"Finally. The lady of the house has finally woken up." Soren said slowly and menacingly while staring down Diana. Diana herself was shivering from the sheer pressure of the killing intent and not from fear. In reality, this kind of killing intent, wasn't something too out of the ordinary for Diana, since she had to deal with nobles of the high society who would constantly stare at her with hostility, so she decided to counterattack with her own killing intent. Soren felt the pressure of Diana's killing intent, but he wouldn't back down without a fight, so he answered with his own pressure. This intense staredown lasted for around 30 or so seconds, before Soren gave in from his mental fatigue building up while emmiting this killing intent.
Now Soren was tired and looked like he could faint at any moment from here on out, but Diana's complexion wasn't too diffirent than Soren's.
"Have you finally... calmed down... already?" Diana asked with a tired expression.
"Why should I... calm down, when you... were the one... to break the rules?" Soren retorted back with a tired but angry expression.
"How did you... find out about that?" Diana asked with a hint of suprise in her voice.
"Kana filled me in... while you were... out of it." Soren answered back to Diana.
At that moment, she stared at Kana, who in return just tucked their head in a nearby book. After that, she stares back at Soren and said:
"Anyways, I got what I wanted, so we have nothing to talk about." Diana spoke with calm and indiffernet expression.
"What? We have nothing to talk about? You are just being ridiculous. You force me into a game with personal questions, trick me into answering some really personal questions and for what? Self-Satifaction? Sadistic pleasure? A sense of superiority? Or are you afraid that you husband might be- *thud*" Just as Soren was going to say that he is cheating behind her back, Diana suddenly hit the table with a heavy punch and said furiously:
"Don't to dare to complete that sentence, otherwise you can kiss your life goodbye."
"Don't I dare to complete that sentence? You were the one who not only decided to bleed me dry, but also wanted the bloody organs as well. How is that fair?"
"It's not and that is how life is. Nothing is fair, only those at the top decided what is fair and what is unfair, so quit your yap- *slap*" Just as she was answering with an angry and arrogant tone, Soren's reason finally snapped and slapped Diana with all of the power he could muster.
"Nothing is fair? Only those at the top decide? You might as well go and rule the world like the rotten demon queen that I see in front of me." After Soren said that with anger in his eyes, 4 guards surrounded him with the tips of their swords, pointing straight at Soren's neck.
"If you have any problems, ask the Duchess who started this entire mess in the first place. I don't have anything to be ashamed of and I have no regrets slapping a person who thinks they are above eveyone." Soren said with pure anger and courage in his eyes, while looking at the guards who were pointing their swords at them.
"Eheheh... Ahahahahahahahahahahaha..." At that moment, Diana started laughing uncontrollably like she had seen the funniest thing imaginable.
"Did she finally snap from insanity or something?" Soren asked slightly curious about Diana's sudden outburst.
"Ahahaha... Ahaha... Ahhhh... Ow, my body hurts... Haha... Oh, god... That was... Ahahahahaha..." Then Diana proceeded to laugh for another 5-10 minutes while barely being able to hold herself from rolling on the ground while laughing her lungs, or should I say gills, out.
"Ahhh... I think I might faint just from laughing. Ah... Sorry that you had to see that side of mine, but I have never seen someone pull off such a move and not think of the consequences. That face of pure determination and resolution, that is perfect. Please become one of my personal guards, I can guarantee an annual income of 3 gold coins, a proper place to live and even your own fief when you retire." Diana spoke with pure enthusiasm while holing on one of Soren's hands. Soren himself however, was still trying to process the things that came out of Diana's mouth.
"Mom! What are you thinking!?" Kana asked in complete shock.
"Mother! Have you lost your mind!?" Even Dallius who had an emotionless expression all the time, he couldn't hide his shocked expression, once he heard those words.
"Is it possible that she snapped and this is some self-defence mechanism to protect her own psyche or something?" Soren asked slightly concerned as well, because he was a bit afraid that he might have sent someone into a crazy state that they might not recover.
