“They are animals! Animals!”

Mary shouted when she saw the butler entering the room while holding Elisi as tight as she could.

Elisi looked so frail and weak while sitting in the corner, holding her knees with the uniform ripped apart. Sitting as if a large cloud hanging over her. 

Her hair seemed to be yanked with force, thus becoming short and brittle with long strands remaining in there. She wasn’t the same girl she spoke good morning when arrived in the kitchen. Her eyes shone as if asking for help. That filled Mary with despair.

Only animals could do such a thing.

My poor Elisi, how could they have done that to you.

“Can you stand up, my love? I will help you tidy yourself”

Elisi could see Mary was in distress.

She stared at Mary, struggling to describe how pathetic she felt for being incapable of doing anything to halt her attack, how impotent she was and how she wasted a second chance in life. A life that someone else would have been more deserving than her.

Her anguish got stuck in her chest, unable to come out.

Elisi could not reply. She did not know what was the right thing to say that would make Mary less concerned. Maybe the best thing indeed was not to respond at all.

She let Mary help her reorganize herself and her place while remaining silent all the while.

Elisi was grateful for Mary’s kindness. Even if Jeremy wouldn’t have ordered her to help, she would have done it anyhow. She came and supported her when she was about to lose herself in the apathy she used to feel before.

“Thank you!” Elisi said as she held Mary’s hand to stand up, but she was thankful for more than that.

Mary could barely hear Elisi’s voice, so she nodded back, looking as if about to cry for seeing Elisi in that state, but kept herself strong.

“Elisi” the Butler knocked on the door 

“The King is requesting for your presence,”

She changed clothes to the spare uniform and although she tried to arrange her hairdo; it was too uneven to pass it as presentable, yet her hair cap was nowhere to be found.

Before she left her room, Mary stopped her and gave her a hug

********

While hunching all the way, she followed Jeremy and entered the king’s room, where he was waiting for her on his desk. While reading papers, he referred to her.

“Is it true that you wish to quit?”

Elisi looked down with no response. Then she nodded. There was no use in fighting anymore. He didn’t even bother to look at her.

“Is that so... then you must clean this room for one last time. Jeremy, you may leave.”

Why does he keep me here? Just yesterday he gave me hope only to send me away today.

Why am I always so miserable? Right, nobody likes to have that kind of person by their side... What was I thinking?

Elisi’s movements were lingering. Her body still ached and her back hurt the most. She did not yet recover from his curse. 

The room stayed quiet, and although it was a cloudy day, the suite looked quite bright, as if the sun still shone on him on the darkest day.

Today will be the last day to clean his room and the last to see him.

She will miss him, and she will miss Sebastian and Tiago. she did not want to leave, but leaving might be for the best. She did not want to be a bother anymore; she understood today that there was no more hope for her.

Everything appeared so bittersweet her eyes sparkled with little tears hanging tightly at the edge of her eyes. But like Mary, she stayed tough.

While watching his back, she hoped he didn’t ignore her like that. Maybe he saw her as an insignificant ghost after all.

She knew he was the king and she his servant; he needn’t pay any consideration to her.

in the end she got greedy, like the little mermaid. Seeing him so near, he will not be aware of her affections or her love. She cared for him without regrets while he will continue to live without noticing her as if she was never there and with a smile she will remember those moments of joy, yet why it feels so dreadful?

She was admiring every little thing, made the bed while flatting the silky sheets she slept on the other day, recalling how the moon glowed on him, arranged the pillows of the bed rest where the king used to rest and slept the first time they met.

Every little ornament smiled bitterly at her while passing the cloth towards the cutest little doggies on top of the drawer.

Ah, it dropped! It broke, it broke...

The porcelain animal burst into pieces on the ground. It was no longer whole and shiny. 

I’m sorry!!!

The hanging tears could hold no more and poured without restraint.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!!! I'm sorry....” 

She could not stop saying it and kept repeating it over and over “I’m sorry” She fell to the ground pleading for mercy with her face wet from the tears.

She saw the king above her. His palm was reaching towards her. It paralyzed her every time.

Now it's time for her punishment, even the last thing she did was troublesome. She only deserved to be punished.

While afraid of what’s coming to her, her chest was getting tight. 

I can’t breathe, it’s hard to breathe.

Elisi dropped lower on floor like the little ornament. Gasping for air; her heart was beating faster like a raging drum, she felt as if she was dying. Her eyes were closed while the room was spinning around her. Suddenly, all became dark.

“I’m sorry”