Chapter 71: Specimens
Bess nodded her head, surprised to see Tauriel acting this assertively. Tauriel gripped Bess’s hand and dragged her into a nearby room, shutting the door behind them. The air inside was thick with tension, the dim candlelight casting long shadows on the walls.
"Sit," Tauriel instructed, gesturing towards the bed. Bess complied without protest, though curiosity flickered in her eyes.
Tauriel sat beside her, their eyes locking. Her voice was laced with concern as she asked, "Have you visited the town lately?"
Bess tilted her head, puzzled by the sudden question. "No, why?"
Tauriel let out a wry chuckle, twirling a few strands of her hair between her fingers. "People have changed there. Just like ’her.’"
Bess immediately knew who Tauriel was referring to. She sighed in relief, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Was that all? You had me worried for a moment. But if they’ve changed like she has, isn’t that a good thing? She’s become an excellent worker—she even helped me a lot this morning."
A dreamy look crossed Bess’s face, as if relishing the idea of her fellow maid finally becoming productive.
Tauriel groaned in frustration, rubbing her temples. "You don’t understand. It’s not that they’ve just become ’great workers.’ They feel... hollow. They look human, but they don’t seem human."
Bess’s smile faded slightly, her expression shifting to one of uncertainty.
Tauriel continued, her voice dropping into a whisper. "They work tirelessly. As if they wouldn’t care even if the world collapsed around them. Nothing could deter them from doing what they were doing, I even saw one of them getting slapped, even then the person didn’t do anything to retaliate."
A short, sweet chuckle interrupted the tense silence. Tauriel turned, horrified to see Bess stifling her laughter behind her hand. A chill ran down her spine.