"Maria, stay here for now. Wait for my signal to come closer." Leo uttered, gesturing for Maria to stop walking. Maria nodded without uttering any word and followed Leo with her eyes. She searched for something where she can sit but failed to find one so she just rested her back on the pillar beside her and crossed her arms onto her chest while keeping her eyes on Leo. She looked around the place which she assumed was a garden, a very spacious garden, looking for the girl that was wearing a white mask every time she will see her since Leo mentioned that that girl will also be there. She failed to find her though and only saw the beast from a distance. Maria wanted to walk around the garden and search for the girl in every corner but she had decided to just do it some other times when she was done talking with the beast.
Leo walked toward Alaia, who has her back on them. Alaia was busy cutting the excess leaves on her bed of roses. She had felt Leo and Maria's presence but chose to ignore them and pretend that she isn't aware of them. She kept her back on them and her beast mask that she had never taken off since Maria stepped her feet onto her little palace.
Leo knelt behind her and said, "Your Highness, forgive me for the intrusion but Maria wished to talk to you."
Alaia's hand that was holding the scissor stopped its movements but she didn't bother looking back at him.
"It's okay. I'm expecting her, after all. Just bring her here."
"Will do, Your Highness." Leo stood up from the ground and looked back at Maria. He gestured for Maria to come closer which she immediately did.
"I'll leave you two, for now, Your Highness. Call me when you need me." Leo bowed his head low even though Alaia has her back on him and won't see him. After giving an encouraging nod and a small smile to Maria, he walked away from there without looking back at least once.
Maria gulped down, feeling nervous that she will face the beast, once again. She wanted to just spit out her questions but she doesn't know how will she address the beast. She heard the people, or should she say creatures that were with her earlier, addressed the beast as 'Your Highness' but she isn't sure if she can also call her that and it's not like she wants to. Just when she was about to just blurt it out, the beast finally turned her body to face her, probably losing her patience waiting for Maria to say something.
"So what does the young mistress need from me?" The beast asked and even though Maria can't see her face, she was sure that the beast is smiling cockily at her, judging from the tone that the beast used.
Maria stopped herself from glaring, at least not now.
"A-Ahm I already heard from Leo and others about the agreement you had with my father. N-Now, I just want to know w-what are you planning to do with me?"
Maria badly wished that she can see the beast's eyes right now. In that way, she will be able to tell what is the beast's thinking or at least predict what was going on with the beast's mind. That beast mask is not only making this conversation harder for Maria but it's also slapping her across her face, telling her something that she barely understood and belittling her for being a commoner.
Alaia stared at Maria behind the beast's mask. She saw how Maria tried to look into her eyes despite the mask's appearance then give up soon and just looked away. Maria scratched her cheek, feeling extremely nervous and conscious of herself. She wanted to repeat the question but there was a big lump on her throat that was eating her will to speak. After several seconds, the beast finally responded but not with words. She instead closed the distance between her and Maria. Alaia invaded Maria's personal space and looked down at the smaller girl.
Maria held her breath, not sure how will she act. Should she step back or should she push away the beast? In the end, she ended up doing nothing and just averted her eyes while biting her lower lip in the process.
"First of all," Alaia uttered with her fake beast-like voice. "You should address me as Your Highness."
Alaia lifted her hand and put it on top of Maria's head, lightly pushing it down. "Second, never lift your chin when you're talking to me, commoner."
Maria was flabbergasted and embarrassed at the response she received. She tightly closed her fists on her side and just kept her head low even after Alaia had already removed her hand. Her chest tightens at the irritation that is slowly creeping up to her head.
Alaia turned her back on Maria again and walked back to her bed of roses. She picked one of them and lifted it to her beast mask's nose as if she will be able to smell it with her full beast mask still on.
"Now, what do you want to know again, commoner?" Alaia asked, slowly twirling the stem between her index finger and thumb.
Maria bit her lower lip and silently relieved a breath to calm herself before she knelt on one of her knees.
"Your Highness, please tell me what you are planning to do with me." Maria finally said, staring at the ground, more like glaring at the ground.
Alaia can't help but smile at the sight. Don't take it the wrong way. Alaia doesn't enjoy seeing someone suffer or be under her mercy. She's just being like that towards Maria. She's not holding a grudge or taking revenge on her because her father toyed with her. She also isn't sure why she's getting on Maria's nerves, maybe for some entertainment.
"Isn't it obvious already? Starting now you will be a slave of mine."
