Chapter 14

The child kept babbling from behind. The nanny holding Miguel shuddered, and the sound of shushing was heard. Charlotte, who had glanced at her son for a brief moment, looked at Herace again. The tip of her pointed nail poked Herace’s shoulder.

“Noble Duchess, you slapped me on the cheek first. So, even if you get hit by a lowly person like me, don’t be embarrassed. After all, in the not-too-distant future, I will be in that position.”

Charlotte was really in the mood to beat Herace. As she raised her hand up, Anna squinted her eyes as she stood in front of Herace. But no matter how long she waited, she felt no pain.

Anna slowly opened her eyes.

They did not know when he had arrived, but the man was twisting Charlotte’s wrist with his large hand. He gazed at Herace with a blank expression on his face then looked at his mistress. Charlotte strongly called out his name in a shrill voice.

“Hey, Ezekiel!”

Charlotte quickly changed her stance. She immediately squeezed her tears and began to weep with a pitiful face. On the other hand, Herace was helpless at the sudden appearance of Ezekiel, and only lowered her head.

“Hic…Ezekiel… Duke…”

“It’s no use crying. Charlotte. Do you know what you just did?”

The blonde beauty’s delicate voice and reddish eyes were pitiful, but Ezekiel’s voice was cold. He spoke sternly after he threw Charlotte’s arm.

“Even if you die, there is nothing to be said for the sin that you, a mistress, tried to slap my wife, who is the Duchess.”

Charlotte bowed her head, realizing the seriousness of the situation. There was a slight fear on her face.

The feelings a man had for his wife were a double-edged sword. If used properly, you would be able to cut the opponent’s head, but if swung incorrectly, it will slice your throat.

Charlotte quickly knelt at Ezekiel’s feet. Her blue satin dress touched the ground and got dirty, but she didn’t care. She cried as she held Ezekiel’s hand, as if the world was unfair to her.

“It’s not like that. How dare I hurt your wife? If that’s the case, I’m sure there’s nothing I can do about it even if I die.”

“Then, what did I just see?”

“You got it wrong. You got it wrong. I had no intention of being rude to her.”

“But…”

“But?”

“…I was just trying to scold that arrogant child. Trust me, Ezekiel.”

Anna, who had opened her mouth to Charlotte’s wicked lies, tried to respond as her fingers pointed at her. But Ezekiel’s eyes, following Charlotte’s fingers, were so terrifying that she dared not look at him.

Anna knew. She didn’t know why, but she hated her master. Frightened by him, she unknowingly curled her body.

“That girl was cocky towards me and then hid behind your wife and made me look like this… Ezekiel, look here. She slapped me on the cheek because of that child’s tantrums. Hic…”

Charlotte rubbed her hurt cheek with Ezekiel’s hand. Then he looked closely at the mistress’ face. The red, swollen cheek was clearly visible. He knew who did this….

When he heard that his wife had beaten his mistress, Ezekiel raised his lips as if he found it funny, then glanced at his wife’s hand. He couldn’t believe it was swollen after one slap. He was more interested in his wife’s hands, slightly swollen, than Charlotte’s red cheek.

Herace clasped her palms. Ezekiel patted Charlotte on the cheek a couple of times at the sight, and stared at Herace’s face. She had her eyes set down, with her face hardened, just as she did when he appeared.

“Whatever the reason, you deserve it because you offended the Duchess.”

Contrary to the gentle gestures, the voice that came out was still cold. Charlotte bowed her head, barely covering her venomous face.

You. Offended. Duchess.

She hated it when Ezekiel, not anyone else, confirmed her identity like this. She was the mother of his cherished son, but why was she still a mistress from lowly origins? Charlotte grinded her teeth that only she could hear.

Continuing to pat the mistress’ cheek, Ezekiel glanced at Herace from the side. Herace was hiding Anna behind her, watching him with wary eyes. When he saw her holding the hand of a maid and protecting her like her cub, his judgement became twisted. A woman who doesn’t even see her husband, like a stone at the side of the road…

[T/N: Oh boy, here we go.]

He smiled faintly and stroked Charlotte’s head as if he were petting a dog, then he raised her up and hugged her deep in his arms.

“But Charlotte… I see your cheeks and you have a point.”

The eyes looking at the woman in her arms were kind. Charlotte was bewildered by the sudden change in his attitude, but she soon realized the opportunity had come. Her man had a troubling look on his face as if he could kill his wife. She purposely pouted her lips in a pitiful way.

