Hearing that, the woman looked at her and directly jabbed her finger hard into Heena’s forehead—literally poking it painfully.
"Do you even have a brain or not? It’s ALREADY 3 in the morning! What the hell are you doing still lying there like a dead pig?"
She grabbed Heena’s arm and yanked her roughly to her feet.
"The Master and Madam need their washing water! Who do you think is going to bring it? ? I’m the head maid, not so lowly water-carrying servant!"
Hearing that, Heena looked at her—and you really have to give credit to Heena’s self-control, because she did NOT chop this woman into pieces right then and there.
Instead, she took a deep breath and asked as neutrally as possible, "What needs to be done?"
Hearing that, the old woman looked at her like she was the stupidest person alive.
"Who’s going to bring water for the Master and Madam to wash and bathe? Do you think water just magically appears? You need to fetch it from the river!"
Hearing that, Heena blinked and said, "Right now? At this ti? It’s still dark outside—"
The old woman literally raised her hand to slap Heena across the face.
But Heena’s reflexes were faster—she grabbed the woman’s wrist mid-swing and stood up straight, holding the arm firmly but not squeezing.
What Heena ’wanted’ to say was: ’You can use your words, old woman. Don’t you DARE try to slap .’
What she actually said, with enormous self-restraint, was: "Ma’am, please be careful with your old hand. It might get injured if you swing it around so carelessly."
The old woman’s face turned purple with rage. She yanked her arm free and scread directly in Heena’s face:
"You DARE talk back to ?! You think you’re clever with your pretty face and smooth words?!"
She grabbed a wooden stick from the corner—the sa one used for stirring the fire—and swung it at Heena.
’WHACK.’
It hit Heena’s shoulder hard enough to leave a bruise.
"You have half an hour to fetch the water! HALF AN HOUR! If you’re even one minute late, I’ll beat you until you can’t walk!"
She hit Heena again, this ti across the back.
’WHACK.’
"Useless girl! Lazy! Worthless! You probably spend all your ti thinking about seducing the Master, don’t you? I’ve seen girls like you before—thinking you can climb above your station with a pretty face!"
’WHACK.’ Another hit.
"Well, it won’t work! The Madam is beautiful and kind—no man would look at a dirty servant girl like you!"
Heena gritted her teeth and endured the beating, forcing herself not to retaliate.
’Not yet. Not yet. Just rember this. Rember every hit. Every insult.’
The old woman finally stopped hitting her and shoved her toward the door.
"GO! Now! And if the water isn’t ready when the Master wakes up, I’ll make sure you regret being born!"
Hearing that, Heena just said flatly, "Yes, ma’am. I’m going now."
As she walked out, her shoulder and back throbbing with pain, she looked at the System and said in a voice so quiet only he could hear, "Tomorrow. Wake at 2 AM."
Hearing that, the System looked confused and asked, "2 AM? But Host—"
Heena gave a small, cold smile. "Yeah. 2 AM sharp. I have sothing important to do."
.
.
She reached the kitchen area and saw four enormous clay pots waiting.
They were massive—each one could easily hold at least 20 liters of water. She looked at them, then peered inside one. It was deep and wide, designed to hold huge quantities.
She looked at the System and asked, "Where’s the well?"
Hearing that, the System’s expression beca extrely guilty.
Seeing this, Heena had a very bad feeling.
"System. Where. Is. The. Well."
The System said miserably, "I’ve checked the whole area around the house. There is no well nearby."
Hearing that, Heena literally felt her soul leave her body. "Excuse ?"
"You need to get the water from the river," the System continued. "Which is... one and a half kiloters away."
Hearing that, Heena felt the ground slip away beneath her feet.
"How much?" she whispered in disbelief.
"One and a half kiloters. And you need to fill all four pots—that’s about 80 liters total that you need to carry back."
She looked at the four massive pots and said slowly, "Are you insane?"
The System looked apologetic. "Host, that’s what the job requires. And you have very little ti, because the Master and Madam need the water for washing, brushing their teeth, and bathing before they wake up properly."
Heena grabbed the wall for support and took several deep, calming breaths.
’What kind of hell have I fallen into?’
Sohow—she never knew how—Heena made the journey back and forth, carrying the impossibly heavy water pots.
By the ti she finally set the last water pot down in the kitchen, a full hour had passed. Her neck was screaming in pain, her shoulders felt like they were being crushed, and her vision was blurry from exhaustion.
The mont she set the pot down, the old woman appeared like a demon.
"AN HOUR?!" she scread. "It took you an HOUR to fetch water?!"
She grabbed the wooden stick again and started hitting Heena before she could even catch her breath.
’WHACK. WHACK. WHACK.’
"You useless, lazy, worthless girl!"
’WHACK.’
"What were you doing? Flirting with the n at the river? Trying to attract attention with your pathetic face?"
’WHACK.’ This one hit Heena’s back so hard she stumbled forward.
"The Master and Madam are awake! They’ve been waiting for their water! Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused ?!"
Heena raised one arm to protect her face but didn’t fight back.
’WHACK. WHACK.’
"You think you’re special because you’re young? You think soone will rescue you? You’re NOTHING! Just a servant! A slave! Less than the dirt under my feet!"
’WHACK.’
The stick hit Heena’s shoulder—right where she’d been hit earlier—and she couldn’t help but gasp in pain.
"Oh, does it HURT?" the old woman mocked. "Good! Maybe pain will teach you to work faster!"
’WHACK. WHACK. WHACK.’
Three more hits in rapid succession—shoulder, back, arm.
"I’ve seen girls like you before! Thinking you can seduce the Master and beco a concubine! Thinking you can escape your place!"
’WHACK.’
"It won’t work! The Madam is beautiful and educated and kind! No man would look twice at a dirty, stupid servant girl covered in bruises!"
The woman finally stopped hitting her, breathing heavily from the exertion.
She shoved Heena hard, making her stumble.
"Get to your other work. The floors need scrubbing, the chamber pots need emptying, the kitchen needs cleaning. Move!"
Heena forced herself to bow slightly. "Yes, ma’am."
As she limped away, the old woman called after her:
"And tonight you’ll only get half rations! Maybe hunger will teach you to work faster tomorrow!"
That night, after all her work was finally done, Heena sat in her tiny room applying turric paste to her injuries.
The System helped her reach the wounds on her back.
"Host," he said quietly, "I’ve never seen you endure this much without fighting back. In your previous worlds, you would have destroyed anyone who treated you this way."
Heena smiled coldly as she wrapped cloth around a particularly bad bruise on her shoulder.
User Comments
0 comments from readers