ZARYA ROGOV
The soft breeze caressed my being, slightly making me relax as I stepped out of the mansion and onto the smooth pavement. The guards standing around the iron gate immediately got alerted after seeing me.
They weren't expecting me to step out of the mansion out of nowhere.
They stared at me hard until it made me uncomfortable.
Ignoring them, I looked to my left where the garden was, and walked up to the shadows of the tree, scanning the beautiful flowers. They were nicely taken care of. Someone cared and loved them deeply. I took another deep inhale of the fresh nature and walked towards the roses, which were perfectly blossoming.
Just as I bent down to touch one, a fragile hand gripped my wrist in a painful grip, making me yelp.
"Don't you dare touch them." His mother, Alisa, rasped at me before harshly pushing my wrist away, making me stumble back. I massaged my wrist while staring at her in disbelief.
By her venomous reaction, it was certain she took care of this place.
"You just have to ruin everything, don't you?" She asked, snarling at my face.
I took a step back, still massaging my wrist.
"Y-Your son is the one who is ruining my life." I managed to defend myself.
"Oh, he's doing great because you deserve it." She passed me a half assed mocking smile, making my jaw twitch. Deserve it? What does this woman think of herself? Just because her son was Sergei, she had a tongue longer than her height.
"Tsk, ruined my mood." She said and turned around to leave, but paused.
"My son is not the only one who would ruin you." She said, a silent threat, a promise laced in her tone as she walked away.
My lips trembled as I looked up at the huge mansion basking under the rays of the sun, standing high on the roots built from blood and deception.
All of them were ready to bite me and shred me into pieces, and me? Lonely and pathetic. My family was already finding reasons to get rid of me. Was there anyone by my side? No...
'I am.'
I chuckled sadly when my devil whispered in my head.
No, you're just another destruction.
I wiped a few tears that were resting on my cheeks, but a little hand passing me a napkin had me slightly jumping. I snapped my head down only to find Lev eyeing me curiously while raising the napkin towards me in his little hand.
"F-For me?" I pointed at myself in disbelief.
He nodded.
"Oh, t-thank you." I took the napkin and wiped my tears properly. I took a sniff and looked down at him. A soft smile made its way on my lips as I got down on my knees and came face to face with him.
He looked at me curiously with his big doe eyes.
His sea blue eyes held life and innocence, unlike most people I've come across. Sadly, this too would fade away.
"Hey...I'm Zarya." I extend my hand towards him.
He looked down at my hand and then at my face. He cutely bit his lower lip and shook hands with me.
"What's your name?" I asked even though I knew, but he didn't answer. Huh? I waited, thinking he was probably shy, but he didn't utter a word. Then I remembered, I haven't seen him talking even once, when on the other hand, kids his age never stop speaking.
Sudden realization struck me.
Was he...mute?
"Ahem..." I looked down at the napkin in my hand.
Was he really mute? Sergei must have kept this a secret from others.
He raised his little hand towards me, making me frown.
"Huh?" He pointed at the napkin in my hand.
"Oh yes, here you go." I handed him the napkin back.
"Shouldn't I clean it? Then you can have it back." I suggested politely, hoping he would get me, but he shook his head and turned around, sprinting away before I could say something.
His little kindness made my heart feel a little light until the mansion hovering over my head gave me the reminder of my promised destruction.
*******
I stared at the list of dishes that were to be made for dinner. I've never once made a single dish, how was I supposed to make four dishes? I put the notebook down and cleared my throat, looking to my left.
Alek and Natasha watched me silently. Natasha had a little sympathetic smile on her face.
"Um, so...I don't really know how to cook all of these dishes." Alek nodded towards Natasha, and she stepped forward. "I would guide you through it."
And so the rest of the time went by me trying to gather my scattered bearings while cooking. Sometimes I burned the dish, sometimes I burned my wrist and hands. The only thing left to be burned was this kitchen.
'Burn the kitchen,' my devil whispered in my ear. I immediately shook my head.
"Miss...it's getting past their dinner time," Alek reported, making my hands tremble and my heart stutter as I stirred in the pot.
