❝I respectfully decline, alphas. ❞
꧁━━━━━━༺༻━━━━━━꧂
➽ 𝘞𝘏𝘌𝘙𝘌 you're a maid, trying to live your life in peace, but you end up catching the attention of the notorious alphas.
ᴊᴊᴋᴠᴀʀɪᴏᴜsﾒғᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ
↝ ℜ𝔶𝔬𝔪𝔢�...
You stared up at the ceiling, neck-deep in steaming bathwater, hair messily piled on top of your head like a drowned crown. The light flickered against the tile, but your expression remained flat.
Dead inside.
"Embarrassing," you muttered. "Humiliating. Pathetic. Embarrassing!"
You sank deeper into the water.
"What was I even thinking? Giving those men the benefit of the doubt like a damn fool." You groaned into your palms, rubbing your face like you could scrub the memory off your brain. "They were always going to say some unhinged shit. But no, I just had to."
You slapped the water lightly. "You idiot. You absolute idiot."
You rolled your head back against the porcelain edge with a loud sigh. "Men always disappoint," you muttered to the ceiling. "Even when you give them a little rope. Even when you try to meet them halfway. Somehow, they still find a way to hang themselves with it and drag your sanity down in the process."
You closed your eyes.
Somehow... a tiny, part of you still...still wasn't ready to just turn your back on them.
You groaned again, louder this time. "Kill me."
A soft knock on the door made your head shoot up.
"Are you okay?" came Uraume's voice. "You smell anxious."
You sat up with a splash. "Smelling anxious—is that, like, a foul smell?"
Uraume entered with their usual unreadable expression, carrying a tray of fresh towels and clothes.
"Not really foul," they replied, setting the tray down. "Just thicker. Less fragrant. A little cloudy. Like over-steeped tea."
You flopped dramatically back into the water. "Amazing. I'm a walking anxiety diffuser."
Uraume didn't even flinch. "What happened?"
You peeked out from under your wet lashes and proceeded to briefly explain the situation.
Uraume blinked. "And they answered honestly?"
"Worse," you said, defeated. "They didn't flinch. Like I asked what their favorite soup was."
Uraume squatted down near the edge of the tub, one hand propping up their chin. "So let me guess. You thought if you asked the right question, they'd feel something."
You narrowed your eyes."Fine. Maybe I was hoping for something. Not a full-blown redemption arc, just... a flicker. A moment. A hint of decency."
