Seeing Sylvia's malicious gaze on Nara, Luca scoffed and pushed Nara's head against his chest. "You keep insisting that my sister is a demon. If I'm able to prove that she's not, then will you voluntarily resign from your position as the Chief Maid and leave our estate? Our Shen family doesn't need an ingrate like you to continue serving us!"
Blood seemed to have gushed out of Sylvia's body when she heard Luca's words and she went hysterical, "F-First Young Master Shen, you can't do that! I have served this family for close to twenty years. You don't have the right to remove me from my position!"
"Oh?" With one brow raised, Luca sneered lightly, "It seems like you don't recognize who you serve. You said it yourself, you serve the Shen Family, hence you listen to the Shens and you obey the Shens. We are your masters. I am the master. You serve and respect your master.
"You said that I don't have the right to remove you from your post? A mere servant like you dares to say such things toward your master?"
Nara looked back and forth between the two, trying hard not to knit her brows in confusion. She didn't catch what they were saying, they were talking too fast.
Besides, she may have an understanding of this new language, but she couldn't understand what they were talking about now. All she knows is that they kept saying the word 'demon' and Luca said something about a bet, so she thinks that Sylvia is still insisting that she's possessed.
"You...!" Sylvia's face flushed crimson. "Alright, I agree! But if it so happened that she really is a demon, then you must surrender her to me!"
Luca's eyes narrowed and Sylvia immediately lowered her head. Even then, Luca didn't miss the murderous intent in her gaze.
He realized that Sylvia may have strayed too far by indulging her with her status as the Chief Maid of their family. Such a person can become a major threat to his family. If he didn't behave properly when he was young, could he have been treated the same way? How can they miss such behavior in Sylvia? And since when did it start?
Luca set aside these thoughts as he took a deep breath. "Very well."
Sylvia smirk triumphantly and sneered at Nara.
Nara stared back at her and tilted her head innocently, as if taunting her.
Sylvia felt her chest tightened, the urge to attack that little runt made her hand itch.
'Just so you wait! No matter how much you pretend, the truth will come out eventually!' Sylvia laughed secretly. She was already planning in her head how to torture this imp so that it will be unable to tell anyone what she said.
She's confident that she would win this bet.
Sylvia raised her chin. "Then, First Young Master, how would we settle this? What if you try to back out if I'm right?"
Luca looked at her in ridicule. "I swear on my father's name, should I recede from this bet, I will cut ties with the Shen Family and have my name erased from the genealogical tree!"
"Young Master!"
"First Young Master Shen, you can't do that!"
"Young Master, please calm down! You are too emotional right now!"
The guards and servants panicked with what Luca said. It's just a servant gone rogue. Sylvia might be the chief maid of the family for almost 20 years, but why does the young master have to give that much face to a maid?!
If the young master loses, Master will have our heads!
Even Sylvia's heart thumped at Luca's declaration. She only wanted to punish the brat, why should the young master bet his future life in this? Is he that confident that the brat isn't possessed by a demon?
No! She's certain that Nara is a demon. Maybe Luca was only using this strategy to make her retreat and recind her accusations. But she can't do that. With how shrewd that little wench is, she might be able to relay her backstabbing words to Master Ozul.
Sylvia gritted her teeth and tried to test her theory, "First Young Master Shen, I can't accept your bet with these terms. I accept my side of terms, but this lowly one can't accept yours." she said and bowed.
The servants looked at the young man and collectively agreed. Thet tried to convince him to stop, but Luca waved them away. "I'm fine with the terms, and I will abide by them should you prove me wrong. However, if you're not sure with this bet, you may surrender right now. I may be able to plead father to not punish you with death."
Sylvia's eyes glinted upon hearing his reply. She's right! The young master is only bluffing to make me yield!
Sylvia forced down a sneer creeping up her lips and bowed deeply, "Then I shall accept. However, First Young Master Shen shouldn't blame me if my claims turned out to be true!"
Luca nodded. "Very well."
Cold purple eyes fell on Sylvia, which reminded her of her Master Ozul's eyes. Sylvia's heart thumped before lowering her head.
She was about to ask how would they ascertain that the brat was possessed when Luca's cold voice suddenly sounded.
"Take her away then." Luca said, looking at the guards standing on Sylvia's sides.
"F-First Young Master?" The guards were stunned at the order and looked at each other in confusion.