Maria no longer became shocked to hear that. She kind of expected that already since she heard the stories of Alaia's servants and she think that it was better than any other thing but until when? Until when will she serve this beast?
"Excuse my rudeness Your Highness but can I ask until when?"
Alaia knitted her brows, "What do you mean until when? Of course, until I said so."
Maria was taken aback by Alaia's answer as she lifted her chin and looked up at Alaia. "B-But w-what about my family? I have four younger siblings and my father was already too old to do everything on his own. He needs me-"
"I don't care about your family. I don't give a damn for anyone." Alaia interrupted, uttering every word with coldness and unintended maliciousness. She half meant what she said. It's not really that she doesn't care about Maria's family or give a damn to anyone. She was just thrown to the edge of Maria's question. She had never thought about it. Yes, she did plan in taking Maria away but she's just riding the events after that. And there's no way she will admit that she doesn't have any plan for Maria. She doesn't want to look like an idiot in front of someone she barely knew.
Alaia isn't cold or ruthless towards her loyal servants. She had established a good relationship with each of them. She's just putting a front in Maria. She's just putting on an act.
Alaia immediately regretted what she said when she saw how Maria's chocolate eyes changed into a dark color. Since Alaia met her, a few weeks ago, she had never seen Maria in that expression. She had never thought that Maria is capable of looking into anyone with full of resentment in her eyes. Alaia also noticed how her jaws locked in disgust before Maria looked away, slowly nodding her head.
"I see. Thank you for answering my question, Your Highness. I should serve you with my utmost loyalty. I'll leave you, for now, Your Highness." Maria said, eyes glued to the ground then she stood up and bowed before Alaia. As soon as Maria turned her back on Alaia, a tear escaped from her eye that she immediately wiped off her face. She took a deep breath to calm herself then silently released an exasperated breath. She opened and closed her fists as she walked away from there with nothing but acrimony within her chest.
Alaia crushed the rose within her palm, letting the red petals slowly fall to the ground. She isn't sure what she should feel. She's not sure why she's mad. Is it because she felt that Maria disrespect her with her last statement, knowing the sarcasm that Maria used? Or is she mad because she was guilty of how she treated Maria and at what she said?
Who knows? Even the author is lost.
-
"Thank you for your hard work today, Maria," Alicia said, drying her hands on the clean cloth.
Maria, who was lost in her thoughts, didn't hear what Alicia said. She just kept on wiping the table while staring into an empty space, obviously not in her best state. She's been doing it for minutes and Alicia is now sure that something is bothering her newfound friend.
"Maria," Alicia called and reached out for Maria's arm to finally stop her from wiping the table, or else she will make a hole on it already, that's an exaggeration.
Maria flinched in surprise and snapped her head in Alicia, one hand cupping the part of her chest where her heart was located.
"S-Sister Alicia, i-is there any problem?"
"I should be the one to ask you that. You've been spacing out for almost the whole day. Is there any problem? Is someone making you uncomfortable here? Is it about your family? You know, you can talk to me anytime."
Alicia rubbed Maria's upper arm, trying to console the younger girl. Maria suddenly became guilty, knowing that Alicia was worried about her. She spaced out for almost the whole day and the sole reason for her restlessness is the plan that she devised from the moment she heard Alaia say that she doesn't give a damn about her family. To be precise, it's an escape plan. She's been in this place for three days already. She used her first two days to explore the place, looking for an exit she could use as an escape route. It didn't become hard for her as there were barely any securities around the place. Heck, they don't even look like watching over the place to prevent her from escaping but guarding the place in case someone attempted to break in. They maybe are giving their whole trust to her or maybe they are just underestimating her that she won't be able to escape from there. Well, no matter what the reasons are, Maria doesn't care as much as Alaia doesn't care about her family.
Maria badly needs to get back to them already, and even if she spends the rest of her life hiding from everyone, it doesn't matter as long as she will see her loved ones again.
Maria shook her head and offered a bright smile to convince Alicia, "It was nothing. Maybe I'm just tired and missed my father and siblings, but I'm okay."
Alicia can't help but be sad to hear that. She doesn't know the feeling of being forced to live far away from people that you love since she's currently living with her twin sister while her parents are long gone in this world, but she sympathizes with the younger girl. Alicia doesn't want to pry more, so she just returned the smile on Maria and shifted the topic. Maria is glad, though, because the last thing that she wants is for her escape plan to be messed up.
I'll do it. I need to do it. I need to escape from here and go back to my own family. And that will happen tonight when everyone is already fast asleep.