Her Evil Deeds

Salvia

"Lady Reida are you awake?" A gentle voice asked and I felt a warm hand placed on my forehead.

I opened my eyes and see a green-eyed young woman dressed in white with her hair neatly tied in a bun. Her face was bright despite a deep long scar that runs from her right eye down to her jaw.

When she saw me, her gentle eyes turned afraid and she proceed to bow down her head.

As I sat up and steady my breathing, I realized all the women in the room dressed in white had a scar in their faces at the same place.

My throat was dry as I tried to speak. The young woman handed me a water contained in an emerald-colored glass. My thirst was unbearable so I gulped down the water hastily, not minding if it drips down from my mouth and neck.

"Thank you" I told her. The young woman stared at me, seemingly unbelieving of the word 'thank you' that I just said.

Rays of sunlight entered from the wooden window, it was beautiful. The sun and the light it give is truly beautiful.

"May you please fully open the window?" I asked one of the woman in white. She was startled a bit that I spoke to her but still followed me quickly.

Once it was opened, the whole room lightened up, my heart felt warm and comfortable at that moment. I closed my eyes and savor everything that I am feeling now. The soft mattress, the warmth of the room, the calming scent of a certain flower and most of all, the grandeur of light.

Now that I am brought here by goddesses, I need to live this new life and find the purpose why I'm here.

I am afraid, truly afraid, but someone's words lingered in my heart "Live Salvia..."

When I opened my eyes everyone inside the room stayed stiff again. They looked afraid of me.

I asked the young woman beside me "What is your name?" intending to ask more questions about this new era I'm in.

No one will believe me anyway even if I told them I'm not Reida, moreover I might be locked up in a cave again if I told them insanities such as my rebirth.

"I'm sorry, it's just that...I really don't remember anything" I said, I decided that for now I'll be Reida in all these people's eyes.

The young woman beside me looked way beyond shock "My name is...my name is hideous" she answered and stayed silent. Her name is hideous?

In my past life I also don't have a name, people from Yumina's tribe just called me 'servant' sometimes 'curse', but my master Coyran named me 'Salvia'.

I wasn't allowed to go out, it was my master who brought things from outside of the cave. He taught me things neither a servant nor a curse should learn. Writing, reading, playing the flute, knowing the names of the fruits and vegetables blessed by the goddess of land, precious stones, beautiful flowers, medicinal herbs...and many more.

One night my master brought a dark blue flower, unlike the other flowers master brought, this one is long and its petals are quite smaller. Its scent is natural too, there was nothing exquisite about it but I find its simplicity more beautiful.

"This flower is called Salvia, from the family of medicinal plants. Salvia means 'To heal'. To me, you are the embodiment of this beautiful blue flower"

Master said and I will never forget the bliss I felt at that night, when someone thought of my existence as beautiful.

Looking at the woman, I asked her again "Your name is hideous you say?"

"Yes"

"Who named you that?" I queried. Her eyes wavered as if she doesn't want to answer in the presence of the other women.

"You...you did Lady Reida" She said with a shaky voice. She looked so much in pain but she doesn't want to show it in front of me. I touched her face gently, the same way she did when she placed her palm on my forehead.

I noted her flinch, but she fought to contain her fear. What have I done to this woman that she feared my touch this much?

The sides of her green eyes started welling up with tears as she looked up to me.

I heaved a breath and somewhere inside my heart something happened. It was as if a bridge appeared, connecting my heart and the memories inside my brain.

Suddenly I had memories floating inside my head, memories of someone I don't know.

A baby was born with bright green eyes, she was presented to a young girl with long brown hair and blue eyes. That young girl looked like me, yes it was Reida, she stared at the baby with blank eyes devoid of emotions.

"She will be your devoted servant who will live and die for your sake Lady Reida. Her life and existence only meant to serve you and nothing more" one person spoke.

Lady Reida, in my memories looked at the child with a grimace "This human being...looked hideous. Name her hideous so she won't forget" she spoke coldly.

My heart tightens as another memory flood my mind, it was inside a crimson painted room that looked ghastly. In my hands I saw a knife, no, Lady Reida was holding and polishing a knife.

The door burst opened and women in white were dragged inside by men holding swords and spears.

They were crying, pleading, begging...to spare them?

"Lady Reida we have brought all the beautiful attendants and servants as you ordered" the men said.

"Good, bring them here one by one" the voice came from me. The first face I saw was of the green-eyed woman who's quite grown up now.

Her eyes were dripping with unending tears, despite that, I raised my hands and placed the knife in her face, deeply cutting from the skin of her right eyes down to her jaw "In this Land, I am the only woman who is deserving to be called beautiful" were Lady Reida's last words in my head.

I am trembling, shaking from the painful memories that I never wanted to see anymore!

"Lady Reida? Lady Reida!?" The green-eyed woman pulled me back to my senses.

I was staring at her scarred face and the faces of all the women in the room, my eyes felt warm and I didn't notice I was shedding never ending tears.

"Why...why?" I whispered to myself shakily. How can you do that Reida...? To the people who devoted their whole life to you! How can you be so heartless!

Crying made my chest and throat tighten. Their pain and their cries at that time felt like a knife gnashing my heart.

I stood up and dropped to my knees and did what I saw from them, I lowered my head and kissed the dusty ground.

"Lady Reida!" "Lady!" "Please stand up!" "Please don't dirty yourself Lady Reida!" they all pleaded.

Don't dirty myself? Is that what you should say to a person who ruined your faces? your life?

"No. Please let me be. I am sorry. I am truly sorry, I'm not...I'm not asking for your forgiveness, I don't even deserve to be forgiven. However, just for once let me do this...for everything I've done"

I wailed and kept kneeling, in my head I can see the smile of the green-eyed baby innocently looking at Reida who is entrusting her whole life to her.

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