Breakfast

Hera sipped her tea slowly, eyes narrowed down looking at her reflection on the tea, her hollow eyes looked through her as she blinked.

That morning, Hera once again woke up with Alicia no longer sleeping on her bed. But unlike the usual morning, this time a certain someone was already standing near Hera's bed when she woke up.

A young maid has been waiting, no one knows how long, to help her get dressed before guiding her to the dining room to have breakfast together.

Nothing like that ever happened to Hera before, even if her used to be father in her heart, called for her, often enough the maid or butler would left her get dressed on her own. And then she would be late and saw them already eating without waiting for her, it was very humiliating for Hera, especially with the sitting position.

Her whole family gathered on the end of the table, while she sat alone on the other side, all alone with the worst yet edible meal they served for her. A meal portion so little that left her hungry all day until dinner time, now her body used to eat like that and once Hera overeating she would puke it all out, her body already set a boundary of how much food she could eat.

It had been a while since she ate together with them, if Hera had a choice she preferred to eat in her room, like she used to do. But the maid forced her to come, she treated her roughly, leaving bruises on her wrist and waist.

The maid even purposely tied Hera corset tightly wrapped around her figure, leaving her breathless, with lack of oxygen she soon looked pale.

Hera sat on her usual seat and saw nothing on the table, she sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, trying to calm her emotions. It's this kind of a joke? She raised her head, the Duke and her older brother looked at her without saying anything, Alicia and her mother were nowhere to be seen.

“Milady… yours seat was not here, but beside the young master.” The same maid, Hera believed her name was Freya, whispered into her ears.

“I’m fine with my seat. Could you bring my meal here?”

“But milady… Your grace the duke already…”

“On the other hand, I’m not that hungry now…”

Freya's expression turned bad, with force she pressed her hand on Hera’s shoulder and whispered a whole bunch of threats. With a lot of distance between Hera and her so-called family, they could not bother to see what happened on her side.

No one could see Hera's emotionless gaze towards the maid, who immediately released his grip on Hera's shoulder and stumbled back.

Fear overwhelmed the maid immediately, she didn't even know why she was intimidated by that gaze, and soon that fear turned into resentment.

Right. Freya balled her hands into fists, soon a scornful smile spread across her face. But before she could do anything to Hera, that girl already stood up and walked towards her older brother's seat and sat next to him in silence.

"What's wrong with you? Father called you a couple of times yet you don't even…"

"Lyon, enough." Luca interrupted Lyonnel's words, with both hands supporting his chin he looked straight at Hera with a deep frown, "Hera… what did you do to Alicia?"

That's not what he wanted to ask her, but he remained silent waiting for an answer from Hera.

"So the rumors are true? Alicia spent her night with you?" Lyonnel hissed angrily.

"... If you want, you can ban her from entering my room. If it's you she will listen well." Hera put her tea cup slowly without making any noise, she stared at the steak in front of her, just looking at that red meat made her want to vomit. "Or... you can send me away. So she couldn't find me." So no one can find me.

"... that's not... what? Stop talking nonsense." Lyonnel growled furiously, he clenched his fists tightly under the table, his face red with anger.

Luca glared at his only son, "Lyon, shut your mouth." Now he shifted his focus to Hera, who still had no emotion on her pale face, "Hera... No one will send you away."

"You will... eventually." Hera said under her breath quietly, she started to breath heavily.

Hera raised her head towards the butler standing behind the Duke, "Can... I have my usual breakfast? I'm fine with... that greyish looking puree."

"What are you talking about, milady?" Michael looked at her confused, "This is the usual breakfast for the Duke family, requested by Lady Alicia."

"No…" With her emotionless and now her white sickly face, Hera shook her head, "That… was… theirs… breakfast…" she gasped for her breath with difficulty, Hera's vision blurred, her head felt heavy. "I... want...mine. That funny looking... puree... with a glass of water, please... Can you just send it... to my room. Like... always."

With her remaining strength she stood up from her seat, propped her body weakly, Hera bowed and excused herself to return to her room. Ignore Luca and Lyonnel who call her name repeatedly, in her mind she just wanted to remove the corset which was making it difficult for her to breathe normally.

Silence filled the room for a long time.

Freya, who had been silent, slowly took steps to follow Hera but then stopped when she heard Luca's voice ordering her to stay.

"Michael… follow her… and call the doctor to check on her."

Michael immediately walked away when he got orders from Luca.

"Lyonnel… tell Shie to keep an eye on her this couple of days."

"But father…"

"Just do what I said… there's something weird about her." Does this have anything to do with that dream?

Luca narrowed his eyes towards the closed door, they fell silent once more until Alicia and her mother came, joining them for breakfast.

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