Chapter 21 - servant girl

Chapter 21: 21 - servant girl 21 ~ Lisa’s POV I licked the last bit of food from my fingers, feeling the warmth settle in my belly. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to steady my shaking hands. For a moment, just a small one, I let myself breathe. Maybe now, I could go lie down for a little while. My body was still sore, my legs heavy. My eyes ached from lack of sleep. I turned toward the hallway that led to the servant quarters, already picturing the hard little mattress waiting for me. Just a short rest, I told myself. Just enough to help me get through the rest of the day. But I’d only taken a few steps when I heard it. "Hey!" I stopped and turned slowly. All the maids were gathered at the center table again, Tessa, Mara, and the others. Their arms were crossed, and their expressions were smug. "You’re not going anywhere," Tessa said, tossing a dirty pot on the table with a loud clang. "We’ve all finished our work. Now it’s your turn." My stomach twisted. "But... I just got back," I said softly. "I haven’t even rested..." Mara rolled her eyes. "We don’t care. We picked up your slack all morning while you were off doing... whatever it is you do." "I was sent for something important," I said, trying to defend myself. "I didn’t..." "We don’t want your excuses," another maid snapped. "These dishes aren’t going to clean themselves." One by one, they started dumping dirty bowls, pots, and trays onto the counter. Food was stuck to the sides, grease dried along the edges, like they had been sitting there for hours. "There’s stew to prepare for the servants’ lunch," Tessa added. "And water boils. And the floor needs scrubbing. Since you’re so special, we figured you’d love to do it all." The room spun for a moment. My knees felt weak again. I opened my mouth to speak, to beg for just ten minutes to close my eyes, but one look at their faces told me it would only make things worse. So I nodded. I stepped forward, slowly tying the apron around my waist. Because I had no choice. U scrubbed the first pot, tears quietly slipping down my cheeks. I didn’t even try to stop them. The maids were gone, too busy laughing somewhere to care what I did. The kitchen smelled of onions and boiled meat. My hands moved without thinking, soap, rinse, scrub, rinse again. I wiped my face with my arm, but it didn’t help much. The hurt inside was heavier than the tiredness in my bones. I thought of my dad. I wondered if he was home safe. I hoped he’d eat something tonight. The water sloshed as I dipped another dish in, and I bit my lip to keep from crying again. I was so lost in my thoughts I didn’t hear the heavy footsteps or the door opening. Until... "Well, look what we have here." The voice made me jump. I turned quickly, my heart pounding. The triplets stood just inside the kitchen, Kael, Damon, and Rowan. Their presence was sharp, suffocating. Even without a word, they made the room feel smaller. I dropped the plate back into the water and quickly dried my hands on my apron before bowing slightly. "Alphas," I mumbled, keeping my head low. Kael smirked and stepped forward, arms crossed. "Didn’t know we kept our little Luna hidden away in the dish pit." Damon chuckled coldly. Rowan’s expression was unreadable, as usual. "I’m just working," I said quietly, still avoiding their eyes. "Like I was told." Kael moved closer, his boots tapping the stone floor. I could feel the heat of his gaze on me. "Such an obedient little thing now, aren’t you?" he said, his tone teasing but sharp. I swallowed. "Yes, Alpha." He reached out and lifted my chin roughly with his finger. I flinched but didn’t pull away. "You cry when no one’s looking?" Kael asked, eyeing the tears that hadn’t dried properly on my cheeks. I didn’t answer. He leaned in, so close I could smell his cologne. "Let’s see how quiet you stay for this." Then, he kissed me. Right there in the kitchen, with my hands still wet and soap on my apron. In the presence of the maids. His lips were hard, demanding, and I froze. I didn’t kiss him back, but I didn’t push him away either. My body tensed, stomach twisting painfully as his mouth pressed against mine like I belonged to him. I could hear Damon’s low laughter in the background, it was sharp, cruel, like the sound of someone enjoying another’s pain. Rowan turned slightly, pretending to look away, but I caught it, just for a second, the flicker in his eyes. It wasn’t a surprise. It wasn’t fun. It was something else. Something unreadable. And that scared me more than anything. Kael pulled back, smirking as if he’d just proven a point. "See?" he said, turning to his brothers. "She knows better now." I stood there, heart pounding, breath uneven, lips trembling. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t know what to do. I just wanted to disappear. "She’s learning," Damon added, voice lazy, leaning against the doorframe. "Maybe she won’t be such a waste after all." They all laughed like I wasn’t even human. Like I didn’t feel the ache inside me. Like my silence was consent. I didn’t cry. Not in front of them. I clenched my fists behind my apron, nails digging into my palms until they hurt. I stared at the ground, feeling smaller than ever. I was nothing but a toy to them. A thing to be used. A joke to be laughed at. "Go on, then," Rowan finally said, his voice quieter than the others, but not kinder. "Get back to your dishes, servant girl." I didn’t speak. I just nodded once, stiffly, and turned away. My cheeks were still burning where Kael’s kiss had landed. It didn’t feel like affection. It felt like ownership. It felt like power being shoved down my throat. As I picked up the next plate, my hands trembled again. The water was warm, but my fingers felt cold. I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. I wanted to vanish into thin air. But I wasn’t ready to get on their bad side again. Not when I knew how cruel they could be.