"w-what..." Evelina clenched her fist and her eyes were forming tears.
Chase looked at Evelina in disbelief.
"You shameless lady! Do you take me for a fool!?" The usually composed Marchioness could no longer hold her disgust and anger.
"N-no! This....I..." Evelina wanted to defend herself, but she couldn't utter the words.
"Don't try to explain yourself! Your intentions are clear enough!"
"Wa-wait...."
"Lady Evelina is this true..?" Chase's gaze towards her no longer looked so warm.
Her heart was beating so fast, Evelina felt her heart was gonna pound out of her chest.
"It seems I was unable to see your true colors in the past. I never knew you were so shameless to claim someone else's hard work as your own!"
"I-i....." Tears already started to drop.
The Marchioness turned to a nearby maid and said, "escort lady Evelina out. She is no longer welcomed here"
The Marchioness was highly offended. She was a lover of embroidery and was very passionate about it.
The 'Angelina Skyler's was small and could barely be seen. But the Marchioness was able to spot it as soon as she took a closer look.
"Marchioness......" As Evelina was being forcefully taken by the maid, she cried.
"Don't look at me like that. I only feel more disgusted"
Hearing that Evelina gritted her teeth. She now held resentment towards the Marchioness for humiliating her and her hatred towards Angelina also grew.
The Coachman who was waiting outside saw Evelina who was in tears.
"Eldest miss?"
"Shut up!" Evelina quickly hid her face and got in the carriage.
"....." The Coachman could do nothing but sigh and begin the journey back.
**********
Angelina was admiring the flowers in the garden when she heard the sound of hoofs and saw a carriage.
"The eldest miss must have arrived home" Marie who was behind Angelina informed.
Angelina nodded and said, "well let's go welcome her back"
"...?" Marie was confused. Her miss definetly knew the hostility Evelina had for her, so why is she still willing to welcome her back?
Marie grew up in a small town and lived the simple life as a commoner. So naturally she didn't experience the fierce battle of noble ladies.
During a gathering, a lady must be prepared to defend herself with her words.
Who knows what slander awaits them?
In the world of aristocrats, it was the strongest, most clever, and most powerful who survived.
As nobles, it was natural for them to push someone down once they are weak and vulnerable.
Nobleman battled through power and politics.
The noble ladies fought with words with hidden meanings during gatherings and more.
They would flatter the ones above them, and harm the ones below them. Towards the people who were at the same position, they could be an ally or a threat.
As Angelina entered the lobby, she could see the distressed Evelina step out the carriage and run inside, covering her swollen eyes.
"What's wrong with the eldest miss...?" Maria was also confused.
"How should I know, Marie?" Angelina chuckled.
The important thing was that Evelina was crying. Angelina of course would be delighted to see her enemy suffer.
She swore she would make Evelina suffer a thousand times more than how she suffered.
She burned to death! It was a slow but painful death!
She had to endure and watch as she saw her limbs, one by one be burned off, and seeing her skin turn black!
She would definitely not let Evelina off!
**********
As Evelina ran pass the halls towards her bedroom, other servants who were passing by saw her.
And they couldn't wait to gossip.
"What happened to lady Evelina?"
"I don't know but It must be horrible to make her cry like that!"
"Is it just me...but I'm starting to get tired of her crying..."
"Yeah... yesterday she was crying her eyes out...and now she's doing it again... it's like the mansion is always filled with the sound of her cries..."
"I kinda pity lady Evelina...I wonder what happened..?"
"Are you serious? When I was passing her bedroom, I heard lady Evelina shouting at, who I think is sister Carol."
"Me too! I never knew lady Evelina could act so cruelly!"
The servants whispered. Some however did not and Evelina was able to hear their words clearly.
'damn it..damn it!!' Evelina bit her lip.
"Miss...? Wh-whats wrong?" Carol was suprised to see Evelina slam the door open and crying.
"Shut up! This is your fault!" Evelina continued to shout.
"Wh...what happened miss?"
"I clearly told you what I planned to do. Why didn't you tell me there was that b*tch's signature on the handkerchief!?"
"...I-i....miss...I didn't realize..."
"You stupid b*tch! Your useless! Your all useless!" Evelina tore the pillows on her bed and as well as some stuffed animals.
"M'lady please calm down..!"
"Shut up!"
As Evelina continued her violent tantrum, Angelina who stood outside her door silently giggled.
"Wow...I never knew lady Evelina had such a.... temper" Marie was shocked.
"Well as they saying goes, 'you can't judge a book by its cover' " then Angelina walked away with Marie.
When Angelina approached her bedroom door, she saw a maid that didn't belong to the Skyler Mansion, holding something, waiting for her.
"What is it?"
"Oh lady Angelina!" The maid handed out the item. It was a handkerchief.
The handkerchief she embroidered.
"This....." Angelina was confused. She gave this to Evelina. How did it end up in the hands of a maid?
"This was sent by Marchioness Casspan."
".......please give the Marchioness my thanks" After a moment, Angelina was able to understand what was going on.
"Mm" the maid nodded, then bowed, and left.
"Ha.." Angelina smirked.
**********
"So?" The Marchioness asked as she rubbed her temples.
"It has been delivered, your grace" the butler of the Casspan mansion responded.
"Good" the Marchioness sighed.
"I can't believe someone would dare steal their own sister's work and claim it as their own.....I'm disappointed in myself for thinking she was a decent lady in the past..."
"Be at ease, your grace. The important thing is that you now have understood her true colors"
"Indeed....."
"Creak...." They both heard the door to the drawing room open and glanced at it's direction.
"Has she left?" It was the Marquess.
"Mmhm" the Marchioness didn't even try to hide her bad mood.
"What happened?"
The Marchioness proceeded to tell him what happened before she kicked Evelina out.
The marquess was a little shocked.
"Hmph! That girl doesn't deserve to be engaged to Chase!"
"That's what i thought as well." The Marchioness nodded.
***********
During dinner, Angelina sat beside the duchess to discuss about her debut party.
"The seamstress will come over and take your measurements tommorow"
"Yes mother" Angelina's gaze shifted towards Evelina and she noticed her glaring at her.
"What's wrong, elder sister?" Angelina said while smiling innocently.
"....." Evelina immediately lowered her head.
"Are you alright, Eve? What happened with the Casspan family?" The duke was concerned. He, of course noticed his daughter's gloomy mood and swollen eyes.
"I-" just as Evelina was about to speak, the butler entered the dining room.
"Master"
"What it is, Ben?"
"Another letter has arrived from the Casspan estate"
"Oh. You may read to us"
"Wait!" Evelina had a bad feeling and wanted to stop the butler immediately.
"Is something wrong, Eve?"
"Ye-......n-no..."
"Then you may read to us the letter, Ben"
"Yes master"
The butler cuz open the envelope using a small dagger and took out the letter.
Then he began to read it out loud.
"To the Duke. As you know, your two daughters are both candidates to be my son's fiancee. Today i and the marchioness has made a decision."
Evelina shuddered.
".....After much consideration we have decided that our son's fiancee will be..."
The room went quiet. No one cared to make a sound. Only the butler spoke.
"The Skyler family's youngest lady, Angelina"
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A/N: I would like to thank my teacher for giving me 4 projects, and 3 homeworks :'D