章 8: Choices She Have!
Olivia stared at the small vial of ointment as if she was holding a key to hell. Rare and expensive parchments were scattered around her chair. Scribbles of words that were crushed hardly or covered with ink drops.
"I could not run away with the kid." her voice hardened. "Even if Oriana did not find me, i will not survive since i can not even own properties!" her voice bled as she thought about it.
No wonder she was dependent on her sister her whole life. In this empire, women could not own property unless they were a widow and had a son. Only as his guardian, they have the right to run a business or hold properties.
If a woman does not have a guardian, either as husband, father, brother or son, they could not even buy land and settle. Even if she found a way to earn money, she had to live her life as a refugee.
She could not put kids at risk.
The second best option was getting married. But she could not ask Oriana for Leo and Abi if she marries someone else. Even if she finds a kind and caring husband by a miracle. She could only save herself, she could not save them. What if they were killed!?
"I can't even believe I have thought about this third option." she picked up a less ruined parchment from the ground and read it. "Change the mindset of my sister and make sure she repents. As long as she apologizes to Damon and accepts a punishment, everyone else would be saved." her lips curled into a wry smile.
Even after getting beaten by Oriana less than an hour ago, she still has a wish to change her sister's heart! Is that even possible?
Olivia shook her head and let the parchment go. It flew into the air and fell on the ground. For some reason, she felt her life was the same. It was slipping from her fingers and falling in the hell slowly. This time, she was even aware of it.
"With every passing second, I am moving toward my doom." she whispered with anguish. Her life, kids life.. It was nothing but an interest in Oriana's crimes.
She closed her eyes. A tear slipped her eyes and covered her cheeks.
"Then only the last option remains. The most ridiculous one!" She stared at the vial again. Her body did not want to move. She felt exhausted just by thinking about it.
"For the kids!" she whispered and stood up. Yet only after taking three steps forward. She stopped and could not move. Her feet had rejected her option.
She had the courage to stand against Oriana because of her rage, her anguish but Damon.. She could not face him. Not when he had announced their death.
"It was in the future and you have to stop this!" easy to say, hard to do. She mocked herself as she stood at the door for a long time.
"No, I will not retreat!" Even when she felt afraid, she stood there for a long time. When she felt better, she took a few steps forward and stopped again.
It took her a long time to cover this small distance. Oriana's room on the first floor with all the staff of the palace.
Leo, Abi and Damon share the second floor as the young lord and lady of the palace. And the duke and the duchess cover the whole third floor with their study, office, meeting room and bedroom.
Olivia knocked the room twice. When the door did not open, she did not leave. It had taken all her strength to come here. If she left, it would be harder to come next time.
"Damon.." she whispered so softly that even she could not hear herself. Yet, the door opened miraculously. It was not the servant but Damon was standing in front of her.
"I.." he opened the door a little further to let her in when she could not find words.
She gulped and entered. Her eyes stilled on the ground as if the tapestry on the thick worn out rug was the best thing to watch in the room.
"It is the middle of the night." he reminded her as he closed the door lightly. Yet, she flinched.
"I was afraid to come earlier." she confessed as she turned to look at him. "I… I brought this."
Damon stared at the small vial with a raised brow. She had not told him, but the thick smell told it was an ointment. He had noticed a large cut on her cheeks the moment his eyes had fallen on her. Did she want him to apply the ointment for her? Had she finally lost her mind after being abused for a long time.
If Oriana saw her here or even got a whiff of it. Not only would she be punished again, he would face another bunch of those lots. The thought made him grit his teeth.
"You should call for maids!" he sounded so cold that she felt a chill.
"Yes, but.. I was scared." what if the maids would inform Oriana that she had sent ointment for Damon. And she needed his attention, his truth. She had to convince him somehow to not kill her and the kids.
She felt her pulse falling just thinking about it. She stood there biting her lips as if she was trying hard to not cry or stagger!
"You are scared of your sister?" this did not make sense? If she had medicine that meant Oriana had approved of it! Why in the world was she scared of calling for maids to apply for it. Yet.. she was not scared of coming here in the middle of the night?
"Ridiculous! If you are that scared of maids or duchess. You should have done it yourself. It is not like it is hard to do it." His voice was harder and colder this time, barely hiding his frustration. But Olivia was confused..
"Am I not doing it myself already?"
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