"H-how dare you attempt to frame me!" she retorted, her composure slipping as frustration seeped into her tone.
Remaining composed, I met her gaze steadily. "I'm not framing you, Clara. I simply sought to verify the authenticity of the elixir."
Clara's resolve seemed to crumble as she realized her scheme had been unraveled.
She looked around, seemingly searching for an escape route, her earlier confidence now replaced with vulnerability.
"You... you have no proof. You can't prove that I intentionally sold you expired medicine," she insisted, desperation lacing her words.
I sighed softly.
"Oh, really? Then what about this?"
I gestured to the elixir and the water. The color of the water had changed into a murky grey, akin to mud. The elixir had completely dissolved, altering the water's hue.
"See this? The color of the water has changed drastically. Normally, when high-grade elixir is mixed with water, it doesn't cause any change in color. This is a clear indication that the elixir was expired."
"Besides, a person genuinely convinced of the quality of their product would not react with such anxiety and defensiveness."
Clara's face reddened, her mask of poise slipping further. She was clearly on the defensive, realizing that her lies had been exposed.
"Do you think what will happen if this news reaches my family. Do you think they'll let you or your family go?"
"Even if I am just a trash and a disgrace to my family, I still have the Caesar's family blood running through my veins. This matter would not just simply seep down, my family will most likely start a war with Silverwood's and if that happens, you know better than anyone what'll happen."
Yes, I know I am extravaggating it. In the original story it never happened as the family truly greeted Ze0hyr as a trash.
But what I wasn't a full lie as if the Caesar family really went into a war with Silverwood family, we will completely annilate them.
As even though both the family have same status but Caesar family is full with a lot of mages and knights and Vincent, the Mana Grandmaster.
Meanwhile, Sliverwood is a only a medical based family and not to mention their recent decline.
Anyways, it doesn't hurt to use others, does it?
Clara's face paled at my words, the color draining from her cheeks as the weight of her actions and their potential consequences hit her.
She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. The reality of the situation seemed to have rendered her speechless.
'Wow, is she really stupid?' I thought, as I hadn't expect her to fall for such a trick.
Did she really think, my family would go on a war just because of this?
Well, it works for me either way.
With a grin crossing my face, I said. "Don't worry I am not that heartless, I'll give you a way out from this situation."
A grin crept across my face as I continued, relishing in the control I now had over her. "Don't worry, Clara. I'm not as heartless as you might think. I'll give you a way out of this situation."
Her eyes widened with a flicker of hope, her desperation evident. Little did she know that the path I was about to offer her was far from desirable.
'Fufufu, I can't wait to see her crumble.'
"Ahem!" I cleared my throat, suppressing my amusement. "Why don't you become my slave?"
Clara's hopeful expression shattered, replaced by shock and indignation. The proposal caught her off guard, clearly not the outcome she had anticipated.
"Y-your personal servant? Are you out of your mind?" she stammered, her voice a mix of disbelief and outrage.
I shrugged, my demeanor nonchalant. "Seems like a fair deal, doesn't it? Or would you like your family to face the warmth of Caesar's family."
Her eyes blazed with a mixture of fury and humiliation.
"You... you can't do this to me!" she spat out, her pride refusing to let her accept such a proposal.
"I can, and I will," I replied calmly, my tone unwavering. "It's up to you, Clara. Be my slave and perhaps you can begin to make amends for your actions, or face the fallout on your own terms."
A tense silence hung in the air as Clara grappled with her options. Her face contorted with conflicting emotions, pride warring with desperation.
Finally, she lowered her head, defeat etched in her features. "Fine. I'll do it."
I nodded, satisfied with her response. "Good. Remember, this is your chance for redemption. Don't waste it."
As Clara's defiant façade crumbled, I turned to Elisha, whose expression was a mix of astonishment and confusion.
She seemed utterly taken aback by the turn of events, her wide eyes fixed on me as if she couldn't believe what was occurring before her very eyes.
Elisha's lips slightly parted, her bewilderment evident in the subtle furrow of her brows and the faint slackening of her jaw.
It was as if she couldn't reconcile the confident figure I was presenting now with the timid and hesitant young master she had known before.
I couldn't blame Elisha for her confusion.
After all, her perspective of me was based on the old Zephyr, the one who had been labeled as a failure and treated as an outcast.
"Elisha, could you bring me..." I instructed her to bring me some documents.
Elisha seemed to snap out of her daze as she heard my instruction. "Huh? Um, y-yes, I will be right back." She hurriedly left the room.
After a few minutes, she returned with a bunch of papers in her hands and handed them to me.
"Wow... there's only a need to change a few words," I said, examining the papers with a thoughtful expression.
The documents that I had instructed her to bring were the registration documents for servants in the household. I quickly scanned through the information, trying to finds the things that needed to be edited.
With a few minor adjustments, I began to draft a new set of documents.
As I finished making the changes, I looked up at Clara, who was still standing there, her expression a mix of resignation and apprehension. I could tell that she was likely wondering what I was up to now.
"Sign this," I stated, pushing the freshly edited documents towards Clara.
.
.