It was supposed to be warm that day, but only cold air could be felt. All the maids who were present at the scene were shivering in fear. It all started when Lady Dulcea came announced to the Duke's household, seeking Eliana.
"Eliana, do you know that your sister was at the palace yesterday?"
"Yes, I heard she went there with father. Why?" Eliana asked with full of curiosity.
"She's not with your father when I saw her. I wonder who she met at that time," Lady Dulcea started to ignite the flame within Eliana's heart.
"Did she went to meet Sir Calisto? Did she try to seduce him? I heard that he visited here last time," Eliana asked. She started to make a few assumptions and felt angry all on her own.
"She might be waiting for him since it's near his office," Lady Dulcea spoke as politely as a person could be. Trying to hide her devious act.
"I told you before, didn't I? She's a scarlet woman," Lady Dulcea continued her words.
"She's an abomination. Why doesn't she just drop dead?" Eliana was furious. She seemed to agree with what Lady Dulcea was saying.
"You need to make things right. Not just for you, but for your family as well."
Lady Dulcea patted her on the back to calm her down. She knew Eliana liked Sir Calisto, so if she can control Eliana, she wouldn't have to worry about dirtying her hands. She still remembers what she saw yesterday, the way Prince Leon looks at me affectionately. As she doesn't want to ruin her 'Golden Lady' title, she just has to look for someone to do her bidding, and that person was Eliana.
"I have to tell my mother. She would know what to do," Eliana said.
Eliana didn't wait for a second to seek her mother's help. Lady Dulcea bid farewell after she has passed her message, as she knew things will be taken care of now.
Lady Chlaricia was enjoying her afternoon tea when Eliana barged in, without any greeting whatsoever. She walked furiously to the table and sat next to her. However, as a mother she loves her daughter dearly, so she just smiled at her.
"Mother!"
Eliana's face was as red as blood. She was furious, and the only one who can help her was her mother.
"What's wrong, Eliana? Who makes my sweet daughter angry like this?"
Lady Chlaricia said with a soft voice. She knew her daughter was mad as she could hear her footsteps a few miles away.
"Mother, I want to marry Sir Calisto. Can you send a proposal to his house? Can you?"
Eliana pouted. She knew her mother loved her and would do anything for her. Anything she asked or wanted, she doesn't want 'No' for an answer. All her life she has been pampered, so not surprised that she acted as such.
"Eliana my sweet child, you haven't had your debutante yet. Can you wait for two more years?"
"No! We can have our engagement first!" Eliana demanded.
"Eliana, tell me what is really on your mind right now. You have never acted like this before. "
Her mother knew she couldn't give what Eliana wanted as a marriage or even an engagement, it all have to go through the Duke's first, and she knew he wouldn't agree. She knows the Duke himself doesn't agree with political marriage. Before he met Angela, he declined all the proposals without even looking who it was. Even now, she knows that the Duke doesn't actually love her. When she asked for his hand, she used the excuse of being a mother for his child. So the only way to make the Duke agreed was for both of them to love each other.
"That thing! She seduced Sir Calisto. Dulcea saw her yesterday," Eliana sniffled as she told her mother. Trying to beg for sympathy.
"She's just like her mother. When I think of her mother snatching Evander away from me, makes me boil with rage. I am glad she died early. Why can't she just take her child with her? So troublesome," Lady Chlaricia said, furiously as she remembers the time she always followed the Duke, seeking for his hand in marriage. But only an invitation to his wedding that she got.
"She's ruining the good name of our family. Mother! You should do something. Do you want your sweet daughter to be sad?"
Eliana's tears started to fall as she uttered the words. She knew if she started crying, her words would be tripled time effective.
"Don't cry, my precious little girl. Let mother handle this," Lady Dulcea said as she started to make her way to my room.
She walked angrily towards my room with Eliana beside her. Anyone who saw them right now knew something bad would happen anytime soon. As she arrived, she furiously slammed the door opened, without any common moralities.
"Deanna!"
Lady Chlaricia's shouts could be heard throughout the household. When she realized I wasn't in the room, she asked her maid to call for Laura.
"Look mother, she's not here. She must be out meeting some men," Eliana pointed it out to her mother.
"What if she met my beloved Calisto? Mother!"
Eliana's mind was all over the place just by one simple sentence from Lady Dulcea. She likes Sir Calisto since the first time she laid eyes on him. She vowed that she would never let anyone but her have him.
"Eliana. Don't worry about it. I will take care of it," her mother said.
She was fuming with anger. From the moment she met me, she made a promise to herself that she will never let me obtained happiness or feel a little of it. She despised me without me doing anything.
