Eve got new brushes from the store while Mina got ink and they left for the study room together. On getting inside, the place was much darker and looks unused. Obviously, no one had used the room since the former governess left.
Something creaked open from behind her and she turned to see Mina opening the wooden window wide apart where light now streamed inside the room. They soon got down to the reason they had come. Mina changed the old ink by refilling the new ones she got and turning it while Eve arranged the brushes at the side of the table.
"Ah! I almost forgot," Mina suddenly said and this had Eve raise her eyes to give her a questionable look.
"What?" she asked.
"The papers. Just stay right here. I'll be right back," she said and the next second, she was already walking out of the room.
Eve let out a sigh and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear before moving her eyes to look around. There were shelves and enough books to read here; an advantage that only people who are not of the lower class can enjoy. She moved towards one of the shelves and trailed her fingers along the books. She stopped and pulled a book out before looking down at it. The title read "A book of roses". It was mostly about quotes of love and finding peace in it.
Eve had thought her life would be different, that she would not get to experience these things, but then, if tragedy had not struck, she would never look outside her own life and admire the way other people lived. She would have been too blinded by the love she would receive and in her own happiness that she would not know the reason people who were once happy forgot how to smile. Who can she really blame? The family she was born into who didn't deserve their ill fate, the boy whose father murdered her entire family, or is it the king for bringing her here?
Still, Eve would never forget that day, and she won't stop regretting ever meeting that boy. He brought her the pain she didn't deserve. Maybe if she had not met him, if she had not waited for him to show up that day and just spend that time with her family, then maybe things would have been different…maybe she would have been happier than this and not have to regret anything.
She soon heard footsteps behind her and thinking it was Mina who had returned, she asked;
"Will we ever become free?"
Two seconds passed until she finally heard a response, "Is anyone ever really free?"
It was not from Mina but from someone else and Eve turned around immediately, the book dropping from her hand which made a thud on the wooden floor and making her heart jump a bit when she saw who it was.
"Teacher?" the name escaped from her lips immediately and realizing what she had said, she blinked and quickly gave a bow to greet him.
While praying for those she would not encounter that morning, Eve had forgotten to put the tutor in the list.
Moon took two steps forward and Eve held the side of her dress as she gulped down.
"Your definition of freedom may matter. Anyone can be free based on how they see it, or how they create it," he explained and then said further, "If being a servant means you have not attained freedom because you are not the princess or the queen, then where do that put other servants?"
"Huh?" the sound escaped Eve's lips and she quickly closed her mouth before blinking back.
"There are people who wishes to step foot into the palace but can't because they have no right to. Some never even get the chance to speak with the king but that doesn't mean their freedom will be when they get the chance to. We humans tend to be irrational sometimes but it's because of what the world has become."
"So, are you saying I am being irrational?"
Mina had returned the same time and heard Eve ask the tutor. She tried to get her attention and mouthed to her, "What are you doing?"
Moon pulled the corner of his lips into a small smile and replied, "Like I said, it is what the world has become. All humans are faced with choices and each of those choices comes with consequences. If not, why would you chose to come here in the first place?"
His words were like salt rubbing on Eve's wounds and she gripped her cloth even more tight. Seeing that the situation was bad, Mina quickly made a little sound from behind and when the tutor turned to look at her, she bow her head to greet him and then hurried to Eve's side. She dropped the papers on the desk and picked the book Eve had dropped and pushed it back into the shelf before whispering to her;
"We should leave."
Eve still had not removed her eyes from the tutor and when he moved his eyes back to her, she said to him;
"I think you are wrong with your words."
Moon raised his brow a little and Eve continued, "Some people had choices while some did not," if I had…I won't be here.
After saying that, she moved her eyes away from him and started to leave with Mina right beside her.
Immediately they got outside, Mina asked her in a worried voice, "Why did you do that? You should have just left when I said to."
"Why?" she questioned her back. "Just because we are servants doesn't mean we should take everything that is being thrown at us. We also have our own feelings."
"I know that," Mina agreed and added, "but isn't that what Beth did that got her face swollen?"
"Still—"
"I know," Mina interrupted and Eve closed her mouth. "Sometimes, we just have to accept things they throw our way. That could be our only escape."
If only our life had been different…Eve thought.
By the time they got back, Isabel who had been parading the front of the house while biting her finger, sighted Eve and she halted immediately. She had woken up an hour ago all by herself and wondered why no one had woken her up. Even the food prepared for her had gone cold and she had gone to check Eve in her room but was surprised to see Beth sound asleep.
Eve raised her eyes to look at the front just in time when Isabel came marching towards her and she slowed down.
"Princess…"
Isabel didn't give her a chance to speak as she was already grabbing her by the arm and pulling her towards the house. Mina also followed on her toes.
"Where did you go?" she asked with crinkled brows once they got to her dressing room. "You have to meet the tutor for lessons in less than thirty minutes and you haven't even dressed up."
"I know but I had to take care of some things. And princess," Eve called, "I thought you would fill in if I am not around."
"I never said I would," Isabel said, raising her eyes a little.
This made Eve furrow her brows and asked, "Are you saying it is going to be like the last time too?"
"Eve, there really is no time," Isabel said and, in a haste, she took her by the arm again and made to pull her to sit on the chair so she can get ready but due to Eve's sore knee, her legs gave way and she tripped.
There was a soft thud and Mina gasped with eyes widen before quickly covering her mouth with her palms. She went down and held Eve's arm to support her into getting up and she looked at the princess also who looked guilty for what she had done.
Isabel moved her lips and said, "I'm sorry," and she quickly added, "you know how much I hate taking lessons."
"Exactly what is the reason?" Eve asked in her mind but then, she just let out a soft sigh and raised herself up with the support of Mina.
Mina got her dressed up and they left for the tutoring room. On the way, Mina kept sighing and picking her nails and Eve guessed she had something to say.
"What is it Mina?" she asked while her eyes were still fixed on the road.
"Well…are you really okay?" she asked, looking at her with pulled brows. "You know, about earlier. I think the princess is pushing you too much. Can you not stop her?"
"What happened to taking things they throw our way?" Eve decided to tease her, remembering what she had said when they left the tutor's study room.
"This is different," Mina said. "You and the princess are like sisters. I remember those times back then before Queen Opaline reduced you to our level, still, I don't see you that way. You are like my mentor."
"Mentor?" Eve repeated while still staring at the front.
"Yes. I like that you are different from the rest of us. You don't deserve all these at all."
"Why does that sound so relieving?" Eve said in a bare whisper.