Another Night

Hera woke up on her bed all alone, she was sure Miss Shin already took Alicia to her own room, away from her.

Hera looked around her dark and cold bedroom, not like other noble women out there, where their personal maid would wait for them to wake up and then attended them. Hera saw no one in her room, like always, so she pulled the blanket over her head and went back to sleep.

"What did you do to her? Why did you leave her there?"

Hera saw herself in her dream stay silent, staring blankly at the man in front of her. That day, the day before her last death, she lost her own battle for the first time. The last hope that Hera got from that chance was forcefully removed from her own hands while she just stood there in silence, yet no one knew about that.

No one knew that her heart, the already broken heart that Hera tried so hard to heal, just shattered in front of her eyes with all the false accusations he threw at her. Hera could not raise her own head to face her family in front of her, she was afraid, scared to lose her mind if she looked at her father's cold and ruthless eyes.

They don't care about her explanation, no one ever listens to her cries for help before, so she stays silent but her mind keeps screaming so loud inside her head. That it was not her fault, that she was the one who lost her baby while that woman faint just because she saw blood. Yet they took her baby away from her, they took the only light and warm she ever felt in that cold and dark place and just left her all alone. Finally broken beyond repair.

Hera closed her eyes tightly, turned her back away from that scene, slowly her hands rested on her stomach and caressed it. She was supposed to be happy that day, the happiest day in her life became the worst day in all her life. Just like that her mind broke.

When she opened her eyes, Hera saw another scene of her walking towards her mother's grave with a bloodied dress drenched from her cut wrists. She sat there cried her heart out, she cried and cried until there was no voice coming out from her mouth. At the end Hera just sat there, stared at the skies with her mouth open, still shouting in silent.

And then the next second she saw herself jump down the cliff to her last death.

Hera started shivering, she can feel the sharp pain all over her body, the cold water in her lungs. She woke up once again, breathless and in a cold sweat. The skies outside her window just got darker, Hera slept way longer than before. When she opened her eyes another day just passed.

Yet no one knew about it.

Hera opened her window with just one push, she let the cold wind brush against her face, a small smile rose on her face. The quiet night always makes her calm for some reason, she likes it, maybe this time Hera could find another small village to run away from all of them. Far away to the northern side of that kingdom, with the oceans surrounding it. Lived peacefully for a couple of years before fate dragged her back here.

“... what kind of ending would I get now?” She mumbled to herself, Hera picked another rose and started to pluck the petals one by one. She didn't care when the rose thorns stabbed her palm until it bled, she even tightened her grip on the rose. This kind of pain was nothing compared to that pain.

“Hera sis… Are you still awake?” Once again Alicia found herself entering Hera’s room, however this time Lady Shin stood behind her holding Alicia’s blanket and pillows. “Can I sleep with you again?”

“Up to you.” Her voice sounded weak but cold, she hid her now bloodied hand and stood from the chair she sat for a long time. “I just woke up. Just make yourself comfortable.” Hera walked to her bathroom and closed the door, if she declined Alicia wishes then she would be sad and all the servants would blame her for making their beloved lady in brick of crying. But no one cared about her comfort, nothing in this mansion felt like home for her anymore.

But Hera could never hate Alicia, because she was the only one who really treated her with kindness, but also can’t love her as her own sister. For Hera, Alicia was the root of her suffering.

Alicia raised her head towards Lady Shin, her eyes filled with joy, even if Hera still looked and sounded so unapproachable she now let Alicia sleep with her for another night. And maybe in the near future they could take a walk in the garden, and eat together with the whole family.

Without waiting another second, Alicia jumped into Hera’s bed and tucked herself inside the heavy blanket. “Ah… Miss Shin… You can go now…”

“I will be gone when Lady Hera comes back. For now…” Lady Shin put the blanket and pillows in her hand on top of Hera’s bed, “Do you need something else, Milady?”

“... Can I have tea time with Sis Hera?” Before coming here, Alicia already had a list of things she liked to do with Hera, one of them was enjoying tea time together before sleep.

“Right away, milady.” Lady Shin approached the place where Hera was sitting before they entered her room, on the table there is a vase with ruined roses, around it there was a rose petals with bloody rose stems and a couple drops of blood. Looking at the mess, Lady Shin fell into a deep silence.

She clearly remembers the look on Hera’s face before she went to her bathroom, there was no expression of pain, but rather a deep darkness on her blank eyes. Keeping her expressionless face, she tidied up the mess before Alicia saw it, and then went to prepare tea time for Alicia and Hera.

When Lady Shin came back, Hera already sat in front of that window again, this time Alicia sat across her with the biggest smile on her face. She chatted a lot of things, but there was nothing on Hera’s face, she just sat there propped his chin and looked back into the darkness of the night.

Lady Shin froze where she stood, the child that used to seek anyone attention now looked so… lifeless. “Lady Hera…” her voice trembled, Hera turned her head and stared blankly deep into Lady’s Shin eyes.

“Hera, sis… You wouldn’t mind having tea with me, right?” Alicia’s cheerful voice brought Lady Shin back to her senses before her whole body began to tremble under Hera’s deep gaze.

“Sure.” Hera looked out the window again, ignoring the uninvited guests in her room, once again there was nothing in this mansion that truly belonged to her. Her eyes become more and more lifeless, and then she smiles when realize that someday, maybe in this life she will finally lose all of her.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***