The whole capital knows already my status and because of that they always put me in the center of mockery. Every time I am being invited to attend gatherings; people always makes fun of me. Do they think that I will just stay still and wouldn't be hurting them? Fools. I am just waiting for a right time to execute my entire plan. They just have to wait and they will taste my fury.
I started reading about the noble laws during my spare time. I found out that mostly about it favours the royals and high-ranking aristocrats. However, killing is not allowed unless one committed high treason. It also indicated that the nobles should always respect other nobles who has a higher rank. The punishment of it once offended is that they are allowed to do publicly humiliation against the offender. Nice law, I can use it as a trump card.
A week pass by and once again I got invited to a ladies' party where usually the bully happens. Flora Del Matias is the host of this party, she is the first daughter of Marquis Del Matias. She always looks down on everybody since she is a daughter of a marquis. Usually, all of her friends are from the lower ranking nobles. Since, I didn't know the etiquette before, she always looks down on me and makes fun on everything I do wrong. But not today, my hands are full.
"Lady Silvestine, I heard that no maids wanted to work under you? It means that you change your clothes by yourself, it must have been hard right?" Flora said with that smirk on her face.
"It must have been hard on you, Lady Silvestine. If the maids don't want to help you then at least ask someone." Added by Beth, daughter of a count.
"You can perhaps ask you guards." Flora's mock.
The girls who are with us are smiling with a hint of mockery.
"Thank you for your thoughtful remarks ladies, I think I should try asking someone."
"Oh! Are you serious? Then, it is my pleasure to help." Flora raised her eyebrows.
They started laughing. I bluntly ask them why and they keep on laughing, they didn't even bother to answer my question.
"The truth is, I told my mother not to give me any maid or helper." I said.
"Why? A daughter of a duke should have at least more maids and helper, unless…"
"Unless what?"
"Well unless there must be financial problem going on." Flora held my hand and pretended that she is concern. Bitch. Don't you think I can't see through that? "Our mansion has a lot of maids; I can give you three if you want." She added with the smirking senile face of hers.
"You don't have to bother, Lady Flora, our house is not short of money. In fact, my allowance is so big that I don't know what to spend it with. The only reason I don't want maids is that they are bothersome and often made mistakes, its tiring me out."
"Then I can give you a professional maid that our house produces."
"I'm sorry but I have to decline your offer, the last time a maid told me what to do makes me so irritated. Who is she anyway to mock the daughter of the duke? I nearly killed her out of irritation. Oh… even if I kill her, her life is nothing much since she offended a high-ranking noble right?" I said bluntly.
They all suddenly kept quiet. But I guess not everyone is afraid to die.
"But killing is forbidden, isn't that's the reason why you are here?" Flora asked with hidden intention.
Is she tired of living? Why must she push that button?
I looked at her, "I wasn't ban to enter the north because of that, it is because I dethroned and banished those nobles out of the kingdom. The mistake that I did is that I act recklessly banishing their family members, however, I didn't get punish because I killed those foolish nobles."
I stared at her and I can see how distress she is now while I am staring her eyes.
"Is that the real reason why, Lady Winters?" A blunt young lady asked.
"Yes."
"But why must you kill them, you could perhaps lock them away." She suggested.
"Yes… I could do that but I choose not to. Those foolish nobles actually committed a high-treason against the kingdom. They plotted behind our backs. The punishment of that is death and since I caught them in the act, I have an authority to kill them. If locking the away before condemning them to their death, I am afraid that they might somehow find a way out. Before they could run away, isn't it better to just kill them right in that instance?"
"Yes indeed. So, if happen that you find another scheming nobles, are you going to kill them as well?"
I don't know if this stupid girl asking it purposely or she is just too blunt to read the atmosphere. I like her questions somehow, it is making the atmosphere heavier.
"She couldn't do that anymore Lady Saphira; she is already ban to do it beside she is now a lady of the society." Flora pointed out.
"Actually, the king told me that I am RELIEVE FROM MY DUTIES TO THE NORTH means that I can't mingle in any affairs going on in the north. However, his majesty didn't say that I am relieve to all of my duties. It means I can still go around catching those criminals anywhere in the kingdom except the north." I pressurize my words.
The ladies in that party suddenly became quiet. The only jolly and despicably blunt person is not feeling that pressure and the only one enjoying the tea and the food without getting worried.
"But Lady Silvestine, if you are going to catch criminals you have to be a soldier in the capital. Are you already a soldier in the capital? If you are not you couldn't go around catching criminals. Besides you are now studying the etiquette of a noble lady, you are a lady now right and not a soldier?" Saphira clarified everything. Why must she have to say that? The heavy atmosphere is suddenly lifted because of her.
"Right, Lady Silvestine is now a lady and not a soldier." Another young noble lady said.
"Yes… but I can apply to be an imperial knight. Before I am practicing the etiquette of a noble lay, I was a soldier who fought in the battle. So I can still do what I want right ladies? I smiled at them with sneer.
The small tea party ended successfully. Although half of the time was spend talking just about me, I enjoyed scaring their doll faces. Do they think that I am an easy target? NO. However ladies, we are just warming up and the show have not yet begun.
The following day, father submitted an application about Arthur joining the joust. It is a competition among students of the imperial academy to enter a battle field like contest. In this competition, the winners will be directly admitted to be part of the imperial knights who will receive direct order from the king. Whether you win or lose, there are still some benefits.
Father wanted Arthur to enter such competition however, I personally think that Arthur is not yet ready. Although, I trained him personally I can say that he is not yet ready to such environment. When we talk about it during dinner, mother agreed with me but father insisted. Arthur was also excited about the upcoming joust. Even I told them that Arthur wasn't ready yet, he insisted that he really wants to join. Well, if he really wanted to join then I can just let him be. Besides, this is also part of his experience.
Arthur practices day and night in able to make his body in a good condition before the joust. I trained him extra harder and surprisingly he isn't whining about it. I've decided to teach him our family's secret technique. I am a mage that is why physically I can only handle partial of its original damage. I don't have a strong body to do that in the first place. But I manage to teach him. Arthur and Silvester have the same strengths and weaknesses. I don't know maybe it runs to the family.
After weeks and weeks of practice, Arthur managed to execute the technique however, it is not yet perfect. There are tons of flaws on it but a normal warrior wouldn't notice it. Let's just hope that no one will actually notice it, for now he can call it as his hidden weapon or his trump card. That technique will sure help him in the future.
The date for the upcoming joust was announced and this time any nobles who wanted to witness it is welcome to watch the competition. Somehow this news made Arthur more nervous. He will surely lose if he cannot overcome that nervousness. In the battle, if your mind is not in the right condition you will surely decide on things that might lead you to death. Yes, I am also reckless on my decision making but if I am in war my mind is in the right condition. Maybe somehow, I am really born to fight in the battle and being a lady is not meant for me. I think am more useful if I am born male and not female.
Months have pass and the day of the joust came. It is my first time witnessing such competition, father and mother strictly warned me to behave at my very best. This event actually gathered all the nobles to witness their relatives or family member.
Corra also came to cheer her little brother as well as Arthur since both of them entered the competition. She arrived two days ago and she choose to stay at our mansion. She is now part of the duke's house so it is just normal for her to stay with us. I took that opportunity to chat with her and I was so happy that she is easily to talk with. She also told me what happened to the North since I left. Everything that she said was beyond my expectation. Most of my guesses are right but when she said that the army actually wrote a petition to the king about my punishment to lessen the years ban, actually move my wicked heart. I guess, some people know how to appreciate the hardship I put them through.