I wake up the next morning amidst the ease of hostility. My mood is also better than last night. When I open my eyes, a bunch of carnations has been placed on the bedside table, accompanied by a handwritten note. It must be from my husband, hoping to soothe my mood. Reading each handwritten line brimming with tenderness, I feel nothing, but at least Augustin is making an effort. I tell the maid to put the flowers in a vase and place them on my dressing table. As for the note, I tuck it into a notebook and put it in a drawer.

From now on, one day for me becomes too long compared to a lifetime. At this time of day before, I would be discussing the lessons with classmates. My book is filled with questions and criticisms of the Roman Law class, but it seems I have no chance to voice them anymore. Today is a day of the week, but I have decided to go to church. The holiness of God will keep me at ease.

The maid Anna helps me tighten my corset. I do not know if it was because I have gained weight or Anna has not eaten breakfast, but tightening the laces is incredibly difficult. When I am about to lose my patience, my mother-in-law happens to pass by and intervenes.

"Let me do it."

I know it is not a good thing, like Eve's apple, but I have to accept it. Anna leaves the room, leaving me and my mother-in-law. She helps me tighten the strings so tightly that my waist and bust are abnormally large and my hips are as small as an hourglass. That is the standard of beauty for women like us. I am so used to it that I do not even know what pain is. My mother-in-law suddenly whispers in my ear:

"I might hear about the two of you not sleeping together last night?"

"We had a little quarrel...", I reply softly.

"That's your marriage, and I don't want to intervene. But..." She stops, jerking the string so hard that I let out a cry. "We are women, and our greatest and most sacred mission is..."

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My mother-in-law turns me around to adjust the creases at the front. I do not know why, but today I feel suffocated by my corset more than usual. It gives me the sensation of the first and second times I wore it. My mother-in-law stops her hand and looks at everything, smiling at me to finish her sentence:

"...To have a child."

I do not know how many times I have been reminded of this mission. I am aware that becoming a mother is a wonderful and sacred thing, but I also feel tired of the fact that what people expect from women only lies in childbirth. Thena is right, women like us are still treated unfairly. Unfortunately, just like my fate, our voices are too small to express ourselves. People with ideas like Thena are too few, while the rest have become too accustomed to their misery.

"I’m trying, mother...", I reply softly.

"I don't see that, Fiona," she says sharply. "I have no right to interfere in your bedroom affairs, but if I knew you were trying to avoid this matter, I wouldn't stay silent!"

"Yes, mother...", I reply timidly. She really frightens me. I have a feeling I will have to face her for a long time. Suddenly, I realise that I still value my life.

"Are you planning to dress up and go somewhere?", she smiles and asks. Augustin previously said that she was a famous stage actress when she was young. Just a moment ago, she was angry with me, and now she smiles as if nothing had happened.

"I'm going to the church... I need to be enlightened about my responsibilities...", I answer to please her.

"What a coincidence, I'm planning to go there too," she responds surprisingly. I'm sure there's nothing coincidental about it. "So let's go together!"

"Yes, mother..."

I suddenly recall the painting Nightmare by the artist Henry Fuseli. A beautiful young girl lies stretched out on a chaise longue, with her head and arm drooping down. She wears a delicate white gown, and sleeps peacefully as if nothing in the world could disturb her. But from somewhere, a dark and malevolent demon has appeared and now lies upon her body. The demon sits calmly as if it has been watching her for a long time. Its lifeless eyes gaze into the distance, as if contemplating something sinister.