Trepidation filled Sylvia's heart. What does he mean?
"Make sure she doesn't escape. I will go get her contract and severe her relationship with the Shen Family." Luca's lip curled as he watched Sylvia's expression fall.
"F-First Young Master, what's the meaning of this?!" Sylvia raged and she was immediately held back by the guards. "Are you forcing me to concede and dissolve the bet? Is this how the esteemed young master of the Shen family should act?! How despicable!"
The servants watching the scene at the side flinched at Sylvia's words. Ysa's brows furrowed completely as she watched everything unfold.
This woman is courageous. No, she was just really stupid!
Luca glared at the screaming woman. "You have no right to dictate or judge how I act. Besides, you have already lost the bet."
Sylvia's vision spun in rage and she gritted her teeth so hard that it felt like it would break any time. "You didn't even check if she's a demon or not! If the young master was going to act as he wanted, then the bet is off!"
This is outrageous! If this man is just going to act biased, then the bet is just a bunch of bull! He just wanted to get rid of me for accusing the brat!
"Who said I didn't check? I already did and the results are not as you said." Luca raised a brow.
Nara is starting to feel dizzy at this point. She kept looking back any forth between the two. She understood that they are betting on something. Maybe it's Sylvia's ridiculous claim that she's a demon or something. But she didn't understand their terms.
She heard something about leaving and severing ties from her older brother, but didn't understand what it meant.
All she knew was afterwards, everyone seemed anxious at what Luca said and had been telling him to stop, to which he ignored.
Sylvia looked as if she was satisfied, but she's trying to hide it by bowing her head.
But now Sylvia is mad and she was being restrained by the guards and started screaming again, while her brother remained calm.
Her head ached fron trying to catch up with the conversation.
'I should learn more about the language. The things they're talking about seemed like some interestingly juicy information. I want to keep up!' Nara thought as she motivated herself.
Suddenly, a cold sensation fell on her hand and she looked at it to see a pretty pendant touching the back of her palm.
The shimmering crystal was shaped and cut into a marquise diamond. It glittered against the light, giving a mysterious and noble feeling. The crystal was encased by three rings of gold. The strips have some weird inscriptions that she couldn't understand, but it added a holy vibe on the pendant.
As Nara blinked curiously at the pendant, Sylvia's face turned green and white.
Ysa gasped along the crowd, "That's a Sacred Spirit Stone!"
Spirit Stones are rare commodities in this world that contains magic. It is often used as mediums to transfer or store magical power. It can also be used to for augmenting tools and weapons to upgrade its performance.
Some spirit stones can be used as it is, but there are some people whose profession focuses on enhancing the power inside the spirit stones. It can either by injecting their powers or by inscribing runes, or even arrays, on the stone.
Luca watched as Sylvia's expression fell while staring at the pendant. "You seem to recognize this as well. Yes, it a Sacred Spirit Stone inscribed with holy runes. It's especially made to ward off evil and demons. If there is a demon who tried to touch me, their spirit will dissolve. If an individual possessed by a demon touched me, their flesh will burn." Luca explained while staring intently at Sylvia, "However, my sister experienced neither of this, so this could only mean that my sister isn't a demon or is possessed as you have claimed."
Luca looked down to see Nara staring at the pendant with wide eyes. Her azure eyes blinked curiously at the crystal. The adorable sight made Luca curl his lip slightly. "And thus, you lost this bet."
Sylvia struggled violently against the guards while screaming. "Despicable! You already knew that I'd lose yet you gave such harsh terms!"
"You also seem to be quite pleased with the idea of me severing my ties with my family. Since you accepted the bet, you must also accept the consequence." Luca said.
The other servants flinched. Some were afraid about what's happening, but most of them were gloating at Sylvia's current situation.
She's been terrorizing the other servants for so long. Many hated Sylvia for her nasty mouth and personality. She kept acting like the lady of the house that they started to find her annoying.
Sylvia kept glancing at her 'confidants', but they all had their heads lowered. No one met her eyes.
The sight of her 'confidants' not stepping up and acting like they didn't know her made Sylvia feel suffocated. She gritted her teeth in anger as she tried to break free.
"Does the First Young Master have no dignity?!" The guards held onto the raging Sylvia tightly. No matter how hard she tried to pry her arms away, the men wouldn't budge.
