Romanoff Dukedom: The Heroine

Half an hour into her sleep, Zarya woke up bathing in a cold sweat. Her breathing was quite labored, making it difficult for the woman to focus her gaze. She attempted to move her limbs, but her muscles refused to respond.

She didn't know what was happening to her.

It was a state akin to being chained down on the bed, chain cuffs tightly clutching her every joint. The coldness of the metal brought a sharp nipping pain to her worn-out nerves. Zarya felt as if she was a marionette who had no control over her own body.

"Uhh..." She tried to speak.

However, it was merely a groan that came out of her slightly parted lips. She attempted to speak yet again, but she couldn't summon her voice by any means.

'What's going on?!' Zarya screamed in her mind, completely bewildered by what was going on.

Though her vision was still blurry, the young lady roamed her eyes to see where she was. Relief flooded her senses when she noticed the familiar shadows in her bedroom. But that didn't mean that her anxiousness had vanished.

'Is this the effect of not taking my medicines? I fell asleep without drinking them after all. I should ge-'

"Zarya, you're awake." The cajoling voice of a man suddenly called out her name.

The moment she recognized the voice, a deep string of grudge started to awaken in her heart. Immediately, loathing registered in the panicked glints of her hazelnut orbs. Her desperation to escape her predicament increased as she felt the entity's presence closing in on her.

'Don't come near me! Don't come near me!'

One step,

two steps,

and several more,

She soon sensed that the villain in her nightmares was looming right above her head. She refused to meet the eyes of the man, so she shut her eyes and stayed as motionless as she could.

'Why is this happening to me?! Why, why, why?! Do not torment me any more than this! Why do you keep on appearing in my dreams?!'

Zarya deeply coveted to awaken from her slumber. Be that as it may, her body was reluctant in giving her control. It was too late when she noticed that there were now two hands grabbing her slender neck.

Though the tightness of the hold was not enough to cut off her breathing, the sensation of the rugged hands touching her skin repulsed the lady even more.

'Take your hands off of me! You disgusting swine! Take it off! Take it off!'

Tears pooled up in the rims of her eyes as she begged and shouted at the same time. She attempted to struggle her way out, but not a single muscle moved according to her own will.

Still, Zarya didn't give up.

No, she refused to surrender to what was tormenting her.

'Get lost, you animal! I won't let you consume me like this! I will make sure that I'll also kill you in my dreams! I will never, never let you hurt me again!'

Once she felt that the grip was loosening, Zarya could finally breathe. She was pulled out of her misery, enabling her to flee from her trauma.

All of the tears that had pooled in her eyes began their descent. They were ceaseless like the grievances she had been bearing.

'Why… why do you have to show yourself again and again? Why do you continue to torment me? What have I ever done to you?'

Zarya repeated those words inside her head, over and over, until she had gotten tired of her own anguish.. The sound of her sobs soon drowned the room's peace.

'What should I do to make you leave me alone? What should I do to make you stay away?'

The young lady had hundreds, if not thousands, of questions she wanted to be answered.

But no one would be able to console her. No one would be able to answer her questions except for the person she loathed the most.

It would be torture for her if they ever met once more.

After a short time, Zarya found peace within her cries. And in no time, she closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.

Zarya awakened to the chorus of the robins and greenfinches chirping. The lady gulped a huge amount of air as she hurriedly sat up on her bed. Her breathing did not slow down for a while, recalling the nightmare she had just seen.

As she was trying to recover, there was a sole phrase that she kept on repeating in her head.

'The next time I see you, I'll unearth your corpse and kill you over again, father.'

The sound of knocking resounded within the tiny bedroom of Zarya. Withal, the lady didn't dare move a single limb, considering she was still in a state of distraught.

Her whole body was shaking in what? Fear? Anger? She couldn't forget the sensation that lingered on her skin that was moistened by the droplets of sweat that wouldn't cease from surfacing. Both of her hands were grubbily disheveling her hair, closing her eyes out of the stinging pain that arose from her actions.

The lady thought that hurting herself would make her forget the ordeal that she had just suffered. However, the trauma had already dug an unfillable hole in her heart, putting her in a circumstance beyond saving.

Another knock was heard, but this time, it was followed by the voice of a woman.

"Zarya! Zarya! You need to hurry up! The Head Maid is calling for everyone! You need to come out now!" The woman frantically shouted.

It was the maid who was occupying the room neighboring Zarya's on the right. The maid continued to bang on the door. She would be in trouble if she failed to show up in the briefing with Zarya.

The whole mansion was in a state of discord, for it was the beginning of the day when the party hosted by the Duchess of the Romanoff Household would take place.