Bala: The Duke's Contract Wife

Her Rage

Sunlight began to descend on the western horizon as Rose stepped through a passageway on the east wing. She had worn her dress and mask back. Now all the servants who crossed paths with her immediately recognized her and greeted her with respect. From the corner of her eyes, Rose could see a maid running towards the field to tell Gina about her arrival.

Rose was looking forward to it. She deliberately walked slower so that Gina and Lord Don had a little time to prepare their play. She was curious how they would fare.

When Rose finally reached the field, Gina exclaimed as if Paul had just fallen and injured his face. "Young Master! Are you okay?"

Lord Don knelt down and pretended to help Paul to stand up. "You have to be more careful, Young Master."

Rose wanted to laugh out loud in her heart. Really, these two rotten souls might fit as comedians.

Her eyes caught the boy's eyes. Up close, Rose could easily see the wound in the corner of Paul's lips and there were also bruises under his eyes. The boy bent his left arm in discomfort. Yet his green eyes... they seemed to challenge Rose. 'What are you going to do?' the eyes seemed to say to her.

"Oh, Lady Rose," Gina finally greeted Rose. The middle-aged woman used the word 'Lady' instead of 'Duchess' or 'Your Grace'. Gina squinted her eyes at Rose, it was obvious how the head maid disliked Rose. "Lady, didn't you see Young Master Paul just fell? Don't you care?" Gina's voice rose. Her goal was definitely so that all the staff in the east wing could hear.

So she's going to try to make me seem like the new Duchess who doesn't care about Victor's son.

At other times, Rose would probably play along with the game. But by then, the wick had been lit up to its end. If Rose didn't put the woman in her place right away, she would have exploded.

"Get down on your knees," Rose hissed. Her red eyes radiated power.

Gina was certainly surprised to hear those words coming out of Rose's mouth. "W– what did you say?"

"Are you deaf?" asked Rose. "I said. Get. Down. On. Your. Knees," Rose said with emphasis on every syllabus.

"Who are you to tell me to–"

Before Gina finished her sentence, at an incredible speed Rose had picked up a wooden sword from Paul's hand. The girl half-circled Gina and then violently swung the sword at the back of Gina's knees.

The loud bang echoed throughout the entire field.

"AAAARRGGGHHHHH!!!"

The blow was so hard that the wooden sword broke at the end. The sound of the hit along with Gina's screams may be heard even up to the west wing building. Before long, the field was crowded with various staff and knights assigned to guard the residence.

Rose pointed the uneven end of the wooden sword towards Gina's neck. The haughty woman cried in pain. "Good question," Rose said coldly, "Tell me, who am I?"

"Urgh."

"Duchess, what are you doing?!" exclaimed the Viscount.

"What do you think, Viscount?" asked Rose, "I'm giving a lesson to a woman who dares to question who I am. So, tell me Gina, who am I?"

"Stop it!" Lord Don was about to take the wooden sword from Rose. But with impressive agility, Rose could avoid the viscount's hand. Rose changed her stance and then punched the man on his Adam's Apple. When Lord Don was having a hard time breathing, Rose hit his stomach hard using the wooden sword handle. Before long, the man was kneeling on the ground, just as Paul had knelt before.

Rose stepped on one of the viscount's hands that were on the ground. Then, without losing momentum, Rose stuck the uneven end of the wooden sword in the man's hand. Fresh blood splashed in all directions, the blood also stained Rose's silver mask.

"AAAAAARRRGGGHHHHHHH!!!!" Another beautiful scream echoed like honey to her ears.

"Let this be a lesson to you, viscount. Never try to touch a Maraina if you don't want to lose your hand." Rose deepened the wooden sword in the viscount's hand. The man even wet himself on the spot.

Satisfied with the reaction, Rose returned to Gina. The woman shook in fear to see the red-eyed Rose with a bloody mask and a broken wooden sword in her hand.

"Duchess," called Lisa. Rose turned around to see the maid had brought the people Rose asked her to bring. They formed a line in front of Rose. There were seventeen people and most were the east wing staff. Four of them were knight students. Adrian finally came to the location. The old man was certainly very surprised by what had happened. But Adrian's question was first asked by another knight.

"Duchess, why did you call four of our students?"

Luckily, Rose didn't have to answer that question. Because one by one the staff and students of the knight admitted their negligence while crying, begging for forgiveness. They exposed the abuse Paul had been experiencing due to Don and Gina.

"What?" Adrian asked in shock after a third man confessed, "Young Master Paul, is that all true?"

It was Rose's turn to stare straight at Paul, as if to ask the boy, 'I've given you a chance. What are you going to do?'

Without letting go of Rose's stare, Paul nodded quietly.

It didn't stop there as confession after confession continued.

Rose deliberately stopped the seventh person from confessing. She squeezed the chin of the maid tightly to stop her from talking. Tears flooded her face. "You think I care?" Rose's tone was icy. The maid paled like a ghost.

"I don't care what you lot have to say," Rose said, "What's important to me is that it's already happened. And there must be people who have to take on my anger."

All the staff and knights who had not previously known gasped to hear the confessions.

Rose then reached out her hand to Paul. When the boy took Rose's hand, the girl gave a gentle squeeze. She then took the boy to the middle of the field.

In a loud voice, Rose told the entire assembled staff, "As long as you are the people of Maraina, your loyalty is only to the Emperor and the Maraina family. Giving your loyalty aside to another party is treason, and as the Duchess, I will not tolerate the slightest betrayal."

Rose let her words be absorbed by all who were in the field. Her gesture in taking Paul's hand was to show that Rose will protect Paul. That the 'Maraina family' included both Paul and Rose.

Adrian, who immediately understood, knelt down to profess loyalty. The old man was followed by the assembled staff and knights. It didn't take long for all the people gathered to kneel against two people with the surname 'Maraina.'

"Adrian," called Rose finally, "Take Gina and Lord Don to prison. Their charge is daring to touch Maraina's successor. Then fire all the traitors."

"Your wish is my command, Duchess," Adrian said dutifully.

The staff and students of the knight who were fired were about to protest against Rose. But the knights had already got in their way. Rose was sure Adrian will take care of the mess. So regardless of their uproar, Rose took Paul away from the field.

Undeniably, her mood improved considerably after putting Gina and the viscount where they were supposed to be.

A satisfied smile was etched on Rose's face.