#(also Koharu's dickery extends even into her speech)

[shiftxdxquilibrium]

No good deed...

Massive trigger warning for emotional and physical abuse, read with caution.

If Henrietta had to chose only one room in the estate to hate, it would be her grandmother’s office. At least, that’s the what the woman called it. One of the maids had barged into her room, saying something about how ‘the mistress’ wanted her.

A few minutes later, Henrietta stood in the doorway of the office, fingers clenching against the frame. Koharu Seishomaru sat at the low table in the middle of the room. Something about the way the old woman sat there, like a noblewoman in her finery, set Henrietta’s teeth on edge.

“What now?” Henrietta grumbled, sitting down at the table. She never mastered the seiza as they called it, simply sitting with her legs tucked under her as best she could. Her grandmother looked at her over the bridge of her nose, and Henrietta had to bite back some kind of retort.

“That temperament is most unbecoming child.” Koharu wasted no time in her critique. “But we will have to save that for another time.” The woman reached under the table, presenting a broken doorknob.

“Does this look familiar?”

Henrietta felt a shiver run up her spine at the question. Yes, yes it did. That was the doorknob to the kitchen. Her attempts to pick the lock had ended in failure, leading to Henrietta taking a bat to the door. All she’d wanted was to have stew with her father, give the both of them some measure of a Christmas meal.

Maybe even make something for a friend.

“Have Matsuba and I not made the rules of the house clear?” Henrietta kept her gaze on the doorknob as Koharu spoke. “Everything is taken care of, simply meet our demands halfway. It seems that selfish children will still do as they please.”

Henrietta swallowed the lump quickly forming in her throat. Arguing was going to get her nowhere fast. Koharu sighed at her. “Naughty children must be punished, lest they begin to think they can get their way.” The woman tutted, rapping a finger against the table. “Hands on the table.”

Henrietta looked up. “What?” Koharu scowled at her.

“Do I have to repeat myself? Hands on the table.” At the near snarl, Henrietta quickly placed her hands on the table, palms down. “Children learn quick don’t they?” Koharu mused, lifting a hand and making a beckoning motion. Henrietta turned to see a man in the corner, holding a yardstick.

Familiarity reminded her that the man was Mr. Tanaka, Koharu’s chief butler. Tanaka sat at the table, the yardstick held over Henrietta’s hands. “Of course, children learn best with the proper ah, motivation.”

There was no warning when the stick met her skin, just a loud crack and a strangled yelp. Henrietta grit her teeth with the next strike, hissing quietly. There was no way she was giving Koharu the satisfaction of hearing her in pain. Eyes shut tight, Henrietta quickly lost count of the swats, jumping each time the wood met her skin.

After what seemed like an eternity, Koharu spoke up. “Tanaka that is enough.” There was an affirmative grunt from Tanaka, who stood up from the table, yardstick in hand.

Henrietta opened her eyes, blinking back unshed tears as she looked down at her hands. Cuts stretched across her hands and knuckles, some of them already bleeding. Bandaging them wasn’t going to be fun.

“In the past, thieves had their hands removed. What a lucky child, getting to keep her hands.” Koharu crooned, smile sickeningly sweet. “Don’t worry, we will take care of getting a new doorknob, it will come to you to pay for it.” Henrietta swallowed, trying her hardest to keep her lunch down.

“Now get out.” Henrietta rose on shaking legs, refusing to look her grandmother in the eye as she left.

It wasn’t until she laid on the bathroom floor, hands bandaged from wrist to her finger tips that Henrietta would cry.