Before the Cage Breaks Me Twice ｡

CLICK...

The door shut tight. Without warning her legs suddenly went weak.

Hick!!.....

Then her eyes that had been full of anger filled with tears. Her knees touched the cold balcony floor.

She didn't know why the ache in her chest hurt so much. She let out a cry with no sound. Only her tears did the talking.

The harder she held back her voice from coming out, the more painful the pressure in her chest felt.

Her breathing grew more and more unsteady. Then her hand reached for her chest as she almost fell to the floor. One arm gripped the balcony railing tight.

Owww..... this really hurts...

Her body that had been facing the balcony door slowly turned forward then leaned against that railing. She stared at that still door with a look full of hatred.

Behind that door, Caspian was probably holding another woman, while here, Celeste was fighting the remains of a love still beating in her chest. A love she swore she would pull out by its roots.

Like someone gone mad, her feet bare with only her sleep gown on, she sat staring at that tightly closed door.

How dare you Caspian...

She said while clutching and pulling her neatly done hair into a mess. Little by little her crying became audible, quiet but enough to be heard in that one room. She pulled her knees to her chest and covered her face.

A few minutes later, her eyes started to swell. She wiped her tears roughly until her cheek that had just been slapped stung with pain. That sting became an alarm clock that snapped her out of the trauma.

"Why..... why should I cry..."

"Just for a man who never even looked at me properly..."

She said quietly while staring straight at that door with empty eyes. As if she had only just woken up to the reality of her life all this time.

She went quiet for a moment. Then stood up from the balcony floor on legs that were still trembling, but her eyes had already sharpened.

"Death should have already taught me that tears are the most useless thing in this palace."

She whispered in a voice so very quiet. She stepped back into her room then walked straight toward her vanity table.

Srick...

A drawer was opened. Inside were many pieces of jewellery, hairpins that Caspian had given her throughout their marriage. She gripped one hairpin tightly... a bitter memory crossed her mind.

"I was too naive back then..." she said. Her old memory of thinking those gifts were a sign that Caspian loved her... but it turned out they had belonged to the women he had already brought to his bed. She smiled bitterly.

"If I were still the old Celeste I would definitely have kept this in my treasure box..." she said while slowly shaking her head. Not knowing she had been that naive.

All the disgust inside her heart burned stronger. She took every piece of jewellery Caspian had given her.

"All of this..... means nothing to me anymore" she said sharply while putting all her jewellery into her cloth bag.

"This is no longer a love gift from Caspian. This is my ticket to freedom."

She said... without meaning to the corner of her lips curved into a smile. When she noticed it she startled and touched her lips that had been bleeding. As if that moment was the beginning of her new life.

Suddenly, that door swung wide open... a maid around her age walked in with a worried face. Celeste went still... stunned watching that maid's reaction. That maid closed the door then rushed toward Celeste who was sitting on the cold floor.

"Your Majesty!! Why are you sitting on this cold floor..." she said while helping her up. Celeste was surprised hearing that maid's voice.

She thought for a moment. That was the maid she had dismissed when she was madly in love with Caspian. She had tried to stop Celeste from caring too much and had always criticised Caspian's behaviour... but...

"I was the one who was too blind and without thinking clearly...."

"...fired her under the charge of disrespecting the royal family..."

Without realising it she hugged that maid tightly.

"I'm sorry...."

She said in a whispered tone. That maid was stunned... silent. Confused watching Celeste who had suddenly become emotional.

"Your Majesty!!!!! Are you okay?!" that maid cried out in panic as if afraid something had happened to her. But Celeste slowly shook her head while smiling bitterly.

"No, I just suddenly woke up from a very bad dream" she said letting go of that hug.

"Um... Kina... will you help me?" she said quietly while looking at the maid named Kina. She tilted her head slightly then startled.

"Your Majesty.... if it has anything to do with the Emperor I don't want to..." she said with a slightly annoyed tone. Celeste laughed quietly. Celeste smiled thinly, that pair of faded violet eyes now shining with fresh determination.

"Don't worry, Kina. This is no longer about how to get that man's attention. Instead... I need your help to make sure I never have to see his face again for as long as I live."

Kina went quiet, her eyes went wide.

"HAH... what does Your Majesty mean?"

Celeste looked at the cloth bag filled with jewellery.

"We are getting out of here, Kina. Before this cage kills me for the second time."

She said while looking sadly toward Kina. Kina went quiet and said nothing. She looked at Celeste who had always seemed empty but now looked more alive.

Without saying much she reached for Celeste's hand. With eyes that were shining as if she had been ready for this all along.

"ALRIGHT!! Your Majesty.... if that is what Your Majesty wants I will help ....Your Majesty get away from that shameless dog"

she said while standing up quickly. She walked to every corner of that room. To Celeste's wardrobe that looked dusty as if it had never been touched.

Celeste was confused. Before she could understand the situation a bag landed neatly in front of her.

Huhh...

"Kina... what is this for?" she said while smiling awkwardly.

"To survive...." she said briefly but looking proud. Celeste laughed quietly.

"Kina... not now, ....but maybe within this month..."

"We need to plan a strategy to get out..." she said calmly while standing. Kina helped her stand and sit on that bed.

Kina held Celeste's hand tight, as if channeling all her strength to her mistress.

"Your Majesty... this time, I will not let anyone touch even a single strand of Your Majesty's hair. We will run as far away as possible from this hell."

Celeste nodded slowly. She looked toward the balcony.... toward the darkness of the night waiting outside.

She had already died once, and she would not let Caspian make her feel like she was in hell for the second time.

The real war had only just begun. She clenched her hand tight as if that was her resolve as an Empress in that kingdom.

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