Philap's eyes gleamed with fury.
"Didn't I tell you to steal the diamond if someone else wins the bid? You must have taken my order as a joke!"
Philap kicked the vassal hard in the stomach until he fell on the floor, vomiting blood.
"Sir. Philap, I'm really sorry! Please have mercy."
"Do you think it's enough to apologize? If you want to save your insignificant life find the one who bought the diamond by any means."
Philap was pulling the vassals hair and yelling, but the vassal already lost consciousness becasuse of the pain.
Philap swore, he was more angrier because of his father's summons.
Duke Montez, who recently returned, from his estate in the countryside, has been summoning Philap only to admonish him.
Duke Montez had very high expectations from his one and only son, but just as his expectations were high so was his meddling.
"Fuck it, that annoying old man is calling me again to scold me!"
And as Philap expected, his father began to lecture him as soon as he saw him.
"Philap, I know that Lady Mia saved your life, but you must be moderate! It's shameful that every time nobles talk about women's accessories, your name is always labeled with jewelrys, every single time!
Don't you know that Seymour's eldest son is raising his prestige to the utmost by playing an important role in the war against the barbarians!
But you!! What the hell are you doing in the meantime?!"
When Philap heard the word Seymour his expression contorted fiercely.
"If you were going to make such a spectacle, you should have at least obtained that jewel! You were even overpowered and ridiculed by that Seymour Princess!"
Philap clenched his fists tight and trembled.
"Rotten food that she can't eat because it's expired!"
'She dared to describe me as rotten food! She is the one that followed me around to the point where I was sick and tired of her...but now she changed, she dared to sneere at me coldly with her damn red eyes!!'
Every time Philap remembered those cold, red eyes, an horrible feeling, as if someone was scratching his insides, took over him and it was hard to bear.
Duke Montez didn't care that this son was trembling with contempt towards Deborah, and continued.
"Philap, it's like you are advertising your incompetence, put aside your lust for that jewel and stop abusing your vassals! I have told you multiple times that virtue is important, I can't kepp count anymore of how many vassals you almost killed!
You have done enough for Lady Mia, if you give her more than this, she will walk all over you, you should stop before you regret it."
Philap opened his mouth but then changed his mind and closed it, biteing his lips.
He was confused. The truth was, that he wasn't going crazy and trampling his vassals because of Mia.
Philap wanted to recover his injured pride a little, that is why he was obsessing over that pink diamond that Princess Deborah lost.
He wanted to have it and laugh to his heart's content in front of her, to ridicule her. He wanted to let her know that the pink diamond wasn't ment to be hers to begin with, and that it wasn't for her to own something like that.
'What expression would she make if I tell her that I would give it to Mia?
That diamond is something she wanted so bad, that she even starved herself in order to get it, so she won't be able to put on airs and act composed like she did at the ball.'
"Philap! Do you understand what I said?!"
Duke Montez wanted an answer from his son, who only stood there silently looking at him blankly. Duke Montez was so enraged by Philap's attitude and lack of answer that he raised his hand.
Slap!Slap!Slap!
Duke Montez slaped Philap's cheeks several times hard.
"You are a foolish child, if you keep acting as you please, I will lock you up in a dungeon."
When Philap heard the word dungeon, bluish veins appeared on the back of his hand, from how tightly he was clenching his fists.
It was the most effective threat for Philap.
"I apologize."
"Don't do anything stupid anymore. For the time beingbjust practice the sword and behave yourself at home. Do you understand?"
He only wanted to mock Deborah, but the reality was messed up for him.
Philap roughly cleaned the blood dripping from his mouth with the back of his hand and swallowed his feelings of helplessness and defeat, and bowed his head.
...
"The result is bad Lady Mia!
I am certain that person will be angry!"
Madame Ophelia bit her nails in distress.
'How could things take a turn for the worstâ¦Mia, didn't stand out at the ball even with Philap Montez as her partner. What is worse is that she didn't become the Flower of the Year.
Mia was only briefly mentioned in the social circles, because the high purity of her divine power she displayed and her steady good deeds, but she was quickly buried without a trace because of Princess Deborah's eccentricity.
I still can't believe that she put a patent on a formula and got the attention of the fifth Princess!
Our plan was also hindered by that Visconti Prince, who appeared in an attire of unusual color. Now everyone is wondering what Princess Deborah did to him, and there is no place for Mia to cut in the gossip of the nobles.'
It would have been nice if that was all Madame Ophelia was worried.
There was a reason why Madame Ophelia changed Mia's hair to pink with alchemy. She tried to make people associate her with Saint Nyla, just by looking at her pink hair, but now the high society will only think about Prince Visconti whenever they see pink, and to make matters worse, Philap was on probation and couldn't do anything to support Mia.
And the support from those who spared no financial power and raised Mia Vinoche's status was suddenly cut off.
"We lost a lot, and gained nothing."
Mia frowned when she looked at Madame Ophelia, who wasvbiting her nails so roughly that she bleed.
"Madam Ophelia, I still succeeded to prove to the High Priests that my divine powers are the purest."
When Madame Ophelia heard Mia's remark, she grinded her teeth fiercely.
"Didn't I tell you many times? Nobles like provocative stories! Someone with great divine power?! Of course, it is great!
But how you show that excellent power to others is much more important! Don't you understand?!"
Madame Ophelia's voice grew sharper and louder.
"So what if the High Priests admire you? Princess Deborah's story is much more stimulating and fun to the nobles, so they won't pay any attention to an insignificant and shabby daughter of a fallen nobleman. Isn't that right Lady Mia?
Did you think I was joking when I told you that you need to become the flower of this year at any cost?
But you, Lady Mia, put no effort at all. You can never defeat someone who was born to stand out like Princess Deborah if you put no efort."
Madame Ophelia grabbed Mia's slender shoulders and squeezed them hard.
Mia Vinoche didn't become the flower of this year, so their next plan can't be implemented, because Mia lost all the perks given only to this year's flower.
The flower of the year could designate a prestigious noble lady as a chaperone to someone, but Mia Vinoche lost that privilege.
"Do you know how much sacrifice and effort it takes to make the Holy Blood?"
Madame Ophelia's eyes shined chillingly.
"I sacrificed so much to make you the flower of this year, so you my dear Lady Mia need to reflect on the outcome."
Madame Ophelia's long nails dug in Mia's delicate skin until blood flowed from the hollow wound and wet her white collar.
The smell of blood was extremely unpleasant, to the point that it made Mia nauseous.
'I feel like I am going to throw up any minute. I want to kill them all, all of them.!
A murderous intent bloomed in Mia's mind, and she clenched her fists so hard that her nails dug into her flesh.
'Especially that Seymour girl, Deborah.'
While she remembered Deborah's Seymour eyes, red like blood, Mia swallowed the nauseous feeling and bit her lip hard.
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