“Your Highness, there’s no need to continue like this. You can’t go on like this. You’re going to be my brother-in-law.”
“Elise…”
“I told you before. I have no intention of marrying you. And it’s not a rumor. I really slept with His Highness Karan.”
A crack appeared on Chase’s face, which had been forcing a smile. He clenched his mouth tightly.
Until now, he had been able to stay sane because he believed it was all a lie. But the moment he saw Elise’s firm expression and unwavering eyes, he realized.
Everything is true.
Elise had been fooling around with that barbarian.
Did she kiss him with the same mouth that whispered love to him? Did she touch that bastard with the same beautiful hand that wrote letters to him?
Chase’s jaw tightened. He gripped the table with force.
“I’ve said what I needed to say. Congratulations on your marriage to Iris. You two are quite a good match.”
Elise stood up, leaving Chase behind.
“Stop right there!”
Chase, who had come to his senses too late, jumped up.
The chair, unable to withstand the force, rolled on the floor.
He quickly closed the distance with Elise and grabbed her shoulder.
“That bastard tricked you, didn’t he? You just fell for his scheme. You’re doing this because you feel sorry for me, right? Say it’s true. You’re upset because you can’t get engaged to me.”
Elise looked down at her grabbed shoulder.
Her shoulder was sore because Chase, who was angry, failed to control his strength.
She forcibly removed Chase’s hand.
“I don’t regret it. Not getting engaged to you, and spending the night with His Highness Karan. So stop acting so pitiful. It’s time to let go of a love that never existed.”
Where did this lingering affection come from? Was it just because she was the first to break off the engagement and his pride was hurt, it was unknown.
Elise no longer wanted to meet Chase privately.
He must have understood by now.
Elise turned her body around.
****
Fraser was a fast man.
In case Langle changed his mind, he had already spread rumors in the social world.
A fairy-tale-like love story was created as Langle wanted.
Iris and Chase fell in love at first sight, but Elise, who was attracted to Chase, chased him and kind Iris gave way.
In the meantime, Elise, whose heart was as light as a feather, caught Karan’s eye, and Iris and Chase confirmed their unchanging love and got engaged. It was a clear-cut fairy tale.
Thanks to that, Elise was receiving quite a bit of criticism in the social world and from the servants in the house.
‘This much scandal is nothing.’
When she first decided to break off her engagement with Chase, she had envisioned a worse outcome.
‘I thought I would be bald. I thought Fraser would put a shackle around my neck and drag me in front of Chase, but if I just get a few bad words, it’s not a bad result.’
She was quite satisfied with the current situation. As the maid brought warm milk, Elise enjoyed the evening time leisurely in her pajamas.
“I can’t live because it’s unfair!”
But Elise’s peace didn’t last long. Regina stormed into the room with an angry face.
Elise, who was putting down her milk cup, squinted her eyes when she saw Regina’s face.
“Why is your face like that?”
“I’m sorry, Miss. I fought. I shouldn’t fight when I think about you, but I couldn’t stand it.”
Regina, still angry, answered with tears rolling down her face. Elise looked at Regina’s chin.
Her lips were torn and there were bright red marks on her cheeks. It seemed like it would turn blue tomorrow.
“Who hit you?”
“It’s not that I got hit, I fought…”
Regina mumbled with her torn lips, as if it hurt her pride to say she was hit one-sidedly.
“I beat all three of them, Miss.”
Regina raised her fist. Her fist-clenched hand was swollen.
It was fortunate that she didn’t just get hit one-sidedly. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t upset.
“Your pretty face is all hurt. Tell me who you fought with. Who are the cowards who picked a fight one against many?”
Elise was genuinely angry.
Then, Regina’s anger, which had been boiling like a volcano, suddenly went out.
Regina laughed as if nothing happened.
“I won, Miss. I messed up the mouths of the bad guys who insulted you…Ah!”
Regina, who was talking excitedly, quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Then she frowned as if she had touched a wound.
“You fought because of me.”
The question was instantly answered, which was strange because Regina, who was careful even with her steps in case Elise’s reputation would be damaged, was being stubborn.
“Miss… don’t worry. I gave them a good scolding.”
Regina looked upset.
“Call out their names.”
Elise put on a coat over her pajamas. At her firm demeanor, Regina named three people.
They were all Iris’s maids.
Upon hearing the names, Elise immediately sought the head maid.
“What brings you here, Miss?”
