Chapter 1.24: Dealing with consequences

It took the teenager half an hour to convince Yeonhee that a break was necessary. The maid was fearful that the others would see it as favoritism and refused. Only when the teenager explained she’d talk to the women she agreed. One conversation with the head maid allowed Yeonhee a peaceful week of rest and favor in the woman’s eyes. Leila made sure to butter the elderly woman up with compliments on her cleaning techniques.

She praised her for how she ran the other maids and apprentices like a well-oiled machine. This made the old woman blush like a schoolgirl and thank the heiress excitedly for letting her know. She was grateful that the teenager had taken the time to stop by the servant's quarters to speak to her. Leila knew when she left that she had gotten a new advantage against Cleo’s family. She just had to make sure to hold on to it. If every head member of the staff was on her side, they would see her as invincible.

Hours later in the evening, she walked to her father's study. She was determined to get an answer out of him about Charmaine's status. She needed to know whether the woman was in danger. If the man had guards torturing her, she had to put a stop to it now. Her face was ice cold as she stopped in front of his door and knocked. Her knuckles banged against the metal hard enough to echo. She waited for any noise before repeating her action louder. After the fourth time, she heard her father get up from his chair and unlock the door.

He opened the door and towered over her with his large build. The man was dressed in a suit and had papers all over his desk, from what she could see. A folder was tightly gripped in his other hand, but he was hiding it behind his back. He must have been busy when she came and interrupted. A warm smile blossomed on his face at the sight of her. It beckoned her forward. All the stress in his body disappeared once he realized who was standing in front of him. They looked at one another awkwardly for what felt like an eternity before she spoke.

“Father,” she felt anxious about how intensely he was looking at her. “I want to talk to you about the prisoners. If you allow me.” She added the last part, hoping he would throw her a bone.

The man sighed and shook his head. “Cleo, we've talked about this already.” He moved to close the door, but she shoved her foot in front of it before he finished.

“I know, but I feel I deserve to know what’s happening to the man who assaulted me.” The teenager protested, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.

“I understand why you feel that way.” He reached out to touch her hair. He played with it affectionately before moving to her shoulder. “Still, it would be dangerous for me to let you see him.”

Leila frowned, not understanding what he meant. “How? There’s no way he can touch me chained to the ground.”

“I don’t think he can hurt you physically, my daughter.” The man suddenly looked tired as he watched her struggle.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

The teenager found herself at a loss for words. Did the man think she was so fragile that an insult would make her crumble? It was so absurd she fought the urge to laugh. It would take more than curses to take her down. She looked off to the side, unsure of what to do. She wanted to see Charmaine badly, but the old man was too protective. He wasn’t going to budge, even if she got on her knees and begged him. This was a sticky situation to be in and the jade-eyed woman found herself frustrated she had no control over it.

“I noticed you’ve taken a liking to his sister. So I have spared her from witnessing his punishment. But I won’t let you speak to her until her brother confesses all of his sins.” Cleo’s father looked at her with a type of fatherly love that the teenager was unfamiliar with.

“He won’t do that. He thinks I’m some sort of temptress after his sister’s innocence.” She remarked glumly.

“And so what if you are? Thousands of young women your age are the same.” Her father huffed out a hearty laugh. If he wasn’t so cheerful, the teenager would have stamped on his foot. “From what you’ve shared about his family, they need a marriage with a high-ranking noble. Correct?”

Leila raised an eyebrow. “Yes, they do. Their house is on the brink of collapse from how much debt they’ve accumulated. I’m honestly surprised they’ve been able to uphold their image for this long.”

“A family desperate for social status will do anything to keep it.” He looked satisfied with her answer.

“That means the Bryants have sent a request for their heir’s return by now,” she said, only to see her father’s smile widen with her confusion. She stopped herself and tried to think about what could have made him so happy. What came to mind made her jaw drop and her eyes widen comically. “They haven’t?”

Leila was at a loss for words. She had assumed the Bryant family would be frothing at the mouth, knowing their children were imprisoned. Even if they were heartless bastards, they had an image to uphold. If people believed the household didn't give a damn about their blood, they'd lose trust in their business. If someone was willing to let their kids be captured, they'd do the same with yours. The teenager couldn't believe the family had become so careless. It was astounding.

"I sent a mediator to try to speak to their father. He sent him back," the man chuckled as the teen gaped. "I then offered to set up a meeting, man to man. They said they'll be bringing this to court." Her father was amused at the cowardice he encountered. The idea of this all going to trial made her head spin.

“Court? We don’t even live in the same part of the country.” She muttered, trying not to panic. She didn’t know what she would do if they forced her to testify. Everyone in this world thought she was a traitor to the royal family. It would taint her testimony before she even walked in the door.

Seeing how upset she was becoming, her father moved to hug her. He held her close and patted her head with a scarred hand. Scalding water had burned it during his days in the field. “It’ll be fine. We can easily win in court against that pack of wolves. They’ll be laughed out of the courthouse with their tails between their legs.”

"Are you sure?" It all sounded too good to be true. The teenager couldn't help but feel there was more to this. But for some reason, the man wasn't telling her.

He gave her a reassessing squeeze as he answered. "Of course I am. You won't have to worry about a thing when I'm done with them." His words only made Leila’s suspicions grow more plausible.