"What are you doing to me, madam?!" Shirley restrained herself from releasing the anger building up in her heart, knowing that Rosemary must have been waiting for the moment she made a mistake to chastise her like this.
"Are you still asking? After making a scene at Marquess Madeline's banquet and fuelling Duke Blair's anger?" Rosemary said with an angry snort, it was obvious that she was very unhappy with what Shirley had done.
"You should have asked me what they did to me there." Shirley, who was already tired, did not want to prolong the problem with her stepmother, so she turned around and intended to return to her room.
However, Shirley's steps were halted when she heard what Rosemary said afterwards.
"You'd better apologise to Duke Blair and say that you're sorry, otherwise their family will definitely cause trouble for us," Rosemary said, then she went back to sit and enjoy dinner.
Without anyone realising Shirley was currently clenching her fists tightly, she couldn't believe she still had to deal with that damn Victor. Even though it was Thalia who deliberately set her up.
Shirley also stepped away from the dining room, she did not want to be there any longer, especially when she felt how her two half-sisters were looking at her with condescending looks at the moment.
. . .
As Shirley was enjoying her breakfast quietly, she heard a commotion from outside her room, she did not know what had happened to make her maid make such a fuss. Not long after, Shirley saw Ivy enter her room in a hurry.
"Why do you seem to be in such a hurry, Ivy? Has something bad happened?" asked Shirley while frowning in confusion.
"This great guest is meeting with you, Miss. It seems that he was very angry about what happened at Marquess Madeline's banquet earlier," explained Ivy stammeringly, extremely nervous when relaying this message to Shirley.
A sigh escaped Shirley, she had already surmised that Rosemary would not keep quiet about this matter. Although Shirley was sure that her father had also heard this news, but still she suspected that Rosemary would definitely add some spice when talking about this to her father.
"Alright, I understand. Take care of things, I'll be leaving soon." Before getting up, Shirley wiped her lips first.
With slow steps Shirley walked to her father's study, she would not rush when she knew that her father would be angry with her this time.
When Shirley arrived in front of her father's study, she could see one of her father's assistants outside the room. And he announced Shirley's arrival right away.
With the door opened, Shirley entered the room and could see that the atmosphere inside was very suffocating.
Shirley thought that she would be scolded to death by her father this time. Despite her fear, Shirley still walked up to her father with her chin up.
"I'm sorry I didn't see you immediately after returning, Father." Shirley looked straight at her father with a flat face.
"I've misjudged you. I thought you'd changed, but it turns out you've still got that bad temper of yours!" Gilbert pounded the table angrily.
"I don't think what I did was wrong, they patronised me first," Shirley replied unmoved.
Gilbert felt his headache returning, "You offended Duke Blair, how could you not feel guilty about that?"
"You should be asking what they did to me, not blaming me for my self-defence!" Shirley had no idea what these people were thinking, they didn't even ask her how she was after that day.
Thalia deliberately provoked her anger and Victor blatantly humiliated her by asking her to apologise to Thalia.
"Whatever you say, immediately go to Duke Blair's Manor to apologise to him." Gilbert was tired of fighting with Shirley, so he waved his hand to send her away from his room.
Unable to say anything more to her father, Shirley gritted her teeth in annoyance and turned to leave.
Shirley now realised that she could not depend on her family because they were just like everyone else.
Besides avenging herself on Victor and Thalia, Shirley also had to think of how she could get out of this house and live a quiet life.
However, even though Shirley didn't want to leave, she still had to go to the Blair's Manor because if she didn't then the crazy man would do something to her family.
Shirley already understood Victor's vicious nature and she currently did not have enough strength to oppose that bastard.
"Looks like I have to go to the capital soon," Shirley muttered softly.
Shirley did not want to waste her arrival to the capital just like that. She had to remember what happened in the novel and use it to her advantage.
Shirley had intended to invite Joseph to go with her, but she now had no idea where her brother was.
Either he had gone to his army base or gone somewhere else, so Shirley intended to go alone.
. . .
Shirley decided to leave for the capital this afternoon, now that she knew what to do after arriving at the capital.
At the exact moment when Shirley was about to head to the carriage that had been prepared for her, she met Joseph coming from the direction of her father's study.
"Joseph! Why are you here?" asked Shirley in confusion, she did not expect to see Joseph at home, considering how much her brother hated being here.
"Because of you, of course. I'm going with you to the capital, father asked me to keep an eye on you." Joseph said as he lightly tapped Shirley on the forehead.
Shirley immediately chased after Joseph when she saw that her brother had already walked ahead of her.
"Normally you would refuse anything that father tells you. Surprisingly, this time you agreed to it," Shirley said quickly.
"I also have to return to the capital, so I might as well hitch a ride with you," Joseph replied glancing over his shoulder while grinning at Shirley.
"I knew you would," Shirley retorted with a roll of her eyes.
With Shirley travelling to the capital this time together with Joseph, she only hoped that Joseph would not interfere with her business later.
Actually Shirley did not think too much about her upcoming meeting with Victor, she was more excited about the plan she had prepared well.
It seemed that before she went to the Blair's Manor, she had to take Joseph somewhere first. It would be good if Joseph could help her later.