Silent Darkness

"How did you-

"What? How did I?" I acted as usual, but why is he being dramatic?

"Madam, you are so talented," he tells me as if I had solved a tough chess game.

"Why? Duke didn't think about this?" I felt confused.

"No," he said, looking down.

Did I just make the duke look down in front of his employer? I have a feeling that I did.

"Sorry if I did something. But don't tell this to the duke." I spoke.

"But-"

"I don't know what you are thinking, but could you please not bring up this topic anymore? I'm not sure what is going on when the duke himself didn't want me to know, so I don't think it is appropriate." I said this while checking the documents.

"As you wish, madam," he said, bowing and walking away.

I was still so immersed in the documents, which made me forget about the timing until Yuna knocked on the door.

"Yes?" I answered.

"Duke is waiting for dinner. Her voice has a loud pitch, as if she is annoyed.

"I will be there in a minute," I answered.

The voice disappeared with her. Such a peace until I heard her voice again.

Madam, the duke is waiting, "I was pissed.

I got up from the chair and walked toward the door. I opened the door in a hurry while she was about to knock. But I won't be able to utter a single word, seeing the duke behind her as if it were all because of him. As if Yuna was pestering me so many times in a single moment because he couldn't wait that much time.

"Did I disturb you?" he said with a worried expression.

What if I say yes? What will you do? Will you show me your angry side at last? Or will you kick me out of your place because of this?

"Not at all," I said with a smile, and I walked with him toward the dinner table.

As I sat, he asked, "I heard you already took over your duties."

"Yes, I've already started working on it," I said while taking bites from the meals.

"Do you have any doubt that I co-"

He didn't even finish his sentence. I said, "I am already embracing everything I need to. I already took classes at a very young age. And I even heard that the butler was handling the mansion work, so he is here to help me."

"Oh yeah!" he said, his voice low.

"So there is nothing to worry about. You should focus on your parents."

I messed it up.

"My parents..."

He asked.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I just accidentally came to know about your parents," I said. My fingers were trembling when I accidentally picked up this subject. I know how my father used to look at me when I did something he didn't like, so I'm already aware of these feelings.

"Madam, could you finish what you just started?"

I'm getting scared.

"I wasn't aware of the previous duke and duchess's deaths." I didn't know they were killed.

"Enough," his voice was loud, and even the way he hit his hand on the table was even louder than it looked, making my ears go numb for a second and making me scared as hell.

"I'm sorry," I said in a low tone, but I think he didn't hear me and walked away from the table, leaving me there in front of all the workers as if I were the laughing stock for them.

"Madam, should I take your meal to your room?" Yuna breaks the silence.

"No, let it be. You guys can have your dinner. I'm returning to my room," I said while my feet led me to my room.

My tears were again falling down my cheeks. I somehow reached in front of my room and locked myself inside until my surroundings turned dark all of a sudden.

"Yuna! "

"Yuna! "

"Can you hear me?"

I called in a high pitch but got no response.

I've already started trembling.

"Head butler," my voice started breaking already, but again there was no response, which made me come out of my room and walk around in the dark. I already couldn't see anything else around me. The pitch dark is making me blind, but still, I'm searching around to get a fire stick so that I can at least light up my room.

"Hello! "

"Is there anyone here?"

I asked numerous times, but all of a sudden I heard footsteps from the north.

"Can you hear me?" I asked again but got no response.

Why does no one answer when I hear footsteps?

I still walked further so that I could reach his study, but suddenly something happened. My back hurts as if some kind of monster just tore some of my flesh from it. It hurts. I touched my back when I felt hot, watery things. Is this my blood?

"Who is it?" I still asked.

No response, but again, another slash hit my left shoulder, making me fall to the floor. I did nothing. I couldn't do it because I couldn't see anything. I never get the training that a knight gets, so I'm all helpless while no one is answering my voice.

"Now you too will go to hell." Finally, I heard someone saying,

I'm not aware of this voice.

"Duchess of the North Region, Bernice Balliol, or should I say Bernice Balliol Agnes?"

That person is laughing at me.

"Now please rest in peace. There is no need for you to be here anymore. Sleep for your entire life now," he said while a sharp object pierced through my stomach. I wasn't able to utter a single word anymore. Not a single word came out anymore, as if my vocal cord was broken.

Blood coming out of my mouth.

Now I can hear the footsteps going far from me, and the lights too have started coming on their own, but I see no one beside me.

Duke, where are you?

Are you that angry with me that I made you unaware of your wedded wife's death?

Am I the wife in your document?

I wonder.

My eyes slowly started closing, letting me know I was dying.

But I don't want to.

I don't want to die.

Someone save me!

Save me, please!