Don't be afraid, darling ✔[COMPLETED]

Flashback

Her mother cut her off with a stern glare, "Did you just try to argue with me, young lady?" The servants sensed the storm and stepped back apprehensively.

Allyson flinched at the sound of the crystal glass smashing onto the polished marble floor.

"You dare to contradict me, you insolent girl? You dare talk back to me? You unmanageable, uncontrollable girl! Is this what I have taught you all fifteen years of your ignorant little life? All my hard work! All my years of training you! All gone to waste! All of it! No one dares talk back to me, no one! Not even my own daughter!"

Lady Veronique got up from her sofa in fury, all etiquette and sophistication forgotten.

Allyson edged backwards in fear. She had seen her mother's hysterical episodes before and each time, she backed away, not wanting to anger her even more.

"I try my best to bring you up as a perfect upper class lady, from an honourable family. But you are absolutely determined to rub my face in the mud and sully my and the family's good name in society! You should be ashamed of yourself, girl! Ashamed! Talking back to your elders, being insolent to your mother, running off to spend time with those worthless excuses for your brothers! What else have you planned to do? What else?!"

She raised her hand to slap Allyson. The girl twitched and shut her eyes tight, waiting for the hard sting of her mother's palm on her cheek.

But it never came. Allyson opened one eye a tiny fraction, to see what caused this miracle.

Miracle indeed....

Lord Markus Mantzari held his hysterical wife's wrist tight in mid air, with a hard expression on his face.
Lady Veronique looked at her husband, shocked. Words seemed to have failed her. Of course, her husband had never stopped her from doing something ever in her entire married life.

His gaze did not waver once as he brought down her raised arm and moved in front of her from her side, shielding Allyson.

"You will not hurt my daughter, Veronique. Control yourself." His voice was firm and commanding.

Lady Veronique stared at him like he had slapped her, "Markus! Did you just-"

"Stop you from raising your hand on your own daughter? Yes I did. And I do not think I have done anything wrong." He interrupted her.

Allyson gazed at her father in awe. No one had ever stood up to her mother. No one.

Especially not her father. But today? Today was something different. Things had changed. A lot.

The woman wrenched her hand out of her husband's grip, disbelief visible on every inch of her chalk white face, "She is my daughter! You do not interfere in how I decide to bring her up. We agreed on this, Markus!"

Lord Markus did not back down in the least, "As far as I remember, we agreed that you will bring her up in a civilized manner. Like a lady. But however less traversed in the matters concerning ladies, I am quite certain that I have never seen a 'civilized' lady raising her hand on her own daughter."

Allyson refrained from gasping with great difficulty. Inside, she was yelling with joy. She struggled to keep a poker face as her mother regained her composure and clasped her pale hands in front of herself, correcting her posture.

When she spoke again, it was in her usual cold and unfeeling voice, "I shall bring her up in whatever way that I see fit. You need not worry about that. You should go attend to your sons."