Selene, still absorbed in her own thoughts and the gravity of her situation, was startled from her inner monologue when her stomach let out a loud, insistent growl. Startled, she muttered to herself, "When is the old lady going to bring those treats? I'm starving here…"
Maid Merly, who had been quietly re-entering the room, heard this and swiftly approached her. Without a word, she gave Selene a light taps on the head. "Young lady," she said in a firm but warm tone, "you should have a bit more patience and learn some manners. You're a noble now, remember?"
Selene grumbled under her breath while rubbing the spot on her head that'd been tapped. With a bit more diligence, she sat down at the table, but still she pouted like a child. Maid Merly set in front of her a small set of brightly coloured macarons and a teapot that held fragrant tea.
But as soon as the sweet scent of the macarons reached her nostrils, Selene salivated and began devouring them without waiting for an invitation. The light pastries melted in her mouth; the sweetness momentarily took her mind off her worries. Merly said nothing and gently poured the tea into a beautifully delicate porcelain cup. The ornate teapot and cups and Merly's presence stirred a bittersweet memory in Selene.
The soft clinking of the teacups reminded her of her grandmother back on Earth. When Eun-Ji was young, her parents died in a car accident, and her grandmother became the only comfort. She had taken care of her so well, comforting her in those gloomy days, always having some snacks and tea to try to ease the pain in her heart. But just when Eun-Ji had gained entrance into the university, she had died. Memories of losing the one who truly loved her rushed into her heart, and before she knew it, tears were running down her face.
Maid Merly noticed immediately. "Young miss. What's wrong?" she asked softly.
Before she knew it, Selene was wrapped in the warm clutches of the maid. Merly held her tight, much like her own grandmother did, patting her back gentle as tears began to well up even more. Then she burst into a crying fit. All that fear, confusion, and sorrow of the day finally burst.
She cried into Merly's arms for several minutes, the silent comfort of the maid seeming to be enough to let her get it all out. It was just so much like her old life, the way her grandmother would have always seemed to know just what to do when she needed to be calmed without ever saying a word. Finally, after what felt like forever, her tears let up, and she wiped her face off with the back of her hand, sniffling.
"Thank you, Merly," she whispered hoarsely, having cried her heart out.
Maid Merly smiled softly. "It's okay, my dear," she said and handed Selene a napkin.
As Selene continued nibbling on the rest of the sweets, her heart felt lighter. Of everything that happened today, she felt truly grateful to have someone like Merly around her.
As she sipped her tea, a thought crept into her head. In the game, Selene wasn't really alone. Yeah, her family had abandoned her, the Crown Prince rejected her, and her so-call friends betrayed her. But Maid Merly was there when all others turn their backs to her.
As Eun-Ji sipped her tea and nibbled on more macarons, as a thought started to creep into her mind. What happens to Meryl in the game?
She furrowed her brow, trying to remember anything about this minor character. Merly hadn't been a central character, nor did she appear in any of the routes.
However, after a while, Selene's face went pale. She remembered.
In the good ending of Leo and bad ending of Damian, Damian kidnapped Selene and used her as a test subject of his experiments. While doing so, he taunted, telling her about the death of her "precious maid. The maid had retired from duties at the time due to old age. However, he revealed that after she left, he captured and imprisoned her, subjecting her to agonizing experiments as well. He even went further to threaten the maid by telling her that if she didn't scream louder during his torture sessions, he would soon get bored with her and replace her with Selene. He enjoyed how she desperately shouted loudly for each experiment until her voice gave out; when she could scream, afterwards, she started to panic, and it became his new entertainment. The poor woman had been forced to endure months of torment before succumbing to the pain and dying in captivity. In her grief and guilt, Selene had taken her own life soon after hearing this.
When Eun-ji read this part of the story she shivered.
To make matters worse, on the fan forums for the game, die-hard fans of Damian though he was cool and handsome in that scene. That was the day Eun-ji lose faith in humanity.
Now that she is in that cursed game and related to that monster makes Selene's scalp tingle. And the kind, motherly woman, the one person she could truly rely on in this world, was doomed to die a horrific death if things went the same way they did in the game.
"I have to save her," Eun-Ji whispered fiercely, her hands shaking as they dug into the edges of the table. "But how?
Merly watched the sudden change in demeanor and gave her a worried glance. "Young miss, is something troubling you?"
"No," Eun-Ji hastily shook her head, forcing a smile. "Nothing. I'm fine. Thank you, Merly."
No, I not fine. You and I are doomed. I need to make another plan, she thought. Yet, despite wracking her brain for the rest of the evening, she couldn't come up with a single plan to save Merly.
As night fell and Eun-Ji lay down in the massive bed, her mind racing. In the game, it wasn't mentioned exactly when or where Damian captured her which only made things worse. I didn't even know if the maid Damian had tortured in the game was Merly and I can't risk waiting to find out. My survival plan is basic at best and cannot guarantee that I will survive, but my new grandma is now in danger.
As her thoughts were getting close to a full-blown panic, the door creaked open.
A dark figure stepped inside, holding a small lamp. The thin light of it made great shadows on the walls, and Eun-Ji's heart skipped a beat as fear firmly grasped her chest, and she thought that it was the worst.
Is it the Grim Reaper?! she thought in a panic, Did the gods finally figure out I wasn't supposed to be here? Are they here to punish me for stealing Selene's body?!
Her mind was racing at an incredible pace, her heart thumping wildly within her chest as she shut her eyes tightly shut, muttering silently within her head.
"I didn't do it on purpose! I don't want to die again! Yet, I haven't even begun my survival plan!!"