Rebecca's POV
As the carriage came close to the mansion, I couldn't help but feel nostalgia for the road, the trees, and the smell of the nearby ocean. The memories of my childhood flooded back, reminding me of the countless adventures I had embarked on along this very path. The anticipation of what awaited me inside the mansion only added to the bittersweet mix of emotions that enveloped me. I always wanted to go near the ocean, but I wasn't allowed to go out of the mansion for whatever reason, which is still a mystery to me.
And as I caught a glimpse of the large tree hiding behind the mansion, I grinned. It was undoubtedly enormous but gorgeous. Then images of me and the flowers I had received from the unidentified child started to flood my mind. Is she really just a figment of my irrational imagination? I questioned. Or perhaps my instinct was correct and the person was real. I had to find out right away if I was correct or not.
But my smile faded when I noticed carriages in front of the mansion with people bringing in furniture and cleaning the garden in front of the mansion.
What in the world is this?
My day was quickly ruined when I saw a familiar figure giving commands to the people around the mansion.
"You've got to be kidding me," I said to myself.
"Lady Rebecca, there must be a misunderstanding here, as I was informed that it was only us here." Miss Nam was also confused about what was happening.
"That's what I thought, too," I answered.
When our carriage stopped in front of the mansion's entrance, the driver got off first and helped me off the carriage.
But I didn't let the driver hold my hand; I called him rude. I'm not comfortable being held by strangers, but as embarrassing as it is, I slipped and was about to fall. Luckily, the driver's quick reflexes prevented me from hitting the ground. I couldn't help but feel grateful for his assistance, despite my initial discomfort.
But why did his scent seem familiar? And his hand was too soft for a man, making me wonder and look up.
"Oh sh*t," I uttered as I was met with those oh-so-beautiful brown, expressive eyes of none other than my servant, Freen.
And then she smiled at me. This was creeping me out; she was smiling towards me. But what crept me out more was that I loved it.
I love her smile.
And I didn't notice my own smile.
And her whole face turned red.
I felt warm when I realized she was still holding my waist, and I also realized I was still being held by her.
I pushed her away from me in embarrassment while acting irate, then walked away from her and entered the mansion.
And there I saw Nop feeling at home, sitting, commanding the people like he was the master of this mansion, and he quickly got up when he saw me approaching with a wide smile, but I didn't smile back as I was not pleased seeing people in my supposed escape from everyone.
He said something. I guess he greeted me because he was supposed to give me an embrace, but I didn't respond. I just glared at him. Why do I feel betrayed? We are close; he is supposed to be my rock, but why do I feel like something is going on behind my back?
"Why are you here, Nop? And what's all this?" I asked while looking straight into his eyes.
"What? Aren't you happy I am here with you? And this mansion is too big for just four to live here; It would be so dull, so boring," Nop explained, which made me crease my brows and glare at him.
"What?" He asked innocently, but it only added to my anger.
"Did my parents tell you to come?" I was now being skeptical.
"No, they didn't. I just thought it would be more fun to have more people around." Nop's innocent expression faltered for a moment before he replied. That's when I figured out what was going on here.
My parents really didn't fail to disappoint me and control my life.
"I didn't want company, Nop," I really wanted to shout right now out of frustration.
I ran, and I found myself at the back of the mansion in this familiar grass field.
"UUUURGHH, I HATE YOU!!"
"I HATE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!"
"AAAAHH!!!"
"AAHHH, URGH, HAAAH, AAAARGH!"
"SERIOUSLY?!" I asked the sky as a leaf slapped my face as the wind blew, and I became more pissed.
I punched and kicked the air, which made me flip and fall between this tall grass, which was obviously not being groomed.
"Arrgh." I was still kicking like a child having a tantrum, lying on the ground, letting out my frustration.
And I stopped and covered my eyes for a bit as my eyes started producing water, but I immediately dried my tears, and there I stared at the sky with a hint of pink dusk. The pink dusk painted the sky, casting a soft glow over my surroundings. As I gazed up, a sense of calm washed over me, soothing my frustrations.
The wind blew again, and I heard a cute groan not so far away from me. Scared, I tried to look around, and I saw a small tree move, but what made my smile wide was seeing the colorful flowers dancing in the wind.
It was so beautiful; it was magical to watch; it was like a gift from heaven. The vibrant colors of the flowers swayed in perfect harmony with the gentle breeze, creating a mesmerizing display of nature's artistry. In that moment, I felt a deep appreciation for the simple joys that surrounded me, reminding me to cherish every fleeting moment of beauty in life.
