It's Her

Lily and Denver look at the other maids and guards standing in the room.

Maid Marga shakes her head, "We should train you how to be a young mistress of this mansion," she said and gave the paper she wrote on to Eunica and forced a smile and mouthed, "Thank you, Miss."

Lily ran to Maid Marga and hugged her leg, "Marga, Marga, can I have ice cream?"

Denver walks towards Eunica, "Everyone's nice but be careful of Papa's assistant, Drigo, he will hurt anyone who's not following Papa," he said and walks towards the guards.

Lily smiled at Eunica before following Maid Marga outside to get some ice cream. While the guards then escorted Denver back to his room; leaving Eunica with her three young maids.

She crumpled the paper on her hands. It can't be true, how can her father turn out like this? Was it really her mother who's in the basement? Why is he working for Luinn?

Everything made her feel dizzy. She slowly takes a step back and sits on Lily's bed. The maids worriedly ran to her, without saying any word, they hugged her tightly.

"I'm okay, girls. No worries," she said as she pats their back, now that she notices it, she pulls #13 and looks at her pale neck.

"Oh my god," Eunica mutters while looking a scar on the maid's throat, it's not noticeable, but when you look closely, there's a large slit on her throat.

She looks at the other maid's neck as well, and there it is, a scar big enough to make these three go mute.

"Who did these?" Eunica grinds her teeth while asking.

#29, the youngest, took the paper Eunica crumpled and wrote, "Drigo and Luinn."

"What? It's not my father?" Eunica asks with a tint of happiness that her father didn't harm any of these young ladies.

"No," 29 wrote, "Luinn gave us to the Master."

13 pulls Eunica's arms to make her stand up and gestures her head towards the door.

Eunica just follows them, her heart aches for what these young girls went through because of Luinn. Since when were they under him? How old were they when their life got snatched away? When was the last time they heard their voice? Can they remember who their family was? Where they came from? What their names are?

Unconciously, Eunica's tears fell as they enter her room.

29 panicked when she turned to her Young Miss who's crying and immediately pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and offered it to Eunica. She was just a young little crow when she was abducted by Luinn's huntsmen and no other memory than her crying mother was left after her voice was exchanged by a chip.

13 pats Eunica's back softly, even though she can't speak, she knows why her Young Miss is crying. It hurts to see such a sweet girl weep for them.

21 forced a smile to let Eunica know that they are alright, it's true before she was brought here, she was stealing foods from humans, and was eating spoiled foods from the garbage. Even though it caused her freedom and voice, she's living more comfortably now.

Eunica bursts into tears and hugged the maids, "Don't worry, I'll help you guys."

After a long cry, Eunica was left with a map of the house she got from Denver and some written pieces of information from the guards and maids about Luinn and her father's transactions.

"Alright," Eunica stretches her hand upward as her eyes landed on her lunch placed on the nightstand since her father's not around, they have to eat in their own room.

'How's mother?' Eunica thought while reading the reason why her three maids are mute.

"The three girls were too young when the surgery happened and accidents befall those who are not prepared. Complications followed and then later, they found out, the girls became mute," Maid Marga wrote.

The guards and the maids don't even talk unless they have to, only Maid Marga and the head guards- like the guards who stayed by her door earlier- can talk freely.

Drigo is her father's assistant, wherever her Father goes, Drigo will follow and report everything back to Luinn. From where Eunica's standing, her father is still the one being controlled by Luinn.

As Eunica continues to ponder on the information, she heard a knock on her door.

One of her maids opened it and she didn't bother since she thought it's just another guard or maid checking up on her.

"Eunica, darling," it's her stepmother, standing behind her and reading the papers on the table, "You're busy?"

Eunica stands up and hugged her tightly, she missed her Lavander scent and black hair.

"Oh, my sweet baby," her stepmother whispered as she kisses Eunica's forehead, "I was so worried."

"Mother, I'm sorry I was not around when you needed me," Eunica buries her head into her stepmother's shoulder, "I'm sorry."

"Shh, we don't have enough time, listen to me," she said with a serious expression while holding Eunica's hands, "Luinn controls your father, he used your mother as the exchange for working with him."

Eunica furrows her forehead but she didn't say a word and just continued listening to her stepmother.

"Your mother's corpse... is here. It was preserved by your father in the base but Luinn found it and now he's using it to get your father. And... Eunica," her mother frowns as tears form in her eyes, "He will bring her back when Luinn's plan is done."

"Bring her back?" Eunica felt her whole body tremble as her veins flow this cold blood in her body.

Her stepmother nods, "Yes. I don't know how, when and what Luinn's plans are. I'm afraid for you and my sister. How is Jessica?"

Eunica forced a smile, "She's doing great. She helped us escape."

Her stepmother smiled and nodded, "Of course she did, she changed."

A long silence came before them while wandering with their thoughts about everything.

'How's Hyung and Dr. Arlene? Was Jin's mother caught? How's Jin? Is he looking for her? Why does my father want to bring her dead mother back? What is Luinn's plan?' Eunica thought.

The three maids rushed to Eunica and Laika, and gestures to their neck.

"Your father's back, I need to go," Eunica's stepmother tightens her grip on Eunica's hands and whispered, "No matter what, be good."

The guards escorted her to her room while Eunica leans on her desk, thinking, sinking, and drowning with the messed up thoughts she has.

"It's not for money, it's for my mother," Eunica whispers.

She knows her father's not a type of man who would gladly join the darkness for bills and coins, she knew something else made him work with his enemy.

But why does he need her mother alive? He's married to her stepmother, Laika. They have kids. So, why?

"Miss, your father's requesting for your presence," Maid Marga said.

With the thought that she will be facing her father, her anger suddenly boils up as her heart started thumping like crazy.

She was escorted by her maids to the basement, in front of a room with a wide door, it's three times as Eunica's height and two huge elephants can fit its wideness.

"We'll be here outside if you need us," Maid Marga bowed as well as the three young maids.

The guards opened the door while Eunica stands in front, expecting a bright light will welcome her inside but instead of light, it was darkness.

The moment she stepped inside, she was greeted by a cold that is enough to make her feel numb all over. Her bones felt like something was scratching it, it was weird and it feels awful.

The door was shut behind her and now, she's left with nothing but the darkness and cold.

"Fa...ther?" Eunica's trembling voice echoes around the room.

She brushes her arms up and down to heat them up but even her hands feel like ice, "I'm freezing, Father."

"Good, that means, your mother can still sleep soundly," he replied in a dry manner as a light turned on at the other side of the room, showing her father's silhouette.

His back was turned against Eunica while he's facing a wide white box that looks like a... casket. It's her mother. She's sure of it. She can still smell her familiar scent. Strawberries and roses, just like Luke and the other panthre tribe.

It's her. Her mother's here.