7
1079 Words
"Wear this right now, or your father will burn all your trash fabrics in the back cottage this very night!"
Prasetya’s roar echoed through the cramped changing room behind the kitchen. In front of Aria, a dull, faded black maid uniform with a white apron that had already yellowed around the edges was tossed onto the floor.
Aria stared at the fabric, her eyes stinging with pain. "But Papa... tonight is the banquet to welcome Asher. Why do I have to—"
"Because you are an embarrassment!" cut in Ratna, her mother, who appeared from behind the door wrapped in a shimmering purple silk gown. "Do you honestly expect to sit out there with that dull face and those thick glasses of yours? Do you want Asher to think the Maheswari family has a 'faulty product' like you? No. Tonight, our only child is Aileen. You? You are just extra help from a maid agency. Shut your mouth, or you will genuinely lose your place to live."
*
The crystal chandeliers in the grand dining room glowed with sheer opulence, reflecting light across the perfectly arranged silver utensils atop a crisp white linen tablecloth. The aroma of truffles and expensive red wine filled the air, creating a high-class atmosphere that felt suffocating to anyone who didn't feel they belonged there.
Aria stood frozen in a dark corner near the kitchen door. The maid uniform she wore felt rough and itchy against her skin. She kept her head down, letting her thick glasses slide to the tip of her nose, trying to hide her face as deeply as possible.
"Please enjoy, Asher. This is the finest wine from my personal collection," Prasetya spoke in a highly hospitable, almost sycophantic tone.
Asher sat upright, looking incredibly commanding in a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, accentuating the luxury watch wrapped around his wrist. Beside him, Aileen looked like a goddess. Her maroon dress exposed her beautiful shoulders, and her fingers hung affectionately on Asher’s arm.
"Asher, try this meat. I asked the chef to cook it specifically for you," Aileen said sweetly, feeding a small piece of steak into Asher’s mouth.
Asher offered a faint smile, a smile that made Aria’s heart throb with a sharp ache. A smile that used to be given only to her when they shared a single piece of bread beneath the mango tree.
"Maid! Pour the drinks!" Aileen commanded suddenly, her voice turning sharp as she snapped her head toward Aria standing in the corner.
Aria flinched. With trembling hands, she grabbed the crystal bottle filled with red wine. She stepped forward, every single heartbeat feeling like the strike of a hammer against her chest. She stood beside Asher, catching the scent of the sandalwood perfume she had missed so desperately. So close, yet it felt a thousand light-years away.
The crimson liquid poured slowly into Asher’s glass. Aria tried to breathe evenly, even though her chest tightened seeing how Aileen rested her head on Asher’s shoulder, flaunting the "A & V" handkerchief which was now draped over the table as a decoration.
"Asher, let's go to the balcony after this, okay? I want to look at the stars with you, just like... before," Aileen whispered, her voice loud enough to slice through Aria’s ears.
"Sure, Ai," Asher answered softly.
Aria prepared to turn back toward the kitchen now that her task was finished. However, as she took a step, she felt the tip of a high-heeled shoe intentionally slip between her feet.
Crash!
The world seemed to turn upside down. Aria’s thin frame slammed into the hard marble floor with a heartbreaking thud. The wine bottle slipped from her grip, shattering into a million pieces, sending the deep red liquid splattering across the floor—and a large portion of it splashed directly onto Asher’s expensive trousers.
"Aria! You useless brat!" Prasetya screamed, standing up from his chair, his face flushed red with rage.
"Oh my god, Asher! Your pants are ruined!" Aileen cried out dramatically, instantly standing up and grabbing a napkin to dab at Asher’s clothes, acting as if she were the primary victim. "This maid is incredibly clumsy! Forgive her, Asher. I will have her fired tomorrow!"
Aria had fallen directly onto the shattered glass. A sharp sting flared through her palms as the jagged shards pierced her skin. However, that pain was nothing compared to the sheer humiliation she felt. She tried to get up in a hurry, but her head swam with dizziness.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." Aria squeaked, tears finally falling to wet her dull cheeks.
"Clean it up right now! Don't just sit there crying!" Ratna snapped coldly.
Aria leaned over, trying to gather the shards of glass with her bare, trembling hands. In the middle of the chaos, her thick glasses, which had already loosened, finally slipped completely off her face, clattering onto the marble.
Aria’s vision became blurry, but she instinctively looked up when she felt a shadow loom over her body.
Asher was standing right in front of her.
The young man didn't look angry about his soiled trousers. Instead, he stood entirely frozen, staring straight down at the girl kneeling beneath his feet. Without the thick glasses that usually obscured her face, and under the brilliant illumination of the crystal chandeliers, every single one of Aria’s facial features was fully visible.
Especially her eyes.
Clear, crescent-shaped eyes holding a depth of profound sorrow—eyes that guarded the wounds of a time ten years ago. Eyes that were incredibly familiar to Asher.
Asher felt a jolt of electricity strike his mind. His memory of the little girl beneath the mango tree wasn't about Aileen’s flawless beauty, but about a gleam in the eyes exactly like this. Eyes that had always looked at him with pure sincerity, even when they had nothing.
"You..." Asher murmured, his voice raspy and laced with absolute doubt.
He extended his hand, as if wanting to touch Aria’s face, wanting to verify if his sight wasn't playing tricks on him yet again.
"Asher? What's wrong?" Aileen’s voice cut in sharply. She instantly stepped directly between Asher and Aria, glaring down at her twin with a flash of pure hatred.
Asher didn't answer. He remained completely transfixed, his eyes locked onto Aria’s tear-stained pupils. Who exactly was this girl? Why did her eyes... feel like the home I’ve been searching for all this time?
- Writer
