Chapter 5 Silk and Glass

[Lilia]

A piercing, petrified shriek penetrates the depths of my eardrums, jolting me out of my brief slumber. In the background, the sound of running water slapping against the marbled floor resounds. The bleach-white wall blurred in my vision as my lids fluttered open.

My nose immediately stings as I try to take a deep breath, but instead of air, water rushes into my nasal passages, causing me to instantly wheeze as I gasp for air.

“Oh, goodness, Lilia! Are you alright? I thought you were dead!” A woman’s voice shouted beside me. I whipped my head, blowing the excess water off my nose as I fully came to my senses. Only to be greeted by Aya’s concerned expression hovering above me.

I looked at her with a baffled expression, my brows furrowed deeply.

“What are you saying?” My voice came out hoarse, parch-dry at the moment that I had to swallow my own saliva in hopes it would quench my thirst, though it was a futile attempt.

“You were so pale as death. You weren’t moving when I came in. I thought you died,” she blurted, speaking at a mile a minute while the back of her hand pressed against my forehead.

“Gosh! You were so cold!”

“Aya, I’m fine. I just fell asleep.” I smiled, reassuring the concerned woman that I was perfectly alright, and then I pulled myself out of the tub by gripping the edge with my hands.

Aya sighed deeply in relief as she peered down on me. Her eyes ran the length of my fully exposed body.

A blush immediately tinted my cheeks as soon as I realized that I was naked, and she could see through the crystalline water.

“Sorry, I haven’t cleaned myself up yet,” I apologized, crossing one of my arms across my bosom and placing the other hand over my pubic area, having become suddenly conscious.

I looked at her poker face. She didn’t even appear to be bothered with my naked self, no judgment nor any reaction.

I eased up a little bit, my shoulders relaxed, but I didn't stop my efforts to conceal what was left of my modesty.

“Glad that you are okay. Hurry and clean yourself up. Your food is waiting outside,” she said, taking the towel from the wall rack and placing it within my reach before she continued with what she was saying, “Sir Akim told me that after you finish eating, he’ll transfer you to your room.”

In an instant, one of my brows rose in a quizzical expression.

“What? This isn’t going to be my room?” I gaped, not fully comprehending what she meant by that. I thought I heard Kael say something about locking me up. He never mentioned my room, not that I could focus on what he was saying. I was more concerned about the gun pointing directly at my head than I was about actually listening to the words that were spewing forth from his mouth.

“No, this is the guest room. You only stay here momentarily while they set up your room,” she went on to explain.

I didn't say anything because I didn't know what to say in response to it. The thought of having my own room is completely surreal. And I'm not even sure if I should be happy about it or not because, no matter how I look at it, it would still be a prison to me.

Whether or not they put me in a princess's room, that isn’t going to change that fact.

“I’ll be outside. Call me when you’re done so I can help you stand up,” Aya said, breaking me out of my daze. I didn’t even bother to respond. I only took the liquid soap from the side and the sponge next, squirting a small amount into it, squeezing it until it foams.

I just heard the bathroom door shut, indicating that Aya had gone out, leaving me to my own devices.

I didn’t waste time cleaning myself up. My stomach didn’t stop grumbling, a constant reminder that I was hungry.

After lathering my skin, scrubbing off all the oils, grime, and bits of glitters left over from the auction house, I took the shampoo next. I opened its cap, and the rich apple scent wafted to my nostrils. I sighed delightedly. I could take comfort in this very small satisfaction, at the very least.

After shampooing my hair and coating it with conditioner, I rinsed myself well using the detachable showerhead hung on the wall.

Then the tricky part: I inhaled deeply and tried, very slowly, to bend my knees up. My hand gripped tightly on the tub’s edge, putting all my weight on my uninjured knee to stand up.

I know I could call for Aya’s help, but I want to do it alone without depending on others.

I was moving excruciatingly slowly, taking one moment at a time until I finally got out from the tub and stood on the floor with my arms leaning on the wall for support. Water rivulets were dripping from my body and onto the marbled floor below. I wrapped myself in the towel that Aya had prepared for me. Then I walked along the wall, limping towards the door, clutching the lever-type doorknob, tilting it down and pulling it open.

Aya instantly leaped to her feet when she saw me opening the door, ushering her to my side. She held my shoulders and guided my steps towards the bed.

“Didn’t I tell you to call me when you’re done?” Her face contorted into a deep scowl, as if she were a mother hen reprimanding me.

“I understand. I just didn't want to bother you with something I knew I could do on my own,” I reasoned out, but she just rolled her almond-shaped eyes at me before conceding.

“Alright, let’s get you dressed so you can eat.”

Aya prepared me a red wine silk dress that falls just above my knees, with a plunging V-shaped neckline that reveals the valley between my breasts, and a thread-thin strap on my shoulders that holds the fabric all in place. Aya assisted me all through putting on the flimsy dress, and she dried my hair.

A tray of a warm meal is seated atop the wheeled table near the bed: a steaming large piece of a well-done steak with mashed potatoes on the side, lime-flavored soda, grapes, and a glass of sparkling champagne. Just the sight alone makes my mouth water.

Aya only giggled when I started to hop on one foot over to it and began munching down. My taste buds erupted in a cacophony of flavor as I savored it, moaning with delight.

I didn’t even notice that the door opened, and Akim entered. He was pushing a wheelchair in front of him, obviously intended for me to use easily for transport.

The corner of my eyes caught a glimpse of his brows raising as he locked his gaze on me as I gulped down the entire content in one sitting. Though I didn’t pay heed to his sudden appearance, I was more focused on emptying all the food given to me, munching unethically.

“Wow, for a petite woman, you eat like a cow.” I simply ignored his insult. I just rolled my eyes and chugged down the soda, immediately eliciting a loud unladylike burp.

Aya covered her mouth and stifled a giggle.

“I was hungry,” I said, shrugging my shoulders. “At this rate, I could eat a whole lion.”

I’m still upset with him, from what he just said earlier, but staying mad at him would be pointless knowing that Aya and he are the only people I know in this estate.

The huge man only nodded his head.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, throwing him a sideways glance. I thought his job with me was done. Him coming back here is uncalled for.

“I did tell you to take a rest, but the boss said you needed to be transferred to your own room, and I was given a strict instruction to never let you out without his permission.” He replied, letting go of the wheelchair’s handle and putting his hands behind him.

“And if I refused?”

His face suddenly hardened with my question.

“I couldn’t ensure your safety.”

His boss, Kael, could easily pull the trigger and blow a hole in my skull if he so chooses, and he would do so without remorse.

Even the mere thought of it sent shivers down my spine.

“Looks like I don’t have a choice then,” I whispered lifelessly.