And I danced and chased as the wind blew again and dandelions joined the party, but what made my heart sway in joy was hearing steps behind me. My heart beat so fast, realizing it was the mysterious kid.
As I heard her steps, I relished every second. I experienced a wave of peace and tranquility on the side of the grass that surrounded us. I was able to fully immerse myself in the beauty of the moment because it seemed as though time had stopped. I was reminded of the interconnectedness of all living things by the symphony that was created by the soft rustling of leaves and the far-off chirping of birds.
Instantaneously, my day returned to normal. I chased the flowers the wind blew as I danced with it and smiled on my face.
But she is the main cause of my happiness, not that.
There she is.
She is now with me.
She is with me now.
I can sense her close by.
I gradually slowed down.
She is walking with me, and I want to join her.
I really want to see her.
I wish she would come out and meet me.
She being here with me makes me very happy.
She's true.
My parents used to tell me that she was just an imaginary friend, but she is real.
She was real to me right away, I could tell.
And all of a sudden, I had an idea.
I smiled.
I reduced my running to walking. I ran quickly while pretending to catch flowers as I could hear her chasing after me, and I grinned and abruptly stopped and looked back. I'll be catching her now.
One step
Two step
Three step
I see a flash of memory of me happily running around this grass field with these flowers dancing with me, like it's designed for only one purpose: for the two of us to play here.
Here, we are free.
We are happy.
I am at peace.
This is my place.
She is my peace.
"Gotcha," I said as I looked back to surprise her.
She is my sanctuary.
A pair of beautiful eyes
The sunset made her face look like it was glowing.
My world seemed to stop as I saw the woman behind me trying her best to stop herself from falling towards me.
No. no.no.
This can't be true.
Freen?
"Aaah!"
BOGZZZH
Her eyes reflect the image of the sunset.
Her face, which has always been a distraction to me,
Her lips that are always inviting me
Her soft, expressive face
Her stares always make me melt.
And please don't talk about her smile.
Please don't smile.
Oh damn it.
That's it. I couldn't resist any longer.
I pulled her face close to mine and kissed her. The world around us seemed to fade away as our lips met, and all I could think about was how much I had longed for this moment. And I felt how she gripped my dress, but to my surprise, she did not respond but pulled herself away from me.
And when she had a chance to do it, I saw how confused her face was.
And there I realized what I did. I had misread the situation and acted impulsively without considering her feelings. I immediately regretted my actions and felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me.
But instead of apologizing,
pak
"Pervert!"
"Disgusting!" I shouted and pushed her off of me. I quickly realized that my outburst only made the situation worse. The hurt and betrayal in her eyes made me realize the gravity of my mistake.
But no, I will not apologize.
I am Rebecca Patricia Armstrong, daughter of Lord Armstrong of England. I will not allow myself to be humiliated or belittled by anyone, especially not someone like her. I will stand my ground and assert my worth, regardless of the consequences. My actions may have been impulsive, but I refuse to back down now.
So I got up on my own, struggling because of my dress and the weight of my pride, determined to show her I was not going to admit my mistake and back down like a servant. I felt insulted, and I could feel her stare on my back.
She will pay for this. Who does she think she is?
I spit some saliva, realizing what I just did.
"Disgusting." I don't know if I was referring to her or myself.
I don't know why, but I felt like I was going to cry.
No. Don't show any weakness, Rebecca. I covered my face with the sleeves of my dress and continued to get out of this freakin' grass field.
She will pay for this.
I will make sure she does this. I will not let her get away with treating me like this. I will find a way to make her regret her actions and ensure she faces the consequences.
My annoyance earlier was back, but I was getting more mad.
I don't even understand why I was mad now; I was just mad.
So mad. I clenched my fists and felt the anger boiling inside me. It's not just about her disrespecting me anymore; it's about standing up for myself and reclaiming my power. I will channel this anger into motivation and prove to her that I am not to be messed with.
"I will make Freen Sarocha pay. I am going to make your life hell."
POV of Freen.
I held my cheeks and lips and said, "She kissed me," feeling the warmth not from the slap but from what she had just done to me.
I was astounded as I watched her turn and retreat.
Damn.
I'm free to pass away right now.
I am unable to contain my smile.
I happy-danced while punching and kicking the air until I tired, always grinning even if I fell to the ground. I looked up at the sky, which was just now beginning to have stars appear.
I grinned, prayed, and then shut my eyes.
"God, you really care about me. I only ask for a breeze, but you grant me more." As I lay there, feeling the cool breeze on my face, I couldn't help but feel overwhelmed with gratitude.
The stars above seemed to twinkle in agreement, as if they were celebrating this moment with me.