Chapter 3
Covering her dirtied and bruised face with a washcloth, Edna silently made her way to the next room, carrying the firewood. As she entered, a wave of fear washed over her, causing her to instinctively shield her face with both hands, her body tensing. The echoes of the earlier conversation between the three people continued to reverberate in her mind— a sinister plot to deceive both the King and the Duke.
Edna straightened her posture and whispered to herself, “To think that they would concoct a plan to dupe both the King and the Duke, completely disregarding another person’s life, all to escape a momentary inconvenience. They must be out of their minds. How else could they justify it?”
Everyone within the castle walls was aware of Viscount William’s unyielding determination to safeguard his wealth and social standing. Nevertheless, not even in her wildest dreams had she fathomed that he could be so blinded as to conceive such a reckless scheme.
Edna’s complexion grew even paler. Those people were deadly serious about their plan, and she felt trapped as if it were already set in stone. Even if they chose not to put it into action, they would never allow her to live, now that she knew their intentions. Clutching the hem of her old, tattered rags tightly, Edna’s face wore a ghostly pallor. Yet, the notion that she might break free from her life as a maid began to take hold in her mind.
She had heard plenty of rumors about Eli. People said he had become a merciless enforcer, delivering brutal punishments without hesitation to those who didn’t have his favor. She was absolutely terrified. But at this point, she felt like a dead soul already, even if she remained here. Perhaps it was worth trying her luck with Eli.
Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears near the door. Edna’s breath quickened, and she forced her stiff body to move, but the bucket of firewood slipped from her grasp and fell with a resounding thud.
Just as the loud noise reverberated, the head maid, Lotta, suddenly swung the door open and remarked, “Look at you, here again, daydreaming as usual. I should whip some sense into you, but the eldest lady has summoned you, so hurry up and get going.”
“Why?” Edna questioned.
“How many times do I have to tell you not to talk back? Just do as you’re told! And the smell, it’s unbearable. You reek as if you could rot a person’s nose. You’re so lazy for someone so young; you should be more useful.”
Edna’s face bore various bruises. The previous day, she had engaged in another brawl with Gilbert, the Knights’ Head in the castle, defending her dignity as if she were an aristocrat’s daughter. She hadn’t flinched despite being beaten to the ground. Lotta was displeased with Edna’s arrogance and her clumsy work, as if she had never worked a day in her life.
Edna collected the fallen firewood piece by piece and made her way to Anna’s room.
Leaning against the window, Anna scowled at Edna as she entered, her head bowed. “Do you ever bathe? The stench is so overpowering even from that distance. It’s making my nose feel as though it’s decaying.”
“I… I apologize,” Edna stammered.
“Never mind. I should have you bathe before anything else. I can’t stand being in the same room as you with that stench. Lotta! Lotta! Come in here.”
Lotta swiftly entered as if she had been waiting outside, and Anna gestured toward Edna with a cold expression. “Take her out and have her wash with hot water first.”
“Yes? You want me to make her take a bath? Then we can just get water from the pond…”
“Do you think her filth will come off that way? Heat up the water, wash her thoroughly until her skin is about to peel, and then bring her back.”
“Yes, miss.”
Head maid Lotta fixed Edna with a sharp, sidelong glare and forcefully pulled her by the arm. She couldn’t fathom why Anna had suddenly ordered her to wash Edna, no matter how hard she thought about it. What made it even more puzzling was the fact that she couldn’t ask Anna for an explanation. Reluctantly, Lotta led Edna away, subjecting her to a vigorous scrubbing with ice-cold water. She considered it absurd to allow a mere maid the luxury of a hot bath.
Edna gritted her teeth and endured the pain as her skin turned red. Her mind slowly began to ease. The fact that they planned to send her to Eli was certain. She was trapped, with nowhere else to turn. Running away would be futile, and she would likely be killed as soon as her true identity was discovered. However, at least she wouldn’t have to endure starvation for a few more days until her inevitable demise.
Moreover, this presented an opportunity to escape the constant hunger, beatings, and the looming threat of sexual assault she had suffered for the past two years. She clenched her teeth tightly, realizing that this might be her golden chance to break free from her torment.
Lotta was utterly exhausted after managing to wash Edna multiple times with cold water. Eventually, she deemed Edna’s cleaned appearance satisfactory. Grabbing Edna’s chin, she turned her face from side to side. Edna’s eye color was hard to discern since her eyes weren’t fully open, but her concealed figure appeared rather refined.
“I suppose your body shape is what drove the knights crazy, despite the foul smell you once bore. Men can be quite fickle creatures… Now, off you go,” Lotta remarked, simultaneously hurling insults and smacking Edna on the back.
Edna bit her lip and quickly dressed in her old but now clean clothes.
Chapter 3
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