Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 209

An Inevitable End

Two Grey Ghosts were guarding the mansion gate. One was an eager, fresh-faced young man who looked so proud to be standing around doing nothing. The other one was a man who looked as if he had run headfirst into a wall.

“(yawn)…so boring…” the latter complained as he leaned forward, using the shaft of his spear as support.

“Boring is good. That means everything’s safe,” the other one said. “But you shouldn’t slouch, Zeke. We are the face of our Lady’s household!”

“Ever the goody two shoes, eh, Locke? You always harp on about our Lady. People would think that you’re sweet on her.”

Locke Braun used to be a Greyvault Guard before voluntarily resigning and joining the Grey Ghosts. A woefully average young man on all counts, but he made do with his enthusiasm.

The other one, Zeke, was an Ex-Greyrat who got dragged kicking and screaming from jail once Nick found out that he was good with a sword and had no hand in distributing the Azure Dream. At first, he was very reluctant to join, but quickly got used to the work. Also having a job with a good pay that he could use to pay for his Ma’s expenses was nothing to scoff at either.

“Wha – uh! No! I’m just - !”

“Heads up. A carriage’s coming,” Zeke said, returning to a standby position. The flustered Locke did the same.

Once Henrietta heard of the scheme that was being concocted by Julia, she quickly headed to where Connie was staying. Two Guards

“State your business,” Locke said with a stiff voice.

Barnaby got off the Carriage and said. “This Carriage belong to Lady Henrietta Greenfield. She wishes to see Lady Cornelia Asterium Steelheart. Please inform her. This is urgent.”

“Our Lady wishes not to be disturbed,” Locke said.

“Now hold on, Locke. This kind of thing, you’ve gotta be smart. Who knows if it’s a really important? You want the responsibility?”

“O-oh.”

“Stay with them, I’m going to find Mister Martell or Madame Sui.”

Not long after, Henrietta and her servants were escorted into the mansion.

As she walked in, she saw her friend descending down the steps from the second floor with a bed hair, yawning. Behind her was Illumca.

They’re coming out from the same room? Henrietta thought briefly, before dislodging it from her head.

Once Connie saw her, she scratched her head and sighed.

“Henrietta, I’ve said it many times. You need to keep your distance away from me.”

“I know, but you’re my friend,” she said wistfully. Then, her tone became grave. “I have something to tell you. An urgent, private matter.”

Connie saw the seriousness in her eyes. She took a few seconds to think before bringing her to the lounge room. A private room in the mansion filled with books that had never been read and would never be read. Henrietta ordered Clay and Barnaby to stay as she wanted to talk to Connie alone.

In the lounge room, Henrietta and Connie took their seats facing each other while Lihua served them tea before leaving the room. However, Illumca did not budge from Connie’s side.

“Don’t mind Illumca,” Connie said as she saw the green-haired girl glancing at the Dark Elf. “Anything you want to tell me; you can tell her.”

“Alright then. I’m here because…I found out that Lady Serin has something vile planned for you.”

“That’s old news. That side of the pool never had any love for me.”

“Not like this. This one is…beyond anything normal ladies of high birth would ever think about. Just…thinking about it makes me despair at how far one would go just to take revenge on a slight,” she paused, swallowing her saliva, hesitating to say what she had to say. “This also involve Prince Mikael’s Private band of Knights.”

“Now you’re making me curious,” Connie said, leaning forward. “Do tell.”

The young girl then began telling Connie about what Clay had eavesdropped from the secret meeting between Lady Julia and a few members of the Prince’s Private Guards. A few times she paused, trying to swallow her disgust.

Connie listened attentively, her only reaction was the furrowing of her brows. A contrast to Illumca, whose aloof face gradually turned into one of a wrathful goddess. A nearby candle had almost burst to flame from the heat that she was emitting.

“I’ll kill them…I’ll kill them all!” Illumca said, her silver eye burned with anger.

“Illumca! Calm down!” Connie spoke sternly.

“They wanted to defile you! Those…those bastards!!”

Connie seized the Dark Elf’s wrist and soothed her anger with a kiss on the back of her palm.

