THE RULES OF BLACKWOOD
933 Words
CHAPTER 3
Arielle could barely sleep.Everytime she closed her eyes,she saw her mother's teary face and her sister clinging to her arm.
The unfamiliar bed felt too soft and the room felt eeriely quiet.
A knock sounded on the door.Arielle stood up at once to open the door.There she met a woman standing at the door “Mrs kim”
She handed her a maid uniform and told her to freshen up and meet her outside.
Arielle changed into the uniform laid neatly on the bed, black dress and white apron.perfectly pressed.
When she opened the door ,Mrs Kim stood waiting,her expression as rigid as ever.
“Follow me”,she said.
They walked through the long corridors,each one identical to the last.Arielle tried to remember the turns but it seems the mansion design is too confusing,to remind servants that escape is not an option.
Finally they stopped at a large kitchen buzzing with quiet activity.several made move efficiently, eyes down, voice low.
Mrs Kim turned to Arielle.
These are the “RULES OF BLACKWOOD”she said.”Break them once,you are warned.Break them twice, you are gone”.
Arielle nodded with fear in her mind.
Rule one:“You do not speak unless spoken to”.
“Yes”. ma'am, Arielle replied softly.
Rule two:”You do not look Mr Blackwood in the eye unless he commands it”.
Arielle nodded.
Rule three:”You do not ask questions about the family, the business or the past.
Rule four:”You do not wander around”you go where you are assigned and nowhere else.
Rule five: You do not form attachments.
Mrs kim handed her a cloth.”You will clean the west wing today”.
Arielle froze.
The West Wing?she asked before she could stop herself.
“Rule one”Mrs Kim replied with her eyes hardened.
“I'm sorry”Arielle apologized.
“Mr Blackwood requested it”,she said “don't make him regret it”.
The West Wing was colder than the rest of the mansion.
The rooms were larger and filled with expensive furniture that looked untouched.Everything was spotless,yet the air felt heavy.
Arielle moved quietly, careful not to make a sound as she cleaned the floor silently.
Yet she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
Her fingers tremble slightly as she cleans a glass table.she told herself she was imagining it, until she heard footsteps,slow but steady.
She turned instinctively.
Lucien stood in the doorway.Arielle heart slammed against her ribs.she lowered her gaze immediately remembering the rules.
“Look at me,”he said calmly.
He was terrifyingly composed.His expression unreadable.His gaze sharp and calculating.
“You broke a rule earlier” he said.
“I-i’m sorry sir,”it won't happen again she said.
“Make sure it doesn't”he said.
“O-okay sir”she whispered.
“You are afraid” he observed.
“Yes sir.”
“Good” he said simply.”Fears keep people obedient.”
“Her hands tremble slightly”.
You will work in this wing everyday, Lucien added “you'll clean my study.My private rooms rooms.”
Her eyes widened before she could stop herself.
Is that a problem?he asked softly.
No sir,she answered quickly.
You belong to this house now,“And everything in it belongs to me.”
Her chest tightened.”I understand.”
“We'll see,”he said.
Then he turned and walk away,leaving the room colder than before.
Arielle stood frozen,her heart racing.
She didn't know why he had chosen her.
She didn't know what he wanted.
But she knew one thing in the Blackwood mansion, being noticed was dangerous.
And Lucien Blackwood had noticed her.
Lucien’s footsteps faded, but the weight of his presence lingered.
Arielle remained still long after he was gone, her breath shallow, her ears straining for any sound.
The silence pressed in on her, thick and suffocating, as though the west wing itself was holding its breath.Only when her knees began to ache did she move.
She forced herself back to work, wiping surfaces that were already spotless, Her hands shook no matter how tightly she clenched them.
"You belong to this house now."His words echoed in her mind, wrapping around her thoughts like chains.
A chill crawled up her spine.As she dusted a tall bookshelf, her cloth brushed against something hidden behind the books. She froze.
Her heart pounded as she slowly pulled one book aside.There was nothing there just an empty space, darker than the rest, as though something had once been kept there and removed in a hurry.
Arielle swallowed hard.
She stepped back, telling herself it was none of her concern.
"Rule three"she reminded herself. You do not ask questions.When she finished cleaning, she stood uncertainly, unsure where to go next. “No one had told her. No one ever explained anything in Blackwood.”
She hesitated, then turned toward the door.
Before she could reach it, a quiet click echoed through the room.
The door locked,Arielle’s breath caught,She rushed to the handle and twisted it gently, then harder. It didn’t move.
Her pulse thundered in her ears,“Hello?” she whispered before remembering herself and clamping her mouth shut,she backed away slowly, her heart racing.
Had she done something wrong?
Was this a test? A punishment?
Then she noticed it.A small plaque on the wall beside the door, engraved in elegant lettering.
"WEST WING AUTHORIZED ACCESS ONLY"
Her chest tightened,and somehow Arielle knew,this time he was coming for her.
- Writer
