The Woman Who Wanted to Wait until 11

"What do you mean?"

Lana and Seira asked simultaneously.

Bella put her index finger in her lips, motioning the two girls to lower their voices. "Shhhhh"

It is prohibited to tell what she knows to new servants but sometimes her mouth can't keep shut. The two girls seem to be too kind, especially Seira. She didn't want the woman to end up like her friend that was assigned to serve the prince.

"Just one…. mistake? What kind of mistakes?" Seira muttered as fear fluttered and invaded her mind.

"I can't say more than that. Just follow what Ms. Cora said back in the hall"

Seira opened her mouth to ask but Bella lied down in an instant; covering herself with a blanket.

"Hey! What are you doing? You can't just leave us hanging like that. Bella, Bella"

Lana shakes Bella's shoulder but she doesn't budge a bit. Bella closed her eyes tightly, silently scolding herself for opening her mouth.

Seira quietly left the two girls and headed to the bathroom; clutching the clothes she saw in her bed. The floor was still wet while the mirror was a little foggy. Locking the door, she stepped inside one of the cubicles; putting the clothes to the door.

The water was cold. It was so cold that she was having second thought of taking a bath. There was no heater. She didn't expect less, they are servants. An employer who will let his servants experience hot water will be a good Samaritan but unfortunately, she was in a den of unidentified species but was surely dangerous and ruthless.

With her eyes closed, she stood right in front of the shower and let the cold water touch her skin. After a few minutes, she was starting to get used to the cold temperature.

"One mistake and there will be a…….. let's say a very unpleasant punishment"

She keeps on thinking about what Bella said. Being careful was given. But Bella's expression earlier tells her that there was something more about the warning that was given to them and to what she just mentioned. What happened to the personal servants of the prince who committed a mistake? Why does he not have any servants in the first place? Why will they prohibit the servants from going outside at 11 in the evening? And why in the world do they need servants when almost every year, a lot of people sell themselves?

It was peculiar. Everything in the palace was suspicious. She planned on staying as quiet as possible but she can't help overthinking her situation especially that people around her were saying the same thing.

"Stop thinking about it Seira" she muttered to herself, letting the cold water directly touch her face.

After getting dressed in a white, long-sleeved dress that reached below her knee, she dried her hair using her bath towel before putting back the cloth she was using to cover her hair. Although she didn't hear anyone in the room, she couldn't take any chance of someone seeing her true hair color.

The moment she stepped outside, she saw her reflection in the mirror. Still, her eyes were lifeless. Her dark circles were gone, probably because of the witch who healed her. She stepped outside. The once loud room, full of chatters, was now soundless. The girls in the room were all in their own bed; sleeping and a lit-up sconce is the only light that barely offers a faint radiance. Does she take a lot of time taking a bath?

She walked into her bed cautiously; careful to hit a bed but the light was too dim for her to see her path clearly. Unsurprisingly, she hit a bed with her thigh.

"Ouch"

"Hey, be careful," a faint voice said.

"Sorry"

She continued walking, caressing her thigh.

Bella and Lana are fast asleep in their respective beds which were just next to her bed.

"Where did you go?"

Seira turned around abruptly; placing her hand on her pounding chest. "Oh my god"

A woman with her head in her hand was looking at her. She couldn't clearly see the face of the woman but she was sure that it was facing her. The woman was in the upper part of the bed.

"Hey"

Her heart was still beating so fast. The woman just freaking talks out of nowhere. It is dark for goodness sake and as far as she can remember, the woman was not there a while ago.

"Did I startle you?" the woman asked in a hushed tone.

"Uh…. A little bit"

Seira climbed to the bed and lied down but she immediately got up when the woman went down, sitting directly at her bed.

"Do you want to join me in waiting until 11? You know, finding out what's the reason behind the rule of that time?"

She frowned "I-I'm sorry what?"

"I said let's wait until 11 and find out what will happen then. Oh, the name is Almira by the way"

"Seira" she reluctantly took the held-out hand of Almira. It feels wrong for her to think that the woman was weird when she barely knew her a minute ago but her smile scares her and makes her nervous for unknown reasons.

"So…. Will you join me?"

"I'm sorry but I can't. I badly need to rest, my back is aching"

"We'll just need to wait a minute and it's already 11, you can spare that time right?"

Before she could make a reply, the sound of the clock echoed through the room. Almira clapped her hands while giggling; facing the doorway.

Seira unknowingly covers her body with the blanket. Her eyes were strained on the wooden door.

Moments passed and nothing happened. She glanced at Almira who's still looking at the door and casually sitting at her bed.

"I think we should sleep now. We are waiting for almost an hour now"

She was starting to get sleepy also. Not to mention that she needs to wake up early but here she is, with her eyes still wide open; waiting for a strange thing to happen behind those doors.

"I guess, no one dared to step outside their quarters tonight. How unfortunate"

Almira murmured but enough for Seira to hear. "Okay, Goodnight Seira"

With a frown, Seira replied "Goodnight"

It is good that they cannot decipher the faces of each other clearly because if not, Almira would probably have seen her disapproving expression throughout the time she spent scheming with the woman. It doesn't feel right. They were warned not to dare step outside their quarters at 11 at night and honestly, she would never wish other servants to be behind those doors at that time.

Seira lied down with the blanket stretched up to her neck. Her eyebrows were still creased. The palace was nowhere near a good or fairytale-like place. She expected that. But it never occurred to her that aside from reminding herself to be wary of the palace itself, the people that she met today were making her more anxious and doubtful than she already is. Unfortunately, that was her weakness. She trusts easily as long as they're not nobles, especially if the people were like her. Poor, pitiful, and wretched.

Taking a deep breath, she took one last glance at the door and closed her eyes as sleep came into her.