"Yes, it's almost done," I said, taking a deep breath, trying to calm myself down.
"Pakhan is already at the table...he doesn't like waiting." Alek's words were fueling my anxiety.
After exactly twenty minutes, the servants placed the dishes on the dining table.
It was almost an hour past their dinner time.
I didn't want to go there, but I had no choice.
My heels clanked against the hard marble as I walked towards the dining hall. My heart was beating in my mouth, fear was gnawing at my insides, but I kept walking.
And then he came into my line of sight, sitting in his glory, executing power and authority even while doing nothing.
I paused near the table, making everyone look at me.
Sergei looked down at his wristwatch and then rubbed his chin. I gulped, lowering my gaze on the little boy.
"Serve," Sergei ordered.
I was a little relieved he didn't talk about the time.
I immediately stepped forward and served him. As I leaned down to fill his plate, I felt his eyes watching me like a hawk, making my hands slightly tremble. His scent makes me feel dizzier.
I hesitantly looked at him.
My heart jumped in my mouth when my gaze met his hard stare. He didn't look away, didn't blink even once, while I immediately lowered my gaze, moving away.
His sister and mother disheartenedly filled their plate.
I filled the little one's plate and stepped away from the table.
My head was throbbing, and I was high on dehydration and starvation.
My breath was literally in a pause mode as I watched them take their fast bites, but his mother quickly spat the food out on tissue paper, making me frown.
"What is this?" She asked, "Too much salt." She complained, glaring at me.
"Um, all of them have so much salt," his sister complained as well.
My frown deepened as I looked up at Natasha, and she had the same frown on her face. She was the one who guided me through everything, and I pretty much believe I didn't put that much salt in.
Sergei, on the other hand, didn't spit the food out. He gulped it down like some poison and moved the plate in my direction.
"Taste it."
I hesitantly stepped forward and grabbed his spoon, filling it up. I felt my hand trembling as I brought the spoon near my mouth.
I frowned.
Oh god, it was too much salt.
I covered my mouth, wanting to spit it out.
"Swallow it." Sergei's deep voice echoed in the eerie silence. Everyone watched with bated breath.
I swallowed it.
"Tsk, were you trying to kill us, huh?" Alisa asked. "You have already taken so much time, and this is what you serve us." She continued to bark. "Freaking spoiled princess." Before she could say something further, his sister immediately interrupted, trying to calm her mother.
I bit my lower lip.
Tears burned the back of my eyes, my throat tightening in restraint.
How did this happen? I worked so hard.
"W-We don't know how that happened. I was guiding her through everything." Natasha stepped forward hesitantly, and I couldn't be more glad that she stood up for me in front of these monsters.
"How dare you defend her?" Alisa barked at her too, making her lower her head as she apologized.
"Call Alek." He ordered Natasha, and she nodded before striding away.
Just a few seconds later, Alek stepped into the hall. Sergei ushered him closer and whispered something in his ear. Alek nodded and gestured to all the servants to follow him.
What was he doing?
Once they were gone, the room fell silent.
Sergei didn't utter a word, and I knew this was the calm before the storm. There was no way he would let this slide.
A few minutes later, the servants stepped in with the remaining food and put the pots on the table.
"What is all this?" Alisa asked, but Sergei didn't answer.
But then I saw Alek dragging a bin along with him, and my eyes widened when I immediately understood what he was up to.
I wanted to speak but couldn't.
How would I even defend myself?
Sergei slowly stood up, folding his sleeves. His muscles flexed. A few cut scars dressed his skin. I watched him grab one of the pots and turn it upside down in the bin. My eyes widened, and my lips trembled as I watched him pour my hard work down the trash.
'This is what you get even after obeying him,' my devil snickered.
My tears threatened to pour out.
His mother smirked, watching his son crush my hard work.
He poured all of my hard work into that bin one by one. All of it. Everyone watched me get humiliated. It was a huge blow to my reputation.
I sucked up the tears, clenched my jaw to prevent my lips from trembling.
Once he was done, he stepped back and turned towards me.
My teary eyes matched his cold ones, and just like that, he slowly walked past me while commanding, "Come to my room," in a stern tone.