Althea stared at the elderly woman on the door and two young girls behind her who were staring at her as if she was a ghost.
She feigned ignorance.
"Did something happen, mother?" she asked in a meek voice avoiding the gaze of the woman as if she was afraid when the woman frowned and looked around.
The window was closed and the girl looked hazy as if she had just woken up from sleep.
"Where were you an hour ago?" asked the youngest one with a frown on her face. Her face had a haughty look when Althea raised her head with confusion.
"I was in my room all this time, sister Jane. Where can I go?" she asked with a smile, "aren't there guards all around my chamber and even in front of my door where the maids should be waiting for me?"
Her voice was sweet and charming like a fresh breeze in the dark forest. It could soothe anyone in the darkest of times.
When her voice resonated more men entered the chamber with a young man who had a bright face, his blue eyes looked kind and his face had a sweet smile as if he was a very benevolent man.
The name of her fiance, Livian, started to show in neon color in front of his chest.
Of course the guards were there since it was no less than a royal palace but it was difficult to know since her mother had asked the guards to take leave for today since she personally wanted Althea to give the chance to run away.
It was a well planned trick but she had never thought that it would fall back on her shoulders.
The elder woman stayed silent and so did the elder daughter who was the prettiest. She had soft features and was wearing a pure white set of dress and staying silent giving the impression of a pure maiden that had a kind heart and did not argue even when she knew others were wrong just like goddess.
Not only that, she had the intermediate water magic, she was a strong contender when it comes to possessors of water magic among nobles and that was why she was taken as the pride of the family.
But even after that, she was kind and gentle and had feelings for the poor and depraved. She was always busy with charity work, a perfect example of noblesse oblige.
That was why everyone had a good image of her and she was treated preciously in the family not like Althea who was a black sheep.
"How could guards dare to stop a family of their master. They would only bow their head and let you go and even intentionally ignore you leaving out since they did not have the right to stop you. You should not put them in jeopardy because of your actions sister. If you have gone out, you should accept it hurriedly, i am sure that father will forgive you. Or more, mother will try to support you if you explain the reason." she said in a gentle voice with a slight frown on her face as if she was worried about the future of those guards who were dragged in the mess for no good reason.
Once again, everyone looked at her like she was a fairy when Althea frowned.
"Are you saying that the guards should not protect and let their master travel freely without protecting them? Even if they could not stop them, should they not follow her or at least know where the person is? If that is the case.. What is the reason for appointing them in the first place?" though Althea did not raise her voice at all.
Her gentle smile was able to sway the hearts of others when they nodded their heads unconsciously.
Jenny could not help but feel hatred. It had never been that the attention of others sways from her.
"And are you asking me to accept my mistake to save the guards who had not performed their job well. If I didn't know, I would have thought that you cared about the guards more than me!" she chuckled as she looked at her foolish sister who thought that the world revolved around her.
"If I remember well, you have asked the same things when you took away my maids three weeks ago. That.. I should think about the workload the family is suffering and should not only think about my own comfort all the time.
That time I had thought that we were suffering from a financial crisis but then the butler told me that was not the case. Now I am confused, sister. Why is it that you always take the side of others and let me suffer? Are you trying to bully me with these antics sister?"
"......." Jenny felt silent for a day. She was not expecting Althea to mention her taking her maids away. Since when has she been this talkative? Most of the time she had been meek and silent since she knew no one would support her.
Could it be that she was expecting support from Livian, Ha! She had to teach this fool a lesson so that she would know her limits in the future.
But Jenny was handling these kind of matter since years, so she was not that easy to give up.
"Ah.. you must have some confusion. My intention was in your favor. I have taken your maids since you stay in your room all the time and hardly come out.
I thought that if you do not have maids, you will join us for things and come out to eat and have snacks with us.
And even now.. I am just worried that if my father would be the first to know, he would not listen to your side of the story and punish you. I want to understand the matter well, and protect you sister. But I think that you have a lot of hatred in your heart that you are blaming me for everything."