Woes Of A Villainess

5. Night Terrors

"If you have come here to mock me again, you will gain no more satisfaction in doing so..."

Now 18, Arabella shivered in her ice-cold cell, trying her best to focus on the rain leaking in from the barred out-of-reach window. It was late at night, and the moon bathed the prison in a soft glow. She had come to find peace in these moments, but her constant tormentor seemed to despise the very idea of her not experiencing suffering at every waking second.

Cecil, dressed in his fine cloaks, leaned against the bars with a self-satisfying smirk on his lips, "It will only be for this final time, surely you can endure it..." Arabella pulled her legs tighter to her chest at the grim reminder of her impending execution.  "Just allow me this final bit of frivolity before you leave me, won't you?"

She could already picture the cruel smile. Arabella didn't even have it in her to cry anymore, she didn't even flinch when his face moved closer to hers. Her dark empty eyes stayed blankly focused right ahead of her, "...Why won't you just let me die in peace?"

He paused, unreadable shadows hanging over his face before he scoffed. "Does I have to explain myself to the likes of you?" Cecil's eyes dulled but his dangerous smile never left. "You're only dying after all this time because I'm granting you mercy. You don't cry anymore, you don't even yell back. It used to be so interesting listening to your curses but now I've become bored."

Arabella remained silent, praying that he would tire himself out soon. This was nothing new.

"I've heard this already."

Cecil didn't seem amused, his purple eyes narrowed, but his smile remained, "Maybe so. But the point stands, that you provide no more entertainment to me." He laughed coldly. "Like a bird in a cage. All beauty and no brains." Arabella froze up in shock when he leaned in closer, she could feel his breath tickle her neck when he crouched down from behind the bars. "It's so sad for that beauty to go to waste tomorrow. If you beg, I might consider taking you on as a mistress instead..."

Arabella turned around on instinct her eyes staring in wide-eyed shock at the mere suggestion. He smirked at her, meeting her gaze dead-on through the prison bars. Her stomach lurched that he could even say such a thing, she felt more disgusted looking him in the eyes than she ever had before... Yet, the fact that for a split moment, for the sake of her survival, she had almost considered jumping at the offer... She wanted to tear at her own skin. Her pride was already shattered beyond repair, she didn't think he could tear her apart any further, yet he proved her wrong. She just... Didn't want to die. Not like this.

His bitter laugh snapped her out of her own thoughts of dismay, Cecile simply stood back up and brushed off his luxurious cloak, a far cry from the dirty black dress that draped her own body. His smirk burned through her, "I think I would enjoy watching you be hung much more. Make sure that when the rope tightens around your neck...." He turned his back, leaving while throwing one last cruel smile over his shoulder. "...You'll cry for me. Won't you?"

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Arabella lay wide awake in the middle of the night with a dark expression in her wide eyes. The sweat that collected on her body had begun to soak into the sheets. She hadn't expected her memories to be so vivid that they felt like nightmares. Her heart raced, and her gaze was unblinking. She could hardly breathe.

Patience was difficult. She wanted to settle the score, tear at his face, and have him bludgeoned...

Ah... Arabella finally sat up, panting, and rested a fist against her forehead. She was so furious. Was this how she would be living her second life? On edge and fearful?

Before she knew it, the girl had let herself out of bed to wander the halls of her home mindlessly. Her small fingers ran along the cold-painted walls. She didn't really know where she was going. She just wanted a change of scenery to forget everything for a moment.

"Oh-"

Arabella stopped in her tracks at the surprising sight before her. Her older half-sister Olivia walked in the opposite direction still dressed in her nightgown. The oil lamp in her hands dimly lit her soft features, shining against her bright blue eyes. Olivia's owlish stare stayed cemented on her face as she stared at Arabella in confusion, "You scared me half to death. What are you doing walking around in pitch darkness like a ghost?" Arabella's throat tightened. She hadn't seen Olivia since she returned to the past. She hadn't seen her face in an entire year. She used to hate her so much for nagging, but now... "You should be in bed. Turn back to-"

Arabella hadn't even noticed the tears begin to spill down her cheeks and her lips that had begun to tremble. She simply stared at her sister in stunned silence as Olivia's face contorted into shock. She looked younger but not too different. Arabella always screamed at her and threw things when she tried to discipline her. If only her younger self would realise how much she would miss her family.

As her sister silently sobbed, Olivia froze, unsure of what to do. What a strange situation she had put herself into. She was used to tantrums, not tears. Olivia paused, eyes softening as the young girl desperately wiped at her eyes with the sleeves of her own robe and she sighed, hesitantly resting a gentle hand on Arabella's shoulders. Despite the frown being solidly set on her lips, Arabella could sense the clumsy sympathy in Olivia's eyes, "Come with me. I'll take you back to bed."

Arabella couldn't do anything but nod slowly, she hadn't expected that she would cry so much...

Arabella watched her sister's back from behind as she walked her back to her room. It was so surreal seeing her again and so suddenly that she couldn't help but burst into uncontrollable tears. She had calmed down for now at least, she sniffled back some more tears in the silence. She frowned, annoyed that she had broken down all of a sudden, "...Sorry..."

Olivia seemed surprised that she had spoken at all but didn't stop in her tracks answering, "For crying?" Arabella felt too embarrassed to say anything, but Olivia took the silence as a yes anyway. Olivia sighed, pursing her lips for a moment as she thought of what to say. "...Don't be sorry. Father's passing has been difficult on everyone."

"...Oh."

In all of the drama surrounding her past life, Arabella had almost forgotten about her father. It made her feel terrible. She frowned at the ground, feeling tears threaten to fall once more.

"Here. Don't cause trouble for anyone by wandering around like that again."

Arabelle peeked up and noticed she was now standing in front of her door and her lips remained fixed in its frown, "Thank you." Olivia's shock was barely disguised through her widening eyes. Arabella looked serious before turning her head to her sister with her hand on the door. "I'm not going to cause trouble for anyone anymore. I'm not going to be as careless as I was before." Before she could shut the door, she swallowed and mustered her next sentence with heartfelt sincerity both for her sister and herself. "...I promise."

The spark of determination in the young girl's eyes almost made Olivia believe Arabella was someone completely different from the sister she knew. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Before Olivia could comment on how strange she was acting, Arabella quickly shut the door to her room, leaving her standing dumbstruck with the oil lamp in hand.

...Olivia simply sighed and began to make her way to the library as she had intended.

Their father's death had clearly shaken Arabella, that much was obvious. But the shock of seeing her in such a vulnerable state caused Olivia's heart to weigh heavier in her chest, forcing her out of her own head. No matter how hard she tried to ignore it, Ishir Lockhart was gone and he had taken the last semblance of normalcy in this broken family with him. The realisation floored her for a moment. The small flame in her gas lamp finally flickered out when a single tear rolling down Olivia's cheek extinguished it.

"...Not now..." She sniffled, brows furrowing as the tears fell into the flame, leaving her lit only by the moonlight. Trying her best to cry as quietly as she could.