Trashes of the Counts' Families || Trash of the Count's Family || OC

40

It was eerily quiet around them as Adara finished speaking.

Venion's fists clenched, not expecting the words to come out of her mouth. He was not enjoying the look in her eye either. She seemed bored. Not at all taunting as she was a few seconds ago. Is she tired of annoying me? he wondered, his chest tightened at that thought. He thought we would feel glad she was, but it didn't seem so.

"N—." He huffed a breath out. "No. That's not what I—."

Adara interrupted him, smiling sweetly. She did not forget how he interrupted Eric, someone whom she held in higher regard than him. "Good. I did not think you were that insecure. So in need of validation."

Venion let out a wavering smile, about to speak but Adara wasn't done.

"So insecure that you think you only look good in one type of suit that you wear it all the time, or so insecure of not being successor and not being favoured by dear old daddy that you crippled your elder brother."

The image of Taylor in a wheelchair was fresh in her mind.

"Or, better yet," she continued, not giving a second for Venion to breathe, "so insecure because of your fake superiority complex and real inferiority complex making you think you amount to nothing in the larger scheme of things that you try to make an impact on the people around you to be remembered by. Because of this inferiority complex— which also stems from your fear of being disposed of by your father and/or siblings— you search for people who will give you a reaction. Whether it be a negative reaction like fear or insults, or a positive reaction like getting cherished and praised, you do not care. Except, of the latter you get none so you usually go for the former. Of course, I would never believe you are that insecure."

She knew Venion better than anyone. The best part of this interaction, of course, was that Venion could not do anything back. If this happened anywhere else, he would have been able to try and murder her in anger at her words. But, since it was at the Crown Prince's Banquet, surrounded by Nobles, he could not make an attempt on her life and nor could he say anything back.

Also, the way she formulated her sentences made it appear as though it wasn't an insult though that was clearly the undertone. And plus, he was too flabbergasted by her torrent of words to be able to formulate a reasonable response.

Adara had lost the smile she had at the beginning of her words. "Now. Run along, little Stan, go join your table and leave this young puppy with us. I promise we will take care of him," she said, flashing a vicious smile at Neo Tolz. "Oh, and I wish you good luck on your ascension to the position of Successor in your lovely Household. Marquis Venion Stan has a nice ring to it, does it not?"

She insulted them both with her last few words, though it was subtle. Neo Tolz, she insulted him by calling him 'young' though he was older than her. He knew less than her, had a lower position than her, and had less tact as seen as the stunt he tried to pull to aggravate them in front of the Palace. She especially showed him the differences of tact and class by how masterfully she insulted Venion.

Venion, she insulted him by not assuming that he was already Successor. She would not have needed to wish him good luck if his being the Successor was certain. She also insulted his Household while waving his wished position of future Marquis in his face.

It was verbal slap after slap.

Venion managed to control himself. "Yes," he struggled to stay. "It does."

Marquis Taylor Stan sounds better, she thought. The chances were higher for Taylor to get the Star of Healing from the Crown Prince and become the Marquis than it was for Venion to become the Successor. She smiled, sweetly, like how she smiled at Amiru. "Until we meet again, Venion."