Chapter 444: SNAKE BEHIND THE MASK
“Ladies, is there something I can help you with?” Veronica asked.
Lady Rebecca started, “Mistress Veronica, it’s about Lady De la Pole...”
“You are not going to ask for an apology on her behalf, are you?” Veronica crossed her arm.
When the ladies looked guilty, she slowly shook her head.
“I have no idea what has got into you. Is Lady De la Pole that incapable of asking for an apology? If so, then why does she create trouble? She shouldn’t cause a problem if she cannot handle the consequences.”
After that, she walked away with Ovior.
“Mistress Veronica, please...” Lady Rebecca pleaded. Her face was pale. “If you don’t do it, we will be the ones who will face the consequences.”
.....
Veronica paused and then turned around. “What do you mean?”
Lady Arisa explained, “Our fathers have businesses and Duke De la Pole loaned us money to support the businesses. If something happens today, he will withdraw all the money and even sue us.
“It’s a large amount of money and our families cannot give him back that amount.”
Veronica had no idea that there was a reason like that; but, she wasn’t surprised.
“That’s quite a problem. No wonder you three stay with her even though she is a rude lady. But let me ask you, why did Lady Laila give away Lady De la Pole’s identity if her family was her benefactor?”
At her interrogation, Lady Arisa and Lady Rebecca exchanged glances and became silent.
Veronica smirked. “You need to come up with something solid if you want to mess up with me. Which families are you from?”
Lady Arisa and Lady Rebecca started trembling.
“Mi... Mistress Veronica, please don’t punish us. We haven’t done anything wrong!” Lady Arisa pleaded.
Her voice was rather loud. The nobles around them heard her and looked at them. They became curious when two ladies were trembling in fright.
“They are doing this on purpose,” Ovior muttered from behind only for Veronica to hear.
“You don’t have to tell me that. I can clearly see it,” she whispered back without looking at him.
She just attended the ball to check up on the Queen. She didn’t think some unknown people would come to ruin her reputation.
‘I haven’t even done anything to them. Then why...?’ she wondered.
“Look at her. Just because she is the Mistress of the magic Tower, she thinks she can do whatever she wants.”
“The audacity! It’s her first time attending an event and she dares to act so haughtily!”
“No manners at all. Just like her husband. What they say is true. Birds of a feather flock together. They are a match made in heaven.”
“Master Arthur surely has eyes for a partner who is as cruel and ruthless as him.”
“She could easily forgive these poor ladies. They are from good families. I’ve heard nothing but good stories about them. How can she pick a fight with them?”
“The Mistress of the Magic Tower is so dangerous. They just went to talk to her and she is ready to punish them. She has no manners at all.”
People around Veronica kept talking about her. People never badmouthed her so openly before.
When she roamed around the world, she met different kinds of people and faced many kinds of problems and issues.
Each time she faced something new, she screwed up. It was Urulas and his group that helped her get away with it.
This time, this kind of issue was completely different. She never faced anything like that before.
Ovior already warned her about being targeted and she was prepared for it.
However, all these people were criticizing her without knowing anything about her. They didn’t know right from wrong and kept badmouthing her.
Veronica felt wronged. Her heart twisted in pain.
She bit her lower lip to control her emotions. She didn’t want to cry in front of these people.
Ovior wanted to pat her back but after looking around he decided not to.
It wasn’t an appropriate time to do that.
He cleared his throat and politely told Veronica, “Mistress, please let me handle this.”
He gently pulled her behind his back and then he confronted the ladies.
“You keep saying not to be punished. But what did you do to be punished, ladies? Have you done anything?”
His voice was cold and his eyes were void of any emotions.
Chills ran down Lady Arisa and Lady Rebecca’s spines. They looked at him and forgot to tremble.
Lady Rebecca stuttered, “N-no... but Mistress Veronica is angry...”
Ovior asked, “Angry? Who is angry? Why would Mistress Veronica be angry with you, lady? Did you do something to her?”
Lady Arisa and Lady Rebecca were dumbfounded.
Lady Arisa answered, “Isn’t it because we did something wrong? I’m not sure what we did wrong. Mistress Veronica suddenly got angry and asked our family names. Isn’t it because she wanted to punish us?”
“My, my, have you fed your brain to the pigs?” Ovior shook his head in disbelief.
He added, “You came to talk to her but you have yet to tell your identity. Is it wrong for a person to ask for a person’s identity when they talk to each other?
“Moreover, it was clearly you who approached her first. She would be genuinely curious to know more about you. It’s a normal human reaction. Why do you think she is angry and wants to murder your family?
“From what I know, the people who come to talk first, they introduce themselves properly. But have you done that? How dare you come forward and make such a childish mistake and then create a scene to bring attention?”
Ovior’s cold voice traveled the surrounding area. Everyone heard him and became quiet.
They realized that they wrongly accused Veronica and became terrified.
They didn’t want to imagine what would happen if Arthur heard about the injustice that happened to his wife.
If they had nothing to defend themselves, Arthur would kill them and get away with it. They could do nothing to get revenge.
There was no way they could take that.
They were very offended by Lady Arisa and Lady Rebecca’s actions and glared at them.
Lady Arisa and Lady Rebecca were dumbstruck. They didn’t think the angry eyes would turn on them.
Their family businesses were mostly related to the aristocrats. That’s why they always had to maintain a certain image and had to have a good relationship with all the nobles.
If the nobles get angry at them, their business could be damaged.
Lady Arisa and Lady Rebecca bowed and said, “I’m sorry! We are sorry! Please forgive us! We were wrong! We were wrong!”
They apologized pitifully and shed tears.
Veronica wasn’t moved by their actions. It was clear that they wanted to frame her when she did nothing to them.
However, her softheartedness surfaced when she thought about their family businesses.
‘Oh, well, maybe Lady De la Pole made them do this. What can they do about that? It’s not like they are going to trust a person who they met for the first time,’ she thought.
She told the ladies, “Ladies, the reason I asked for your family names is simple. I wanted to know more about your family business.
Why did you have to twist it like that? I understand that the title is too powerful and you are afraid of that.
“If you don’t have the courage to share your identity while having a conversation with someone, you shouldn’t talk to them in the first place.
“I’ve lost interest. Leave my sight. I’ll forget today’s event as long as you don’t appear before me.”
The nobles heard her speaking to the ladies and understood her intention.
“These ladies are quite something.”
“Did they just realize that they turned down a good sponsor for their family businesses?”
“The Mistress of the Magic Tower was interested in their business. Maybe she would become their customer. If that happened, their customers would grow even more.”
“They will be reprimanded by their families when they go home.”
“Will the business still stand after this incident?”
“I thought they were smart but I was wrong.”
“I’ve seen stupid people but I didn’t see people this dumb.”
Lady Arisa and Lady Rebecca were stunned. They did have some plans in mind and that’s why they approached her.
Veronica seemed like an amicable lady but they didn’t think for a second that the Mistress of the Magic Tower would be so generous.
They just shared their problems and never even imagined that Veronica might help them.
.....
If the Magic Tower were to become their sponsor, they would never have to worry about Duke De la Pole.
They wouldn’t have to become Lady De la Pole’s lackey and clean up her dirty mistakes.
Having the second most powerful woman in the kingdom backing them, their reputation would grow higher.
But they shot themselves in the foot with their stupidity. And there was no way to turn back.
An apology wouldn’t work since Veronica didn’t want to see their faces again.
They pushed their anger toward Lady De la Pole.
“What is going on?”
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