You Need to Survive

Tapping was the only sound echoing in the plain room. The man lying the mat floor was growing impatient by the second. There were fruits and tea left untouched on the table nearby, everything looked stale.

"...Where... is she...?" The man grumbled under his breath.

Light, unhurried steps then came from outside the room. The man's eyes glinted in displeasure as he waited for the other person to come in. He readied his scolding voice, but what he saw next froze the words in his throat.

"Milord, I'm sorry, I'm late..." The woman's mellow voice was the same, but her pretty face was riddled by a red spot at the cheek. A cut was also visible despite her attempts on hiding it with her hair. The maiden shuffled towards the table after closing the door. She fished bread and wine from the cloth bag she had in her arm.

The man got up from the floor and reached out to take her arm. He slid the sleeve up and saw multiple bruises and cuts littering her porcelain skin. "These are new."