Chapter 16: Between Marble and Gold (1)

“And that is how… I ended up here.”

Octavia looked away once she finished. I had listened to her entire story without interruption whilst sitting on the stone alley path. But never came the part I was waiting for the most. Why was she holding her eye like that? Even now, she continued clenching her bad eye with immense force. Then, it suddenly occurred to me why she was doing this.

“Via. Remove your hand.” I said as I reached out to her. I tried to pry open her fingers, but she would not budge.

“Via…! Let me see your eye.” I said more firmly. I did not want to yell at her, but I needed to see if this was simply my paranoia speaking.

She hesitated, but slowly lowered her hand.

“Ha…”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

Her left eye was still there. I was afraid she had gouged it out in despair after hearing those despicable comments. I could not control the face I made when I thought of those bastards. Unfortunately, Octavia thought this hate I was emanating was directed towards her.

“I am so sorry master. I should not have left you in the first place-”

“Stop…”

“Master?”

There was so much I wanted to say. So much I wanted to do. My heart ached more than it ever had before. This was all my fault. If I had just been more decisive and thought critically about the affect of my actions, Octavia would never have needed to endure the trauma she did today. If only I had simply asked father for a different maid. If only I had told father to assign someone besides Octavia to Devon for her stay at the duke’s. I could have saved Via’s life, and also have prevented today’s atrocities…!

I could not hold it back anymore. With guilt consuming me whole, I whispered my last question.

“Via… What do you see right now?”

She gasped in horror.

“M- master! You are crying! Master why are you- hold on- argh I already used this one…!”

Octavia patted herself all over in hopes of finding something besides her used handkerchief to offer me. I placed my hand on her shoulder, putting her frantic search to a halt.

“Via. Don’t you see?”

She gave me her despairing look again.

“I- I am sorry. Were you not crying? I am so, so sorry-”

“No Via. You were absolutely right. I was crying. Do you understand? You saw tears falling down my face. Do you know how difficult it is to see clear things? Yet you were able to see just that!”

“Master…”

She did not seem convinced. I half got up and shuffled closer to her, cutting her stream of tears in half with my thumb.

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“Via.” I smiled. “Your condition has never prevented you from working well, right? Or seeing the amazing views we did today? The blue clock tower, the pink cotton candy stalls along Ebuna, the dim lanterns that lit that restaurant. You saw it all didn’t you?”

“Yes but… the marble statue; those boys said it wasn’t marble…” Octavia weakly protested.

“Ha…” I sighed. She was bright, but so gullible when it came to her insecurities. I tried once more.

“Via. Would you believe me if I told you they were lying?”

With a jolt so sudden I nearly jumped out of my skin, she pulled away from my hold.

“L-lying? Like mother?!”

“What?” I asked baffled.

She returned to the fetal position I had painstakingly gotten her out of earlier.

“No, no! What if this entire world is a lie!? Master! What if you are lying too?! Just to make me feel better!”

I was stunned. She doubted me. She even doubted her late mother. Just because of some idiot who was accidently given a mouth to blow air through. I began feeling anxious. What if this incident has truly scarred her forever? What if I am unable to convince her of the truth?

“V- Via I… that is not true! How could I have possibly described those sights we saw today then? I described them exactly as you saw them! I could not have read your mind, could I?! I promise you I am telling the truth!”

“Yes… but even so. You do not resent me…”

Huh?? I was even more confused now than before.

“Why on earth would I- “

“Because if you did,” she interjected. “You would have honestly told me that I look disgusting…”

I clenched my fists. I realized she had not told me the entire story. All she said was that the spider jerk had said she could not see properly.

“Which- which bastard-” I said through my teeth.

Octavia, realizing her mistake, raised her hands to calm me down, but I was not having it.

“Listen. Octavia.” I said abruptly. “Everyone finds different things beautiful. For me, I find you to be the most beautiful girl I have ever met.”

“Huh?”

Huh?

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