Lydia
It was Park Hand 3. She moved in front of me, shielding me.
"What is going on here?" she questioned in an authoritative tone.
I watched the woman flinch at Park Hand 3's question. Then a small smile formed on her lips.
"It's nothing much. I was correcting this obryn, and she seems stubborn," she lied, which almost made me scoff.
Park Hand 3 looked at me questioningly, and I raised my hands in surrender.
"I didn't do anything. She was angry because I haven't transformed yet and was serving royal meals," I explained.
Park Hand 3 turned to look at her.
"N-no, she's lying! I wasn't saying that," the woman stammered, trying to play the victim.
"I don't care what happened, but one thing should be clear no one should be discriminated against because of their situation. We are all werewolves, and we shouldn't treat each other as if we were a different species!" Park Hand 3 roared.
Everyone in the kitchen fell silent at her voice.
The look on the woman's face was one of disbelief.
"You mean... you believe her over me?" she questioned before scoffing but Park Hand 3 wasn't having any of it.
"Talking back? It seems you want to be demoted, right? By the way, this is not the first time I've heard complaints about your behavior toward obryns. Why do you always try to make their lives as miserable as yours?" she demanded angrily.
I watched the woman freeze.
"With a mindset like yours, I don't think you should stay in the kitchen. You might poison the royals' food if you feel like it."
Park Hand 3's words made the woman's face twist in horror.
She lowered her head and stared at the floor before suddenly beginning to sob.
"Now you want to send me away because you don't like seeing me here? Why do you always pick on me?" she spoke in a trembling voice, still playing the victim.
I looked at her, my fists clenched in anger. I wished I could just punch her.
Her sobbing grew louder by the minute.
Then I noticed something strange.
She kept clenching and unclenching her fists repeatedly. Soon, tiny crystal like beads began forming on her palms.
A chill ran down my spine, my instincts screamed at me to run.
Suddenly, it felt as though everyone around us had become frozen.
The entire kitchen went silent.....
Only the woman and I seemed capable of moving, I watch her slowly raised her head, a smirk formed on her lips.
"So, you are immune to my magic, huh?" she spoke in a broken, otherworldly voice.
I simply stared at her in shock.
"Who the heck are you?" I questioned.
She laughed and rose to her feet, wiping away her fake tears before adjusting her clothes.
"Obryn..." she said slowly. "Did you like it when I addressed you that way?"
Before I could answer, she continued.
"Of course not." she took a step closer looking into my eyes.
"So I want you to go to the place where you will be welcomed. A place where many of your kind are truly welcomed."
Her voice was strangely persuasive, almost hypnotic.
I simply stared at her as if she had just told the biggest joke in the world.
"Don't give me that look, child. I am here to help you," she said and I laughed.
"Don't ever call me child... We don't have that kind of relationship," I shot back.
She smiled and took a step forward, though she still wasn't close to me.
Then she slowly raised her palms for me to see.
"You see these beads?" she asked. "They will make her lose consciousness and become severely ill for speaking to me in that manner. And you..." She smiled. "You will go where you belong. Our king wishes to see you."
She raised her hand, my eyes widened in shock.
I didn't want her to hurt anyone, not even Park Hand 3, who had been so kind to me.
"Maledico tibi—"
Before she could finish the spell, I quickly kicked her hand, causing her to lose her balance and fall.
At the same time, I grabbed Park Hand 3 and pulled her down with me.
Everything happened so fast.
The moment we hit the floor, everyone around us began moving again.
The strange stillness vanished.
Park Hand 3 and I were on the ground, while the other woman's hand was now covered in painful looking blisters.
She stared at me with pure rage.
"I will kill you!" she screamed as she jumped to her feet.
Before she could lunge at me, Mia appeared from nowhere and slammed a frying pan against her head.
Thud!
The woman collapsed unconscious, I let out a relieved sigh."Thank you so much," I said as Mia helped me up.
Some nearby obryns helped Park Hand 3 to her feet as well.
She gave me a look that unsettled me. "Follow me," she said which made my heart began to race ..
I thought she was about to punish me for dragging her to the floor.
When we reached a secluded area where no one could overhear us, I bit my lower lip, trying to find the right words.
Before I could speak, she raised a hand, silencing me.
"Thank you for saving me."
I blinked.
For a moment, I thought I had heard her wrong,I had expected a scolding, not gratitude.
I knew she was a good woman, but I wasn't sure how she felt about me pulling her down so suddenly.
"But I want to ask something..." she continued, looking directly into my eyes. "How did you know she was about to attack me?"
I swallowed hard.
"I don't really know," I admitted. "But I think I was immune to her magic. She used some kind of... Chronolock magic. She told me she was going to harm you, and she also tried to convince me to go with her, but I refused."
Park Hand 3 nodded slowly.
"I'm truly grateful for your help. I had no idea she was a witch. I thought she was an ordinary werewolf and wouldn't dare attack me."
She paused before taking both of my hands in hers.
"You need to be careful from now on. Werewolves who haven't transformed are often bullied around here."
I nodded.
"Thank you for standing up for me earlier. I know that if it had been someone else, they probably wouldn't have believed an obryn over a member of the kitchen staff."
She smiled warmly.
"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, you won't be bullied."
I smiled back.
"Thank you."
"Let's go."
She released my hands, and I followed her back to the kitchen.
When we arrived, she stopped and addressed everyone loudly.
"None of you should dare cause trouble for Lydia again."
Immediately, every eye in the kitchen turned toward me.
None of the looks were friendly.
Except Mia's.
After that, Park Hand 3 left.
A few minutes later, another woman entered the kitchen.
She wore a calm expression as she stepped forward.
"Attention, everyone. My name is Lamina, and I will be taking over the position of kitchen head."
Her voice was calm and steady, yet something about her unsettled me greatly.
Then she looked directly at me.
For a few seconds, her gaze lingered.
Something about her seemed strangely familiar.
Perhaps she resembled the former kitchen head...Or ma
ybe I was imagining things.
Then I saw it.
A tiny smirk.
It lasted less than three seconds before disappearing completely.
And somehow, that brief smile made me even more uneasy.