CHAPTER 143: THE MAIDEN OF THORNS

The ride back to the Moore mansion was silent, as Edith kept sulking incessantly. She was displeased with Isabella, who showed no hint of regret or remorse for what she had done to Edmond, and seemed almost proud of her actions.

The Blacks and the De Clares have always been bitter rivals, and even though every noble house fears the Blacks, the De Clares are the only ones who openly defy them. The lore of each house states that they have always been so for no apparent reason, and like any traditional house, what was once an enemy will forever remain an enemy. Even the relationship between Isabella and Edith was only smoothed by Vivian’s wholesome friendship.

This explains why Edmond started trouble with Isabella when he was trying to prove himself, and why Isabella took it too far to humiliate him in return. Still, Isabella’s actions were highly criticized once they were discovered, and her father compensated House Black personally by sending them a few sets of masculine suits fit for Edmond in a mocking gesture. As for Isabella, she was sent on a vacation to study fashion in Velleux.

The De Clares, however, were too noble to turn this into a scandal, and the Blacks decided not to cause a scene in order to keep it a secret. Even Edith, Edmond’s younger sister, was unaware of such events.

Edith was greatly angered to learn, after all that time, that Edmond had largely avoided attending the academy in his first and second years because of the situation with Isabella. However, there was nothing she could do or say, as her brother was in the wrong for getting himself into serious trouble with someone as cunning and ruthless as Isabella.

Eventually, the ride had to end. They arrived back at the Moore mansion and met with Vivian, who was sitting alone in the drawing room, relaxing with a book in her hand, seemingly enjoying the past couple of hours, as they somehow seemed more peaceful than before.

Once they walked in on her, Vivian pushed herself up to meet them, but her stomach started cramping, and she almost lost her balance before hurriedly supporting herself on the chair’s armrest.

𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Hey! Are you alright?" Edith said as she supported Vivian from the right.

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"I am. Don’t worry! Just some damage that hasn’t healed yet."

Isabella helped Edith sit Vivian down and looked intently at her, examining her face with concern. As she was stretching some of Vivian’s skin with her thumbs to check for any wrinkles, she spoke:

"Your constant frowning has not done your complexion any favours. I would have given that Beatrix a piece of my mind, had she not already been dealing with her own troubles."

"What troubles?" Vivian asked.

Isabella and Edith started explaining to Vivian the details of their visit to Matilda’s house, where the Prince’s entourage was staying along with Beatrix Morgan, and it seemed that Beatrix got jealous of Ian because of Matilda, causing her to storm out just as Isabella and Edith arrived. They left out the part where Isabella slapped the shit out of Edmond, so as not to escalate things between them.

"Guess I was lucky then. Their own bonds are fragile enough to turn on themselves so easily," Vivian said with a satisfied smile before asking, "What about the curse?"

"Beatrix left, and it seemed she wasn’t going to continue performing it," Isabella said.

"I don’t know, something doesn’t feel right." On the other hand, Edith seemed worried.

Vivian and Isabella turned to her at the same time, with similar eyes begging for elaboration on the morbid statement she had just made. Edith shrugged before speaking:

"Looking at her, I feel like she was more than determined to do something reckless."

"Define reckless."

"She was like a frenzied woman out for blood. I don’t know how to explain it, but she is no good news at the moment. Hopefully, she doesn’t do anything..."

But just as she said so, Vivian immediately gripped Edith’s hand. Her eyes were wide, as if she had just been emotionally shocked by something far too overwhelming, but she was not looking at anything in particular. A cold sweat broke out on her skin, and a slight shiver ran through her, alarming Edith and Isabella.

"Don’t tell me that little bitch started using the curse again." Isabella stood up, her eyes lit on fire.

"She shouldn’t. Why put herself through similar pain all over again?" Edith got closer to Vivian, ready to support her in case another episode hit.

"Guys..." Vivian called faintly.

"I’m gonna kill her, I swear it." Isabella’s rage was hitting the roof, covering Vivian’s voice.

"Wait, Isabella. Maybe she’s just heartbroken and trying to cover her heart’s pain with physical pain."

"Do I look like I care? She’s hurting my sister, and I let it go once. I won’t stand..."

"GUYS!"

Just as Isabella started rambling more and more, Vivian had to raise her voice, calling for the two. As they looked at her, she finally could find the chance to tell them what really happened:

"That wasn’t a torture curse, that was something else," she said and stood up, supported by Edith.

"What then?" Isabella asked.

"You two are my best friends and all, but you really are amateurs," she said and had a tired smile on her face before heading towards the mansion’s entrance hall.

Just as she reached the doorway, she looked back at them and revealed:

"You were followed."

And she opened the door herself.

Across the front white marble-pillared porch on the gravel path, which was no less than ten metres wide and adorned with all manner of colourful flowers, one blonde, flower-like maiden appeared amidst chaos and thorns surrounding her.

A trail of pulverized earth seemed to have formed behind her path as she got close to the main building. What Vivian witnessed was that girl not walking but rather standing on a flat of stone, and the earth around would break like water as it pushed the stone forward.

It was Beatrix Morgan, and she probably did not come to talk.