"What in the word are you doing to my daughter?" she shouted furiously.
The scene she saw was totally shocking. An 8 year old girl was kneeling on grains of rice with her thighs swollen from fan whips. It was totally outrageous to the point that Shin Hye ended up exploding in anger. Shin Hye glared coldly with her eyes as she brought down the twin son she's carrying. The one in question was astonished and looked frightened upon seeing the duchess in front of her very eyes.
"I said what are you doing to my daughter?!" Shin Hye repeated as she never shifted her gaze from her.
Without helping the kneeling girl, the one in question hurriedly went to her and began sugarcoating her words.
"What does Her Excellency needs for her to come here personally?" she began sweating in cold but still delivered her words with clarity and poise.
[ Ah ... I'm too pissed. Why won't she help the poor girl first? Should I just slap her? ]
Shin Hye directly looked at her. The woman kept on evading her sight and fidgeting her every fingers in nervousness.
[ Yeah ... Let's just slap her. ]
'SLAP!'
Shin Hye slapped her. The woman fell down on the ground in surprise.
"How unrefined and undignified for such an etiquette instructor. Where did you place your manners?" Shin Hye glared down at her coldly.
Despite being confused by the sudden slap, the woman stood up in an instant and immediately bowed down gracefully like nothing had happened.
"Pardon me for showing such disgraceful manners, Her Excellency! Greetings. May I know the reason for what Her Excellency needs for her to come here personally?" with a composed tone in her voice, she calmly eased her position as she stood in place.
[ What's with the sudden nice act? Aren't she a bit brazen? ]
"So, would you like to explain why my daughter is in such situation?" Shin Hye was unfazed as she looked directly in that woman's eyes.
The woman tried to keep her calmness still her nervousness and restlessness was leaking openly. She looked back at Shin Hye and with a stuttering voice, she reasoned her way out.
"Her Excellency, about this ... ah!- ... this is part of our etiquette lesson. It would help the child endure pain of standing for such a long time" the woman spouted nonsense that even Shin Hye can't coped up with her illogical reasoning.
[ What? What nonsense is that? ]
Shin Hye caught a glimpse of the poor girl and her state was extremely terrible. The girl was barely holding her tears and when she slightly move, the pain instantly creeped in inside her whole body. The feeling of rice grains slowly piercing your skin as it hit the bone. Shin Hye can't help but pitied her current state. It was so depressing for her to watch.
"Son, grab your sister and go back to your room," Shin Hye clenched her fist as she sincerely ordered her son.
Upon her orders, he immediately ran towards her sister, helped her stand up and slowly walked away from the room. As the two kids passed by Shin Hye, she can't help but show a saddening expression as she grit her teeth behind her composed smile. Everything she saw for that day was totally enough for her to enraged her emotions out.
[ For an adult to do something like this to a kid. What an embarassing act for an adult. ]
When she was a child, she also experienced the same as what the kids have experienced. Kneeling on rice, forced labor, abused by her family, starving for days and even experienced eating leftover food threwn by people. It was a terrifying memory she can't ever forget. She only desired a loving family despite being poor. But in an early age, she did all jobs that she could in order for her to earn money and survive in that harsh reality. Earning enough money, she ran away from her prison called home and went to the city. But as she thought that every opportunity was available in the city, she ended up starving for days. To quenched her hunger, she snatched wallets in train stations. Soon after that, she started doing illegal errands to the point that murdering people became part of her work.
[ Looking back, I never regretted my decision. It made me realize how wicked not only the adults but also the world was. It was my means of survival. ]
After arriving in this world, she thought that this was an opportunity given by God. A once in a lifetime chance to change herself and start a fresh, new life.
[ But ... people, even in this word; nothing had changed. To make matter worse, trampling someone totally became a part of the society. Criticizing each and every part of his/her body. Greed, lust, hatred, envy ... human will always be human. No matter where you go. ]
Shin Hye calmed down and just gave a smirk. "Really? Then how come my daughter is kneeling? Does it also helps?" she questioned.
"Yes! Her Excellency! Kneeli--" the woman in question was forced to stop speaking.
'SLAP!'
