" I cannot be influenced by my self-esteem, the most important thing right now is how to survive, then find a way to escape." Thinking of how she'll be able to fool Rosella, Celine cautiously observes the guardsman while humbling herself to him.
At that moment, while eating her breakfast. Celine didn't take off her sight of him as she watches every move of the guardsman who was unlocking one of the windows.
" I know what your thinking miss... I reassured you that I won't lay a finger on you, so please stop staring at me..." He mumbled while continuing to unlock the window.
" Well, may I ask?" She queried, while slowly taking a bite at the stake.
" Yes, you may....."
" Then, may I know what happened to my mother?"
" !..... Well, your mother had probably been buried a week ago..."
" A week ago? Wait how long have I fallen asleep? And What day is it right now?"
" You've been unconscious for almost five weeks and today is the 23rd day of February. So it'll be better if you obey her grace's orders because if you don't, she will not hesitate to punish and lock you up again..." The man who was just following orders felt sympathy for her thus he gave her advice to survive.
" Then, this is my last question, Where the hell am I?"
" You are on the north border of the Veorisian empire, Flicslyn."
" Wait, how did we get here so fast? Aren't we suppo—" Wondering on how on earth they travel so fast. Celine feel even more hopeless than she was before, as the guardsman sat down on the armchair across from her. Looking at how melancholic her expression is, the guardsman studied her timid demeanor and sighed." I guess she learns her lesson, but still, this might be too hard on her... "
" Hahaha, I guess you're underestimating us, people of the north... People in the north lived in a land that was cold as ice... That's why traveling in this cold doesn't affect us."
" If you're planning on escaping this place, I advise that you should just stay and obey her from now on." The guard broke the brief silence and smiled.
" Why are you saying things like this to me?"
" I'm not helping you, young lady... If I did help you, my family would be endangered for it... I am merely stopping you to make rash decisions..." Hearing how the guardsman was sympathetic towards her, Celine let out a shallow breath as she let her guard down for a moment.
" If you want to avenge your mother's death, might as well take a role and play her game... So that when everything is set, it will be her turn to suffer..."
"Isn't she, your master?..."
" Well, I'm only serving her for my family's sake. But my loyalty is only for deserving person with a gentle soul."
" Then, may I know your name? Sir knight."
" Call me Richard, miss Celine..."
As the world turns its back on her, there's still someone who'll be there to help her, even if it's only just a piece of advice. A piece of advice that can cheer up a broken heart, where she found light in the darkness that surrounded her.
" Thank you... "
"Alright then. I hope you adjust well." Richard planted his palm on the armrest, pushing himself up. As he was about to leave, Celine called him softly.
" About—" she paused, seeing Richard cock his head back. " About that, when will she come here to see me?"
" Oh? She'll be here less than an hour, so don't let your guard down and survive..." He reassured me and smiled before he left.
" Yes, I will..." She murmured, as she lie down and clear her mind.
" I will survive, I will avenge her no matter how long it takes. I will destroy her... But before that, I must control my emotions and become someone she wanted... "Her eyelids drooped with hatred, recalling the tragic event that she went through, A tragedy that will soon change her and her life.
**********
" How's that brat's condition?"
" She seems to be learned her lesson, duchess Rosella..." He respond while kneeling in front of Rosella who was reclining herself in a divan.
" Well, did she ask for any useless things?"
" No your grace, she did not ask for anything at all. Infact, she might be traumatized, and that causes her tranquility towards others." As he lied in his report, Rosella seems to be pleased on hearing someone's suffering. " Well then, I guess it would be nice to teach her another lesson for her to completely become my puppet... Besides, I only have a month on my vacation... We might as well make things faster, don't you think?" Looking at how sadistic her expression was, Richard feel worried about Celine as he offered himself to escort Rosella.
" Do you want me to escort you to her room, madame?"
" No need, rather of escorting me... I want you to inform my retinues that we'll be leaving tomorrow night..." She declared, while excitingly heading to Celine's room.
" I understand, I'll inform them right away..."
" Duchess, Please take easy on her... She's just an innocent child..." He pled, hoping that Rosella would heed his request, She halted as she spoke.
