Trapped With The Devil's Spawn

CHAPTER 7

TIARA THORNELLS

“Tiara! Get out of here, right now!” Even Mrs. Claire couldn’t hide the panic in her voice as she caught sight of the royals’ eyes, glowing as if they were burning embers. I immediately stood up, all sense of formality gone, and ran away from the dining table, clutching the injured fingers on my hand. Drops of blood trickled onto the floor as I gasped for air, stumbling my way toward the servants’ chamber.

I grabbed the doorknob and pushed the door open. Once inside, I quickly shut it behind me, leaning against it as my knees trembled, cold and weak beneath me. Slowly, I lifted my trembling hand to my face and gasped at the cuts. I hadn't even realized how bad they were, probably because I was so shocked. I had tripped. In front of them. The most powerful beings in this mansion.

But what truly haunted me... were their eyes.

Eyes that looked like they were ready to devour me whole.

I took cautious steps toward the side table next to my bed’s headboard. My hands were still shaking as I fumbled with the match to light the lamp. When the room was finally illuminated, I sat down on the edge of the bed, trying to calm myself.

This... this was the kind of fear that gripped me because I had no idea what punishment awaited me now. One of the strict rules in this house was to always move with grace and caution, so as not to damage anything. But most importantly, you must never, ever make a mistake in front of your masters.

I bit down hard on my lower lip, almost drawing more blood, as the terrifying gaze of those vampires kept flashing back in my mind.

“Tiara? Are you in there?” My anxious thoughts were interrupted by the voice of Delailah just outside the closed door. “I heard you come in earlier…”

“Y-Yes, I’m here,” I replied, forcing myself up from the bed to open the door for her.

“Come on, I’ll go with you to the bathhouse—Wait... What happened to your face?” She was holding a lit lamp, and as soon as she saw me, her expression changed. Her brows furrowed deeply. She stepped closer, alarm growing in her eyes. “Are you okay? What happened... My goodness! W-Why are you bleeding?!”

Without waiting for my answer, she took my uninjured arm and pulled me into her room, quickly shutting the door behind us. She sat me down on a chair and walked over to a cabinet. I watched as she opened a drawer and pulled out a small wooden box. She placed it on the table and opened it.

It was a first-aid kit filled with bandages and disinfectants, I guess.

“I need to wash your hands first. There’s so much blood on you...” she said softly, concern etched across her face.

Delailah fetched a small bucket filled with water and gently began cleaning my wounded hands. I winced slightly, the sting of the cuts flaring with each touch, but I endured it. When she had washed off all the blood, she applied a soothing cream over the gashes on my fingers and carefully wrapped each one with a bandage. She worked in complete focus, her expression calm and serious, as she treated every wound with delicate care.

Once she was finished, Delailah sat down across from me and looked me straight in the eyes.

“Can you tell me what happened now?” she asked softly.

So, I began to recount everything, how I tripped, how the royal highnesses looked at me, how terrified I felt.

“That’s why you were so frightened…” she murmured as I nodded silently.

“D-Do you think they’ll punish me?” I asked, my voice barely audible.

Everyone in this household knew that even the smallest mistake could lead to scolding, or worse, actual punishment.

“I don’t know, Tiara… but try not to overthink it,” she replied gently. “I don’t think they’ll kill you. What you did wasn’t a serious offense. Besides, they’re already short on servants, especially with how many noble families are looking for like us too. Try not to worry too much. Let’s just pray they won’t do anything cruel to you.”

She paused for a moment before continuing.

“And what you saw... the royal highnesses’ eyes glowing red like that... it’s actually normal. It happens when they suddenly smell fresh blood. Don’t panic about it, okay?” she explained in a calming tone, trying to ease my anxiety.

I took a deep breath, trying to absorb and hold on to her reassuring words.

“So,” she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Do you still want to take a bath?”

“Yes. I was sweating all day… Come with me to the bathhouse..." I said.

“Sure, let’s go.”

We left Delailah’s room together. I grabbed my nightclothes, and we headed straight to the bathhouse. As I soaked in the warm water, I finally began to feel my nerves settling down. The warmth seeped into my skin, calming the tremble in my body. After that, we went back to my room.

“If you want, I can sleep in your room tonight. That way, you won’t feel so scared,” Delailah offered.

“Really? Is that allowed? Won’t you get in trouble?” I asked, unsure.

She smiled at me. “Only if we get caught,” she said with a mischievous little laugh. “Wait here, I’ll just go get my pillow and blanket. We’ll fit just fine on your bed.”

“Thank you, Delailah…” I whispered gratefully.

She gave me one more smile before quietly slipping out of my room to grab her things.

Thankfully, Delailah had knocked on my door earlier. Honestly, I had no intention of bothering anyone just to ask for help. I had actually planned to treat and bandage my wounds myself, but instead, I just ended up staring blankly at the wall, paralyzed with fear.

