THE SALT OF THE EARTH
The morning began long before the sun had the gall to peek over the horizon. While Sofia slept under silk sheets, Kei was already on her knees in the grand foyer. The scent of lemon wax and ammonia stung her nostrils, a sharp contrast to the suffocating, flowery dreams she'd had only hours before.
Her arm throbbed. Every time she pushed the scrubbing brush, the bite mark now a dark, angry plum color chafed against her sleeve.
"Drip. Drip."
The sound of the leaky faucet in the kitchen echoed in her mind, blurring with the memory of the woman in the gray void. "I love you." Kei shook her head, splashing cold water on her face. She didn't have time for ghosts. She had floorboards to polish and a spoiled princess to tolerate.
THE ACADEMY GATES
The afternoon heat was stifling as Kei stood by the sleek black car, waiting for the final bell. When it rang, a wave of elite students poured out of the marble arches.
Kei spotted Sofia immediately, flanked by Chloe and Mia. They were laughing, their voices high and melodic, like expensive wind chimes. Kei couldn't hear what they were saying they were too far off, huddled in their own world of designer labels and private jokes but she saw the way they looked at her.
Chloe gestured toward the car, a smirk playing on her lips, while Mia whispered something into Sofia's ear that made them both dissolve into giggles. They looked at Kei like she was a peculiar specimen behind glass something to be observed, but never touched.
As they approached, the laughter died down into a cold, practiced indifference. Sofia didn't even look Kei in the eye. She simply hiked her chin up and tossed her heavy leather satchel toward Kei's chest.
"It's about time," Sofia snapped, though the car had been waiting for twenty minutes. "The sun is ruining my skin. Open the door."
Kei caught the bag, the weight of Sofia's textbooks straining her bruised arm. She didn't say a word. She simply opened the door with a mechanical, nonchalant grace, her face a mask of stone.
THE MIDNIGHT DEMAND
The "truce" of the previous night was officially dead. At midnight, just as Kei was finally drifting into a heavy sleep, her bedroom door was kicked open. The light from the hallway spilled in, blinding her.
"I'm hungry," Sofia announced, standing there in her silk pajamas, looking like a disgruntled swan. "And don't even think about pretending to be asleep. I know you're awake."
Kei didn't move. She stayed sprawled on her bed, staring at the ceiling with one eye half-open. "The kitchen is downstairs, Sofia. I'm sure the eggs haven't moved since you last checked."
"Get. Up." Sofia stomped her foot, the sound echoing through the quiet wing of the house. "You're my servant. If I want to eat, you cook or do I need to tell Mother how 'disrespectful' you've been lately?"
Kei let out a long, weary sigh. She stood up, her movements fluid and dangerously calm. "Fine. Let's go, Princess."
THE REVENGE OF THE SALT
In the kitchen, Kei moved with a terrifying, silent efficiency. She cracked the eggs and tossed the rice into the wok, the sizzle filling the room. But as she reached for the seasonings, her hand didn't stop at a pinch of salt.
She unscrewed the cap of the salt cellar and poured. It was a calculated, mathematical amount of spite just enough to look like a normal meal, but enough to taste like the Dead Sea.
She set the steaming plate in front of Sofia.
"Finally," Sofia huffed, snatching the spoon. She took a massive, greedy mouthful, her ego demanding she be served like royalty.
The reaction was instantaneous. Sofia's face turned a violent shade of red. She choked, her eyes watering as the sheer, burning force of the salt hit her tongue.
"Water!" she gasped, slamming her hand on the table and nearly knocking the plate over. "You….cough…..you poisoned me! You're trying to kill me!"
Kei didn't move to get the water. She leaned back against the counter, crossing her arms over her chest. She looked down at the bite mark on her arm, then back at Sofia's panicked face.
"Is there a problem, Miss Sofia?" Kei asked, her voice a cool, nonchalant drawl. "I thought you said my cooking was 'bland' this morning. I figured you needed more flavor."
"It's... it's inedible!" Sofia shrieked, lunging for the sink and gulping down water directly from the tap like a wild animal. She turned back, dripping wet and trembling with rage. "I'll have you fired for this! I'll tell Mother you're abusing me!"
"Go ahead," Kei said, stepping forward until she was inches from Sofia's face. She didn't flinch. "Tell her. And I'll tell her how her 'perfect' daughter crawls into the servant's quarters at midnight because she's too incompetent to make her own snack. I'll tell her about the bite mark, the crying, and the pinky promise you made."
"No one believes a servant over me!" Sofia hissed, though her voice wavered.
"Ma'am Elena is kind," Kei countered, a small, sharp smile touching her lips. "She's so kind that she'd be heartbroken to know her daughter is a liar and a bully. Do you really want to see that look on her face, Sofia? The look of total disappointment?"
Sofia froze. The threat hit home. She looked at Kei really looked at her and realized the "furniture" had teeth of its own.
"You're a monster," Sofia whispered, her voice cracking.
"And you're a brat," Kei replied, picking up the salty plate and dumping it into the trash with a loud, final thud. "Now go to bed. I have floors to scrub in the morning, and I'd hate to be 'clumsy' near your bedroom door."
Sofia stood in the silent kitchen for a long moment, humiliated and hungry, before storming out.
Kei leaned back against the sink, the adrenaline fading into exhaustion. She looked at her arm. The bite mark still hurt, but for the first time, she felt like she had finally bitten back.