The room was filled with oppressive silence, broken only by the flickering of the candle and the sound of Bella's ragged breathing. The shadows danced on the walls, creating sinister shapes that seemed to mock Bella's fear.
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Dania’s hands were wrapped around Bella’s neck, her grip tight and unyielding. Bella’s heart raced with panic. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words caught in her throat. She didn’t know what she was apologizing for, but she felt like she needed to say something.
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“Dania, I-” Bella began, but Dania cut her off with a swift motion, and then the shackle around Bella’s neck fell to the ground with a loud clatter.
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Bella was stunned. Dania proceeded to remove the shackles from Bella’s wrists. Bella could only stare in confusion, her mind racing with questions.
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"What’s wrong? Did you lose your sanity already?" Dania said in her usual indifferent voice after seeing Bella’s quizzical face. “Come on, let’s go back up.”
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Bella hesitated, her gaze flickering between Dania and the open path out of hell. She was still filled with questions, but she shoved them to the side, she was finally getting out of there and didn’t want to push her luck. With a quick nod, she began to crawl after Dania.
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At the mansion, Dania closed the entrance to the dungeon with a heavy thud. Bella's mind raced trying to make sense of the situation. Maybe her sister had asked for her. But before she could dwell on that idea, Dania spoke.
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“Lady Fiona isn’t home,” she said as if reading Bella’s thoughts.
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Bella's confusion only grew bigger. If Lady Fiona wasn’t behind her release, then what was? She couldn't come up with an answer, and the uncertainty made her feel uneasy.
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But also, despite her discomfort, Bella couldn't help but notice how warm the mansion felt. It wasn't particularly warm, but compared to the cold, damp dungeon, it was like heaven, even though she was still trembling like a chihuahua.
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Dania turned to look at Bella, her gaze assessing the naked girl’s state. She looked awful, she was filthy, her face pale and developing baggy eyes, her hair a matted mess and her body still had some fresh bruises, probably from being dragged around.
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"You must be hungry, right? I'll prepare something for you," Dania said, her voice with her usual detached tone. "After that, I’ll give you a hot bath myself." She paused, noticing Bella's trembling body. "Or which would you like first?"
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Bella was taken aback by Dania's sudden kindness. She felt a flicker of hope, but she was also wary. Why was Dania being so nice to her? But then her stomach growled loudly, answering Dania's question.
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"Food first then," Dania said, nodding. "What would you like me to prepare?"
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She was being asked a question so she assumed she was allowed to speak and didn't know what would happen if she didn't.
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But what if what she asks is something unreasonable and gets her in trouble? She hesitated, then muttered, "Eemm, anything is fine..." She hoped that would be a safe answer. But she also realized how risky her words were. ‘Anything’ could imply many things, what if she was made to eat bugs or something nasty like that? The pure thought made her skin crawl.
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“I'll prepare Mulligatawny Soup then," Dania said, her tone matter-of-fact. "I'm sure you haven't had the chance to taste something like it. It's quite trendy these days among the nobles."
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"What is that?" her curiosity piqued.
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"Don't worry about the details, I'm sure you will love it. In short, it's an eastern curry-soup-style type of dish that includes mutton, and Lady Fiona spares no expense for the finest quality meat, so look forward to it," Dania’s voice lacked warmth as usual, but that didn’t dampen Bella’s excitement and gratitude. She felt more comfortable now and began to lower her guard, although not completely.
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She wanted to just let go of her worries, but the situation just didn’t make sense, everything felt too good to be true, like a dream. Even when free, she could never have imagined having the opportunity to eat such top-notch food. Thinking about it a wave of joy washed over her and she finally allowed herself to let go and started to relax. She didn’t want to doubt Dania's actions, afraid it would be rude. She decided to trust her instincts and embrace the happiness that filled her heart. She smiled warmly and said, “Thank you, Dania…”
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Dania came to a sudden halt without turning back to face her. Bella couldn't see Dania's face twisting into a grotesque mask of anger. Her eyes bulged and her nostrils flared as she sucked in air. Her cheeks reddened and her veins bulged as she clenched her fists at her sides.
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It was all because of Bella that Dania had been forced to break the rules and disobey her lady’s orders. And now, receiving naive thanks from the very person responsible for what she desperately tried to avoid only added fuel to the fire. Her pride as Fiona’s loyal sole servant had been tarnished, and it was all Bella’s fault.
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Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she spoke without looking back to the clueless Bella, "Everything I do is for my lady's sake. So, there's no need to thank me."
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Dania left Bella in the dining room as she went to the kitchen to retrieve the soup she had promised. The aroma was intoxicating, but Bella was taken aback when Dania placed the bowl on the table instead of the floor.
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"You can eat sitting at the table," Dania said, but noticing Bella's hesitation she added "Or however you prefer."
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Surprisingly, the decision wasn't as obvious in Bella's mind. She hadn’t been eating off the floor for long, but now all this treatment felt foreign. Perhaps she had already resigned herself to her situation to that degree. She thought hard about it and after a moment of contemplation she sat on the chair and picked up the spoon. She had no idea if this would ever happen again, so she decided to go for it.
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"Not a word about this to Lady Fiona," Dania warned.
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Bella realized that Dania really was doing this behind her sister’s back which shocked her, but the thought was fleeting, as she was too busy lost in the joy of the delicious food in front of her. It was truthfully nothing like she had ever tasted before, plus she was starving so it felt even better.
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As Bella ate, Dania watched in silence with a blank expression, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. Dania furrowed her brow; it was too early to be Fiona. She made her way to the front door, where the visitor was already waiting. They had walked through the main gate as if they owned the place, giving Dania an uneasy feeling.
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When she opened the door, her fears were confirmed. It was Lady Charlotte.
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