CHAPTER 104: HOW DARE YOU SPEAK WHEN YOUR TWO MASTERS ARE SPEAKING?!

"Anyway," Callum said firmly, his tone serious as his eyes bore into hers, "since it’s decided, you should rest now. Prepare yourself for tonight. Mirabel already secured a sick leave from the academy today, which means she won’t be able to train under her assigned Alpha either. We’ll be teaching both you and Mirabel starting tonight. She’ll remain at home until the day of the ceremony. During the day, you’ll attend school as usual, so your only window for training will be at night."

"Exactly," Theo added, ruffling Victoria’s hair playfully. "You need to rest while you can. You’ll be the one who suffers most from exhaustion....balancing classes in the day and intense training at night. So take a nap if you must, little sister. Don’t push yourself too far."

"Take care of yourself, dear," Lucian murmured warmly, his lips curving into a small smile.

Victoria nodded in response and watched quietly as her three brothers finally left the courtyard, their tall figures fading one by one into the distance until silence once again reigned over the garden.

So... what’s next? Leo’s voice cut through the quiet almost immediately, brimming with curiosity. Are we going to nap, or is that busy mind of yours already working on something else?

"You’re right," Victoria admitted aloud, a sly smirk tugging at her lips. "There’s something else going on in my head."

And what might that be? Leo asked, raising an invisible eyebrow, his tone laced with intrigue and a touch of amusement.

"Let’s pay Mirabel a visit," Victoria declared, her smirk widening with resolve. "She’s planning something hence the reason she chose to receive training from home too. And I want to find out exactly what it is."

Without another word, she rose from her seat and began walking away from the courtyard. Leo drifted lazily after her.

****

The moment Victoria reached the entrance of Mirabel’s chambers, she didn’t bother waiting for the maids to announce her arrival. With practiced boldness, she pushed the doors open and stepped inside as though the room already belonged to her.

And there she saw her.

Mirabel was perched casually on the edge of her bed, but at the sight of Victoria, she flinched. In an almost comical attempt to feign illness, she quickly flopped back against the pillows, rolling onto her side so that her buttocks stuck awkwardly upward, her face half-hidden against the sheets.

"And what are you doing here, Victoria?" Mirabel snapped, her voice sharp with irritation. Her eyes burned with fury as she pushed herself up halfway, glaring at her uninvited guest. "Are you here to mock me? To gloat over my so-called weakness? You finally found the time to come over, huh? Just to do that?"

Victoria didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she tilted her head, regarding Mirabel with a cool, knowing stare.

In her past life, she had learned one crucial truth about Mirabel....though she was cruel, she possessed a glaring weakness. She never thought about the consequences of her actions before doing them, a reckless flaw that did not come from her calculating mother.

"Why should I mock my sister? I only came here to check up on you. How are you feeling now?" Victoria replied smoothly, her voice calm yet edged with quiet defiance. She walked deeper into the room and pulled out a chair without hesitation, lowering herself gracefully onto it just before Mirabel.

"You don’t have to come here, young Miss!" Ariana, Mirabel’s personal maid, barked sharply, her tone brimming with outrage. She took a step forward, glaring daggers at Victoria. "You’re the one who caused my young lady this much suffering, and yet you dare to show your face here? The audacity! You should take your leave now, Miss Victoria...."

Slap!

The sound cracked through the room. Victoria’s hand connected hard against Ariana’s cheek, sending the maid staggering and crashing to the ground. Silence descended for a moment, broken only by Mirabel’s sharp intake of breath. Both Mirabel and Ariana stared at Victoria with wide eyes, shock and terror rippling through them.

"How dare you slap me?!" Ariana screeched in disbelief, clutching her reddened cheek. But before she could rise to her feet....

Slap!

Another strike landed with merciless precision, this time silencing her completely.

"How dare you speak when your two masters are speaking?" Victoria roared, her voice cutting through the chamber. Her eyes burned with fury, her posture regal and unshakable. "And just so you know, your young lady brought this misfortune upon herself."