“They’re too late for that if that’s what they planned. After all, what has already been given away, cannot be taken,” Connie said, grinning slightly at the direction of Illumca, who had forgotten her anger, stricken by Connie’s meaningful glance. She looked away with reddened cheeks.

“What do you mean? I…don’t follow,” Henrietta said.

“Ah, to be so innocent,” Connie grinned. “Thank you for telling me, Henrietta. You’re a good friend.”

“So, what do you want to do now? Who should we report this to?”

“Henrietta, sweet, innocent Henrietta. No one will believe us, especially not when we have no evidence. No, you should stay silent,” Connie smirked. “I’ll take care of it myself.”

“Cornelia!”

“You forgot who I am. These horrible little schemes, let me take care of it,” Connie offered her hand and helped her up. “Now, you should go back and have a good rest, just treat what you just heard today as nothing. Okay? Just put it out of your mind.”

“B-but - !”

“Just trust me,” Connie winked. “I’m not the kind of person who’ll lay flat knowing someone’s after me.”

Still unsure, Henrietta resigned herself to be escorted to her Carriage. Connie waved her goodbye as the Carriage bearing the Greenfield Coat of Arms slowly made its way around the bend.

Connie whispered to both Lihua and Martell about the metaphorical dagger that was aimed at her innocence with a touch of glee as they walked back inside the mansion.

“Strong men. Sleeping Potion. Defilement. And poor little old me,” a chortle escaped Connie’s lips as she turned on her heel and faced the graceful Queen of Frozen Caves. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking, Lihua?”

“Indeed. It most likely is ‘that one’,” Lihua said with a despondent sigh. “Here or there, the way these vicious vixens think is the same. To be capable of such unsavoury thing at such a young age. This one is really concerned about the way Nobles teach their children.”

“Then, I suppose I will teach them a lesson, the way women of the inner court would,” Connie said. She clapped her hand and spoke. “Arryn!”

At once, Arryn appeared before her. Hands clasped in greeting.

“Get your men to track the Prince’s Private Guards. And Arryn, you should survey Julia personally. Serin’s not that bright and won’t do her own dirty deeds. I guess this girl named Julia is acting as her go-between. Take care not to be seen.”

Arryn bowed deeply once before flitting towards a window with a footwork incomparable to the one she used before becoming a Cultivator.

“What are you going to do, Mistress?” Martell asked. Wondering why the blonde-haired girl would be so chipper after hearing that someone’s planning to take advantage of her.

“Oh, my boy, you are going to see how people in the inner court do real damage.”

Just as she was thinking about what to do to make those young women regret living, they heard people shouting outside.

“What is it again?!” Connie growled.

The door was pushed open. Nick came in with a young man in tow. Judging by his clothes, he looked to be a servant of an affluent family.

“The boy’s riding full speed through the main road, he made a sharp turn but can’t control his horse. Almost knocked me down,” Nick said as he laid him down on the floor. “Thankfully I just had my shield repaired and managed to deflect. But as you can see, he got his leg broken. Said he’s one of your family’s servants.”

“Lady Cornelia?” the young boy asked, wincing from the pain. “Head Butler Sebastian sent me,” he hissed. “Lady Carell is dying. She’s calling for you.”

“It’s time,” Connie stated. “Lihua and Illumca. You two come with me to the Steelheart’s Mansion. Nick and Martell, you both stay here and treat him well. Get some painkiller in him. We might take long, don’t wait up.”

Once she arrived at the Steelheart’s Mansion, Connie was greeted by Sebastian. She then made her way towards Cornelia’s parent’s bedroom with a grim expression.

A worried Julian was standing in front of the door, looking down at his hands with a vacant look. Upon realizing that someone was nearby, he looked up. The moment he saw Cornelia and Illumca, he started shouting at them in incoherent curses.

But in his eyes, Connie could see confusion in them. He was scared and did not know what to do. Yet Connie did not feel pity for him. Not with what he and his mother had done.

With a grunt, Connie asked. “Why are you not with your mother?”

The simple question shut the boy up. His lips trembled as he tried to find an excuse. Connie had no patience to deal with him. “If you aren’t going in, your mother and I have a business to settle. Sebastian.”