" Mr. Richard... If you still value your family, it would be better if you mind your own business..." She advised as she left. Looking at how she gave him an explicit warning, Richard's eyes drooped in concern, as that night when they kidnapped Celine. Richard insisted on becoming a lookout, for he couldn't stand watching innocent lives getting ruined by them.
" I'll keep that in mind..."
***********
" Why are these chains so heavy, and it is so short... I couldn't even reach the windows or the door." She mumbled eternally while gazing at the ring Lucian has given to her. The ring of his lovely vow to her.
" Lucian, I'm sorry if I couldn't give your gift this year... Maybe I can't keep our vow, after all, I'm so scared right now but even so, I need to survive, I must survive no matter what..." — although deep down, Celine knew it was only her efforts that could save herself for she took up the courage to enter a deeper kind hell.
Celine jolted from the seed when someone suddenly barged into her room. With shaking eyes, she caught a figure strutting inside with confidence higher than heaven. As soon as she realized who it was, her eyes dilated and her back stiffened.
At that moment, her shoulders tensed up, keeping her head low while calming her heart from hammering against her chest.
"Didn't Richard say that she'll be here less than an hour? Then why is this bitch coming here already?..."
Looking at how annoying the mocking face Rosella was, Celine, clenched her hands secretly while pretending not to care.
"It seems that no matter how arrogant you are, I guess you still understand the principle of saving their lives first..." She taunted, as she stopped a meter away from Celine.
"...." She ignored while suppressing herself to show any sign of annoyance.
" Still wondering if you will be as naive as your mother..." The sneering expression on her face made Celine gulp down the tension in her throat as she continued to shun Rosella's provocation.
" Don't pretend to be deaf in front of me. Stand up!!! " As commanding Celine to stand up, Celine immediately heed its command as she kneeled instead of standing in front of her.
" It was my fault, Duchess..."
"It was my fault for being arrogant!...I—I wouldn't do it again!!!..." Apologizing for someone who just killed her mother, Celine really couldn't believe what she was doing right now, begging for forgiveness from someone who was not worthily apologizing for.
" God, I feel so nauseous by just saying that... I thought that something like this wouldn't be too hard, but guess I was wrong." She thought as all of this begging was part of her plan, the thought of doing something like that wouldn't be hard for her since she have already experienced something like that in the slave establishment.
" Celine, you can do this..." Comforting herself, Celine didn't give up as she followed her plan of making this bitch believe that she is more naive and pathetic than her mother.
" Ohh, How amusing for you to beg like that... However, It would be better if you kiss my shoes while begging. Can you also do that?..." Her sneering toward Celine was really fascinating to her, as she can't wait on how would Celine react to such mockery.
On the other hand, Hearing such mocking words from that bitch made her really furious, but still, Celine choose to endure for the better even if her mind is like a raging bull right now. " You really enjoying this, aren't you... Cause this time you really went too far... But I'll let you win this time, for this will be added to the list..." She thought, as she leaned closer to Rosella and kissed her shoes like a slave greeting her master.
*kiss* " It was my fault, Duchess... For I will never do it again, So please forgive me..." As she kissed her shoes and looked up at her, looking so pathetic and gullible. Rosella let out a wry smirk followed by a sadistic laugh.
" I never thought, that your mother gave birth to such a foolish girl... To think your beauty doesn't suit your foolish mind... So that's your perfect for my plan..."
"Guards!! Please gave her the dress, so she could at least look presentable... And do it quickly, I don't want to see this filthy girl that smells so bad..."
" Also might as well bath her, so her naivety will be cleansed off... Wait! is that even possible?" As she left with a slam of mockery onto Celine's face, The eyes of a raging bull are really showing on Celine as her cold expression hides her furiousness toward Rosella.
" That's right, mock and deride me whenever you want. For I will destroy your life worst than this, and when that time comes, I'll make sure you'll never live a happy life..." Thinking of her revenge, the chains on her legs was finally taken off, and Rosella's men gave her a set of outfit for her to wear. Noticing how serious the guards are, Celine turned around and let out a shallow breath in relief. Those guards may somehow not like the others who were pedophiles.
" I'm not the gullible one Rosella, you are... To think that you're stupid enough to believe such an act...."