CHAPTER 60: 60 - NEW FRIEND

60

~Lisa’s POV

I stared at the small packet in my palm, still not sure what to make of Cecilia. I didn’t trust her. I couldn’t. One minute, everyone treated me like I was the dirt on their shoe, and the next, this sudden kindness? It didn’t sit right with me.

I turned the packet over. It looked ordinary enough, but that didn’t mean anything. I’d heard stories of people being tricked with things like this, herbs, sweets, even water. And now, just when someone suddenly decided to be friendly, they were handing me strange herbs? No.

I stood, walked to the small bin by the back of the kitchen, and tossed it in. I didn’t even look back at it.

By the time I finally got to my room, my stomach was already growling so loudly I was sure even the walls could hear it. I hadn’t eaten all day, not even a crumb. No one saved anything for me. They never did.

I walked over to the tiny corner I called mine, the part of the pantry where I kept whatever little food I managed to hide away. I opened the cloth pouch where I sometimes kept old pieces of bread or fruit, but it was empty. Empty. I stared at it for a second, hoping something would magically appear. Of course, it didn’t.

With a tired sigh, I sat down on the edge of my thin mat and looked around the dim room. The silence made the hunger louder.

"Guess I’m sleeping hungry," I whispered to myself, trying to laugh, but the sound came out flat and bitter.

I lay down, curling into a ball with my arms wrapped around my belly, hoping the pressure would ease the ache. But it didn’t. The emptiness in my stomach kept twisting, making it impossible to relax.

I closed my eyes and tried to sleep, but my body refused to settle. I tossed and turned, flipping from one side to the other. Every sound outside made me flinch, and my mind stayed wide awake. After hours of pretending, I gave up and sat up in the darkness, feeling the weight of another night alone and hungry.

Before the sun rose, I slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen. My steps were soft, careful. I couldn’t risk getting caught. I opened a cupboard and found a few scraps, half a loaf of bread, and some cold porridge left at the bottom of a pot. It wasn’t much, but I was too hungry to care.

I tucked myself into the corner behind the vegetable shelf, crouching low and hoping the shadows would hide me. My fingers clutched the dry piece of bread I’d managed to snatch from the counter, and I began eating quickly, stuffing it into my mouth like someone who hadn’t seen food in days, because, honestly, I hadn’t had much in days. The bread was rough and a little stale, but I didn’t care. It was something.

The kitchen door creaked open slowly. I heard the sharp sound of several shoes tapping against the tiled floor. Maids. The early morning shift. My heart dropped into my stomach.

I held my breath, trying to melt further into the corner, to become invisible. Maybe they wouldn’t notice me. Maybe they’d be too tired or too busy to care.

But I wasn’t that lucky.

"Hey!" one of the older maids snapped. "What do you think you’re doing there like a rat?!"

I jumped to my feet, startled, and crumbs fell from my lap to the floor like little traitors. "I... I was just..."

Before I could finish, she stormed toward me, her face a mixture of anger and disgust.

"Always sneaking around," she spat. "You think this is your mother’s kitchen?! You don’t belong here. Why don’t you crawl back into whatever hole you came from?"

Tears burned at the back of my eyes. I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come.

Just then, Cecilia stepped forward.

"Enough, Marla," she said calmly.

The older maid scoffed loudly, folding her arms. "What’s going on, Cecilia? Why are you defending her?"

I felt my cheeks burn. My body froze, still crouched near the corner of the kitchen, one hand gripping the piece of bread I had managed to find. My heart was racing, and my throat felt dry. I couldn’t even look up at anyone.

Cecilia ignored the older woman. She strolled towards me, her slippers tapping lightly on the tiled floor. Her face held a soft smile, but her eyes were unreadable.

"Lisa, are you alright?" she asked gently.

I nodded quickly, avoiding her gaze. I was too ashamed to speak. My hand trembled slightly as I tried to hide the half-bitten bread behind my back like a guilty thief. But it was too late. They’d all seen me.

Cecilia bent down and picked up the piece of bread I had dropped earlier. She looked at it carefully and then sighed.

"Poor thing," she said loudly, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. "So hungry she had to sneak food like a little mouse. Didn’t even have the decency to ask."

I looked up at her, blinking. My chest tightened. Was she insulting me, too?

The other maids laughed quietly, shaking their heads. One of them whispered something I didn’t hear, but I knew it wasn’t kind.

Still crouching, I looked away, my eyes stinging with unshed tears. I hated that they all saw me like this, weak, hungry, pathetic.

Cecilia turned back to me and extended the bread. "Come," she said softly. "Don’t mind them. They don’t know better."

I slowly took the bread from her hand, not sure what to say. I didn’t trust her, not fully.

"After we finish the morning work," she added with a smile, "I’ll make you something proper to eat. A nice breakfast."

My lips parted slightly, shocked by her words. "You will?" I whispered.

She nodded, brushing invisible dust off her dress. "Yes. Something warm. Maybe eggs or porridge. Would you like that?"

I stared at her for a few seconds. My heart didn’t know what to feel: suspicion, confusion, or a tiny flicker of hope.

"Thank you," I murmured, barely getting the words out.

Cecilia smiled again. It looked sweet. But it was too smooth, too practiced, like someone who had smiled many times without meaning it.

"Anything for my new friend," she said softly, patting my arm before standing up and turning to the others.

As we walked out of the corner together, I felt everyone’s eyes on me.