“Y-yes, Mistress.”

“Illumca, Lihua, wait here,” Connie said as Sebastian knocked on the bedroom door. The Dark Elf nodded silently.

“Lady Carell. We’re here. Please excuse us,” the elderly Butler said, even knowing that the one within might not be able to respond.

Connie entered the door after Sebastian, the smell was even more unbearable than before.

Once again, Connie stood before Cornelia’s Stepmother. She was trying to breathe through her gangrenous nostrils, but judging by the wheezing and the frothy sputum she coughed up, fluid had built up in her lung. Rendering the very action, a cherry on top of the cake that was her suffering.

“Hello again, Joan. Have you thought about what I offered you?”

“Y-yhes. I…accept,” she said, coughing profusely. She herself knew that she did not have long.

With that affirmation, Connie produced a thick parchment from her Item Ring and handed it over to Sebastian.

“I don’t think you can read in your current condition. I’ll have Sebastian read the content.”

Sebastian glanced at Joan for approval. “Read it,” the woman said, gesturing weakly with her arm.

Sebastian peered close to the parchment and read the content aloud. In summary, in exchange for handing over all Steelheart’s and Joan Carell’s properties to Lady Cornelia Asterium Steelheart, the latter would provide allowances and education to Julian Carell until the day he finished school. Upon which time she is freed from her obligations toward him.

During the duration, she would not harm him, and she would be obliged to protect Julian Carell until such time that he finished his education. Unless Julian Carell intends harm upon Lady Cornelia Asterium Steelheart; in which case the penalty would be the unconditional severance of his protection by Lady Cornelia Asterium Steelheart, and Lady Cornelia Asterium Steelheart would obtain full ownership of everything that belonged to Joan Carell.

“…This contract will go into effect the moment it is signed and will remain so even after the death of Joan Carell,” Sebastian finished reading the bizarre contract, his lips slowing as he neared the end.

“This contract has been enchanted. If any of us break the conditions written upon it, it would incur a deadly penalty,” Connie stated. “As you’ve just heard, it is a very fair contract. Now, all you need to do is sign it.”

With difficulty, Joan lifted her hand and signed the document; her movement slow and pained. The moment she finished, her arm gave up and the quill fell onto the floor.

“My son…where’s my son…?” she asked with a delirious moan. “Please…my son…”

Connie took the signed document and put it into her Item Ring she, turned towards the bedroom door and began to speak.

“The door is not locked, a simple twist of the knob will open it,” Connie watched the door coldly. “If you truly love your mother, enter. No one will open it for you.”

She could hear the whimper behind the door. And she was sure that Joan too, could hear him.

In front of the bedroom door, the fat boy named Julian Carell stood there, feeling as if everything that was happening, was happening to someone else. As if he was looking at his own body from outside.

Illumca watched his shoulders trembling silently. She thought that it was a fitting result of their own dirty deeds.

Finally, the boy managed to gather his courage and twisted the door knob. The door opened into the dark, brooding room. Connie was impassive; her face unreadable. She stepped past him and mouthed. “Too little, too late.”

Sebastian placed Joan Carell’s hand gently on top of her stomach, looked at Julian’s eyes and shook his head.

Julian Carell ran to his mother’s side, bawling his eyes out. Connie did not spare this scene of parting a glance.

“Lihua, gather the servants and the guards at the lobby. I have an announcement to make,” Connie ordered as she closed the door behind her.

“Yes, Mistress,” Lihua bobbed and proceeded to do as Connie had bid.

“She’s gone, then,” Illumca said, as Connie walked by her to look outside the window. The sky was an oddly cheery blue today.

“Mhm,” Connie answered. Ever since Connie had decided to plant the seed of her end, Joan Carell’s death was inevitable. It was merely a question of when.

“You know, she was the main reason Cornelia suffered for years, and the one who ordered her death in that cave. But to me, she’s nothing but a stranger who just happened to cross the proverbial line. It’s a very odd feeling.”

Illumca did not know what to tell her. Then again, it was one of those things that needed no answers.

"For me, I suppose, this is no revenge. This is just karma."