Sure enough, Lizzy turned pale and screamed.
“Father!”
“If you add even one more word, I’ll make sure Ari takes you back to your room!”
A fierce command was issued.
Lizzy’s lips trembled. Her large eyes were filled with words she wanted to say, but she seemed unable to speak for fear of losing her room.
Tsk! The Duke of Abercorn clicked his tongue and turned sharply to retrace his steps.
Thus, the play came to an end, and the audience hurriedly left under the watchful eyes of the butler and head maid.
With so many people gathered, there were many glances cast. Reading the mockery hidden in those gazes, Lizzy hid her trembling lips and muttered.
‘Damn it, damn it! That despicable, filthy bastard…!’
She had no qualms about cursing her father, who was not even her biological one.
Ariella scoffed at her. She felt she could understand what she was thinking without even asking.
How far ahead was the road, and how could she be so frustrated over such a trivial matter? It was a worrisome thing.
“Lizzy, did you want this so badly?”
Taking a step closer, Ariella mocked Lizzy with a look of pity. The gold earrings in her hand jingled with a clear sound as they swayed.
“Here. Then take it.”
She threw her earrings into Lizzy’s palm with a smile that seemed to express pity. It was an attitude as if she were giving alms to a beggar.
Lizzy rolled her large eyes and expressed her boiling anger.
“You…!”
“Shh, you need to be quiet. What will you do if you lose the room you just barely got after making a fuss? Or do you want me to prepare even more for your debutante ball?”
However, as long as what she valued most was held hostage, she could not dare to raise her voice.
Debutante. Her precious debut stage. Until it was safely held, she had to be careful with her behavior.
As Lizzy tightly closed her mouth, Ariella let out a soft laugh. Then she leaned down and whispered in a low voice.
“If you want to drag me down, next time, try stealing something I truly cherish. Not some hat or earrings that mean nothing to me.”
A slender hand lightly patted Lizzy’s shoulder.
Thwack! Lizzy harshly slapped Ariella’s hand away.
“Such a brat.”
Ariella chuckled and took a step back.
This level of provocation was enough. Having made her judgment, she passed by Lizzy and David without hesitation.
“But Lizzy, why do you keep such an idiot close? I didn’t know you had such poor judgment in people.”
“What? That crazy bastard… Hey! Are you just going to stand there?”
David fumed at the advice thrown his way as she walked past.
However, it was all just bravado; having just been scolded by his father, he couldn’t bring himself to chase after Ariella. He merely raised his fist and huffed in frustration.
“Dammit, who are you calling an idiot when you haven’t even been to the academy? Lizzy, you don’t need to be gloomy over that annoying girl. She’s just puffing herself up because she managed to endure once. In the end, she’s just a fake!”
David raised his voice, pretending to comfort Lizzy.
Lizzy struggled to suppress the urge to tell him to shut up. After all, her debutante was entrusted to Ariella’s hands because of him, and he dared to offer such ridiculous consolation?
If there was one thing Ariella said that aligned with her thoughts, it was that David was indeed an idiot.
However, there were certainly parts she could never agree with.
“Do you think I’ll just let this slide? Just you wait…!”
Ariella spoke of David as if he were utterly useless, but in truth, it was these kinds of fools that often turned out to be surprisingly useful.
“David, do you have another plan? I knew you must have something up your sleeve. That’s impressive.”
Lizzy quickly put on a pure expression. The way she gasped in admiration was so charming that David cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Of course! There’s no way I wouldn’t have a way to bring that girl down!”
“Using rough methods is scary, but… I just can’t forgive her. How dare she insult you, the heir of Bedford! If Arrie wants to understand her place, she needs to be taught a lesson. Otherwise, she’ll keep treating you carelessly like that.”
If she was bound hand and foot until her debutante day, then she could just use someone else. And a foolish, arrogant man was the easiest target to manipulate.
“Yeah, that’s true… If I leave it be, she’ll crawl back up just like before.”
As expected, David easily fell for Lizzy’s suggestion and vowed revenge.
What method would be good? He listed various ways to repay today’s humiliation in a fiery voice. But as expected of an idiot, none of them were useful.
“That’s good, but… how about this?”
Lizzy whispered the most dangerous and rough method into his ear.
Is it too extreme? There was no sincerity in her added voice.
