Chapter 10 - Shoes with bandages

[Trigger warning: Suicide attempt]

The knights have taken pia into custody and the duke decided to make her miserable by letting her see the three maids and the doctor die in front of her,

"You know I've warned you to not run away",

Pia was left devastated and hurt by the incident she has left with no emotions anymore, words felt empty and then years have passed,

I am 18 years old now... I've never once stepped outside after being taken away when I was 11 years old, I was always called to the white mansion to take the picture every day however the duke has not called for me ever since,

He got busy now that he's lost interest in me and he has yet to find anyone to replace me so now all I do is roam around the palace, the servants seem to never care, they were being cautious of me as to how I got the three maids and the doctor killed,

"She's roaming around the garden and is not wearing any shoes at all",

"I can't make myself look at how she's so self-destructive",

She roam around everywhere in the manor, at first when she was roaming around thee people thought that she was gonna run away again, however, it looked like a dog guarding the house instead,

"I don't know why I'm here, why did I get to live? Why do all the good people die, why didn't they kill me at this point?",

I roam around the manor with blood dripping on my feet,

"Yeah, maybe this will be my punishment for myself, for being selfish and letting those good people die",

I stop roaming the house once the night comes, the maids leave me a bathtub and I will be the one cleaning myself,

"I'm so dirty, so dirty"

I scrub all my skin off, I walk to my room and the maids left the water and a sleeping pill beside it,

Whenever I see medicines I remember the doctor making medicine for my painkillers after my incident with the duke,

The sleeping pills work however crying myself to sleep works more, I remembered niña through these times, wanting to see her was the only wish I could have,

The next day came and I roamed around the manor, the cloud started to be grey and thunder sounds were filling up the background, the rain has been dropping ever since however that didn't stop me from walking,

While I was walking someone stopped me at my front, they had an umbrella and when I look up at them I saw...the duke,

"A-aghhhh ughhhhhh ahhhhhhhh!"

I screamed however no one heard, the duke shushed me and pulled me away from the rain,

"What were you doing outside while it's raining?"

The duke worriedly said, what's wrong with him now? Why is he suddenly being good right now?, And who cares about walking in the rain I've done it for 3 years,

"Come inside my room I will show you something",

He held my hand leading me somewhere, as I knew I don't have a choice anyway,

"Here you stand here",

He put me in front of a white blind, ah this must be something I would hate again huh?

He pulled the blinds and I saw myself happy because of the fish I caught, it was a smile of freedom,

"Like it right? It's you",

I cried... Because that was the first and last time I had to be happy and it was also the time I started blaming myself,

"Hey, you liked it right?",

He asked,

"Hm - yes",

I said just agreeing to whatever,

"you know I've always watched you when you were a child and now I know you are not enjoying everything even a tad bit",

The duke said I started to tremble it's been a first since I've felt scared again, but this guy I can see in his eyes that he is mad and serious,

"Oh but don't worry",

He smiled brushing it off,

"We will go somewhere tomorrow, and I am sure you will like it",

He said smiling like what he did back then when I was 11,

The next day maids barge into my room waking me up to prepare for my dress, they cleaned me up and saw my feet with a lot of splinters, bleedings, and skin peeled off, they treated it with only bandages, and they put the shoes with heels on it next,

I don't think it'll be a good idea to give a person with a lot of bleedings on their feet some heavy and tall heels, eventually, I never made any complaints about the clothes I'm wearing because all of them were decided by the duke,

The maids left, and I was alone looking at myself in the mirror,

No lights in my eyes lips were dry and my hair was most likely lost a lot after the maids brushed it,

Seeing myself in front of the mirror made me think about a lot of the events that had happened, I remember wanting to kill Penelope at first, and yet I couldn't do it, I ended up not being able to step outside after coming in,

I used to like the duke's kindness back then, not knowing these will be the consequences of my trust, life must have hated me from the very start,

For a minute I thought of the very good person that gave me hope and love that made me whole again, my eyes once again shined and I was crying because I never thought that I was a person worthy of love,

I stood up and I opened my window, the wind quickly came into my room blowing my clothes and my hair, I came outside the balcony and then suddenly someone came inside, their shoes were clacking, I turned behind me and I saw the duke,

"Pia! Are you trying to run away again?"

He shouted and I saw nerves coming out of his neck and forehead, his eyes have gone insane I know if I take another step back he would come for me and won't stop again with his obsession,

However, I bravely took a step back and I smiled at the duke,

"I'm freeing myself from this day on, Duke",

I smiled and I know I should at least be thankful for the money the duke had spent on me, and I know if I stayed longer to develop I would've ended up becoming a prostitute in the brothel, maybe I should be thankful that the duke gave me food and he never leaves me dirty,

I should leave this world because I never will be happy if I go further on living it.

I took off my heels and I stood at the fence of the balcony, facing behind the wind that keeps flowing,

The duke ran to me wanting to stop my attempt and the servants near saw me standing at the edge of the balcony,

"Ahhhhhhh! The lady!"

"Do not do this!",

They then saw the duke with a pissed face calling them off,

"Catch the lady!! Or I'll fire you all!",

He shouted pissed,

However, I quickly jumped closing my eyes and smiling, it seemed like it was a long drop because while falling my whole life was flashing before my eyes I remembered my sister, my once happy family, the doctor, and the maids, they made me hang onto life, for just a little bit, they made it colorful,

"Everyone, I'm so sorry I'm going to end it here, I'm sorry if I wasn't able to fight till the end ",

"Although there is one thing I regret, is that I never got to enjoy everything in my life...",

Pia's body hit the grass, the gross full of beautiful flowers, the duke was left on the balcony and servants came, but they were too late, they saw the duke on the floor and they were panicking about what had happened,

"Go get me a paper and a pen, NOW!",

The duke said and the servants who rushed to get a paper and a pen, then gave him the pen and the paper, the fuel quickly took it and immediately drew pia who was dead lying on the flowers,

The servants were left scared as they saw the duke who is insanely terrifying,

"You are still beautiful until the very end, Pia".