At that moment, Ludwik's last words echoed in my mind, but they didn't trigger memories of Detlinde; they brought back memories of my own childhood. I was born with a prodigious mind, and as a child, my parents, siblings, and teachers all praised me for my incredible intelligence.
However, this admiration from adults only fueled resentment among my peers. No one wanted to be friends with the "nerd," so I found solace in the library, where I immersed myself in books to escape my loneliness.
I thought I would spend the rest of my school years happily reading in solitude, but it only took a single moment to shatter that illusion.
One day, the popular kid in school spotted me sitting alone in a chair and sneered, "Oh, look, it's the library idiot." The laughter that followed resonated in my ears, and to my dismay, those derogatory remarks continued throughout my years at that school.
Despite developing social skills over time, I could never erase those memories from my mind. They represented the darkest years of my life.
I couldn't believe that I was reliving a similar experience in this new life. No, this time, I refused to let it happen again. Summoning all my courage, I took a step forward, turned to Ludwik, and said firmly: "You're the one who should watch out, idiot."
The astonishment on the faces of the people from the other duchies around us, including my own guards, was palpable. Even they couldn't hide their surprise at my outburst.
"My lady, what are you doing?!" exclaimed one of my guards, while the guard who had previously calmed Ludwik's anger turned to me with a stern expression. "What? How dare you address my lord like that!?" he demanded.
I knew what I was getting myself into. I wasn't naive. But I had endured enough disrespect from Ludwik, and I refused to back down. I stood my ground, firm and unwavering. This time, I wouldn't allow anyone to trample over me.