Villainess Reborn: SEASON ONE

CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER THIRTY

Elliot really looked forward to the picnic.

That was all he ever thought about when he came back to his room. Even if his body often rejected food, he always had a good appetite and digestion whenever he was with Tatiana. He hummed happily and immediately thought about what he would wear during the picnic.

"I wander what color Tiana would wear for the picnic," He whispered to himself and looked around his wardrobe.

His study mostly occupied his room. Bookshelves served as walls and books were scattered all around the place. It was not the most organized room but he knew where to find the things that he needed.

One fourth of his room was occupied with his bed as well as the walk-in closet where his clothes and shoes are. He keeps his clothes to a minimum since he doesn't feel the need to have more when he only stays at his room most of the time.

But this time was different. He wanted to look good and presentable when he meets with his sister. He now wants to have new clothes tailored for him.

"What are you so excited about? Going somewhere?"

His body stiffened when he heard his mother's voice from behind. He whirled around and saw his mother smiling at him with his personal servant behind her.

"Did you enjoy the library?" she asked.

Elliot noticed that his personal servant had her eyes pinned on the floor. That was when he realized that she had told his mother about meeting Tatiana in the library.

"Yes mother, I enjoyed reading the books." His words came out dry. He was never good at lying let alone hiding something. His mother definitely knew but she wanted to beat around the bush and make him confess.

"You met Tatiana there?" she asked which was surprisingly straight to the point.

Elliot swallowed the lump on his throat. His hands started shaking as they dropped from holding on to the hangered clothes on his arms. He faced his mother and let out a shaky breath.

His mother will always be a scary person to him rather than a person he finds comfort in. Sometimes he feels like his mother never really loved him. He did everything he could to impress her and make her proud but all of it never seems to be enough.

"Tatiana is a kind person—"

He was greeted with a slap. The servant gasped and immediately looked away.

Elliot's hand hovered over the numb side of his face. His eyes were wide open with confusion and surprise. This was the first his mother laid a hand on him. The airway on his throat started to feel like it was swelling which made it even harder to breath.

"Mother," he softly said. He looked up to see his mother's face and it was red and fuming with anger.

"You know what she did to me," his mother said spitefully, "she disrespected me, the queen. How could you even look at her?!"

Elliot was at loss for words. He loved his motherly dearly even though he knows that she is a selfish person who cares only for herself. She is a person that's full of hate and greed. She is the same person who wished that he was never born.

Droplets of tears fell from his eyes.

His mother walked closer to him and cupped his face, caressing the part that she slapped.

"I did this to wake you up," she told him sweetly, "Tatiana is a bxtch as she is not a good person, my dear Elliot. She will try to take you away from me. She is only using her to hurt me. She does not truly love you and when her memories come back, she will go back to ignoring you."

Elliot closed his eyes and sobbed. He shook his head and wanted to deny what his mother was saying but no words came out of his mouth.

"I care for you, Elliot. And I love you. I don't want you to get hurt that's why I'm keeping you away from her." She whispered smoothly into his ear and hugged him. It was a hug that was supposed to give him comfort, a sense of feeling that nothing will go wrong in this world but instead, he felt trapped, suffocated and tied down.

Only his sister gave him this feeling. A feeling which his mother failed to give.

"Do not lie to me ever again," she warned him and pulled away. "This is not you, Elliot. You are not the type to lie to me. She is making you into a bad person."

The queen looked at him for the last time and shook her head in disappointment. This made Elliot shudder under her gaze. She always looked at him with those eyes. A permanent reminder of the only failure she did. She gave birth to a prince, but a sickly one.

She walked away, closing the door behind her and the personal servant followed behind her. The door was shot closed and Elliot was finally able to breathe again.

He walked towards the side of his bed and inserted himself at the gap between his bedside table and the bed. That place was tight and his body had the sensation of being crushed in between and he found it oddly comforting, like an alternate for a hug.

He hugged his knees and tried to control his breathing but only ended up choking on his tears. Sometimes he wished that he just disappeared. He never felt useful and grateful for the life that he's been given.

He was only thirteen but for him, this kind of life was too much to bear. He closed his eyes as he drifted asleep while crying, only remembering the words that he hangs on to each day.

"Thank you for being born, Elliot."

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END