I just wanted to teach that brat a lesson. How did it all come to this?!
It was all Nara's fault! Yes! And this bastard even wanted to protect that demon child! Sylvia heart tightened in anger.
The events blinded her with fury and she started to speak her mind. "I expected much more from the son of Master Ozul. You're so young, yet you have no respect towards the elderly and those who mean well. I've been serving this family for almost two decades and I even thought that ypu would be as noble as your father. Turns out you're as cunning and shrewd as your mother! You're no better than that vixen who thinks she's greater than everyone!"
When Sylvia finished saying those words, everyone in the room stopped breathing. The temperature of the room dropped. When the biting cold touched her skin, it was only at that moment that Sylvia realized what she said.
Her burning fury was instantly doused as a chill ran up her spine. Sylvia didn't dare look up and she felt a sharp gaze cutting through her figure.
The servants cowered at the corner, and even the guards holding Sylvia trembled slightly. They watched as frost began forming on the floor.
Luca has always been a calm young man, and he is known for his cool but calm temper. However, this young man who had a neutral face currently had a frown. His brows furrowed deeply and his eyes that were usually indifferent were sharp. A tick appeared by his jawline as he tried to suppress the fury boiling in his chest.
He's still holding his sister. Luca didn't want to let Nara see his bad side, so he tried not to make a move on Sylvia right there. He held himself back as he glared down at the cowering servant.
"What did you say?" Luca asked in a low, dangerous voice, his eyes were brimming with murder.
Sylvia felt her legs soften and she almost tumbled to the floor, but the guards holding her kept her up.
"I-I didn't... Didn't say anything!" Sylvia took time to muster the courage to speak. Her teeth were chattering, making her words a little muffled.
"Did you think I'm deaf? I'm young and my hearing is still great. Or did you think that I'm such a fool not to understand what you said?" Luca smiled humorlessly as he stepped towards the quivering woman.
"N-No! Young master, I--"
"I care not about your words towards me, buy to accuse my little sister of evil things and have the guts to have vile thoughts against your mistress. You're really a piece of work."
As she watched the young man approach, fear started to consume Sylvia's rationality as she screamed, "W-What are you planning?!"
"I take back what I said about punishing you with ending your contract." Luca said as he stood before Sylvia. His curled lips fell straight as he leaned forward, his murderous eyes staring at Sylvia. "I rather have you undergo the family law."
Cold sweat drenched Sylvia's body upon hearing those words.
"Family law..."
The word made all the servants hitch a breath and go pale.
The Shen family was known for their strength both in military and academics. Even though they heard rumors about the Shen family being ruthless, after years of working for the Shens and seeing how calm and easy going they are in their everyday lives, these people forgot about their reputation.
The Shen family are people who cherishes family the most. Those who showed sincerity and good will towards them will receive a heartwarming welcome. They will be treated as brothers and sisters and were cared for.
But towards people against them, the Shens swore to bring them hell.
Betrayal, deceit and disloyalty. These are the things that the Shens hate. Of course these are expected. Who wouldn't despise traitors?
Traitors will only be beheaded or exiled. But the Shen family deals with deserters and traitors differently.
Some people might have thoughts about opposing other families, but most of them are not brave enough to go against the Shens.
Luca kicking Sylvia out is already the lightest punishment he can give as she was hired by his mother and she served them for almost two decades. It was Lumi who gave Sylvia her position, so he pushed down his displeasure for the sake of his mother's feelings.
Yet Sylvia had the nerve to condemn his little sister and mother, who gave her shelter and a title.
Now, it's not a matter of a servant making a mistake. It's about a servant stepping on her master's good will and betraying their trust.
Luca's patience ran out. Sylvia is too out of control. Luca is sure his brothers and father would've done the same.
Father might even settle this wench himself. He might even prepare an additional punishment for this trashy servant after going through the family law.
Nara looked around in confusion. The atmosphere was already tense, but now it's almost suffocating. 'What did big bro said?' Nara wondered.
Nara understood that Sylvia dissed her mom again, calling her a vixen. But Sylvia made a mistake saying that in front of Luca.
Oh whatever. But still, Nara thought and looked up to Luca, who has looking down towards a pale and quivering Sylvia, like a dragon to an ant.
Nara's eyes sparkled.
Big Brother looks so cool!