“I’m glad you know that… I wasn’t really trying to be rude to you.”

The face of the blonde beauty, who was shivering with a screeching sound, was pathetic. Ezekiel kissed Charlotte on her forehead and swept her cheek, commanding the knights behind him.

“Beat the girl who hit my child’s mother and cut off her tongue that dared to drive a wedge between my wife and my mistress. Then kick her out of the castle.”

Blood drained from Anna’s face at the cruel punishment. But there was one person who became more hysterical than her, and it was Herace. She shouted at Ezekiel, hiding Anna from the knights who were approaching her.

“Nonsense! Ezekiel, you’re out of your mind!”

“Move. You’re so soft so that b*tch keeps opening her mouth. I’m sure I’ve said it once before. Your subordinates… Control them, especially that girl.”

“Anna did nothing wrong. It started with that woman in your arms! It was that woman who was rude to me first. You’ve seen it with your own eyes! She put her hand on me.”

“But didn’t she say it was a misunderstanding? Right?”

“Madam… You are really mistaken. I just…”

Charlotte buried her face in Ezekiel’s arms. The man patted his mistress’ back and looked at Herace with a relaxed face.

“Besides, Charlotte was hurt. Charlotte is Miguel’s mother. No matter how ignorant she is, you slapped her in front of her son …… Your maid’s tantrum affects my son as well.”

“Anna was more injured. Look at this. The blood on her face…”

“That’s not even funny.”

Herace couldn’t finish her sentence. It was because Ezekiel interrupted her. He walked over to Herace, hugging Charlotte. Then he glanced at Anna behind her as if he was looking at something to dispose of.

“Herace, do I have to keep telling you? My son’s mother was injured because of that child you care for.”

Every word was spoken with firmness. Herace’s face turned pale. He looked like he was going to slaughter Anna at any moment. And she had no power to stop it.

Blood spilled from her lips that were bitten too hard. Herace tried desperately to hide her handmaiden without saying a word. But she was of small stature. She could not completely hide her maid.

“You have to weigh what you want to compare.”

“…..”

“You can’t compare the life of your maid to Charlotte. The weight is different. What are you doing? Get that girl out of here right now.”

As the master commanded, hesitation disappeared and the knights moved. They pulled Anna out from behind Herace. Anna screamed and struggled, but to no avail.

“Lady!”

“Anna! Let Anna go! Right now!”

Herace reached out to the knight’s body to get Anna back. Ezekiel, who saw this, let Charlotte go. He grabbed Herace by the shoulder with a quick movement and pulled her towards him. Let go. When their eyes met, Herace appealed.

“Ezekiel, don’t do this. I… I was wrong. I will teach Anna well. It will never happen again.”

Herace was trembling and weeping in fear of losing Anna. She clinged to Ezekiel. She somehow bowed her body after being caught by her husband. Her dark hair, which had been tied into a ponytail, tumbled into a mess and spilled at Izkael’s feet.

Herace leaned her head against Ezekiel’s shoes over and over again and grabbed his hand as if it were a salvation. Her terrified hands cooled Ezekiel’s body temperature, which had grown warm with excitement.

“I-If your woman wants an apology, I’ll do it. If it’s a punishment, I’ll take it. So don’t touch Anna. She’s like a little sister to me. The only one…. left… hic…”

It was his first time seeing his wife cry like a child and cling to him. Only towards him. Ezekiel was elated at the sight of Herace’s trembling eyes as if it were the best thing.

Ezekiel raised her head and placed his hand on Herace’s face that was looking only at him. He wiped away his wife’s tears as if to show mercy.

“……I can’t bear to turn a blind eye to my wife’s pleas.”

“Ezekiel!”

Charlotte exclaimed sharply. She put her body on his arm, trampling on the hem of Herace’ dress sitting at Ezekiel’s feet. The eyes that shone brightly were suffocating and full of scorn.

Ezekiel’s smile became more cruel as he alternated between Herace and Charlotte.

He had to be good at tug-of-war if he were to chase his prey. After making them tremble with fear and anxiety, they will gradually lose their strength and be caught completely.

Ezekiel gazed at Charlotte and kissed her swollen cheek. Herace, who was barely breathing at his mercy, could hear her breath vividly.

“But that doesn’t mean we’re going to let the victim feel wronged.”

As soon as he finished his words, Herace’s eyes widened in despair. He was quite satisfied with his wife, who gets crushed as he pleases.