AN EYE THAT SEES WORTH - A CHANCE OF FATE

Although it was hard, Laurence had finished her food after settling down. She wiped her tears and removed her clothes with the help of the maid, then she went inside the bathroom.

The bathroom was made with fine white and black marbles. It was illuminated with dim yellow lights creating a sophisticated atmosphere. The bath tub was big enough to fit four people and on the right wall were mirrors reflecting the whole room.

Before entering the bathroom, the maid insisted to assist her but Laurence refused.

She was a noble of course. She was accustomed to servants helping her bathe but now, she knew her body was full of scars and she even thought of having deformities. Thinking back what the Lord told her, she wanted to see for herself how disgusting she had become.

The steam coming from the hot water gradually made a fog to the whole room since it was winter. Laurence moved slowly trying to wheeled herself inside with the wheelchair. As she slowly entered inside after closing the door, the only thing Laurence can hear inside was the friction coming from her wheels when it touches the marble floor and the sound of the water flowing.

Her eyes traveled slowly looking at how luxurious and majestic everything were. Even though it was just a bathroom it was already big enough for a whole family of four to live in. Laurence can’t really believe that she was lucky enough to be here and to be treated as a lady once again.

However, Laurence still can’t trust everything in this place.

She kept her guard up as if she was in a dream that can shatter the moment she woke up. Laurence turned. She faced the mirror that had blurred because of the fog. With her shaking hands, She moved to touch the mirror. Her palms laid flat on the surface of the mirror. She stayed in that position for a while, thinking.

Laurence had an idea what she looked like now but she doesn’t know if she can bare the fact that her soft fragile skin had been torn several times letting her blood stained the floor. She clenched her jaw as she felt a deep rage burning inside of her.

With the swift of her hand, she wiped the mist off the mirror. In that instant, her reflection was reflected on her eyes. The first thing she saw was her red eyes and scars that seemed to be like a red vine crawling on her skin. The scars were visible to her arms moving up and making a circle to her back. Swallowing, Laurence turned the wheel of her wheelchair trying to see her back clearly, only then she was able to see how pitiful her whole body was.

Her whole back was covered in scars. Some of her skin was torn away forcefully and as it healed, a pink barely healed flesh was there covered with a thin skin like plastic. She also had her burnt marks all over her making a pattern with dark pigments on her skin.

Laurence paused as her breath hitched. It was horrifying to see that her once beautiful skin without any scars had turned like this.

As if ghost hunting her, Laurence remembered her time in that cold and disgusting prison. The number of lashes was drilled in her mind and the painful stings it get the moment she laid on her bare back. Everything she had experienced was flashing before her eyes crawling onto her skin making her remember the hell she had been through.

Laurence body uncontrollably shook. Her breaths were cut short and she felt her head heavy. In that moment her body started to remember as if maggots were crawling over her body.

No! Please, No!

Laurence moved with swiftness trying hard to wheeled herself towards the tub at the same time, she fought the urge to cry and breakdown. Water, she needed water. She needed to feel something. She needed to tell her body that it was okay. That she was already in a face place. That everything was already done and she won’t experience the same pain ever again.

That she was safe.

SHE. WAS. SAFE!

Laurence tried so hard to wheeled herself to the tub. As the wheel of the wheelchair rolled through the marble floor, there were several times it did not move and kept getting stuck into one place for the floor was wet and slippery.

In the end, realizing that she won’t get anywhere, Laurence who was desperate crawled out of her Wheelchair. Using her arms and elbows, she crawled to the tub dragging her feet.

Laurence did not care how the floor was cold or if her body gets dirty from crawling. She only had one goal and that was to touch the warm water flowing in the tub. Laurence felt the pain on her legs and feet and some of her wounds were scarping the floors. It burned and it stings. However, she did not let anything stop her.

Several minutes later, she was able to climb the tub and soaked into a hot bath easing all of her fatigue and her anxiousness. Laurence clenched her jaw enduring the pain all over her body.

I am okay, Laurence mumbled inside her mind. You are safe now. You are safe. She repeated these words over and over again making her body full of affirmations that she was indeed okay.

As everything settled down once again, Laurence can’t hold her tears thinking of how pathetic she had fallen into. Her sobs were contained in the room being masked by the water flowing.

Laurence bit her lower lip leaning on the tub. In the back of her mind, she was thankful enough that no one was able to see her like this. For if someone had seen it, she doesn’t know how she will react. She lost everything and her pride was the only one telling her that she deserve better than this.

She was angry.

She can feel her rage deep in the pit of her stomach but she was helpless as though she was inside a deep well and all she can ever see was the small light from outside. Laurence felt as though she was a a naïve child inside. She kept looking and looking inside the well but there were no rope or things that she can used to climb up.

That perfectly describes her situation right now.

