Looking for My Fiancé's Lover

The scream was monotonous and short. I immediately picked up the napkin on the table and wiped my mouth. The disgusting smell and taste were still lingering, and I felt like my breathing was clogged.

“How dare you put this kind of tea in front of me? Are you crazy?”

Along with those words, another cup of tea was poured onto the maid. Caron, standing next to me, panicked and grabbed my shoulder, but unfortunately, I had no intention of ending it here. I got up from my seat and brought the teapot neatly placed on the table behind me. The maid, who had been on her knees under my nose, was on the verge of shedding tears. She was looking up at me with her distraught face.

Does she think I would take a step back if she looks at me with those eyes?

I poured the tea in the teapot over the maid’s head. The colour of the tea was as red as the maid’s hair, and the temperature was warm enough to have vapour faintly rising from her head.

“You dared to deceive me, the Crown Prince’s fiancée. It meant no different from deceiving His Highness Nezar himself! I wonder what kind of audacity you have within you to dare to do this. If you don’t want to receive a kick from me, then get the head maid or the butler here right now!!”

Hastily and frantically, the maid approached me. Even the tears were now all over her face.

You’re going to bow your head this easily, yet you still served tea filled with rotten water to the table I sat at?

The maid clutched onto my dress, lips trembling. Far from calming me down, it just added fuel to the raging fire inside me.

“I-, I-, I am deeply sorry. I deserve death. I will take whatever punishment you give me, please don’t tell the head maid! Please, I beg you!”

Noticing that her hands were soaked in the filthy water, I hurriedly pulled myself away. It was a spectacle to see her wet and messed up face, with her hair stuck up over her forehead, and above all, she was lying face down, weeping. Perhaps, sympathetic with that pathetic and ugly sight, Caron, who was watching on the side, said to me.

“Ka-Katrina, did you not like the tea? I’ll get you a new one soon. So don’t be angry.”

“You are asking whether I like the tea?!”

I tilted the teapot with green vines on the empty cup. There were only three or four drops left because it was all poured on the maid, but it was more than enough to hand over to Caron.

“Try it. No, don’t swallow it, just put it on your tongue.”

Caron quickly looked into my eyes, face gloomier than before. She stared quietly at the cup I handed her, but she did not bring the cup to her lips nor did she taste the tea. After staring at the amount of rotten water barely filling the bottom of the teacup, Caron smiled bitterly. The forced-up corners of her lips twitched slightly upon reaching her cheekbones.

“No, I think I’ve known without tasting it. About what you meant by…”

The teacup was eventually put back onto the table. Her lips were shut tight. Standing three or four steps away, it was clearly visible to me that she was silently clenching her teeth. Her lips, which were flushed like petals, became swollen as if they were about to burst. If I were her, what would I be struggling with now? Would regret come first or was it shame?

“I’m sorry, I’m terribly sorry, lady Katrina. This is all my fault…”

“What nonsense is this? It can’t be your fault. Don’t apologise or watch how I respond so passively. If you’re a lady from a long-established household, shouldn’t you correct the maid’s fault yourself?”

I reached out and cupped her face, raising her chin, which was tilting downward. Caron’s eyes were already swollen red from her tears. It had only been a week since we had known each other, but things just had to come to this.

If Caron had not met me at the Knights’ headquarters, how long would she have to endure this unfair treatment?

Even though her head was raised, Caron’s gaze was still flitting somewhere near the garden anxiously. Leaving Caron for a short while, I walked over to the prostrate maid with a blank face. Even after looking at Caron’s angelic appearance, my anger did not subside, and when I once again faced the cursed woman head-on, heat boiled up in my chest.

(Smack)!

“Argh!”

I gave the maid a hard slap on the cheek with plenty of mixed emotions. Standing near Caron, I could feel her shoulders trembling. But it wasn’t the time for me to mind that, as I turned the maid’s head, which had been flipped to the other side from the hit, back to my direction.

“Why are you screaming? Can’t you just shut your mouth? Shout one more time and I’ll call the head maid. Got it?”

The maid, who nodded vehemently, bit her lip as a sign of heeding my warning. She wasn’t biting as hard as Caron did though. But she might in the future. Or maybe even harder… Soon.

(Smack)!

“This is for daring to be cocky and insolent to me.”

(Smack)!

“This is for daring to deceive the Crown Prince.”

(Smack)!

“This is for…”

“What in the world is going on?!”

“…disdaining Caron.”

I slowly withdrew my hand. It was because a sharp female voice was heard from the other side. The maid, who had been terribly beaten by me, covered her cheeks with both hands and quivered constantly. I could have been sympathetic to her dreadful state with that shabby appearance and small build, but I felt no pity at all. Rather, I regretted not being able to give her a fifth slap. I could not even imagine how viciously she had tormented Caron until now.

“What on earth is this…?”

An old woman with wrinkles on her face ran into the middle of the chrysanthemum garden. The black lace collar that distinguished her from other maids was telling me who she was. If my prediction wasn’t wrong, she would be the head maid of Entera Castle.

Were the slaps that loud? Well, frankly speaking, I didn’t think it would have been quiet either, since I put all my emotions into those hits. I then kindly explained the current situation to the maid just appeared.

“That crazy maid tried to assassinate me.”