A few minutes passed, then Laura came in. She walked straight ahead, polite but confident. She knew why Lady Chlaricia came here, and she was prepared for whatever happened to her.
"Gre…."
Laura was about to greet Lady Chlaricia, but her words were interrupted by a vase coming at her at full speed. Lady Chlaricia didn't hesitate at all and aimed at her. The vase hit her in the shoulder before crashing into the door behind her and falling to the floor. The glasses were splattered everywhere.
"What are you doing? Picked it up," Lady Chlaricia said to Laura.
"Yes, your grace."
Laura bent down to pick up the glasses that were broken on the floor. She picked them up one by one, using only her hands. Suddenly, to her surprise, Lady Chlaricia began whipping her back with the leather whip that she carried to beat me with. The glasses pierces through her skin as she lunged forward.
"Continue! Your job is to clean up, not sit down there like a dog," Lady Chlaricia continued to whip Laura without any remorse.
"What year is she from?" Eliana mumbled to herself as she looked at the old furniture in my room while Lady Chlaricia continued to whip Laura on her back.
"Where's Deanna?" Eliana asked as she was sniffed around the room, in disgust.
"Are you deaf?!" Lady Chlaricia shouted at Laura, who continued to pick up the glasses.
Laura didn't know what to say since she couldn't throw me under the bus. She knew she couldn't tell them that I had followed the Duke since the Duke was just going to the palace at that time. It was like they waited until the Duke left before coming here. So Laura decided to just stay quiet, and because of that, Lady Chlaricia continued to whip harder with fewer intervals than before. Blood was visible on her clothes and her skin was torn. Still, she remained obedient on the floor. She clenched her jaw and begged herself not to make any sound.
"Argh. I'm tired. Here," Lady Chlaricia passed the whip to her maid.
"Whip her every ten seconds, no, let's make it five seconds," Lady Chlaricia looks pleased with herself.
"Why can't you just tell me? I can give you anything you desired. Just say the words," Lady Chlaricia looked straight at Laura who was on the floor.
Then, she stood up and walked towards Laura. She held up her hand for her maid to stop the whipping.
"She doesn't have anything, but I, I have everything. You know I care for you right? I don't want you getting involved with a prostitute like her. You are still young," Lady Chlaricia said with a soft voice, trying to tempt her. However, Laura still didn't utter a single word.
"Foolish."
Lady Chlaricia stepped away from Laura and nodded as a sign to whipped her further. Then she walked towards Eliana, who seemed to be interested in something.
"Eliana, what are you doing?"
"Look, mother. I have never seen this handwriting before," Eliana was confused.
"She never even had a tutor as I sent all of them away," Lady Chlaricia said. She paid money to all the tutors that were sent to educate me and asked them to lie to the Duke every time he asked about my education. Power and money can do anything.
"Harder! I can't hear the sound of the whip," Lady Chlaricia yelled at her maid to whip Laura harder.
Lady Chlaricia silently thought of something devious. When she makes plans like this, her mind does wonders.
"Eliana, I have an idea. How about you ask Sir Calisto about it? Maybe you two can get closer from here. Then there won't be any problems with your marriage to him," Lady Chlaricia said with a grin.
"That's a good idea mother. I'm going to send him an invitation. I'll see you later, mother."
Eliana walked happily towards her room as if everything she had heard or felt before was nothing important.
Lady Chlaricia who was still inside the room pondered the best way to make me feel all alone again. So every breath I take I wish that it would be my last. My suffering was her pleasure and satisfaction, but now she felt like she was the one suffering. So she must do something about it.
"Throw her into the woods," she said with full authority.
"You love Deanna right? That's why you have been so loyal to her. I know you don't want her to get hurt. Poor child, you were just being loyal to her, but look at what happened to you. It's like you bathed in blood, so dirty," Lady Chlaricia said in a soft voice, for the purpose to point out that she chose the wrong side to fight with.
"Be safe."
Lady Chlaricia addressed her final word to Laura and headed out the door. Lady Chlaricia didn't bother to kill her, knowing that if she was thrown into the woods, she would eventually die. If not from blood loss, then from the wild and ferocious animals that inhabited the forest, either way, she will die today.
Laura who was covered in her own blood was on the verge of collapse. She regrets not saying goodbye before she leaves, knowing that today could be her last day.
She doesn't know when she collapsed, but when she opened her eyes slightly it was already night. It was pitch black everywhere. The eerie sounds could be heard and even the sound of the owl sounded more eerie than usual. She tried to walk away from this situation, but she didn't have enough energy and the pain from earlier didn't help either. Every time she moved, it felt like her body was being slashed by a saw. It was so painful. In the end, she decided to give up and closed her eyes. She knew there was nothing she could do in her condition. Whatever she did, she knew she would die today.