The servants immediately dispersed when they heard Dante voice. Dante's heart skipped when he saw Camilla lying on the ground unconscious on the ground with blood on the ground.
He rushed to her. "What happened?" he asked.
The servants all kept quiet and nobody said a thing.
"I asked what happened?" he asked again.
"Sir, I witnessed everything that happened and I will tell you. The security cameras can also corroborate my story but for now she needs to see a doctor" Maria said.
Dante stepped forward and picked her up in his arms. "Call the doctor Maria" he said.
Dante carried her to his room and Maria called the family doctor. The doctor came soon and checked her, he cleaned the wound and dressed it. He injected some drugs into her and then instructed them to let her sleep.
"Now, tell me what happened?" Dante asked Maria.
Maria narrated everything that happened. "Why didn't you tell me about this when you found out? I had previously instructed the madame to give her little chores" Dante asked Maria.
"I just found out today sir, I was on my way to the kitchen to confront the madame when I saw the entire situation. I am also surprised that she didn't say anything to me or to you about it" Maria said.
"she just asked me when she would stop working and I told her she would only stop when I saw remorse. The audacity of that woman to give her those harsh disgusting punishments".
"What are you going to do?" Maria asked.
"Oh, I am going to give her a severe punishment and then fire her. Write down the names of all the servants present at the scene too, they will all be fired too" he told her.
"Yes sir" Maria replied and went to do what Dante had ordered.
Dante sat down by her side, he reached out and stroked her hair.
"Why didn't you tell me what was going on. What a prideful little girl" he scolded her gently like she could hear him.
Dante stayed by Camilla side until he woke up. He would clean the sweat from her brow and check over her from time to time.
After some hours, she woke up looking dazed. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"Just feeling a little headache" she replied.
He reached out and massaged her temples. "feeling better?" he asked.
"Yes, I am" she replied.
"Why didn't you tell me what was going on?" he asked.
"I didn't want you to think that I was troublesome" she replied.
He stroked her hair. "I wouldn't have thought you were troublesome. I had earlier instructed her to give you light chores"
"I guess I thought if I just obeyed her, she would have eventually lessened her behavior on me" she replied.
"Bullies don't just change, your obedience only fueled her behavior more" Dante told her.
"I suppose you are right, I am sorry, next time I won't keep such a thing away from you" Camilla told him.
"You better not" he replied and then he kissed her forehead.
"I learnt you haven't eaten anything all day, I will get you some food and then you will take your drugs" he told her.
"Okay"
He patted her cheek and then he stood up to get her food.
Some minutes later, he returned with a plate of food. Camilla was very hungry, she attacked the food with the ferocity of a hungry wolf.
"You can slow down princess, there is still more food" he told her, an amused grin on his face.
She looked up from the food, pieces of food were smeared on her cheek and in the corner of her lips.
"Sorry, it's just that I am hungry and the food tastes so delicious. Who made it?" she asked.
"Maria" he replied.
"She did a wonderful job, it's so good" she said with enthusiasm.
He smiled and took a napkin and cleaned her mouth with it. "well she would be shocked to see you eating like an hooligan" he told her.
"Don't care, very hungry" she mumbled with food in her mouth.
Dante smiled even more at how adorable she was. "What do you want me to do to the madame and those servants who were in the background laughing at you?" he asked her.
"What do you mean do?" she asked.
"Well a punishment would be very suitable for them" he replied.
"and you want me to recommend the punishment?" she asked.
"Yes, that was the plan" he replied.
"if you were the one, what punishment would you recommend?" she asked him.
He looked up thoughtfully. "well if I was the one, I would recommend a hundred lashes for the madame, fifty lashes for the servants and then a sack letter to each of them"
"Lashes?" she asked with a frown.
"Yes, lashes" he confirmed.
"Well i do think giving them lashes would improve their appearance but how is that a punishment? Or do you want them to look good while leaving the job?" she asked him.
He looked at her, a confused expression on his face wondering what the hell she was talking about.
"What the hell are you talking about?" he asked.
"Well you said you wanted to give them lashes, aren't you talking about giving them eyelashes?" she asked.
He groaned and was just about to call her stupid in every known language when he saw a mischievous twinkling in her eyes.
"You are messing with me right?" he asked.
She burst into laughter. "Sorry, I just couldn't resist it" she replied.
"You got me, I was beginning to doubt if you were still the smart girl I knew" he replied.
"Are you serious about the punishments?" she asked him.
"Yes I am, don't you believe they should be punished?"
"I do but I also believe in second chances, I think you should give them a second chance. Besides, don't you think punishing and firing them wouldn't endear me to their hearts at all?" she asked him.
"But then they would fear you" he replied.
"I would rather be respected than geared"
"So you don't want to punish them?" he asked.
"no, I don't. Please spare them for my sake" she pleaded with him.
He looked at her pleading face and didn't have the heart to deny her anything.
"Fine, I will forgive them this time but the next time any if them disrespects you or my authority again, I won't be so forgiving".
She smiled at him, "Thanks a lot" she replied.
Camilla finished eating and set the plate apart. "I am done eating" she told him.
"Okay, time for the drugs" he said as he placed the drugs before her as well.
She grimaced at the sight of the drugs. "I don't want to take it, I hate drugs"
"Camilla, I have been very understanding to you and yielding all your requests but this, I won't budge on. You have to take your drugs" he told her, he steeled himself not to give in, no matter how big her puppy eyes got.
"please Dante" she begged.
"no Camilla"
He stretched the drugs toward her and she turned her face away. "Please just take your drugs"
"no"
He tried to pull her face towards him and force her mouth open but it was to no avail.
"I am the head of a powerful mafia family and numerous men obey my whims and command yet I can't even get a little girl to take her drugs" Dante muttered to himself.
After several more fruitless minutes of trying to get her to take her drugs. He finally gave up.
"Okay, what do you want? I will get you anything you want, just take your drugs" he decided to go the way of bribery.
"Anything I want?"
"Anything"
Dante was expecting her to mention things like clothes, jewelleries or shoes, instead, to his surprise she wanted potted plants.
"potted plants?" he asked.
"Yes, I used to have sever potted plants in my room and I miss them"
"And where would I get this plants?" he asked.
"I have a customer, just get one of the men to take me there"
"Don't worry, once you are fine, I will take you there myself" he replied.
"Promise?" she asked.
"I promise" he replied.
"Then I will take the drugs" she told him. And without much ado, she took the drugs.
"now I want you to rest, the doctor said you were to have a lot of rest"
"I am feeling sleepy already, I will go to bed now" she told him.
"Good girl" he said and kissed her forehead.
"I have to go attend to some matters but Maria will be here to check on you occasionally".
"Okay"
He helped her get into bed and covered her with the blankets before leaving the room.
Dante went downstairs to the kitchen where all the domestic staffs were gathered waiting for him.
"Madame and the following servants come out" he ordered as he called the names of the other servants from the list that he had been given by Maria.