Shin Hye slapped her on the other side. A much louder one than earlier. Shin Hye never hesitated to became cruel. Just like her real personality, she coldly gazed at her in silence. The silence made the entire room's atmosphere heavy and suffocating. Even her gaze was enough to made the other party tremble in fear.
"I'm sorry for my incompetence, Her Excellency! If there's something wrong, would you please tell the incompetent me?" despite being slapped twice in a row, her shamelessness still remained intact as she swanked her ego in front of Shin Hye.
[ How thick - skinned. ]
Despite being furious, Shin Hye remained her calmness, "State your name and what family you're from," she boldly asked.
Shaking her voice from the tension, she immediately responded. "I am Aubrey Issabel, third daughter of Viscount Jaspar of the Gussalen estate."
"So, Lady Aubrey; did you really not know what you did wrong?" without further ado, Shin Hye calmly followed up.
"Yes, Her Excellency! I'm really sorry for what may have caused your anger," she bowed her head down out of reflex.
[ Ignorance is a bliss. You can't teach a shameless person to act good. ]
Shin Hye sighed heavily and maintained her expression as she looked at Aubrey.
"If you want your apology to be accepted then shouldn't it be natural to beg for it?" the words came out of Shin Hye's mouth was more of like a command rather than a suggestion.
Aubrey rose her head out of reflex but a third slap welcomed her instead of a cold, terrifying expression on Shin Hye's face.
'SLAP!'
"How rude. Who told you to raise your head?" with a domineering voice she gazed at Aubrey's bowing posture.
Instinctive reflex to survive, she immediately pleaded her sorry. She was really terrified at what she had experienced. Her bowing posture was disturbed and her voice turned hoarse as she apologized. Shin Hye wanted to cooled off her anger and scolded her more but Aubrey's attendant whom was waiting back in their carriage, breathlessly barged into the room.
"Stop what you're doing, Her Excellency!" in the middle of scolding, Aubrey's attendant interrupted.
The attendant assisted the lady he's serving lady and let her rest behind his back.
"Lady Aubrey is still a Viscount's daughter, Her Excellency. I think that was already enough," he boldly clarified despite him in front of a duchess who can eliminate him with just a word.
"So what?" Shin Hye was unfazed yet shifted her cold gaze towards the attendant. Not pretending to be nice anymore, "Do you know what did your lady do to my daughter?" she calmly claimed.
Despite the overbearing pressure, the attendant was also unfazed. He calmly fixed his glasses and started justifying his lady's actions, "Yes, Her Excellency. Lady Aubrey is already deeply regretting for what she has done."
Shin Hye took a glimpse of Aubrey behind the attendant's back and Shin Hye was still unsatisfied.
[ Regretting? All I see is just a woman who cried after being bullied by a higher status. She's just ashamed not regretting. ]
"Do you think a simple apology would suffice?" Shin Hye asserted.
[ Her actions were completely unjust. For an adult to do that kind of abuse to a kid? ]
The attendant retained his calmness and began convincing Shin Hye. "Let's not be like this, Her Excellency. Our family had a strong bond for decades. How can we fight like this when we were supposed to support each other? Aren't we supporting the same lord?"
Shin Hye had this confusing expression in her eyes.
[ Huh? ]
As she don't know what he's spouting, Shin Hye can't help but asked for clarification, "What do you mean by that?"
The attendant suddenly felt at ease and smiled widely as he explained, "Aren't we supporting the third prince of Kovalon Empire, Prince Reyner Cromwell? That's why let's end this matter quietly, Her Excellency," He emitted an 'already winner' aura around him.
[ Hmm? Third prince? Just like the web novels, is this country also separated into parties? ]
"So you said our family was also serving Prince Reyner Cromwell. Am I correct?" she curiously asked.
"Yes, Her Excellency." the attendant smiled widely as he fixed his glasses.
The room went silent. Shin Hye brushed off a sneer so suddenly that made the attendant feel restless in the spot he's standing. A maid passed by the room and Shin Hye quickly called her over.
"Call Butler Ian for me. I need his presence here in exactly a minute," Shin Hye ordered with a calm expression.
"Understood, Her Excellency," she bowed down and immediately went to see Ian.
