I felt the rain hit my face as I looked up to the sky. My hands were covered in wounds and my servant outfit was colored in red from the wounds that seep blood. I felt every ounce of pain from the whippings.
"Oriana, keep moving the boxes! Just because you are the Duke's Daughter doesn't mean you can rest here freely!" A maid called out as she snickered mischievously.
The maid sat on a bench and sighed as she crossed her arms in relief. She rested while I worked. This was always my life. From a young age I couldn't keep up in studies and deemed as low as a maid by the Duchess. The Duke turns a blind eye to the abuse. Thus, a maid in private and a noble lady in public.
"The only reason why you are here, Oriana is because the Duchess can't have children! Such a Bullshit story that you were stolen at birth and brought back. Like who believes that malarkey?" The maid said she turned back to the other maids who snickered. I kept moving the boxes as all the servants watched.
As I finished moving the boxes, I stopped and turned to the maids with a scowl. I was silent about it but the look of disdain on their faces says it all.
"BITCH! GET THAT UGLY LOOK OFF YOUR FACE!" The maid proceeded to slap me and I took it. There is not much I can. I fell to the floor and lay there. Suffering, scars and beatings. The rain washing the blood away of my wounds that opened. My mind was going blank as I fainted.
I woke up in a familar place, the shed. Where the servants nap sometimes, hide or get punished. I quickly got up but winced from the pain. I quickly got up to check if the shed door was locked. It was locked as I heard the snickers again.
"My Lady at night, you know the shed is locked. You should be more careful, sleeping on the job. Night, Night."
I laid back on the hay as I heard the maids gossiping outside the shed. I rolled over to my side and took this opportunity as a break. My blonde hair fluttered out in the hay and my purple eyes glanced up at the ceiling.
'The Duchess will freak if she knows I am here. She will beat me again. If the Duke returns in time I don't have to take this treatment as much. The Duke went to conduct business and the Duchess niece is coming soon. Maybe there won't be any room for me.'
I closed my eyes with these thoughts, since day one of living in the Duchy Mansion was hell. I remember I was disciplined by the Duchess but the Duke pretends to help me with sympathy. Such a hypocrite, he decides it is good to defend his wife instead of a helpless child.
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The Duchess was not concerned at all with Oriana's disappearance she was more concern about her Niece's appearance in the Duchy.
'My beautiful Niece, you must marry the crown prince no matter what, not that disgrace of a fallen noble child! There is no room for a powerless bastard!' Duchess Oaklee hummed as she brushed her hair. She looked over to a portrait of the Duke and smiled.
"Jonas, we will finally have an adopted child that can bring us closer."
As the Duchess quietly moved to the bed she felt lonely but brushed it off and felt the energy in the air thicken.
'I should go the temple festival to pray, I feel a bit off. Besides, it's almost time to represent the house soon. I'll wait until Emily is here to start the process. Maybe I can bribe the church to make her a Goddess.'
The Duchess was content with that idea as she fell asleep. Not one guilty conscious on her mind for the shivering child outside in the leaky wood shed.
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I woke up to the light peeking through the shed as the door creaked open a bit.
"Yeah, get up you useless bitch! The Duchess is calling for you!"
As I slowly got up, I walked into the mansion without a change of clothes or anything. I was sick of pretending I was happy with these conditions. I don't mind looking like a wet dog in front of the Duchess. Besides I don't think i will have time to change, she hates waiting.
'What does she need me for?'
Oriana walked into the salon as she saw the Duchess sipping some tea while reading a book.
"Oriana, you look quiet dreadful, change out of those clothes after this meeting and rest. The Duke will be back tomorrow. As you know you have been preparing Emily's room yourself. Don't speak a word to the Duke about you sleeping in the shed." The Duchess said plainly as she sipped the tea again.
'Why is the Duchess in a good mood?' I sat there silently as I waited for the Duchess to continue.
"Also, I'll send a physician to heal your wounds. We will prepare to go to the temple the same day Emily arrives for blessings. You haven't been there before so I will send a modest dress for you to wear. Do not embarrass me, you are just a servant in private but a lady in public."
"Yes, your grace. I understand."
"Good."
I got up and made my way to my room, a silent but lovely room. To bad I only use it when the Duke is here. I do not blame the Duke for turning a blind eye because his wife is not stable mentally. But there is so much abuse I can handle.
I rested in bed as I go through the routine of wound checks and being feed properly but the maids look at me with annoyance once I get back into my Lady Facade. When the Duke leaves I'm defintely getting abused by the servants again.
"Hah, I wish things will change for once."