Her voice hardened, each word laced with contempt. "I truly thought she had changed....turned into a loving sister. But who would have thought she was only wearing a mask? Yet despite her deception, the family has still been lenient with her. Even though her virginity mark has already been taken, they continue to keep her under this roof instead of casting her out, all because they care for her."

Mirabel, who had been frozen in disbelief, slowly pushed herself upright. She clenched her fists and raised her chin defiantly, standing to face Victoria. "Tell me then... just what exactly are you here for?" she demanded, her voice shaking with barely restrained fury.

There was no longer any point pretending to be weak. She had only feigned pain for the sake of their brothers, hoping they might shower her with sympathy during training. But they had not come to her side...not once. They hadn’t stepped foot in her chamber, and the neglect pierced her heart. It hurt unbearably to know that Victoria had taken her place in their affections.

"Why are you here?" Mirabel pressed again, folding her arms across her chest.

Victoria rose from her seat with a graceful smile. "I’m sure you weren’t deaf when I said I only came to check up on you. And since I’ve done just that, it’s only proper that I take my leave." She turned toward the door, her tone light but mocking as she added, "You seem to have recovered fully, dear sister. I was worried you’d be too injured to come to training, but seeing you this strong... well, I’m happy for you."

Mirabel’s expression changed, her teeth grinding as rage bubbled inside her. Just you wait... I’ll ruin you, bastard! I’ve said it before....I am not like my brothers. They’re dumb, but I am not. Just you wait, Victoria... you’ll regret this!

She soon began circling around Victoria, stopping her from leaving while a smirk was on her lips. "You knew my plans, didn’t you? You turned them against me and made everyone despise me. You purposely painted me as the villain. But who are you really?"

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You’re just a girl who lived outside all her life. You don’t have the mannerisms of a young lady from a rich family, and yet... you play the part so well. You’re not supposed to be clever, and yet you outshine me." She leaned closer, her voice low and accusing. "Tell me... are you truly my half-sister who lived outside the mansion all those years?"

Victoria’s smirk returned, colder this time. "Oh dear sister, what a pity. Has the beating you endured, or perhaps your little walk over those hot coals, finally affected your brain? Do you even hear yourself? Should I call the physician to examine you?" She tilted her head mockingly, her tone dripping with false concern.

"Just because you were born with silver hair doesn’t mean you’re the Ashford family’s lost daughter," Mirabel sneered, her eyes gleaming with malice. "Yes, silver hair is rare, and yes, the Ashfords are known for it. But there are still silver-haired women who don’t belong to this family. You may carry the look, but what proof do you have? Just who are you really?"

Victoria let out a heavy sigh, her voice cool and dismissive as she replied, "It’s confirmed then....you’ve gone completely mad. I’ll be leaving now, but I’ll be sure to inform our parents and brothers about your strange condition." With that, she began striding toward the exit.

"Just you wait for me, Victoria!" Mirabel barked furiously after her, her voice cracking with rage. "The Second Moon Ceremony is approaching soon. I hope you’re prepared for it! We’ll see who the crazy one truly is!"

Victoria didn’t turn back. A smirk lingered stubbornly on her lips, polished and sharp. Perfect. She’s still so reckless, still so foolish. She hasn’t learned how to hide her anger. That only means one thing....she’ll pull one of her tricks at the Second Moon Ceremony. Or perhaps she won’t even wait that long....maybe during the upcoming training competition. Whatever she decides, it makes no difference. In the end, I’ll be the one to turn her own plans against her.

The moment Victoria walked out of Mirabel’s room, Ariana....Mirabel’s personal maid rose swiftly to her feet. Her palm was still pressed against the cheek where Victoria’s hand had struck moments ago, the redness burning as much as her pride.

"Young lady, you must take revenge for me," Ariana burst out, her voice laced with both anger and sorrow. Her eyes glistened with unshed tears as she trembled with indignation. "This Victoria is growing more insufferable with each passing day. She acts this way only because your brothers and your parents protect her at every turn. Without their backing, she would never dare raise her hand against me, let alone stand so arrogantly before you."