“Shh! Sephora, keep your voice down!”

“You’re noisy too, you know!”

I turned toward the door, which was slightly open when I heard faint whispers approaching. Then I saw them. Delailah, Railee, Sephora, and Elara each carry their own pillows and blankets.

Delailah gave me an awkward, sheepish smile. “We should wake up early tomorrow so Mrs. Margot won’t catch us,” she said with a short laugh. “These three were still awake, and Sephora saw me going into my room earlier…”

I let them in quickly, afraid someone else might spot them out in the hall.

Since there were four of them, they simply laid out their bedding on the floor of my room. It suddenly felt warm, lively, and even safe with their presence.

"I... I can’t even imagine being in your place earlier,” Sephora whispered. “If it were me being stared down by those glowing red eyes of the vampire royal highnesses… I think I would’ve fainted on the spot.”

I ended up telling all of them what had happened.

“Wait… Even Prince Zatan and Prince Dawn looked at you?” Elara asked in disbelief.

“Yes, all three of them,” I replied. “When I was approaching the dining table, their eyes were normal. But after I got injured, that’s when they suddenly turned red and started glowing.”

“Well, Delailah was right... blood can trigger their bloodlust instinct,” Railee responded gently. “No one wanted that to happen. If you do get punished, I’m sure it’ll only be something minor.”

“See? I told you,” Delailah said with a smile, and I couldn’t help but smile back. “Talk to Mrs. Claire tomorrow. She’s the only one who really knows what happened after you left the dining hall…”

I nodded in agreement. She was right, Mrs. Claire had been the one to dismiss me in a hurry. She might be the key to understanding what consequences I might face.

“Alright, let’s all get some sleep,” Delailah said, stifling a yawn. “We have to wake up early tomorrow.”

“Tiara, sleep well. Clear your mind off whatever’s troubling you,” Elara said gently.

I thanked them. Truly, their presence and kindness had eased the burden I’d been carrying all night. Whatever else I had to worry about... I decided to leave it for tomorrow.

The room slowly quieted down, the presence of friends making the darkness a little less frightening.

By three in the morning, before Mrs. Margot could come around and catch anyone, the four girls quietly slipped out and returned to their own rooms.

When the sun began to rise, we were all assigned our morning duties. I was sent to the kitchen again, which meant I wouldn’t be working with the others.

“Good morning, Tiara!” Mr. Tudor greeted me cheerfully as I entered, followed by warm hellos from the other kitchen staff.

“Good morning to all of you as well,” I replied politely, my eyes automatically scanning the room. “Mrs. Claire isn’t here yet?”

“She’ll be along shortly,” Mr. Lary answered.

I went straight to the prep table where a fresh pile of ingredients awaited me, these would become breakfast for everyone in the estate. I took a quiet breath, preparing myself to start.

“Tiara? What happened to your hands?” Mrs. Kate asked as she stopped beside me, noticing the bandages.

“A-Ah… I cut myself on some broken glass last night,” I explained. “But I’m alright now. I can still manage to slice the vegetables.”

“Don’t force yourself if you’re not feeling well,” she said with concern.

But I just gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m okay, really.”

“Alright then… I’ll leave it to you,” she replied softly and moved on.

I reached for a knife and began slicing the carrots. My hands weren’t moving as quickly as they usually did, but that was fine. As long as I finished before the ingredients were needed, I’d manage.

While I was working, Mrs. Claire finally arrived.

I froze as soon as our eyes met.

“Tiara, come with me for a moment,” she said in a calm voice.

I swallowed nervously and set the knife down. She turned and walked ahead, and I followed behind her immediately.

We stopped just outside the kitchen, by the wall near the doorway.

“Mrs. Claire… about what happened last night… A-Am I going to be punished?” I asked hesitantly, my voice tight with worry.

She looked at me calmly. “I cleaned up the glass you broke last night. I waited to see if the royal highnesses would say anything… but they didn’t. I finished cleaning, and they never mentioned the incident. That alone means they have no intention of punishing you. If they had been angry, they would’ve given me orders. But there was nothing.”

A long, shaky breath escaped my lips. I felt the tightness in my chest finally loosen. Relief flooded me.

“I-I’m really sorry… I didn’t mean to trip. I hope you’re not mad with me either,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I know, and it’s perfectly fine,” Mrs. Claire said gently. “You tripped because you stepped on a bulky marble tile... it's slightly uneven. It could’ve happened to me too, so don’t worry, I’m not angry.”

She lightly tapped my shoulder and gave me a warm, reassuring smile.

“Let’s get back to work,” she added.

I nodded with renewed energy, grateful that she wasn’t upset. We returned to the kitchen and started working.

