Chapter 3: Something Inside of Her
926 Words
Irene took a deep breath before leaving the room.
No one could know what happened.
Not the servants.
Not the duchess.
No one.
She lowered her sleeves slightly and fixed her expression before quietly walking through the long hallway as if nothing had happened.
Even though her legs still burned from the beating.
Even though someone had just disappeared because of her.
By the time she reached the classroom hall, the lesson had already started.
Irene stopped in front of the door for a moment.
She could already hear voices and laughter from inside.
Taking a small breath, she knocked softly.
“Come in.”
The moment she stepped inside, the room fell silent.
Dozens of eyes turned toward her instantly.
Then came the whispers.
“She’s late again.”
“Look at her leg…Disgusting”
The bruises near her ankles were impossible to hide completely. Dark purple marks stained her pale skin, making it obvious she had been punished again.
A few students exchanged amused looks.
One of the girls covered her mouth as she laughed quietly.
“Serves her right.”
Another student smirked.
“A stray like her should know her place.”
Soft laughter spread across the classroom.
Irene lowered her gaze and quietly walked toward her seat without saying anything.
She was already used to it.
At some point, humiliation simply became part of her daily life.
The teacher standing at the front of the room frowned slightly when she noticed the bruises.
For a brief moment, sympathy crossed her face.
Everyone in the mansion knew Irene was treated badly.
They simply pretended not to see it.
Because no one wanted to anger the duchess.
Still, the teacher straightened herself and kept her voice firm.
“You’re late, Irene.”
Irene stopped beside her desk and bowed her head slightly.
“…I apologize.”
The teacher stared at her for a moment before sighing softly.
“Take your seat.”
A short pause followed.
“And don’t be late again.”
“…Yes, Madame.”
Irene quietly sat near the window at the back of the classroom, far away from the others.
As the lesson continued, the students slowly lost interest in her.
But Irene couldn’t focus at all.
Her mind kept replaying what happened earlier.
The darkness.
The shadows.
The maid disappearing.
Her fingers slowly tightened under the table.
“…What was that…?” she thought quietly.
“Today’s lesson,” the teacher suddenly spoke, “will be about the Dragon War.”
The room instantly became lively.
Some students looked excited.
Others looked disgusted.
Irene froze slightly in her seat.
“The dragons were dangerous creatures,” one student said confidently. “They killed countless humans.”
Another nodded quickly.
“They deserved to disappear.”
“Exactly. Monsters like them shouldn’t exist.”
Laughter followed.
Irene stayed silent.
Her eyes lowered toward the floor.
Something inside her chest twisted painfully.
“The royal knights were heroes for destroying them,” another student added proudly.
A girl glanced toward Irene before smirking.
“Honestly, I’d probably kill one myself if I ever saw one.”
More laughter.
Irene’s grip tightened harder beneath the table.
Her breathing slowly became uneven.
For some reason…
The classroom suddenly felt too hot.
Too loud.
Too small.
Then—
Someone kicked her chair from behind.
Hard.
Irene flinched slightly.
“Pay attention, stray,” a boy mocked.
Another student laughed.
“Careful. She might start crying.”
More laughter filled the room.
Irene closed her eyes for a brief second.
Just one second.
But something dark shifted violently inside her chest.
The window beside her trembled slightly.
CRACK.
A thin crack suddenly appeared across the glass.
The classroom instantly fell silent.
Everyone turned toward the window in shock.
“What was that?”
“The window cracked on its own…”
Even the teacher looked confused.
Irene immediately loosened her grip beneath the table, her heart beating violently inside her chest.
No…
Not here.
Not now.
The classroom door suddenly opened.
Everyone turned immediately.
Zayn stepped inside the room lazily, clearly late himself.
The girls instantly straightened up.
“Zayn!”
“You’re late again.”
He ignored them completely.
His eyes scanned the room once before stopping on Irene for a brief moment.
Then on the cracked window.
A small frown appeared on his face.
“What happened here?”
“No idea,” one student replied quickly. “The window just cracked suddenly.”
Zayn looked unconvinced.
His gaze shifted toward Irene again.
She immediately looked away.
One of the boys suddenly laughed.
“We were just teaching the stray her place.”
Several students laughed again.
Zayn remained quiet for a moment.
Then he spoke flatly.
“Enough.”
The room became silent instantly.
The boy blinked awkwardly.
“…What?”
Zayn walked toward his seat slowly before speaking again.
“She’s still part of the duke’s household.”
His voice was calm.
Cold.
“If outsiders hear you idiots bullying her openly, it’ll only embarrass the family.”
The students immediately became quieter.
Irene lowered her gaze slightly.
For one stupid moment…
A tiny part of her thought he was defending her.
But of course—
He wasn’t.
He only cared about the family’s reputation.
Nothing more.
Zayn sat down lazily before finally glancing toward Irene again.
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“Why are you looking so pale?”
Irene immediately looked away.
“…I’m fine.”
But deep inside—
The darkness inside her hadn’t calmed down at all.
- Writer
