joking but I didn't think she'd actually do it.
Maybe she was just trying to scare the girl? But that is not what it is. She was really serious about it.
“Please don't!” The girl pleaded.
Seraphina used the hairpin to trail the girl's face and she had a smirk on.
I couldn't say anything and I couldn't move my feet from where I was. In truth, I should speak, but I was also scared for myself.
She doesn't like me, she'll treat me in a worse way.
The girl who was being talked to stood up and held Seraphina's hands with her eyes closed and downcast.
When she opened her eyes, she looked up at Seraphina.
“Please don't hurt her!” She pleaded. “I was only trying to ask her about who you are”
“Please forgive her,” the girl said.
The girl was new and had only used a few weeks in the maids quarters. It was possible that she doesn't know Seraphina.
I had worked here for years but I had only seen her around and didn't know what her name was.
Seraphina kicked the girl off her body and the girl was forced to stagger to the back.
“Okay” she moved away from the girl who was going to cut her face.
“Will you let me cut your skin instead of hers?” She asked. “Let me cut yours and this will end”
The girl only gulped and stepped backwards. She couldn't afford to have a scar on her face because of a friend or maybe she was just a colleague.
It wasn't her fault the beautiful queen was running her mouth.
Seraphina laughed seeing the girl could not lay herself down instead.
She moved back to the girl that was being held by her escorts.
She placed the hairpin on the right side of her chubby cheeks. The girl whimpered. “Please”
But that wasn't a word Seraphina understood. She understood violence and infliction of pain.
That was the reason why everything she did this morning was off and they surprised me.
I didn't think she'd actually do it. I didn't believe she would give the girl a scar that would last eternity but right in front of me, she pressed the hairpin into her skin and slashed it all the way to her chin.
The girl screamed and wriggled but the escorts were holding her so tight.
My breath became shaky and my hands went over to cover my mouth.
Unbelievable.
The girl couldn't fight back, she wasn't even allowed to scream. She only whimpered and tears rolled out of her eyes uncontrollably.
Her blood dropped to the floor and that got many other maids whimpering and shaking. No one dared talk, no one dared scream, no one dared leave.
No one wanted to be the next victim.
When Seraphina was finally satisfied with the cut she gave the girl, she dropped the bloody hairpin on the ground and let out a deep breath.
“Run your mouth in front of me again and I would slash the right place which is your neck” Seraphina threatened.
“You say you are beautiful? Now go around with your slashed face!” Seraphina smirked.
I only clenched my jaws and blinked. What Seraphina doesn't understand is that beauty doesn't always show on the face, most times, it lies in the heart.
If the girl has the beauty of the heart, even with her slashed face, she will be seen.
I couldn't tell Seraphina that because I knew she wouldn't be slashing my face, she might just kill me right here.
Many others returned to their washing. Everywhere was silent, so silent I could hear the heartbeat of some people.
Everyone wished she'd leave but it looked like she still had unfinished business here.
“Right!” She exclaimed.
What had she remembered this time?
“Dear Enna” my heart skipped when she mentioned Enna's name.
What had Enna had to do with her? My face turned to that of terror as I looked around for Enna.
“Enna, where are you?” Seraphina called again, her voice sounding so sweet but the pretense under that voice was clear.
“Here I am, my lady” Enna stood up from where she was crouching down.
Her face was hardened and she looked like she wasn't fearing Seraphina. From the little I've learned about her, she doesn't get scared quickly.
“Oh, baby. Come here” Seraphina said, gesturing for Enna to come closer.
Enna did so without complaint. She stood in front of Seraphina and bowed.
“Here I am, my lady,” she repeated.
Seraphina's face suddenly turned serious and she landed a slap on Enna's face before any of us could register what was happening.
Enna fell to the floor as the slap threw her completely off balance.
I quickly went to her side and held her up.
“Enna.” I called, my voice panicked. “Are you okay?”
She didn't get to answer my question when one of Seraphina's escorts held me up and the other lifted Enna forcefully off the ground.
“Let go!” I tried to make her let go of me but it proved abortive.
Seraphina walked closer to Enna. “When I give someone a task, you let them finish it all by themselves,” she said slowly, like she was giving a lecture.
A task…..
My eyes widened. It dawned on me at the moment that Enna had just been slapped because of me.
The water container she had told me to fill up which she filled in my stead.
With force, I got myself out of the escort's grip. I moved to Seraphina and held her hand.
“My lady. Please forgive her. No, take it out on me, I made her do it” I said.
Seraphina yanked her hand away from me and then she smiled. “No, sister-in-law. How will I try to punish you?”
“She's at fault. She did the work in your stead, that matters” she said.
Again, the escort got a hold of me before I could further my scene.
“For what you did, Enna” Seraphina paused. “You will get a punishment of 50 socks off beating”
“No! She can't get punished because of me!” Tears spilled down my face.