章節 16: Mad man
A heavy sigh left my mouth after I finally went out of the room. I made a mental note that attention and I don't go well together. I felt my stomach growling, so I decided to go to the second floor to ask Bob if he could cook me something as I didn't have anything to do at the moment.
The wooden door squeaked open, and I let my body lead me to the source of the delectable scent that hit my nose as soon as I stepped into the kitchen. The kitchen was always empty, and the only person that I ever saw inside was Bob. We can all agree that this kitchen belongs to Bob.
"Bob," I called out to the sole owner of the kitchen.
Bob, who was busy washing the dishes, became aware of my presence and smiled giddily, "Miss Violet, to what do I owe the honour of your presence in this sacred kitchen of mine?" he asked in a joking manner.
He was a tall man with a slightly chubby body. His messy, curly hair peeked out under the corner of his hat. He was always polite, sometimes easy going. I had become accustomed to Bob's presence as we always met each other when he brought me my meals. The time he brought me food became the moment I always look forward to every day.
Bob's cooking was out of this world, and I couldn't get enough of it. "Could you cook me something? I'm a bit hungry."
He grinned and placed both of his hands on his waist proudly, "Of course. What do you want to eat?"
I shook my head side to side, "Please surprise me with another delicious meal," a small smile appeared on my face.
He nodded and immediately put on his apron. He moved skillfully around the kitchen, pulling out ingredients and cooking ware as if they were an easy task to do.
"Do you work here alone, Bob?"
"Yes, I am the only chef in Sir Luke's manor," he replied while stirring a pot which I assumed contained a hearty chicken soup by the delicious scent that started to roam around the air.
"Why are you the only one? Isn't he rich enough to hire more chefs?"
"He did hire some more. But he fired all of them because he hated the other chef's cooking. He was only satisfied with my cooking," Bob smiled proudly. "I am happy that he loved my cooking as making food was my life," he placed a bowl of chicken soup in front of me, "And I am also happy that you loved my cooking too, miss."
"Who wouldn't?" I said as I lifted my spoon, "The foods you made are the best ones I've ever tasted in my life."
He laughed heartily, "You flattered me, miss. No wonder Sir Luke started to change warmer after meeting you."
"What do you mean?"
"He was always known as a cold man. He never showed his feelings to others. So when I saw how he treated you, I was genuinely surprised. I couldn't believe myself that he could act so tenderly," he chuckled.
I swallowed my soup, "How did he treat others?" I asked, curious about the man who was always so kind to me. His kindness always struck me as something weird, an unfamiliar stance.
"Hmm, he never treats people dearly. He was someone who demanded respect and authority from others. He only said things that he wanted to say, and did things that he thought were important. He never cared about what others thought. Though I doubt that is the case with you. But despite all that, he was a great leader. He always acts with his people in his best interest. You can see how hard he works."
I nodded quietly to his explanation. I never thought Luke treated others so differently from how he treated me. What's the reason for his kind demeanor towards me, I wonder? I finished my soup and thanked Bob for his service, "Thank you for the meal, Bob."
"It was my pleasure, miss," he replied as he bowed slightly with a smile on his face. I then left the kitchen and went downstairs to walk around the building.
It has been an hour since the meeting started. I think it should have ended by now. Should I go upstairs and help tidy up the room? I went up the stairs, heading towards the conference room. At the top of the stairs, a man was standing with his arms folded across his chest.
"There you are. I've been looking all over for you," I glanced up and saw the same tanned man from before. He walked closer to me and dragged me down the stairs.
"What are you doing?!" I asked while struggling to free my hand from his grip. The man didn't answer me but tightened his grip. I could feel his nails digging into my flesh, causing fresh blood to ooze out from under my skin.
My futile attempt didn't stop him from dragging me towards his destination. The more we walked, the more isolated the place became. There was no one around, but we were still in the building. He finally stopped and pushed me against a wall. One of his hands rested on the wall beside my head, while the other raised my chin towards his towering figure.
"I knew it. Your eyes... they are magnificent," he said as he stared deep into my eyes. "They will be a nice addition to my collections."
His words caused goosebumps all over my body. What did he mean by collections?! I pushed his body away from me, but he didn't budge. He laughed at my attempts, "Such a weak human."
"What are you trying to do?" I asked him, with my voice slightly trembling,
"I want your eyes," he sent me a creepy smile, "Be quiet and I will spare you your life. You will just end up with empty eye-shells if you are obedient."
Just as he raised his hand to my eyes, I bit his hand and tried to run from him, but he yanked my hair roughly, stopping me from escaping him.
He throws me to the ground, "I told you to be obedient. Now... I won't be satisfied with just your eyes," he said threateningly as he closed the distance between us. I could feel my knees starting to burn after scratching the ground with so much force.
I backed away from him just to have him step closer to me. He crouched down and slapped my cheek. The impact from the slap caused not only my cheek to throb but also my head.
I groaned in pain and glared at the man, "You ugly mad man," I spitted to his face.
His laugh thundered in the air, "What should I do to you, little human? I should torture you until you beg me to kill you. It will be fun," he held my face with one hand, ready to plug my eyes from their sockets. I closed my eyes tightly and turned my face away from him as far as I could.
"Open your eyes," he ordered, but I didn't heed his words, "OPEN YOUR EYES!" He shouted as he tightened his grip, making me flinch, still with my eyes shut.
He sighed, and soon after, another slap was sent my way in the exact same spot as the last blow. A tear slipped out of my eyes from having to endure the excruciating pain. The strength in every hit he gave me was inhuman.
He pulled my body towards him with my back stuck to the wall. He positioned my body to face him straight, "Open it," he commanded. I had no choice but to open my eyes to avoid another blow.
My teary eyes met his, and his face lit up after the encounter, "Ah... it looks so much more beautiful now. The tears make your eyes shine even more wonderfully. What a gem. What should I do to make you cry more for me?"
He held my hands in his, tearing both sleeves of my dress. A sharp pain pierced my bare hands as he dug his nails deep into my flesh. I screamed in pain. His attempt to make me cry was deemed successful as another tear fell on both sides of my cheeks.
"P-please stop," I begged him while sobbing.
"That's why you should have been obedient from the start," he said as he wiped the tears from my face, "You are even more endearing when crying in pain."
"Hunter," a man called out to the mad man, "We don't have much time. Make it quick."
The mad man glanced at the new presence behind him. "Yes, father," he replied before shifting his attention back to me.
"Too bad, human. I have to leave. For now... " he pulled out a pocket knife from his pants and brought it close to me. He raised his hand, and I quickly closed my eyes, hoping that he wouldn't stab my eyes.
His hand caressed my hair before cutting it short. I could feel my hair falling to the floor as he cut it. "This will do," I opened my eyes and stared at him in bewilderment.
"Until we meet again, human," he smiled as he waved my hair in his hand, before finally leaving me alone with scratches and wounds on my body.
I exhaled my breath, relieved that it was finally over. I hugged my body close to me, trying to calm my trembling body. The tears that I had been holding from before streamed down my face like a river.
"It's okay," I breathed in and out slowly, "I am used to this—I'm fine."
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