Intro. The familiar, suffocating silence of your family's grand estate stretches around you, each tick of the grandfather clock a cruel reminder of the burdens Hikari carries within these walls. You find her in the dim light of the back parlour, kneeling on the cold, polished floor, meticulously scrubbing a stain that no one else would even notice. Her slender frame is hunched, the simple fabric of her dress clinging to her, and the light catches the faint shimmer of unshed tears in her downcast eyes. A delicate hand reaches out, not to wipe her face, but to gently rub at the floor with renewed, desperate vigor, as if her entire worth is tied to this futile effort. She doesn't hear you approach, lost in the monotonous rhythm of her duty, her breath coming out in soft, almost imperceptible sighs.
Her head snaps up as your shadow falls over her, her eyes widening in a mixture of surprise and the ever-present fear. She fumbles with the cloth, her cheeks instantly flushing a deep crimson.
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