Weeks have gone by since Toji's confinement. The clan has settled into a new normal life, with everyone carrying out their duties without Toji's presence.

Life in the clan feels... different. Almost calmer now that he's not around stirring up trouble.

Helia finds herself hoping more and more that Toji will remain in his cell forever. Without his constant troublesome presence, herself and the other maids didn't have to deal with his unwanted advances or arrogant behavior.

But every time she thinks about Toji, she's reminded of the nasty scars on her back. The scars stand out in sharp contrast to her smooth skin, a testament to the cruelty Helia suffered.

Although they are no longer a constant source of pain, they're still a reminder of the past. The sight of them every time she looks in the mirror serves as a vivid memory of Toji's viciousness and the price she paid because of him.

Her mind often replays the memory of the whipping she received, and every time, she feels a pang of discomfort shoots through her back. It's not something she'll easily forget.

Right now, Helia is going about her maid duties, and she can't help but overhear two other maids chattering nearby. They're discussing Toji, and the piece of conversation she catches piques her interest.

"I heard that he's going to be freed today."

Helia immediately freezes, her ears perking up at the maid's words. The word 'freed' echoes in her head, and worry starts to build in her stomach.

If he's being released today, does it mean he's going to come after her for what she did? Does he know that she's the one who got him locked up?

She approaches the two maids, her steps quick and a little frantic. They notice Helia coming over, and their conversation trails off as she arrives.

"Excuse me." Helia says, her voice a bit shaky. "I couldn't help but overhear you talking about Toji... Is it true that he's being released today?"

The two maids exchange a wary look, clearly a bit taken aback by her question. One of them, a tall slender woman, nods slowly.

"Yes." She responds, her voice quieter than before. "There's a rumor going around that the head of the clan has decided to release him today..."

Her heart sinks at the maid's confirmation. Toji is being released. She can feel fear building up inside her, making her hands tremble slightly.

The other maid, a shorter woman with a kind face, sees her reaction and tries to reassure her.

"Don't worry too much. I'm sure he won't cause too much trouble once he's out. He must have learned his lesson."

Helia smiles and nods, she tries her best to hide the fear she's feeling. She reassures herself, maybe Toji didn't even know that she was the one behind his confinement. Or maybe he has really changed after weeks of being locked up.

However, she can't help but have doubts. She remembers vividly the look in Toji's eyes when he was taken away and she has seen Toji's true colors. She can only imagine how ruthless and vengeful he can be.

It's hard to believe that he'll simply forget and move on after being locked up for so long.

[...]

The rest of the day passes in a sort of anxious blur. Helia goes about her duties, but her mind is constantly preoccupied with thoughts of Toji and his imminent release.

Every sound and every movement startle her, her senses on high alert, waiting for the moment when he might appear.

She's currently in the library, diligently cleaning the dusty shelves and organizing the countless books.

The room is quiet, the only sound is the soft shuffle of paper and the occasional rustle of her skirt as she moves from one shelf to another.

She hears the soft creak of the library door opening behind her. She tenses, thinking that it might be Toji, but soon relaxes after realizing that Toji had probably never stepped inside a library in his whole life and would probably never think about doing it.

She assumes that it must be an elder. So, she doesn't look up, and just continues cleaning and organizing the books.

But the footsteps that follow are not the familiar, slow, dignified ones she would expect from an elder.

The footsteps, swift and almost stealthy, get closer and closer to Helia. There's something about them that sets her instinct on edge. She continues to clean the shelves, but she doesn't let her guard down just in case.

She can feel it in the air, the tension, the ominous presence approaching.

The footsteps finally stop, and silence falls in the library. The air is thick with tension, and the only sound is the quickening beat of her heart in her ears.

A cold, familiar voice suddenly rings out from behind her, its tone sharp and mocking.

"I see someone's been working hard." The voice says, the footsteps coming closer until they're right behind her.

When Helia spins around, she's faced with Toji staring down at her, a smirk on his face. His shoulders are relaxed, and he looks almost the same as he did before he was locked up, he might have lost weight, but he looks as arrogant as always.

"You look surprised to see me." He says, his voice dripping with his usual mix of mockery and condescension.

The only word that managed to escape from her lips was in a very pathetic tone.

"Sir!"

Helia is desperately trying to calm herself thinking that he might not be here to hurt her, that he might be a different man than before his imprisonment.

His smirk widens as he looks at her up and down, his gaze sharp and cold. No, he's definitely the same.

"Sir?" He repeats, his voice almost amused. "You're being surprisingly polite now that I'm out."

