The Alpha’s Slave

Chapter 23

BRIANNA’S POV

I didn’t need the castle plan to find the kitchen. It was just close to the dining room. Moreover, I had passed from there a few times. But I had never stepped in to catch a full glimpse of it.

As I cautiously entered the kitchen, my eyes widened on seeing how beautiful and ultra-modern it looked. The sleek marble countertops glistened under the soft overhead lights, reflecting from the elegant hanging chandeliers and also from the gentle light that poured in from the windows and a stunning set of French doors.

Stainless steel appliances adorned the space, their surfaces free of any smudges or stains. The organization and cleanliness were impeccable, with pots, pans and other utensils neatly hanging from a stylish rack on the wall. The fragrance of freshly cut lemons, lavender and different spices mingled in the air, adding to the sensory delight.

Suddenly, my breath caught in my throat as I threw another glance at the French doors. I was so amazed with how beautiful and organized the kitchen looked, I hadn’t noticed the doors opened to a backyard garden.

Making my way to the doors, I hoped that it wasn’t the same garden Sebastian had taken me to. The one that he said meant a lot to him and held a special place in his life. If it was, then the cooks might have seen us together. What will they think? Perhaps, they might have reported to Catherine.

Panic slowly crept into me as I looked out. But to my relief, it wasn’t the same garden. The garden Sebastian had taken me to was further away and adjacent to this one. One could hardly see it from here. The castle surroundings were so large it harboured up to five gardens. And seeing I had to prune all that made my relief turn sour.

Guarded by the signs on top of each shelf indicating which foodstuff there was, it didn’t take me long to find my way around the kitchen. Without further ado, I grabbed an apron and hairnet from a hook on the wall, put them on and swung into action, bearing in mind I had less than thirty minutes to have her breakfast ready.

Just as I thought, Catherine didn’t eat anyhow. She was on a strict diet according to what she read to me from that paper earlier. She focused more on eating lots of protein, healthy fats and fibre while limiting her intake of carbs and added sugars.

In the morning, she liked to have Basmati rice, hard-boiled eggs with plenty of steamed vegetables and a cup of black coffee or baked oats with a mix of nuts and fruits preferably blueberries and almonds.

So much for being a Luna.

I decided to go with the first because it seemed easier to make and also because I haven’t baked oatmeal before and didn’t know how it’ll turn out.

The gas cooker had four burners. Convenient enough for me. In one burner, I cooked the rice. The pot on the other was steaming with vegetables. Luckily, they were dried, wrapped in a plastic bag and preserved in the refrigerator. I didn’t need to waste time dicing and chopping fresh vegetables.

As the water in the third pot bubbled, I carefully placed eggs into it, wishing I had a timer or watch to know precisely how long to boil them for the perfect hard-boiled texture. But since there weren’t any, I relied on my initiative, hoping the eggs will turn out just fine.

While everything was getting ready, I took out a delicate china cup from the cabinet and carefully poured the freshly brewed black coffee into it. The comforting scent of it filled the air around me and I resisted the urge to take a sip. I didn’t add sugar since she didn’t like added sugar in her meal as she read.

Beads of sweat pop out from my forehead and corners of my brows as I assembled the pieces on a fine porcelain plate and placed them on a breakfast tray.

I tried but unsuccessfully to steady my erratic pulse as I carried the tray to the dining room. Fortunately, she wasn’t there and hasn’t called me. That meant I had finished on time. Dropping the meal, I rushed back to the kitchen to begin cleaning for the day. Time wasn’t on my side.

A few minutes later, I heard her scream my name from the dining room. Judging from her tone, I could tell something was wrong. Oh goodness! What have I done? I muttered in agony. Perhaps the rice was too soft or too hard or too salty or spicy for her liking. Or it could be the eggs. Maybe I didn’t boil them to the perfect hard-boiled texture.

With my heart in my hands, I raced to the dining room at once. According to her rules, if she called me more than thrice without a response from me, I’ll suffer dearly for it.

“What the hell is this?” Her blue eyes darkened a shade as she stared at me. In confusion, I momentarily stared at her and the food. And that was when I realized my mistake.

A gasp escaped my parted lips and I instinctively placed my hand against my mouth to cover up. I had been so worried about how well the food will turn out, I had thought Sebastian was around and made two plates of breakfast instead of just one for only her. How forgetful of me.

“Why would you make two plates when you know perfectly well I’m the only one around?” She crossed her arms and stands there, expecting a reasonable explanation for my action.Material © of NôvelDrama.Org.

“I’m sorry…my Luna,” I stuttered an apology as I hurried to take the dish away. “I had thought my king was around. I’m so sorry. It won’t happen again.”

“So you spend your entire miserable life thinking of my husband?” She gripped my arm as I tried walking past her to the kitchen. If I hadn’t held the plate tight in both hands, it would have fallen off and shattered on the floor.

“No…not all,” my eyes widened in disbelief and I shook my head frantically, denying her accusation. I shouldn’t have mentioned Sebastian in this. And it had only made her angrier.

“Listen to me,” she pulled me tighter and closer and I almost stumbled. A few grains of rice fell from the plate coupled with the drips of coffee that spilled out from the rim of the cup. “The next time you make such a silly mistake, a warning won’t be the only thing you’ll get. Throw that food into the bin at once,” she pushed me away and I nodded fervently in response before hurrying off to the kitchen.

While in the kitchen, as I stood near the bin, I couldn’t bring myself to throw the food into it. It was still warm…and tempting. I know Catherine made it crystal clear to me that I wasn’t going to have any food till the end of today. But my stomach was already screaming in protest. And I needed all the energy I could get for all the chores I’m to do.

She wasn’t here and wouldn’t know if I had taken just a bite. Picking an egg with my bare hand from the plate, I dipped it whole into my mouth and began munching it down quickly. I couldn’t believe it had come to this. It had come to me eating like I was a thief. A criminal on the run.

I swallowed it and proceeded to take another when I heard someone walk in. Fuck. I muttered the moment I knew I was busted.

“I knew it,” her bitter tone wafted from behind. “I had suspected it’ll come to this.”

Opening the bin, I tried to throw the food down immediately when her cold voice stopped me.

“Don’t even dare,” she spelt out.

I heard the clomping of her heels as she walked over to me and spun me violently so I could face her.

“I asked you to throw that food away and you end up disobeying me?”

“I’m sorry, my Luna,” my face was flushed with embarrassment, my eyes were slowly welling up with tears and my shoulders slumped as I looked at the floor. “I didn’t mean to disobey you. I was just hungry. That’s all.”

“You illiterate slave!” She vented. “If you knew you were hungry, then you shouldn’t have kept me waiting. Give me that,” she snatched the dish from my hand and did the unimaginable.

To my greatest surprise, she dumped the content of the plate on my head and I shuddered with humiliation. I was covered in food particles that fell over my hair, face, and clothes. My mouth fell wide open and I was frozen, too shocked to speak or move.