Sinister Obsession: Macsen Massey (Emperor Series, #3) ✔️

Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Working in the palace is exhausting. Why does she have to work here? Oh, right, she has no other choice. When she was left all alone, all she thought about was how to survive. She was desperate. And there was no other place to live than the palace. It's the only place for orphans like her to work. Hence, growing up and living in the palace isn't as beautiful as what's written in books, especially if you're a servant.

You experience every bad thing in the palace while you work. It's exhausting, depressing, and draining. Seraphine Bellona is on the verge of everything. Everything just puts her on edge, especially the Emperor. He has no filter; he says whatever is on his mind, even if it leads to war. He talks highly and makes people feel how low they are. And she always feels useless and worthless whenever he speaks.

She never had a good memory of him. Whenever they meet, she ends up getting hurt emotionally. It's painful and depressing; it's better to die than live with someone like him. It's his last day of training, and she's still serving him in the training room. Her shift ended. It was already evening, and she went back to the servant's room to rest. Good thing Lucky was there; she badly needs someone to talk to.

"I don't want to work near him; please take me away from him," she said, sitting down beside Lucky.

Lucky grunted and looked at her with sad eyes. "Trust me, I want to help you too, but I have no power at all to do anything. If only I could take you with me, but I can't. I know how frightening it is to work when the Emperor's around; it's really uncomfortable. I want to help you, but we'll be dead if I break any rule here."

Bellona's on the verge of crying again. She just looked away to hide her face. "Today, he yelled at me. He's always mad at me, and I don't even know why."

Lucky sighed heavily. "He always does that, Raph. What's new? He gets mad at everyone. He's always scary. The only way to survive here is to get used to the Emperor's attitude."

"And I cried in front of him." Tears streamed down Bellona's face as she delivered those words. She immediately wiped it away before Lucky could do anything.

"Oh." Lucky stared at her in sadness. He might be thinking how shallow she is for a boy. The most known stereotype about men is that they don't cry, and yet she cries almost every day, and Lucky knows it.

Bellona looked up to stop her tears. "I'm mad at myself. I can't control my emotions. I'm too fragile. I can't stop myself from crying. Whenever I get yelled at, I always cry. I don't want that... but I can't help myself. I wish I'm strong too. I wish I don't get hurt easily. But I'm just so prone to pain."

Lucky tapped her back. "Everything will be fine, Raph. Everyone has their bad days. You'll get through this."

"I don't even know what I did at all to experience these," Bellona replied. "Why does the world hate me? Everything about me makes me insecure already. I hate it."

Lucky wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "My poor boy. Hush, it will be okay."

The palace is not a place to cry. It's not a place to be weak. Once you show your weakness, it'll be your loss forever. So Bellona wiped her tears away and immediately composed herself. Good thing the day is done; she's done battling with the Emperor's presence in the training room. It's uncomfortable around him. It's totally not her safe place—the total opposite of the haven she's been longing for.

"We should rest now, Raph." Lucky smiled at her as he tapped her back.

Bellona smiled back gently, as if she had never cried, and nodded. "You go first. I'm wide awake."