Azela gently grabbed Lina’s wrist and pulled her towards Sylvia’s locked bedroom door.
The girl stopped in front of the bedroom door and swallowed a gulp with a rigid face. Seeing that, Azela whispered softly as she let go of the girl’s hand she had held softly.
“Open Sylvia’s bedroom door with your own hands.”
Lina’s breathing quickly became harsh. Her trembling eyes seemed to speak of her anguish. Azela, who was looking at her, turned her head and looked back at Sylvia’s locked bedroom door.
“Sylvia, Lina brought the key. Lina will open the door to your bedroom.”
“….!”
Lina took a deep breath in with a surprised look and glanced at her Madam. Through the locked bedroom door, Sylvia’s terrified voice could be heard.
“Lina. Don’t open the door. If you open the door, I will cut off your head!”
“Lina, go. Open the door. I am your Madam.”
“Don’t open it! Throw the key away! Do you know what will happen if you open it?”
The handmaids and doctor standing behind did not understand the situation at all and tilted their heads, but Lina was different. Unable to do anything about Sylvia and Azela as they strangle her neck, she stood there holding the key in her trembling hands.
The key in her little hand looked so big and heavy.
“Lina, you know very well that I don’t have many opportunities to give you.”
“Ma, Madam.”
“I remember giving you a few chances already…”
“Don’t! Don’t open it! If you open it, I’ll make a mess on your back…!”
Lina lifted her head up at Sylvia’s shout and squeezed the key she was holding in her hand. The girl’s breathing began to become rough as if captured by great fear. She unknowingly took three steps back from Sylvia’s bedroom door as her shoulders shook violently.
“…Lina.”
Azela quietly called the girl.
Lina, who was walking backwards, stopped her steps and gazed at Azela. Her trembling eyes then looked at the key in her hand.
“No matter how much I give you a chance, it means nothing if you don’t choose for yourself.”
“…Madam.”
“Then, I won’t be able to give you any more chances, and you will have no more choice.”
Lina swallowed a gulp.
Azela turned her head and looked back at the tightly closed bedroom door before opening her mouth, “Lina, so when you have a chance to choose… open it.”
At her words, the girl swallowed her saliva again.
Lina stared at Sylvia’s closed bedroom door with trembling eyes. Sylvia’s menacing screams could be heard from beyond the bedroom door, though the girl bit her lower lip as if she had made up her mind.
She then took a step back and walked forward.
“Right.”
Azela smiled and nodded her head.
Standing in front of the bedroom door, Lina stared at her with a tense expression. It was an expression of ‘Is this okay?’ To give confidence in her doubts, Azela nodded her head.
With trembling hands, Lina carefully took the key to the bedroom door. She then inserted the key she had brought into the keyhole. The sound of metal clashing from her trembling hands echoed through the quiet third floor.
“What, what are you doing now…!”
As if the sound had reached Sylvia’s ears, she shouted loudly in a terrified voice.
“LINA!”
At Sylvia’s cry, Lina raised her head with a flash. She then hurriedly pulled out the key she had put in the keyhole. Azela, who was standing next to her, turned the doorknob. The bedroom door was still locked.
“Lina.”
Azela called the girl’s name softly but with strength. Lina shook her head and stepped backwards.
‘In the end…’
Azela sighed deeply and took the key from Lina’s hand. Taking the key in her hand, the girl did not resist. Just as though it was better, she handed Azela the key.
Azela looked at Lina with a disappointing gaze, then turned her head and slipped the key into the keyhole of the bedroom door. The door to the bedroom that had been closed, opened wide with a ‘click’ sound.
As the bedroom door opened, she lightly patted Lina’s shoulder and walked past the girl.
The bedroom was a mess. Perhaps, she threw everything she could get her hands on, and the floor was full of shards of glass and shattered things. The food brought was also spread out, so the carpet was also in a dirty state.
Meanwhile, Sylvia was hunched over in the bed, staring at her with a vigilant look.
Azela looked around the bedroom lightly, turned, and glanced at the doctor, who was standing helplessly, and uttered in a blunt tone.
“What are you doing? You have to see the doctor.”
“Ah, yes… yes!”
With her blunt command, the doctor moved quickly.
He turned to Sylvia, who was crouching in the bed, avoiding the shards of glass lying on the floor. When he reached out to her to examine her, Sylvia was vigilant like a frightened animal and slapped the doctor’s hand hard.
“I know my condition best!”
The doctor turned his head in a bewildered look at Sylvia’s shout and glanced at Azela. He looked like he was asking for her. Seeing this, she smiled lightly and spoke kindly while looking at the handmaids standing behind her.
“Sylvia seems to be sensitive because she’s not feeling well, so she’ll need some help. Help Sylvia so the doctor can examine her.”
“Yes, Madam.”
The handmaids moved quickly at her command. They didn’t stop despite Sylvia’s call not to. They carried out Azela’s orders as strongly as if they were seeking revenge for the sorrow they had suffered. The handmaids came close to Sylvia and held her arms tightly.
“How dare you put your hand! Does everyone want to die? I’ll tell Daniel, everyone…!”
“Sylvia, this is Daniel’s order to take care of you.”
The handmaids, who were trying to restrain Sylvia, paused for a moment and stopped their hands at her threat.
Then, as if to comfort them, Azela cut her words in the middle with a gentle voice. Sylvia didn’t say anything to her words. She just had her eyes wide open, and she bit her lip hard with a look of resentment.
“What are you doing? You have to help Sylvia.”
Azela, who gazed down at Sylvia, who was speechless, spoke again to the handmaids with an expressionless face. Perhaps, with her command, the handmaids regained courage, they went to Sylvia and restrained her hands.
Sylvia wrestled with them, though because she hadn’t eaten in recent days, she couldn’t beat the handmaids.
“Then, I will examine you.”
Meanwhile, the doctor moved closer to Sylvia. At the sight, she gave a strange shout and struggled, but it wasn’t enough to shake off the handmaids. Azela just stood still and stared at her. At the same time, Lina, who was next to her, also quietly looked at Sylvia.
Sylvia’s shout echoed loudly in the quiet mansion.
The examination did not take long. After examining her, the doctor looked at Azela in disbelief. The answer was already set. However, Azela looked at her doctor with an unconcerned face, pretending to know nothing.
“Is the examination over?”
“Well, that…”
“Tell me out loud what it is.”
“No, it’s something I should only tell Madam, so if everyone is…”
“No, say it out loud so everyone can hear it right here and now.”
Azela spoke strongly and looked at Sylvia. Her face reddened with anger, and tears were hanging from her eyes. Roughly shaking away her hands that were caught by the handmaids, she laid her hands on her stomach.
“That, that…”
The doctor paused.
It was understandable because he had to tell the Madam of the house about the mistress’ pregnancy. He rolled his eyes, but he let out a small sigh at Azela’s unchanging command.
And, with a determined look, he carefully opened his mouth.
“…She is pregnant.”
At that sound, everyone in the bedroom was breathing heavily.
Sylvia closed her eyes with a frown, horrified by the news of her own pregnancy. Meanwhile, Azela, who knew everything, was simply calm. However, they thought that her calmness was a facade, and everyone in the bedroom looked at her with a sympathetic gaze.
“It’s good news to celebrate.”
Azela moved closer to Sylvia and spoke in a calm tone, and they looked at each other.
Seeing that, everyone in the bedroom gulped, wondering if something would happen. Azela, who looked at Sylvia without a word for a long time, leaned over her body and came closer to her ear. She whispered in a small voice.
“Why have you been hiding this congratulatory news until now?”