Chapter 4

A resounding sound of a slap echoes in the old mansion of Le Blanchet, the servants and the footman are all watching on the side with their eyes on the ground,who hit first and who has hitted?

“Such ungrateful brat!” There is clear anger with the voice of the baroness, in the middle of the hallway, Veta and her aunt confront.

“Mother! What was that yelling?” a young child came running down from the second floor and saw the horrible scene.

“S-sister Veta!” He panicked as he saw the thin body of the young child slumped on to the floor with messy hair, wearing the outworn indoor dress she has been wearing for years is no longer be repairable as it was torn by the sleeves and the buttons were pulled out.

It seems like she was not only slapped but also grabbed by the hair as well as the struggle causing her clothes to be ruined. Immediately the young child removed his jacket, even though he has a smaller frame than Veta, he managed to cover the front area of his sister as the old camisole covering her bosom has thinned and is barely covering it.

“Moreau, get away from that wench!” His mother, the baroness, called to the young child.

“Mother, why are you hurting sister Veta?” The young child hugged the slim body of his elder cousin as if trying to comfort her.

“This is something that us adults must discuss, just go upstairs.” With the looks of his mother, it was clear to him that if he were not to listen, he would be punished, however the visible swollen cheek of Veta worried the young child.

“Sister is still a minor mother, we should leave together.” His grip on Veta got tighter and he hid his face at her shoulder awaiting what is next to be blurted out by his mother.

“Don’t make me repeat again, Moreau, if you don’t want to be beaten with a stick, stay out of it.”

“B-but…” With the words of the baroness, the young child felt helpless, although he was the heir and the only son of the barony couple, he was raised under strict rules, his mother doesn’t if the tutor hits him, even though he tried to do his best on his studies, a single mistake will be equivalent to a few beatings. 

He even started sword training at the young age of seven, his frail little body that barely held the wooden sword would often get beat up by the knights in the training hall. Treating him like one of them, the baron even instructed the knights not to spoil the young child and make him do the same training as the squires in training. The commander just unwillingly supervises the young master as he cannot go against the words of the baron he is serving.

Veta, the only one who argued with the immature squires at how they treat the young Moreau, for him only his elder sister who is gentle and caring, is the salvation all he needed.

“Just go back to your room, Moreau.” she is on the verge of crying is trying to hold back, Veta is weak in front of the baroness who has bigger figure to her and of course has more strength and authority in the house, the people in this mansion has confused the baroness as their master ever since Veta who has been absence in the mansion during her time in the academy.

The butler who ‘s a loyal servant of her father and even the nanny who took care of the Le Blanchet siblings, has been given an early retirement by Baron Rhodes, giving the reason that someone who is working under Rhodes must serve in Le Blanchet since he is going to be a guardian. Without knowing this, Veta came home with a total unfamiliar Le Blanchet household.

The young girl growing in an indifferent household, soon became a stranger at her own home. She stayed because it is what left for the memories of her family, this is where she was born, the hallway she first walked, the dining they ate together as family and the garden which she and her family spent the weekends in.

The ringing pay on her left cheek started to ache, she also tasted blood inside her mouth, must have been bitten her tongue or due to the strength of the slap. Her vision blurry of the tears prevailing to fall, she faces the baron head on. Several years of enduring the abuse of her supposed guardian and their indulgence from the wealth of Le Blanchet, Veta decided to finally speak out to her aunt.

I’ve got enough aunt!” This time her voice raises, making her aunt flinch. All these years she remained timid and quiet about the things in front of her, saying once she gets back what is hers, she will be able to make a comeback and raise the name and honor of her family. She took a step forward making her aunt yield back, when the main door suddenly bursts open, revealing the butler and the Baron.

“What is this commotion!” The tipsy baron who just came back from a party shouted, making the servants tremble in fear that he will make a fuss and throw things again. This habit of the baron came to light when Veta discovered that the couple had embezzled a portion of Le Blanchet for their own interests. When she asked about it, both of them denied and told her off, making her like a naive child who knows nothing about business. 

“Dear! Are you drunk again!? Which Night house have you gone to again!” The relationship of the couple is stagnant, it was a public secret in the mansion that her aunt has a young man who is one of the servants who has been entertaining her in the absence of the baron, while the later is openly visiting night houses and even has a mistress among the flowers kept in there. 

“Wife, don’t yell at me, didn’t you know that I’ve brought the money coming into this household, you should be thankful that I still come home to this old household!” It is not new to Veta’s ears, she has seen the worst of this couple and knows how they eat each and everything they can from the Le Blanchet.

“This sleazy man!” Veta cursed in her mind, the baron never ceases his shamelessness claiming that he was the savior of this household. The couple continued to argue, when the someone who came with the baron interfered.

“I see that both of you still lit the harmony as husband and wife.” With a sneaky smile, the man slowly removed his hat revealing his face that shocked Veta.

It was the face of that man who looked at her father with contempt.

Louie Gautbert.

“Mister Gautbert! Pardon me and this husband of mine!” Her aunt immediately changes her attitude and expression, that look of someone who sees something they’ll benefit. To the Rhodes couple, Louie Gautbert is someone they not only respect, but more of they worship not him but the money that he lends the two.

“It is such a pleasure to see you are well Baroness Gracia, however my visit seems like it's a bit untimely since it seems like your family has an important meeting.” His dim eyes looked around the mansion and saw the tension in the air, until his gaze stopped at Veta who became on guard and fixed the piece of jacket that Moreau lent her.

An upward curve formed on his lips.

“No, no! You are always welcome to visit Mister! Anyways, what business do you have in our humble household?” It has been a few times that Gautbert visited the mansion, whenever Veta heard of the news she would often escape and go to the field and pass time helping the villagers.

“Well, it’s been a while and I am here of course to see Lady, I’ll assume that this grown up lady is Veta right?” Disgusted, her face contorted at the malicious look of the man old enough to be her father. The rumors she discovered at the Phlox Mansion made her realize that it was the subject this man had come to the house.

“Ah yes ! Yes! It is Lady Veta as you can see, she has grown into a fine lady!” As if the argument early never happened the baroness fixes Veta which she refused and stayed away from her.

Knowing that Veta is defiance, the three adult knew that the young child is no longer easy to control, thus, they all made that look as if eating her alive to threaten the young lady, but Veta who has the tiniest courage last in her didn’t back down not until Gautbert cleared his throat spoke again.

“You all knew that the last time I lent you was due and the winter season was near.”

“You owed him again?” Veta with widened eyes condemned the couple.

“We… Erm..” Both of them didn’t want to be on the bad side of the other man and ignore Veta’s questioning.

“Well, since we have already had a prior discussion, maybe I can take interest first.”

“The thing is we don’t have the money yet to pay the downpayment Mister.” Baron Rhodes pleaded.

“It’s fine, since we agreed on the other matter.”

Veta gulped.