[ To proceed with my plans, I need to be free. And to be free, I shouldn't be tied to anything or anyone. ]
In exactly a minute, Ian came in the room panting as he catched his breath. He instanty fixed his posture and announced his arrival despite his previous haggard state, "What does Her Excellency needs?" he soothely said as he fixed his crooked necktie.
"Announce this to everybody ..."
" ... the Faques Family is declaring their neutrality" Shin Hye announced with an apathetic behavior. Standing still in one spot while wearing dull expression on her face made the attendant shivered in tension.
The attendant as well as Ian, looked at her astonishingly. Ian can't helped but had his jaw dropped the entire time.
"What?!" the attendant shouted in panic. "I mean ... what is Her Excellency thinking?" he abruptly fixed the tone of his voice as he demanded an explanation.
Shin Hye smiled sincerely as she gave out her reason, "What else? I don't want to be allied with someone who can stab our family in the back." She was undisturbed by their sudden reactions.
[ Well, it's not the main reason but ... you can say that it's part of that reason. ]
"Isn't that a bit unreasonable, Her Excellency?" the attendant didn't maintained his composure and unintentionally yelled out.
[ Unreasonable? ]
Shin Hye doubted her ears and slightly laughed in astoundment.
"Hahaha!" she tried to hold her laugh.
"What?! Did I do something wrong, Her Excellency?!" he was startled as the uneasiness he felt grew.
"Unreasonable, you say? Isn't not punishing a lady who harmed a child of a noble already unreasonable enough? To think I'd heard that word from you, I'm disappointed attendant," she firmly mocked with a domineering expression she's wearing.
"What?! Is what Her Excellency said is true?!" Ian interrupted and yelled in shock upon hearing what happened to the twins. His calm expression instantly turned disturbed as he demanded an explanation towards the attendant.
"What I said is true, Ian. So ... what are your plans now, Mr. Attendant?" with an unchanging expression, she fixed her cold gaze towards the panicking attendant.
*** ( Changes in POV ) ***
The attendant was just waiting for her lady in the carriage when a sudden maid hurriedly came to see him.
"You need to come and see Lady Aubrey in an instant. The madam is angry!" she yelled at the attendant exhaustingly as she catched her breath from too much running.
Hearing the news from the maid, the attendant can't kept his composure as he worried about her lady. From the attendants perspective, Aubrey was a troublemaker everywhere she goes.
[ What in the world did Lady Aubrey did this time? I already told her not to do anything! ]
Arrived at the Young Mistress's room fully prepared of what's to come, the attendant can't help but feel shocked on what he came on. His lady was on the floor shivering in fear. The attendant instantly helped his lady and confronted the duchess.
[ What in the world did this duchess do? Rumors said that she's pushover and a useless pawn of the duke. Is that really true? ]
Believing in rumors, the attendant plucked all his courage to win the argument between them. He felt confident in winning as he experienced much more shameful situations before. As their conversation continued, he thought that he had the duchess grasped in his palm.
"Quickly announce this to everybody ... the Faques Family is declaring their neutrality" with her own mouth, the duchess ordered with an unchanging expression.
The attendant was taken aback and pondered deeply.
[ Is this really the duke's pawn? Why is her words heavy? I can tell for sure that it's not empty. What in the world is she thinking? Pulling over her alliance towards the third prince's faction will greatly stir the whole empire. It will totally turn the current situation upside down! ]
The attendant totally lost his composure. He did all his best in protecting the lady but the damage was too large. He was forced to make a decision.
[ What should I do? Whom should I protect? The lady or the third prince's faction? ]
Can't fully decide, he ended up trying to protect both but ...
"Hahahaha!"
The duchess laughed at him.
"Unreasonable, you say? Isn't not punishing a lady who harmed a child of a noble already unreasonable enough? To think I'd heard that word from you, I'm disappointed attendant."
And even twisted his own words.
"What do you think we should do? Mr. Attendant?"
The duchess looked at him coldly. Not a bit of sympathy or sorrow from her words. There's no way she's the duke's pawn. If he's the one who would assess everything, she has the entire Faques Family in her hands.
[ There's no way I can win this! Why did you offend such terrifying person, lady Aubrey! How in the world can we leave this estate unscathe! ]
The heavy, suffocating atmosphere made the two jittery.