Ch 1: Clara

"Search for that wench."

" She ran that way. "

Guards searching and running up and down near the town market on one rainy day.

*Splitter splatter*

"Drag her to the Countess as soon as you get hold of her."

The guards ran to the other direction.

Behind the wall of an old shop, the woman was with tears letting out a muffled cry.

WHAT HAS SHE DONE!?!

WHAT DID SHE DO SO SEVERE THAT THE GUARDS WERE AFTER HER?

It was morning and the Countess of Danbury was having a fit because the Count forgot to order the gemstone which she wanted for quite a long time.

" Clara. Where are you?" shouted the Countess.

"Where has this wench gone?"

Clara came running with a tray.

"Madame. I have brought the sandwich you asked."

The Countess scornfully looked and her and threw the tray towards her, " I have no appetite. I asked you to bring them five minutes ago. Can't your legs run any faster? What were you doing throughout the whole day? Dilly dallying? Giggling in front of the Count? This calls for a high time to show who's the master of the house."

The Countess picked up a whip.

"Crawl on all fours."

"But Madam, I..."

"Shut and do as I say. Or else I'll cut off your allowance as well."

Clara dropped her body on her knees and helplessly crawl on all fours. The Countess mercilessly whipped her while the other maids closed their eyes in fear feeling sadness for their subordinate.

What could be done? What could be possibly done in a place where humans are treated merely as slaves. Let alone slaves, they are being treated as inanimate objects, like tools. With no voice. No freedom. Bound to a contract.

Some of the maids let out a muffled cry at the sound of poor Clara's shriek. Just then the Headmaid came and inform the Madame, "Madame. The dress you ordered has arrived. The dressmaker also brought new collection with him this time."

The Countess threw the whip aside. Fixing her composure, she ordered, " Get this dirty wench out from my sight. A bedwarmer, a harlot. "

The poor woman was on the ground looking lifeless with bloods and cuts from head to toe.

" Didn't you hear what the madame said? Drag her out, you morons. This is what you get for disobeying the Countess."

Two of the maids supported the fainted Clara and took her in the maid's dormitory. One of the maids, Ren cried, " What did she even do? ... Its all because of that girl, Amela." "Because of her pettiness, she is going to ruin all of us." replied the other maid, Jean. They both treated her wounds and applied bandages.

Amela was the niece of the Countess who was jealous of Clara just because Harry, the County's most eligible bachelor showed interest in Clara a couple of times. Out of pettiness, she did everything she can to make the Countess hate her saying that she is a mistress of the Count. The Count did not even justify the truth and thus making the Countess believe that Clara is indeed the Count's bedwarmer.

Clara with the all the things happening to her, woke up in anxiety. She sat and stared on the wall for quite a long time. She spoke to herself," What did I even do to deserve this?"