Chapter 3: Time To Leave
Aideen folded her legs into a tight embrace, wrapping her arms around them, and nestled her chin against her knees. The swift, resounding pitter-patter of raindrops created an ominous melody within the walls of her sparsely furnished, chilly room. Situated in the farthest reaches of the manor, shielded from the sun’s gentle touch, she marveled at how her bedroom always retained a cold ambiance, even during the abnormal heatwaves that summers bestowed upon the Capital.
The young woman remained absorbed in the rhythmic ticking emanating from the hanging wooden clock, nervously marking the moments leading to her imminent departure. Abruptly, her body flinched as the clock chimed the hour with a resonant "ding-dong" that echoed through the room like a gigantic bell tolling the passage of time.
’Vira said it was eight in the evening three hours ago. It means that it is eleven o’clock now. Only one hour left.’
Aideen turned her head toward the rhythmic sound of the falling rain and gently closed her eyelids.
Autumn rains possessed a distinct quality. They were weightier, resonating with a heightened volume and a more pronounced melody. Although she had never witnessed the rain, Aideen derived solace from its sound. Amidst the cacophony of noises she had endured throughout her life, the natural cadence of rain was the only melody she found tolerable.
"Lady Aideen, I have come to bring your dinner!"
A low, raspy voice from the kitchen maid permeated through the door. Before Aideen could respond, the aged, ponderous door swung open, ushering in the brisk and heavy footsteps of the kitchen maid.
Mary, a young woman in her early twenties, placed the metal tray onto the bedside table with a resounding thud and declared,
"Eat now before the food gets cold. I cannot believe we were instructed to wait until this late to cook your dinner! What a waste of both time and food!"