The head maid was polite in title only, not hiding her displeasure.
Coming to find the head maid late at night, and that too in pajamas, was not a very desirable attitude for a noble lady in the head maid’s view.
‘No matter how low-born she is.’
The head maid of the Warton family, Suarez, was a noblewoman who became a maid when her family fell into ruin.
Perhaps that’s why she was more obsessed with nobility.
That’s why Elise, who was half a noble, didn’t fit in.
‘If only she was a bit more modest.’
Suarez’s evaluation of Elise was terrible.
To Suarez, Elise’s upright gaze seemed arrogant and her intelligence, superior to others, felt malicious.
Above all, what she disliked about Elise was this kind of unbecoming behavior.
Walking around in pajamas late at night. She was truly incomparable to Iris.
“What brings you here so late at night?”
“Do you remember?”
Elise stood up straight.
She exuded an aura that she hadn’t before. Suarez tensed up.
“What are you talking about?”
“When Iris’s maid made a mistake to me, you said that the maids’ affairs were your jurisdiction and you took her away to scold her. Is that still valid?”
“Yes, it is.”
“Then you’ll have to take responsibility this time too. Do you know that there are rumors about me among the maids?”
Suarez was about to say she didn’t know right away, but she closed her mouth. Apparently, Elise’s momentum was unusual.
Since there were always rumors about Elise among the maids, Suarez hesitated for a moment and nodded her head.
“Yes, I know.”
“Tell me. What kind of rumors are going around?”
“It’s a lowly useless thing. So don’t worry about it.”
“A lowly useless thing. It seems like you maids have a lot of free time. Enough to spread useless stories in a place without an owner. There were so many idle hands in the Warton family. I should suggest to my father to reduce the number of employees.”
Fraser would ignore Elise’s suggestion, but he would scold Suarez for causing a fuss.
‘In times like these, he might accept Elise’s suggestion. He’s been complaining that the employees’ salaries are too high.’
Suarez, sensing that she would be exhausted, immediately answered.
“No, Miss.”
“What do you mean no? That you maids don’t have work? Or that the useless thing you first told me about. Either way, you won’t be able to avoid responsibility.”
“Miss, please calm your anger. I will find out what’s going on. It’s late at night. It’s not a good time for you to be walking around.”
Suarez tried to teach Elise. Elise’s expression sharpened all at once.
“You said it. If you miss the timing, there are things you can’t learn. Today is the day you need to be taught. Bring the whip, Suarez.”
“What…”
“You couldn’t control your subordinates’ mouths, and the maids started a fight. Regina, come here.”
Regina, who had been hiding in the darkness of the corridor, revealed her shivering figure.
Suarez grimaced at the sight of her messed-up face.
“Minor disputes among maids are always there.”
“So it’s not a big deal because it’s always there. Is that what you think?”
Suarez nodded as if she agreed. Her figure was much more subdued than before.
Even so, Elise’s anger did not subside at all.
‘Was there even consistency? The reason she was tormented was not out of conviction, but because of a despicable nature to torment those who appear weak by sticking to the strong.’
Elise, who was even more angry, pushed Suarez and went inside.
“The maid is my father’s property. That maid was hurt so she can’t show her face anywhere. But you say it’s not a big deal? Ruining the owner’s property? Moreover, such incidents happen frequently? I can’t just let it go. Roll up your calf.”
Elise, who took the whip that Regina had timidly extended, hit the floor with it.
Suarez’s face turned red with shame. Whipping the calf was a punishment used when teaching young servants.
“Why are you standing there dumbfounded? Do my words sound funny? Or are you ignoring me because I’m a half-noble?”
Half-noble. That was a term only Suarez used.
Sometimes when she had to scold the maids who were caught bad mouthing Elise, Suarez would say this.
“Even if she’s a half-noble, she’s still a noble, so watch your mouth.”
Suarez’s complexion faded.
Her goal was to go to the royal palace. Being the queen or the king’s head maid was the highest position a head maid could dream of.
So she had a close relationship with Iris and behaved thoroughly to avoid being caught.
If what Suarez said is known, it would put a dent in Suarez’s goal of becoming a perfect head maid.
She can’t mess up here. Suarez bowed deeply.
“Miss, you’re mistaken. I’ve never thought that way.”
“Then there’s no reason to hesitate there. Come here and roll up your calf.”
Elise was firm as if there was no retreat.
😯😯😯😮😯😮😮