王国
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"(Y/N), what the hell happened!?" Mari pulled said girl aside the next day when she was finally able to grab a hold of her, Juliya beside her with clear worry in her emerald gaze. "I heard something happened to some of the noble ladies! Were they really attacked by bandits!? And... what happened to your face!?"
(Y/N) jerked her head away from the other's touch when her fingers brushed against her cheek.
Mari stepped back, hurt.
"Sorry... I don't think I can do this right now..." she murmured, giving a small bow of her head before walking away, looking lost in a daze more so than anything.
This only worried her two friends more.
"Something happened yesterday, I know it..." Mari mumbled, her brows furrowing whilst her pink eyes narrowed as she contemplated the theories running through her mind. "And I don't believe those women got attacked by bandits, either. But what could the other cause be that has (Y/N) so shaken? I've never seen her like this before. Have you?"
Juliya shook her head, exclaiming, "Even when being taken from Ushien... she was calm."
"So this doesn't make sense..."
"One thing at a time," Juliya motioned for Mari to pay attention to her, tucking a lock of her brown hair behind her ear. "I know you're worried about (Y/N)... but I need your help with that thing."
"I know, I know," Mari shushed her, glancing around fervently to make sure no one was around. "Okay, so this is what I learned..."
As the two maids talked, trying to escape the spiderweb that they were trapped in, (Y/N) didn't seem to understand the urgency to leave said web. In fact, she felt no desire to escape at all. Despite Duran killing so many people in front of her, despite him forcing her from her country to serve him as a maid, and despite whatever threats that he may have made to her in the past, she felt nothing.
It was as if she were a machine.
No desire.
No want.
No need.
Just work.
And as she rounded the side of the palace to the front, she was able to spot Zoha and the rest of the noble ladies loading up their carriages to return to their countries. She also noticed funeral carriages that would carry the cremated bodies of the deceased back as well. She watched all of this happen, and almost as if fate were messing with her, Zoha turned her head just right to meet her eyes.
Her eyes were cold.
They held no sympathy nor affection.
But they held pity.
And for some reason, this confused (Y/N) greatly since she didn't consider pity as something she needed.
But it was what was given.
Then Zoha shut the door to the carriage and demanded for the coachman to drive, the steady clip of the horses hooves against the cobbled stone slowly fading away into the distance. Every single bridal candidate followed suit, none wanting to be in Duran's presence any more than they had to. After witnessing him brutally murder four women—women who belonged to royal and noble blood—with no regards for any repercussion, they didn't want to stick around to end up with the same fate.
(Y/N) smirked.
It's almost amusing by this point.
To see such prideful women who've grown up with everything fear something like this...
It makes me wonder...
What would have happened to them if they had to live through my shitty life? And... how would they handle being subservient to someone else for the rest of their lives?
Her smile wavered at the thought of her past, but quickly shook the rather depressing memories away as she walked back to the other part of the palace. Since the departure of the bridal candidates and the deaths of the four women were wrapped up quickly, (Y/N) had to swiftly visit the kitchen to pick up a tray of tea for Duran who would be taking a break in the garden earlier now that his schedule was mostly cleared—at least for that day, it was.
Yesterday...
He looked different compared to how he looked back then in Ushien since at least there, he looked as if he had a purpose.
He didn't that day.
He wanted those girls' agony.
And he liked it.
Is this his true personality, I wonder? Is that why he used me as an excuse?
Her grip on the tray tightened at the thought, having vowed that she would never allow herself to be used like that in such a manner. But there was no way of turning down the King, since his mere word was law there in Ophnelia.
"Here is your tea, Your Majesty," (Y/N) stopped before one of the tables in the garden, giving a low bow as she set the tray down.
"(Y/N)!" Duran perked up, closing the book he had been reading. "I was wondering where you were."
"Ah... am I not on time? I apolo—"
"No, you are," he interrupted as he propped his head up, giving her a lilting smile as he closed his eyes, the look a complete one-eighty compared to his expression that she had witnessed yesterday. "I just missed you and couldn't wait to see you again. I was quite anxious here waiting by myself, did you know? I was afraid that you had run off... I don't think I could ever allow that to happen."
As he spoke, his eyes lidded, his free hand's pointer finger circling the rim of the tea cup, his reflection staring back up at him.
"My only duty is to serve you, Sire," (Y/N) stated evenly without missing a beat.
Duran looked up at her.
His smile broadened.
"I'm very pleased to hear that, (Y/N)," he grabbed her hand, the act startling her and making her flinch, a reaction that he very much enjoyed. "Why don't you join me? It's boring sitting here all alone."
"How could I dare impose?"
Duran's smile fell flat, his dark eyes boring into her form as he said, "Sit."
(Y/N) searched his expression.
Letting out a sigh, she sat.
"Your Majesty, for a maid like me to sit with you... it's quite disrespectful of me," she shook her head, eyeing the way the other servants were glancing or whispering to each other. "Rumors will abound about this discourtesy, and I might just be punished very severely if that were to happen."
"Who would dare punish you?" Duran laughed off her words as if they were nothing. "You're my maid. They can't do anything to you so easily."
"You haven't forgotten, have you?"
"Forgotten what?"
(Y/N$ rolled back the sleeves of her uniform to reveal her scars from Vivienne, just the sight alone enough to sap the once light-hearted atmosphere away into a rather dreary setting. Duran's mood instantly soured, and that only heightened the other servants' fear over what he might do. They already knew of his reputation as a bloodthirsty monster, they just didn't want to experience it first hand.
"Not a moment goes by where I don't remember..." Duran murmured, his fingers brushing against her skin. "It haunts me..."
"I am but a maid," (Y/N) sighed as she readjusted her sleeves. "This shouldn't concern you."
Duran slammed his hands down.
Everyone flinched.
(Y/N) was the only one who stayed still.
"Don't say that..." he mumbled under his breath, veins scrawling across his skin as his muscles grew taut and his eyes widened, a slow anger like the one he had felt yesterday coursing throughout his body. "How can you say I shouldn't be concerned about you? Don't you know? You have to know, right? If you don't, won't that just be pathetic?"
She didn't say anything.
"No..." he met her eyes, his smile morphing into a look far more twisted. "You do know... you just don't want it to be admitted, do you?"
I don't...
It can't be...
Something like this must never be.
Unfortunately, no matter how badly (Y/N) wished for the conversation at hand to be but a figment of her imagination, she was reminded of how all too real it was when Duran yanked her up by the wrist. Pressing her body against his own, he leaned down and kissed her lips in an almost desperate manner.
But he couldn't help it.
He desired her.
⎡ 𝑻𝑶 𝑩𝑬 𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑻𝑰𝑵𝑼𝑬𝑫 ⎦