Felicia flinched upon hearing the thunderous voice, echoing around the halls as it garnered a lot of attention. Soon the Duke came behind her back, running towards Helena who was at the bottom of the stair case, unconscious.
Felicia was stunned, staring at her unconscious body as she remained blank, not knowing what to do. It's as if everything just had stopped within her surrounding, with her pounding heart echoing inside her.
She could feel her heart being swooned with panic attacks as she stood there, completely in a wrecked mess inside.
Why... Why did she baited herself to fall? Why was she instigating with this extreme scandal? But... But what's with the green smoke wrapped in her body before she could even hit the land.
Aside from the panic she's feeling right now, she was very weirded out and suspicion arouse in her head.
The fall... It was fake to set her up.
Blam! Before she could even gather her thoughts and say something, her body fell on the ground, followed with her throbbing cheek as she gasped in pain, shocked with the blow she received.
She slowly turned her face towards the person who smack her in her cheek, numb and filled with rage as she slowly laid her eyes on the Duke, flabbergasted as to why she was slapped.
"Felicia! I could never tolerate this behaviour of yours! What did Helena even do to you for you to push her down the stairs?! You're a vain and malicious person!" He yelled, enraged as he let out a scream towards her who was in a daze after the slap.
Her cheek was red and definitely stingy. She couldn't even feel her cheek due to the pain that she received from the Duke.
"What happened here?!" Someone yelled, making Felicia's eyes then followed where the voice went. It was from Alexander who did not saw everything and just arrived, hardly breathing.
"Brother..."
"What did you do, Your Grace?!" His loud voice echoed upon staring at Felicia who's cheek the for of tomato, looking so swollen. His eyes glared at the Duke who didn't even bother to face him.
"Stay out of this mess, Alexander! If you want to maintain your position as my heir then step out of this mess and stop protecting this disgusting vermin!" He yelled, suppressing Alexander's growing fury with his own.
He turned to face Alexander who was about to approach them by the stairs, glaring at him menacingly that stopped Alexander from taking another step.
Felicia was crying, silently as she didn't want to look weak in front of the servants watching them, in front of Alexander who was worried dearly but was threatened with his position.
It was not her fault, she didn't even push the woman and yet she got blamed. That bitch, why did she even let her guard down?
"You think, just because you're the eldest, you're free to hurt your sister?! You're not better than anyone else, Felicia! Without me, you're nothing! And you hurt my dear daughter just because of your jealousy?!" He yelled, striking fear to everyone.
"I wish you were the one who was buried in that casket than my wife! I should've listened to her and threw you out! Useless prick!" He insulted, bringing humiliation and pain from her eyes.
"Your Grace!" Alexander yelled, glaring at the Duke for overstepping himself. "You are clearly being blinded—"
"I said shut the hell up if you do not want to lose your preveliges, Alexander! God damn, Boy! Is this what I get from you? I place you in that position and now you're disrespecting me?! I ban you from ever approaching this woman once again!"
Alexander's eyes went wide, disbelief flashes in his eyes as he couldn't believe the Duke would threaten him to this extent. He couldn't believe, his own father would dare to separate him from Felicia.
"And you!" The Duke once more looks back to Felicia whose expression died, "Grab this woman and transfer her back to her room! Let her rot in there for a month and do not allow her or not everyone else to visit her! This woman needs to learn how to be grateful and less hostile to her family!" He condemned, assigning the servants to retreat Felicia back to her room.
"Your Grace, i detest this! Felicia is not at fault here! Why are you punishing her?! It was clearly an accident!" Alexander tried to fight, climbing the stairs again to match with the Duke.
His expression was full of defiance and detest over the Duke's order. Yet despite whatever he said, he wouldn't take back his order and further cause him stress when he threatens to replace him from his position with someone he knows.
Alexander was helpless, watching the Duke walking away, towards Helena's room while he was not allowed to step at the door of Felicia's room, leaving her alone to which he dislikes.
"What should I do..."
—
"Have you heard what happened?" Some servants began gossip. After the whole fiasco that happened yesterday, it seems that Felicia was deemed to become the black sheep of the company once again, denied with the Duke's love.
Her dominance over the manor has deminish and everyone has shifted their loyalty towards Helena who was continuously healing.
"I heard that Lady Helena forgave Felicia and she even said that what the Duke ordered was too much and that she does not seek for their relationship to fall into ruin." One of the servants gossip, finding Helena as an angel.
"It was such a sudden outburst from Lady Felicia. Who would've thought that she would push off Lady Helena from the stairs?" Another one said, chuckling to herself as she peeled the potato.
"Jealousy has turned her into much more of a wicked woman. Ha! That woman, to think we were once afraid of that brat. But here she is, acting like a brat and even went too far."
"Shh, you know that someone here serves the mistress. HAHAHA!" They all laugh, throwing some side eye towards Olivia who was silently fuming mad over their gossip.
None of what they said is true. That's not what happened, she believes that her Mistress would not do such a thing towards that bitch! She was calm and kept her emotions in control!
To say that she lose her self against that manipulative bad is such an understatement of her capabilities at how she's far more the better person in this damn mansion!
And now, she's facing a lot of harrassment from these lowly people, as if they were better than her mistress! What a load of crap!
But instead of fighting them off, she cleared her mind, letting those words not affect her at all. Her mistress wouldn't like for her to fight with these mindless women.
She put the food she prepared in her tray, disregarded their obvious insult fired towards her and her mistress and left the kitchen with a proud back.
It's been a day and her Mistress refused to eat anything that she's worried. She tried to ask for Alexander's help, but Alexander cannot help her as he was banned to approach Felicia.
Poor Mistress of hers, with no one else than her and Noctua in her safe room. She wouldn't even talk to them, just staring outside the balcony, keeping herself secluded inside her shell.
She could understand how broken and how painful it was for her but she shouldn't let that affect her thoughts and well being! She was a proud woman after all! Such thing should not be kept to heart!
"Ohh... Olivia... Is that for my sister?" Someone suddenly disturbed her, to which she look up, only to see Helena with a cast on her arm, smiling at her as if her fall didn't happen.
She couldn't help her face to distort, suspicious of this sudden recovery made by Helena. They said it's because she's the Saintess but Goddess knows she knew who the real one is.
This woman is an imposter, and a possible devil incarnate.
"Yes, Lady Helena." Yet, she has to respect this woman if she wants to stay in this castle and serve Felicia. She cannot afford to offend this woman because she knew how much the Duke treasures her so bad.
"I see... You really love my sister so bad, huh?" Helena continued, blocking her out of her way towards Felicia's room. Her face sulk, wanting to scream at Helena and push her away.
She didn't want to breathe in the same space with this mad woman who caused her mistress great distress! This woman makes her stomach churn and vomit so hard.
Just being with her, makes her puke so bad.
"Enough for you to betray me." Helena mentioned, causing Helena's eyebrows to meet each other. She frowned at her words, what the hell does this suppose to mean?
Helena chuckled as she look at Olivia's expression, it was such a fun thing to see. "You think I forgot, Olivia? You think I forgot that you took her side instead of mine? But of well. Let's not dwell with old grudges, right?" Helena added, smirking in a weird way.
Olivia won't lie, but she made her heart flutter in fear, afraid of what this woman will pull for her downfall. And obviously Helena could sense how she's trembling with her words.
"Go on now, Olivia. Feed my sister well, be sure to feed her well enough for her to remember you." Helena expressed, tapping her shoulder and left her standing there, shaken with what she said.
That bitch.