"No, I haven't lost my mind, you imbeciles. I am dead serious for this offer, since talents like these are as rare as legendary weapons. Decent combat capabilities, high levels of potential, unshaken will, even in the face of death and let's not forget, he is also a hero from another world." Diana spoke with a happy and excited expression.
"..." Soren was speechless.
"..." Kana was speechless.
"..." Dallius was speechless. In reality, everyone in that room was speechless and the guards had even lowered their weapons and almost everyone, except Soren, yelled at the same time:
"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?"
This was a major shock from almost everyone, except Soren who was more confused, rather than shocked and Lavenza didn't know enough of the world, so she didn't have much of a reaction.
"So, how about it, do you accept?" Diana spoke like she had never dropped that bombshell of information. At that moment, Soren put the back of his hand on her forehead and said:
"Is the duchess sick or hallaucinating right now? May I ask, does she have any mental impairments or any- *smack* OUCH! What was that for?" Soren said before touching the top of head that was hurting.
"I'm not mentally impaired and did I give you permission to touch me?" Diana retorted angrily.
"Yes, you are. Otherwise, no normal individual would go from menacing to welcoming in the flip of a bloody switch." Soren said while staring at her with a mix of anger, confusion and fatigue as well.
"Mother, I'll have agree with Soren on this arguement, you are acting a bit too unnaturally and not only that, but I feel like you are trying to hide something as well and we might have a pretty decent idea of that." Dallius agred with Soren, albeit he did so without showing a hint of emotion.
"Brother is right. I can tell that you were acting a bit too violently before, but cheating of all things, where did that idea even come from?" Kana asked with a worried expression.
"Look, I know you have your questions and that I did some questionable things, but I had my reasons and I had to get the bottom of this and fast." Diana explained in a calm manner.
"Then explain. Explain the whole gist of it already. I may have an inkling at most, but I would like to hear the reason and so do the others, since this is a very unnatural way for you to act." Soren spoke with a fierce and determined look in his face.
"Come on mom, please?" Kana begged Diana.
"Mother. Explain so we can know." Dallius also begged, albeit expressionlessly.
"Alright. Alright. I'll explain, just don't ask me with those puppy eyes." Diana reluctantly gave in their request.
"The main reason for that, is actually a lot simpler and rather petty, even for me. So that reason is... Actually... Ummm..." At that point, Diana tried to stall because she truly didn't want anyone to know the reason.
"Just explain already." Soren felt like running out of patience at that point.
"I thought you were the love child of my husband. There, are you happy now?" Diana spilled the beans while looking embarassed.
"So, you decided to pick me up in the middle of the road, not come to meet me in person, but through a homunculus, proceed to get a lot of personal information, including my combat capabilities that I would rather stay as secret as possible for now, cheat and trick me into giving even more information, including my big secret, all the while giving me emotional trauma and all of that because there was a possibility that your husband might have cheated on you?" Soren spoke with a dark expression and a furious voice while barely holding himself from pouncing on her with everything he got.
"I mean, you aren't too off from the right answer." Diana said slightly nervously.
"... You don't deserve to even get spat upon. Just go kill yourself and save me the trouble of hating you." Soren said spitefully with a dark expression before turning away and starting to make his way towards the left door so he could wait to go down. As he was making his way towards the door, Diana started to move towards the desk, while having no expression on her face and once she reached there, she opened a drawer.
"Wait, did you two do a game of Truth and Lie during the time you two were speaking?" Dallius asked suddenly Soren.
"Yes, why do you ask?" Soren asked back Dallius and he was asking, Diana took out a knife that was deep under a whole bunch of sheets of paper.
"Soren, tell her to stop. Tell her stop now!" Dallius spoke with a nervous expression when he saw Diana pulling the knife away.
"What-" At that moment, Soren saw Diana being ready to plunge the knife into her chest and the moment she started to move with a swift motion, Soren then screamed with all of his lungs:
"STOP!"