Chapter 12
It was none other than Consort Darling, the marquise’s close friend.
Seeing that someone finally stopped Rupert’s rampage, the maids of the washhouse were promptly bursting into tears.
“Milady…”
“Please, you have to help us!”
However, a dozen maids crying a fit together was certainly a ruckus, and Consort Darling frowned as she turned toward the senior maid at her side.
Nodding in understanding, the senior maid promptly snapped, “Get changed already! Or perhaps you prefer to get sick and cause inconvenience for the palace? Would you get to keep your heads, I wonder?”
The maids finally stopped crying at that, all of them scrambling to get out of the laundry pool and running indoors.
Once everyone was gone, Consort Darling finally turned to Rupert, frowning when she saw that he was still holding a pole.
“What?” She demanded coolly. “Are you going to bludgeon me too?”
Rupert finally dropped the pole and bowed her head. “I would never dare.”
“You would never dare? When you already stormed the palace?” Consort Darling shook her head, clearly frustrated by Rupert’s brashness.
The washhouse might be a place for servants, but it was still a part of the palace.
If word spread that someone attacked the washhouse deliberately, forget Rupert–the marquis ‘ entire family would be made to pay.
Rupert certainly knew that he should never have come.
In reality, Lilian wasn’t just bullied because she broke the princess‘ bowl–the emperor also intended to measure the marquis‘ loyalty.
As such, they never sent a messenger to Lilian, let alone visit. It was their way of showing the emperor they were always loyal to him, and his to command–whatever his will may be, they would obey it without question.
But Rupert simply couldn’t stop himself the thought of the other maids forcing Lilian down into that laundry pond left his rage ablaze, and he couldn’t quell it whatever he did.
Still, he breathed a long sigh and dropped to his knees, “I understand that I’ve been reckless. I am willing to take any punishment.”
Consort Darling was definitely furious, but she also knew Rupert since he was a child, and
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couldn’t bear to punish him that badly in lieu of her friendship with the marquise.
Be that as it may, this mess would get worse If she didn’t intervene before the emperor caught wind.
Waving Rupert off, she sighed. “You may go. I will decide what is to be done here–but remember, you are never to set foot here ever again.”
In reality, Rupert’s rage never subsided despite having punished those maids, but he could only obey at this point.
Returning to his carriage, he stared at the feet warmer.
He had bought it for Lilian, and it had the pattern of cherry blossoms—her favorite.
But Lilian never entered the carriage, let alone see it.
Now, the feet warmer simply sat there, looking abandoned and alone.
Still, Rupert then remembered what Henry had said that he had a foot warmer along with snacks in his carriage, but Lilian touched neither
And if she wasn’t interested in Henry’s goodwill, she would be even less interested in Rupert’s.
That brat was even more stubborn after three years! She really didn’t measure up to Evelyn at
all!
If Lilian could just be as sweet as Evelyn… No, if she would just treat him like family, would he have kicked her at all?
Still, Rupert only got further annoyed as he remembered Lilian’s sprained foot, and suddenly the foot warmer was an eyesore too.
Soon, he opened the carriage door and threw it out altogether–out of sight, out of mind!
As he was in such a terrible mood, he didn’t return to the marquis‘ residence immediately, instead heading over to a tavern to drink.
The skies had darkened when he finally returned, and was surprised to see that his entire family was waiting.
At the parlor of the marquis‘ residence, the marquis himself was sitting on the main seat, while the marquise stood nervously nearby, sneaking peeks at the marquis‘ face from time to
time.
Even Lilian was summoned there to wait for Rupert, though Evelyn was absent–after gulping too much pond water, the doctor insisted that she rest.
Earlier, the marquis was already waiting at the parlor when Lilian arrived.
It was the first time they met in three years, but the marquis merely shot her a look and said
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nothing.
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For her part, she bowed politely and said nothing elther, let alone look at him twice.
She must have stood there waiting for half an hour, when Rupert showed up, fashionably late.
As he strode in, he was clearly a little drunk.
Considering that he could stomach his liquor, it was obvious he drank a lot.
Still, he was immediately on his knees, clearly aware of what was going on. “I have caused trouble because of my brashness. I won’t complain about any punishment-
Just as he finished, a tea cup was sent flying, striking him squarely on the forehead, shattering
over it.
The marquise yelped in shock as she saw the blood streaming down Rupert’s brow, and leaped forward as she cried at her husband, “What are you doing? Are you trying to kill Rupert?”
“Then why don’t you ask him what he did?!”
However, the marquis was heaving from sheer rage. “Attacking the palace?! Do you think. we’re having it too easy these days, and you had to get me into trouble?!”
He did not even dare to make a sound when the emperor was informed, fearful that the emperor would order to have his entire family arrested in his rage.
Still, even as Rupert clutched his forehead, his expression remained defiant. “I know that I’ve made a mistake, but there’s no holding back. Moreover, I was just teaching those maids at the washhouse a lesson–no one died. Even if the emperor demands punishment, I am willing to lay down my life!”
The maids of the washhouse?
As Lilian stood in her corner, her head skipped a beat as she realized why the marquis had summoned her to wait for Rupert too.
Still, she frowned as she listened to the marquis bellow at Rupert, “You wretch! It wouldn’t be a problem if you’d just get yourself killed, but you almost got all of us killed! Don’t you remember that your grandmother is old now?!”
“It’s not that serious!”
The marquise promptly leapt to Rupert’s defense. “Consort Darling has already found a solution, and the emperor isn’t that unreasonable. This won’t ge
out of hand!”
As she spoke, she was glancing at Lilian, who seemed to sense that and looked up.
Though she watched as the marquise promptly turned away as if afraid to face her, she still noticed the clear guilt in her eyes.
Lilian immediately had a bad feeling about It–her instincts screamed that Consort Darling’s so–called solution must have something to do with her.
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