Chapter 10: Threads of Attachment
992 Words
Chapter 10: Threads of Attachment
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A Life Not Her Own
Eve Corvin had ruled an empire. She had commanded armies, sat upon a throne of power, and crushed her enemies with a single glance. She was a queen.
Yet here she was, standing in the kitchen, staring at a pile of unwashed dishes.
The Carter household was alive with its usual evening routine—dinner had just ended, and Bella was already standing at the sink, rolling up her sleeves. Their father, Professor Carter, was sitting in the living room with a book, occasionally glancing toward them, while Mrs. Carter hummed to herself as she wiped down the dining table.
"Eve, are you going to help, or just glare at them?" Bella teased, elbow-deep in soapy water.
Eve scowled. "This is… beneath me."
Bella snorted. "Says the girl who eats our food, sleeps in our house, and wears the clothes we bought for her. At least show some gratitude."
Eve crossed her arms. "I did not ask for any of this."
"Nope, but you got it anyway," Bella said smugly. "Now, get to work."
Eve let out an exaggerated sigh, stepping forward. She had fought wars. Commanded armies. And yet, here she was, forced into manual labor.
She picked up a plate, examining it like it was a foreign object. "What exactly am I supposed to do?"
Bella gave her a deadpan look. "Seriously? You’ve never washed a dish before?"
Eve frowned. "Of course not."
Bella smirked. "Wow, must be nice to be royalty."
"It was," Eve said flatly.
Bella handed her a sponge. "Okay, Your Majesty. Let’s see if you can handle a little soap and water."
Eve dipped the plate into the water, rubbing it with the sponge. Within seconds, she had scrubbed it spotless with near-inhuman efficiency. She handed it to Bella, who gaped at the impossibly perfect dish.
"Okay… that was fast," Bella admitted.
Eve smirked. "I am simply efficient."
Bella rolled her eyes. "Show-off."
They continued washing in silence for a while—Eve adjusting to the strange task, and Bella watching her with amused curiosity.
Then, Bella suddenly asked, "Did you ever do anything like this back in… wherever you came from?"
Eve stiffened. She kept her gaze on the soapy water. "No."
"So what did you do all day? Sit on a throne? Order people around?"
Eve hesitated before answering. "I led a kingdom. Made decisions that affected thousands. Trained warriors. Oversaw battles. There was no time for… this."
Bella’s expression softened, but she hid it behind a smirk. "Well, welcome to Earth. Here, we do our own chores."
Eve huffed. "Humans are strange."
"You’re stuck with us for now," Bella said lightly. "Might as well get used to it."
Eve didn’t respond.
Because deep down, she wasn’t sure if she wanted to get used to it.
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Sweeping Away the Past
After finishing the dishes, Mrs. Carter called them into the living room.
"Girls, the floor needs sweeping," she said, handing Bella a broom and Eve a dustpan. "Since you’re both free, you can take care of it."
Bella groaned. "Mom, we just did the dishes!"
"And now you can do the floor," Mrs. Carter said sweetly.
Eve frowned at the dustpan in her hands. "What is the purpose of this task?"
"It keeps the house clean," Mrs. Carter said patiently.
"Shouldn’t you just have a servant for that?"
Bella snickered. "She’s really stuck on that, huh?"
Mrs. Carter gave Eve an amused look. "No servants here. Just family. And in this family, we all help out."
Eve hesitated. The word family lingered in her mind longer than it should have.
Bella handed her the dustpan. "Come on, Queenie. Hold that still while I sweep."
Eve crouched down, holding the dustpan as Bella lazily swept dust into it. The work was tedious, pointless, and yet… oddly grounding.
It was something she had never done before. Something so small, so human.
And for a moment, she almost felt like one of them.
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The Professor and His Daughter
After chores were finished, Eve sat on the couch, flipping through a book on human history. She found it fascinating—the wars, the empires, the revolutions. It was chaotic yet brilliant.
Professor Carter walked in, adjusting his glasses as he sat down across from her.
"You’re always reading, Eve," he noted.
Eve tilted her head. "Knowledge is power."
"Spoken like someone wise beyond her years," he mused.
She resisted a smirk. If only he knew.
"Are you adjusting well?" he asked.
Eve paused. Was she?
She had learned to act human. To blend in. But to say she felt at home?
No.
And yet, sitting here, in this warm house, surrounded by people who treated her like one of their own…
It was dangerously close to something she once lost.
"Yes," she said at last. "Your family has been… kind to me."
Professor Carter smiled. "That’s good to hear. Bella tells me you’re even helping with chores now."
Eve sighed. "She blackmailed me into it."
Professor Carter chuckled. "That sounds like Bella."
A comfortable silence settled between them.
For a moment, Eve could almost pretend this was normal.
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A Fragile Peace
Later that night, Eve stood by the window in her room, gazing at the moonlit sky.
The air was still, quiet. And yet, deep in her chest, something unsettled her.
She was growing attached.
She had told herself this was temporary. That she was merely playing a role until she could return home.
But now…
When she thought about leaving, something tightened in her chest.
That was dangerous.
A queen did not form attachments. Attachments led to weakness.
And she could not afford to be weak.
She closed her eyes. Two months.
That was all she had left.
And she would not make the mistake of caring too much.
No matter how much this place felt like home.
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End of Chapter 10
- Writer