His cold eyes watch her closely, studying her every reaction. He takes a step closer, his smirk turning almost predatory.

"You seem a bit nervous." He observes, a note of sarcasm in his voice. "Don't tell me you were one of the people who got me locked up, were you?"

Helia's heart just stops beating. He knew. He knew that she was behind his confinement. And he was having fun making her scared. She swallows hard and tries to defend herself with the most composed tone she can manage.

"Of course not sir!"

He doesn't look convinced, his gaze never leaving her face. He takes another step closer, his hand coming up to grip her shoulder. She's wondering why does he always have to grab people when he talks to them?

"Don't lie to me." He says, his voice low and dangerous. "Were you involved in this?"

She doesn't answer not finding anything good enough to prove her innocence. She usually lies without any problem but right now her mind seems to have troubles working correctly.

"I can tell you're lying, you know." He says, his voice softer now, a hint of mockery in his tone. "You're not good at hiding it. I know you were involved."

She takes a deep breath, she was indeed involved in his imprisonment, but she only did it because he had deserved it.

He was awful to everyone, he hurt maids, and he got her whipped. And if he hadn't decided to become a better person than before after being locked up then he was just a big idiot.

She shouldn't be the one ashamed for what she did. She can't let her anger being pushed away by her fear. She looks straight into his eyes, giving him back his angry glare.

He raises his eyebrows before smirking as he sees her trying to hold her ground.

"Are you trying to be brave now?" He says, his voice almost a whisper. "You think you're safe because I just got out of confinement?"

Her fear was slowly starting to be shadowed by her anger. She shouldn't be afraid, he should be the one afraid to go back into a cell. Had he learned nothing during his imprisonment? She speaks in a cold tone that surprises her.

"You cannot hurt me because if you do, you'll go back to your cell!"

He's as surprised as Helia by her words, he didn't think that she would stand up to him, very few people dared to speak to him on that tone. She might have picked his curiosity.

He leans in even closer, his grip on her shoulder tightening, but this time she doesn't wince.

"You're awfully confident." He says, his voice a mocking drawl.

Helia had enough of his supposedly superior attitude. He was just out, after weeks of imprisonment for bad behavior, and he was still the same arrogant asshole as before.

"If you haven't learned your lesson then maybe the elders should put you back into that cell!"

He smirks, but not his usual amused smirk. This smirk had irritation in it. She could see the muscles of his jaw tensing. She wishes she could just erase that stupid smirk off his face and make him shut up for good.

"You think you can use the elders as a shield? Maybe I should remind you exactly who you're talking to."

He raises his hand, ready to strike Helia, a look of cold anger in his eyes. She feels a rush of adrenaline through her veins.

And before he has the time to do anything, Helia slaps him way harder than she had planned. He stumbles back, his eyes wide with surprise.

She freezes, she must have lost her mind.

The sound of the slap echoes through the library, and for a moment, both of them are stunned, shocked at what just happened.

She doesn't know what has gotten to her, she had just slapped the heir of the clan. She had just slapped Toji.

He regains his posture, his hand going to his red cheek, his eyes narrowing as they lock back onto Helia. His expression is a mix of anger and disbelief. He clearly did not expect her to do that and neither did she.

"You...fucking bitch!" He almost yells out.

She was already in very big troubles, so, done for done, Helia shouts back at him.

"You had no right to attack me! If I hadn't stop you, you would have hit me! And if you ever try that again, I will not hesitate to tell your father about it!"

His surprise turns to a burning anger at her shouted words. He takes a step closer, his eyes darkening as he towers over her.

"You think you can threaten me like that?" He snaps. "Do you really think my father will care what you have to say? I'm his son, you're just a stupid maid!"

She might have lost her mind, but her anger at him is too great to stop her. She's like possessed by an unknown rage as she continues, on the same angry tone.

"I don't think you understand that you are definitely going back to that cell, if you ever harm me or any other maid again!"

He scoffs, his eyes burning with anger.

"You think you can hold that over my head forever?" he says, his voice a low growl.

She doesn't answer, but she holds his gaze, not willing to let him think that he's scaring her. But if she's honest, without the adrenaline of her anger, she would have been frightened.

He holds her look, his eyes boring into hers. There's a battle going on inside of him, a struggle between his temper and his common sense.

He's clearly not used to being threatened like this, but he also knows that she has a point. His shoulders relax a bit, and he takes a step back, his hand letting go of her shoulder.

His expression is a mixture of anger and respect at her courage to stand her ground. He glares at her for a moment, clearly not happy about the situation he's found himself in.

But he keeps his distance, his hands clenching into fists at his sides.

