Oh! My Empress

Ivan almost choked on his own saliva. He was just thinking the same thing! Everyone looked at Cecilia weirdly. Having blurted out her mind and seeing a lackluster reaction from everyone, she quickly realized that she spoke wrongly.

Her face turned red but she had no idea what she had done wrong. She had no idea how to salvage the situation.

Why? Did her mother not say that the wealthy people were the best and knew the best? What did she say wrong? She only said what she had been taught! Why were these people looking at her in disappointment?

"Could you please elaborate on your thoughts, lady Cecilia?" Isaac Laurent asked with a cruelty in his eyes, that sent down a shiver in Cecilia's spine.

This old man, he was being so generous with that punk but was treating her like an enemy.

Hmph! This wench was just trying to curry favor with the lower caste. Cecilia Whittemore knew she was correct, her mother had taught her so! And her mother was never wrong!

However, when she turned her head towards her mother, she saw a completely unfamiliar look in her mother's eyes – shame. Her mother… she was embarrassed of her response?

But why? She was the good daughter who always did as her mother had taught her! Why was this happening to her?

"I… I mean…," Cecilia fumbled for words but her mind had gone blank. Her eyes became full of tears, she felt ashamed and betrayed. Her mother should have spoken in her favor.

And Ivan? Why was he taking her sister's side too?

At this moment, she and her thoughts were alone. She could not hear what was happening outside. She needed to find a rational reasoning behind her words and put this earl and that wench in their place.

No, but still, she was technically correct. It made sense and the books said the same thing too. Historically, the people with title were always correct, and that was why they were worthy of their titles. Right?

There was no way the marquis would be foolish enough to put false blame on a commoner. What would he gain anyway? There was no smoke without fire, so there would have been something wrong with the poor son and mother.

She clenched her teeth and was about to say the words in her mind but Isaac Laurent had already moved on by the time. How did she miss this?

They should have waited for her! They both were lowly people, how dare they speak over her?

"I am very impressed with your analysis, lady Emmeline. Next question is about this area in duchy that is going through the drought…," Isaac Laurent had prepared about three questions for the kid.

He had not prepared them in depth because he was in the mood to have a back and forth discussion. There were going to be a lot of follow up questions to each question he had prepared.

However, this girl was so adept in answering and analyzing each statement, thinking in all kind of directions, including economic and sociopolitical aspects of each problem, that he was left speechless.

He did ask her two follow up questions but Emmeline was able to outdo herself and even raise issues that he himself or the duke had not thought about.

These problems, except the first hypothetical scenario, he had posed to her were real world problems the duchy was facing currently. But to think that this girl knew about the trades and trade routes in the duchy, he was shocked. This girl had more practical knowledge than her brother who had been studying since childhood for heirship.

She was worth teaching after all. Ivan Whittemore was not doing bad either. He had majorly agreed with Emmeline, bringing forth one or two points of his own to complement his younger sister's answers. And Cecilia? She had remained silent after her 'slip-up' and only nodded her head to agree with both of them.

At the end of the exam, the servants clapped for Emmeline, very enthusiastically at that and felt much more sympathetic towards her cause. They had no idea there was someone in the household who thought about commoners like them this much. They had only judged her based on the tantrums she had always thrown, but she had completely turned around after her accident.

No, they had a newfound respect for this kid. Even at twelve years old, she had such a kind heart. It was as if they had instantly forgotten about her cruel ways which was why many of them had stopped tending to her on their own in the first place.

Their faces were full of new vigor. They would not hesitate to work for this kid now.

Commoners were really fickle minded. They believed in anyone who spoke for them, they just wanted to feel heard. Even at the cost of someone pretending to be on their side and betray them later.

Hah! Kim Su Won almost facepalmed at their eyes shining towards her. She knew she had won over not only the commonfolk but that earl and his son too.

Ivan was only in awe of her for the time being but she knew he was a selfish person. He would be coming to her because he would probably want her brains for himself.

She was not even interested in the duke, the duchess or her elder sister. She knew all three of them would have a constipated look on them. As for Chris, she knew he had already passed. She just needed the official declaration from the earl.

After checking the paper sheets in his hands from all the four kids present, the earl nodded towards the duke. Isaac Laurent had a satisfied smile. The girl was not only eloquent in her speech but articulate in writing too.. She had certainly exceeded his expectations.