"W-what?" Emi was in shock as she sat frozen on the couch.
"You shameless thing, what kind of rude behaviour is this?!" She yelled at Hina. Despite her bold demeanour, she was taken aback by the young lady that sat confidently before her.
Hina rested her back on the chair, slouching her shoulders comfortably as she rubbed over her ears.
"You're too loud, lady Emi. Aren't you a bit too old to be yelling like that?"
"What?"
"Besides, do you even know what it means to be rude?" Hina asked dismissively,
"Rude is when you, a side mistress, comes to the lady of the house and act as the owner" Hina shot her a scornful look. She felt her anger rise and steadfastly tamped it down.
Emi was still in shock, her brain refusing to translate the situation that was unfolding before her. It was true that she was having a secret affair with the merchant, but that position was originally intended to be hers. Although the two had been seeing each other for about two years now, their relationship was still on the low, ever careful in their doings. Even her father was unaware about it so surely the child was bluffing.
"I don't know what you're talking about-"
"Oh please, Emi. I know you're not particularly smart, but you're not possibly too stupid to understand what I mean. Or did I overestimate you?"
"Look here you-"
Hina splattered the pictures of the two on the table, watching the blood drain out of Emi's face as she turned paler than normal, unable to finish her sentence.
"Do you still want to claim that you don't know what I'm talking about?"
"How did you get this?" Emi asked, her gaze moving between the pictures and Hina.
"Does that really matter right now?"
Emi could feel her hands trembling. Something was slowly gnawing at her stomach. Was it fear? She felt a shiver slide down her spine but she ignored it. Refused to accept it. She couldn't possibly be getting scared of some good-for-nothing child.
"You vile cunt.. were you stalking me all along?" Emi asked, taking a long look at Hina who seemed too relaxed for her liking.
"Tell me.. how does it feel to be the other woman.?" Hina asked curiously, dismissing Emi's question. A wicked smug on her lips as she took a long sip from her delicious tea.
"You! How dare you-"
Her sentence was cut short as Hina splashed a cup of water on her. It was all so sudden that Emi had not seen it coming.
"No. How dare you?" Hina's usual cherry-soft voice was cold and stiff.
Emi looked up from her seat, catching the frosty look in Hina's domineering gaze.
[W-why does she suddenly look so different?]
Emi instinctively looked down, like a prey trying to avoid a predator, keeping her scarlet face facing the ground to avert Hina's gaze.
The simmering darkness she had fleetingly caught dancing in the young lady's eyes had sent an extra shiver down her spine, stark fear creeping up as she bit down on her lower lip. What was happening?
From the few times she had encountered the lady, she was timid and obedient. Emi was a hundred per cent sure that the child was nothing but a pushover. So how was it possible for her to suddenly emit such a domineering aura?
Hina wiped her hand with a napkin as she said, "That was for the tea incident during our class"
"Y-you.. who are you?" Emi asked dumbfoundedly. She still couldn't believe that this Hina was the same meek one she knew.
"What you should be asking is what I plan to do with these pictures" Hina corrected her as she let out a tired sigh.
"So...what are you going to do about It?.." Emi asked obediently, still shaken up.
"Since I'm feeling generous, I'll give you two options, Emi" she mentioned,
"The first option is that you send a letter stating that you can no longer be my etiquette tutor. As you already know, I don't have any authority over these things yet, so it's practically impossible for me to simply dismiss you. I'm sure that this decision will be the best for both of us. Also, I don't care about your relationship with the merchant but it'll do you good to never come to the main house again"
"W-what if I don't agree?"
"Then comes your second option. If you don't accept option one, I'll have no choice but to send these pictures to every local news outlet and tabloid available. As you know, they're like leeches. Once they get a little, they'll stick to you like glue .. "
"No..." Emi mumbled. Her breath came in fast gulps as she shivered at the mere thought. For a "mere Count's daughter", she had painstakingly put up with all sorts of losers to get to where she was now. She couldn't possibly lose it all after getting this far in high society.
"You'll become the centre of every gossip and every gathering. Your hard-earned reputation will be ruined within seconds and you'll have no choice but to hide away from society. So, I advise you to choose carefully..."
In her final efforts to prove something to herself, Emi quickly grabbed the pictures on the table and began to rip them.
"Ah, I have more where those came from" Hina explained.
Emi felt a hot wash of defeat overcome her, shaking as tears gathered in her eyes
"He was mine until you came along. I was supposed to be his wife but you ruined everything" Emi muttered in a voice full of bitterness. Her anger that had peaked slowly came down as sadness.
In truth, Hina was tired of the conversation and ready to leave. It frustrated her how everyone just made dumb assumptions when they knew nothing about the fact. She massaged her forehead as she spoke.
"I'll give you three seconds to make your pick. One.."
"How am I supposed to believe that you'll keep to your word?" Emi protested, startled by the abrupt count down.
"Well, that's for me to know and for you to wonder. Two.."
"Why do I need to do as you say?"
Hina ignored the second question, saying, "Three-"
"Fine okay! Okay!" Emi yelled.
"Option one. I choose option one! I'll let the head maid know! I'll send a letter by tomorrow! I won't come back ever again!" She cried out, stumbling over her words as she gave into Hina's demands. She couldn't believe she had lost to the young lady she looked down on.
"You've made a smart choice, Lady Emi. I'll be expecting your letter soon. I also expect that this conversation stays between us" Hina told her, placing her empty teacup on the saucer.
Emi nodded her head in muted silence.
"Thanks to you, I had such an entertaining brunch." Hina informed her, rising from her seat to leave the room, leaving Emi with her thoughts.
Hina rested her back on the door as she closed it behind her, finally feeling at ease to be rid of the poisonous woman.