"You've got guts, I'll give you that." He mutters, his voice low and gravelly. "But I'm not forgetting this. I always get what I want in the end. And I will get my payback, one way or another."

Helia was about to answer when she hears the door of the library open. Toji freezes at the sight of an elder entering the library.

Toji steps back even more, his body tense, clearly not wanting to draw the elder's attention.

But it's too late, the elder glances between Helia and Toji, his eyes flicking between the two of them, taking in the scene.

The old man takes a step closer, his voice cool and authoritative.

"Is there a problem here?"

The elder looks from Helia to Toji again, his eyes narrowing as he waits for one of them to speak. But before Helia can open her mouth, Toji replies, his voice neutral and polite.

"No, sir, there's no problem here."

She turns to give him an angry look. His eyes lock on Helia's for a moment, his voice dropping low so only she can hear him.

"Don't think this is over." He whispers, his voice quiet and dangerous. "You've made an enemy, you know that?"

And with that, he strides nonchalantly out of the library, leaving her with the elder who asks her if she alright. She reassures him, by saying that everything is fine.

She manages to hold steady, her expression betraying none of the fear or anxiety she feels inside.

Once the elder leaves her to her duties, she gathers her cleaning supplies and makes her way out of the library, her footsteps quick and her body tense.

[...]

Helia makes her way down the hall, her anger boiling. She's pissed off that Toji thinks he can still intimidate her, that he can still make her feel small and weak. It's like he hasn't learned anything from being locked up.

But from their last interaction, he did seem to hold back a little, as if he was actually scared of going back to that cell. Maybe she could use that fear to stop him from harming her.

But she knows that Toji is a dangerous, unpredictable person and that he could still cause her trouble in other ways than physically hurting her.

[...]

At night, she makes her way to Naobito's office, her mind still running over the events of the day.

She's a bit nervous about making a report, since she hasn't been able to in a while. As she reaches his door, she takes a deep breath, and knocks.

After a moment, Naobito's voice calls out from within the room.

"Enter!"

She enters and bows politely. He glances up, his eyes scanning over her briefly before he gestures for her to approach.

"Ah, there you are. I was wondering when I'd see you. Take a seat."

He leans back in his chair, his gaze fixed on her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, he's silent, studying her, before he speaks.

"I suppose you're here to make your report?"

"Yes sir. I saw Toji today, you must have let him out of confinement."

He nods, a slight smirk appearing on his face.

"Correct." He says, his voice cool and controlled. "I did release him from confinement. He has served his time, and there is no further need to keep him imprisoned."

Even though Helia thinks that Toji could need a little more time in this cell, she doesn't say a word.

His gaze flicks over her again, his eyes searching her face for any signs of harm or distress.

"Did Toji give you any trouble when you saw him?" He asks, his voice still cool but with a hint of something more beneath it.

"Well... He was about to do something harmful, but he stopped, probably because he didn't want to be locked up again."

She's very careful not to mention the fact that he hadn't hurt her only because she had slapped him. She's still wondering what crossed her mind at that moment to think that it would be a good idea to slap him.

"I see. So, he remembers his place." He says, a note of satisfaction in his tone. "Good. That's good. I can tell you that he wouldn't want to go back into confinement, that's for sure."

She doesn't know what Naobito put Toji through during those weeks, but she hopes that it had been very unpleasant for the young man.

Naobito leans forward in his chair, his eyes still fixed on her.

"Is there anything else you think I should know?"

"No sir, that's all."

She thinks it's better to keep to herself the slap incident. He nods, his gaze still unreadable.

"Very well then." He says, leaning back in his chair once more. "You may leave now."

She bows and as she leaves his office, she can feel his eyes on her the entire time, his gaze boring into the back of her head. The air in the hallway feels tense, and she's glad to be out of there.

[...]

On the way back to the maid compound, her thoughts keep returning to her interaction with Toji.

She remembers the anger and defiance in his eyes, the arrogance in his voice, and the way he seemed so sure of himself.

The memory of the slap still feels fresh in her mind. She shakes her head to erase those thoughts. She still couldn't believe she had done such a thing, but a small smile still appears on her face.

[...]

When she enters the compound, she's still wondering what Toji might do to get his revenge on her.

She knows he won't resort to physical violence again, but she also knows that he's cunning and resourceful enough to find other ways to make her life difficult.

•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•=•

Heyy! How are you guys doing?

Now that the base of the story is laid out, the real story can finally begin! Now things are going to get a little more interesting!

As always, I'm curious to know what you thought of that chapter!

See you in the next chapter!

Sarah ☆