Laurence doesn’t even know where to start or how to get there. Sliding down, she let her whole body be swallowed by the warm water easing all of tensed muscles. She can’t be forever like this. Laurence knew that her tears won’t lead her to anywhere she wanted and being scared and pathetic like this wasn’t the life she wanted.

The devils and monsters had already given her another chance to live. She should meet their expectations to her. Laurence understood that what she wanted was almost close to impossible and it would take a long time to get there.

But just like how she was persistent to all of her research and how she was persistent in living, she won’t back down easily. Her gaze changed as she slowly seeped out of the water. Her beautiful innocent ruby eyes looked to sinister and horrifying as though she was death herself.

Laurence won’t settle for less. She was a former heir of their county. She was given best of all high qualities things by her parents. Be it jewels, dresses, and even servants. It was only natural for her to want the best especially if she wanted something.

Revenge will be serve the way she wanted it.

Laurence had already sworn that she will get her revenge no matter what. After soaking for a while, Laurence moved to give herself a bath.

--

Thirty minutes later, the maid who was already outside the bathroom entered. She held a towel and a bathrobe. The lady was already seated on the edge of the tub waiting for her maid. As the maid’s eyes traveled, she saw the horrifying scars on the back of her lady. She expected it already but she never realized that the scars looked more horrifying that what the Lord had told them.

Despite being surprise, she tried so hard not to give a comment.

“Have you enjoyed the bath well, my lady?” she asked trying to lift the mood. Moving slowly, she helped Laurence put the bathrobe and assisted her in seating on her wheelchair.

“Yes,” the lady answered. Her voice seemed hoarse.

The maid was puzzled thinking that the lady might have caught a cold but after scrutinizing Laurence with her gaze, the maid found Laurence’s eyes to be puffy and swollen.

She cried, The maid thought.

“That’s a good thing to hear my lady. I have prepared some books you might want to read after.” The maid said putting the towel on her mistress head and carefully drying her hair. Laurence did not say anything and let the maid move.

As soon as her hair was dry a little bit, the maid pushed her wheelchair to leave the bathroom. Once again Laurence was greeted with the light coming from outside with the view of snow falling. The fireplace burned and the heat spread through out the room. Laurence can’t help but feel a little comfortable and wanted to doze off.

“My lady, I have also prepared some comfortable clothes as you are now reciprocating. The lord also told the servants not to disturb you.”

Laurence who was busy looking outside the room shifted her gaze to the clothes that the maid had prepared. It was a white dress with different black laces on the hem making it looked so sophisticated and elegant at the same time, simple.

Laurence stared for a while, blinking. “My clothes look too luxurious.” Laurence can’t help but comment.

The maid smiled as though she was showing a little bit of her pride as a servant. “Our Lord had specifically told us to purchase best of all your clothes, my lady. He wanted you to feel comfortable.”

Laurence paused. A figure of a dignified middle aged man flashed on her eyes. Laurence remembered that even his clothes never looked modest as it screams dignity, elegance, and grace. It was her first time seeing such lord who carried such clothes with ease as though it was already a part of him.

“Lord Arthur Sinclair?” she asked. The maid vigorously nodded with a smile.

“Is he a noble?” she wanted to ask. She never heard of the surname Sinclair in the empire. Was he perhaps a noble in a different kingdom?

“My lady, Lord Arthur is not a noble but his wealth is large enough to compete with the kings and emperors of the empires and kingdom.”

“Then why-” As if the maid guessed Laurence question, she added hurriedly cutting Laurence’s words.

“He had told us that he wanted a safe life away from all of the politics and poisons of the imperial family. Furthermore, Lord Arthur is a respected lord in the Island of Orastin, My lady. He doesn’t need a noble title.”

Laurence thought for a moment. “But why is he helping me? I am a person with no specific origins. I might be a person who might harm him.”

The maid smiled gently revealing her eyes that full of pity towards Laurence. Laurence can’t help but flinched.

“We trust the Lord’s eyes my lady,” the maid then answered as she helped Laurence put her clothes. Her movements were careful. “He was never wrong with his assumptions on people. Furthermore, my lady, you are in a very sever conditions. It’s only natural for us to help you.”

The maid finished dressing Laurence up and turned her wheelchair towards the direction of the mirror. In that moment, Laurence saw her reflection again. It was different on her first reflection inside the bathroom where she can only see her naked body whose full of scars and evidences of torture.

Right now, she looked like a delicate lady trying to nurse herself back to her former healthy appearance. She looked fragile yet at the same time elegant. As though she looked like someone’s treasure daughter wanting them only the best.

Laurence who was going struggling with her emotions revealed a genuine smile after a long while. The maid who saw it cannot help but gasped seeing how beautiful the blonde and red eyed lady was.

“Tell the lord that I am thankful for his grace.” She said. “I’ll try my best to return the favor in the future.”