By lunchtime, I was already in better a spirit. I went to the servants’ dining hall with Elara, Delailah, Railee, and Sephora, and we all sat together to eat.

“See? I told you they wouldn’t punish you,” Delailah said with a smile, taking a bite of her bread.

“You really were lucky, Tiara,” Elara chimed in, lowering her voice slightly. “Usually, when a servant makes a mistake... even a small one... they’re punished severely. Some aren’t allowed to eat for days. Others are forced to sleep outside the castle.”

She glanced around as if afraid someone else might overhear. “I didn’t tell you that last night because I knew it would scare you even more.”

Sephora leaned closer, whispering. “Especially if Queen Drucilla had been the one who saw your mistake… You would’ve been in serious trouble.”

I shivered slightly. “Good thing she wasn’t there last night in the dining hall…”

We all nodded, quietly thankful for that small mercy.

The rest of my day passed more peacefully as if nothing had ever happened. I made a choice not to let yesterday’s accident continue weighing on me. I couldn’t let one mistake ruin everything.

That night, before I went to bed, the girls came to check on me one last time. The four of them stood in the doorway of my room like worried sisters.

“Are you really sure you’re okay sleeping alone tonight?” Delailah asked.

I nodded. “Yes, I’m okay now. I think I’ll finally get a good night’s sleep.”

She gave me a soft, approving smile.

“Good night, Tiara!” they all said in unison before turning to leave.

“Good night,” I replied, then quietly closed the door behind them.

I turned off the lamp by my bedside, letting the last glimmer of warm light fade into the darkness. I lay down, pulling the covers up to my chest, and allowed sleep to quietly descend upon me like a soft fog.

Somewhere in the depths of that sleep, I stirred, not fully awake, but not entirely dreaming either.

My senses picked up something unusual...

A soft, low humming sound, like a breeze had slipped into my room. The air felt strange, and then I heard it, the gentle fluttering of my curtain as if it had been caught by the wind.

I frowned in my sleep.

That can’t be right. I was absolutely certain I had closed the window before going to bed. I made sure of it, not wanting to shiver through the night.

But I was so deeply tired, worn out from a long day at work that I barely had the energy to get up and check. I told myself it was probably just strong wind that forced the glass panel down a little. Nothing unusual. Nothing to worry about.

I turned on my side, trying to reclaim the sleep that had begun to slip away from me.

But then...

I froze.

My forehead creased as a new sound reached me, a sudden, soft thud.

A footstep. It was faint, but unmistakable, like someone stepping onto the floor.

My eyes flew open, my heart hammering in my chest.

I quickly shut them again, pretending to still be asleep. A strange instinct took over. I could feel the shift in the air, the quiet presence of someone or something drawing closer with each step.

Someone was in my room.

But… was it really a person?

What would anyone be doing in here at this hour, in the dead of night? If someone had entered, surely I would have heard the door creak open. But there was nothing no sound of a knob turning, no click of a lock.

Wait… No. Don't tell me…

The window?

My breath caught in my throat.

If it came in through the window… then it wasn’t human. No normal person could do that. The steps were heavy and deliberate. Based on the sound, I was almost certain, it was a man.

My breathing slowed, shallow and quiet. My whole body went rigid, as though paralyzed. Even though the room felt cold, sweat had begun to form on my forehead.

My heart pounded wildly in my chest as I lay motionless on my side, frozen in place under the blankets.

Then… he stopped.

Right in front of me.

I didn’t need to open my eyes, I could feel him there. Standing at the edge of my bed, studying me silently in the dark. I could feel the heaviness of his stare was terrifying, suffocating. It was as though he was memorizing every detail of me.

Minutes passed. I didn’t dare move. Not even a twitch.

And then… he stepped back.

I heard the quiet shift of his feet and felt his presence moving toward the window again. A few seconds later, I heard the light press of his foot on the window ledge.

Then a sudden, powerful whoosh, the unmistakable sound of fabric catching the wind, like a cloak or long coat flaring out.

And just like that, he was gone.

Only when I could no longer feel his presence when the air in the room no longer felt weighed down by something unnatural, did I open my eyes. I slowly sat up, legs trembling as I slid out of bed.

I approached the open window, where the pale, silver light of the moon streamed in quietly. I leaned forward, looking out.

The breeze brushed softly against my face as I gazed down at the view below.

From this height, I could see the rooftops of the castle stretching out in the distance. Shadows blanketed the landscape, the trees below appearing black and still. The sky above sparkled with stars, and somewhere far off, I could hear the haunting cry of an owl echoing through the night.

I let out a long, shaky breath, trying to calm the storm inside my chest. Then, gently, I closed the window and drew the curtains shut.

Something inside me was certain, that wasn't human again.

But I was grateful beyond words. that whatever it was… it chose not to harm me.