Lady Phoebe took a step forward, distaste settled on her lips, as she looked down on Elise, trying to deter her instead which clearly didn't work, "You are still engaged but daringly try to threaten me. For your record, I am a viscountess."

Elise stared back at Lady Phoebe brown eyes, her blue eyes glistening with a hidden color of yellow, "I am not threatening you Lady Phoebe, or you Lady Ellen. This is a warning which I hope you two could learn how to respect someone instead of demeaning others while ganging up all together."

Lady Ellen couldn't hold it any longer. Since the Winter Ball, she had been upset and closed herself at home. People knew about her pursue to be chosen by Ian which ended up stolen under her nose. Rumors budded everywhere and amongst the rumors were mockery to her for failing to achieve her goal. It was only now that her anger scale raise when she learned Elise was not a maid but even lower as a slave. To think that she has to bow toward Ian's bride who was a slave was horrible even for her to daydream for and she was not going to brush this matter away even though she could have apologized to not stir the matter further.

"This is why a slave should never be allowed to taste what the wealthy have enjoyed. Once they do, like you they will trample us all over," Lady Ellen said with her teeth gritted, holding her voice so it won't be too loud. "Lowly slave, you should have been grateful to be given food and a roof to live under. People like you are lesser than livestock."

"Perhaps, Ellen, it is because you deserve to be trample. You look down on others and that cause you to be look down upon the same way. You might want to start rectifying your wrongdoings," Elise answered using the same tone as Ellen. What happened about her being a slave happened almost ten years again, but the wounds were still fresh and the memories in the place wasn't good that she would ever try to look back. And the woman had spoken as if slaves were humans like them, it was clear that Ellen's heart was murky black and no water can cleanse her.

"You said this is a warning," scoffed Ellen who couldn't hold her tongue any longer, her rage bubble and she swore to herself that another word from Elise and she would slap the woman with her hands that were adorned with rings, "I don't dare to think what you will do when you threaten us. Oh my God, it must be frightening!" Ellen said facetiously and chuckled for the three women to laugh together in harmony. "Well that is if you ever have the gall to do so."

Elise didn't reply. Instead she stood from her chair and Ellen begin to pull her smile wider, thinking that finally she would leave with tears on her eyes after being mocked. Monica and Elijah who stood not too far to enjoy the charade they spun chuckled at each other together, like a child who had finally inflict sadness on others. Elise appeared to be upset as there was no smile on her face— At least that what it appeared on them until Lady Melani gasp upon seeing Elise's fingertips touching the pistol.

The others only belatedly notice her taking the pistol to her hands when Elise had pointed the barrel toward Ellen. With a gaze that were empty, Elise looked at Ellen whose eyebrows went far apart from her eyes, her face marred with a sudden horror.

"Today, Ian had been very kind to teach me how to use a pistol to protect myself against threats," Elise spoke. She could have let it go like she always did but a quiet lion always labeled as a toothless lion and if she let these women run her mouth like they have always did never being bored of poking their nose to where it doesn't belong. "Threats came in different form and looks. What I consider a threat is things that disturb my peace," Elise pulled the safety of the pistol, releasing it and a crisp rolling sound could be heard from the pistol which came from the round bullets.

"D-Do you think that would frighten me?" Ellen said, trying to look tough as she trusted her guts by thinking that Elise had been lying. "You have never killed a person before and what makes you think you can kill someone no-" a louder gasp came from Ellen when Elise pressed the barrel on her shoulder. Her eyes wide and she could see no hesitation from her eyes. 

Elise wasn't perturbed by the question Ellen said, "What makes you think I have never killed someone either?"

Cold sweats broke on Ellen's forehead. Both lady Phoebe and Melani had scattered away from them, not wanting to be a target. Useless! cursed Ellen. When Elise's settled her index finger to the trigger, finally the threat wash over Ellen's body. "T-there is church members here and they are ready to catch you if you dare to wound me."

"I don't know you can tell me what the church members would choose," Elise raised her pistol slightly, showing the woman a tender smile while looking at how Ellen's pupils shakes in fear. "Me, the lady or Warine or you, Lady Ellen. Close your eyes and it will be painless." For a fraction of second, the shadow underneath Elise's feet flicker.

Less than a second taken when Elise picked her pistol slightly, aiming where to shoot and her finger on the trigger begin to pull. Ellen immediately close her eyes, expecting for the pain to come.

Minutes passed but the pain didn't come. Apprehensively, she opened her eyes to look at Elise who then showed her a smile. 

"I hope now, everyone know and understand the difference between a warning and a threaten. Lady Phoebe, do you understand?" Elise questioned the woman who had turn frigid on the place she was standing at. 

The ball on Lady Phoebe's throat rolled and she tried to wet her dried mouth before nodding her head nervously, "Y-Yes, milady." The simple word was the prove of the sudden change in behavior as people who once looked down on Elise now learn their opponent was the woman who had caught the attention of Ian, the Lord who was cruel and ruthless with his action. How could the bride be less crueler than the Lord? Bird with same feathers flock together and today the people on the hunting ground learn how true the saying was. 

"I am glad to participate in the hunting game and teach everyone a thing or two. My only hope is that you don't forget what I have taught," Elise said, reminding them again when she stepped forward, Ellen shrunk away from her path, in fear she almost cowered. The brush of death had woken her up from her haughty and defeated the green monster in her heart. "I wish everyone only a pleasant future ahead. Excuse me," Elise bowed in greeting, always being polite.

Leaving the place, a sigh escaped from Elise's pink lips, she look ahead of her, finding Ian smiling at her with a wide smile. He cannot describe how exciting and proud he was to see Elise ruling over the women. "I thought it was time for me to be your knight in shining armor. You handled it very well."

"Wasn't it a little too much?" Elise asked him, her innocent look came back to her face. She wasn't used to doing things like this but now that she is Ian's bride, she cannot let others to look down upon her as it will also stain his good reputation.

Ian took her shoulders, "Hardly. From here I was encouraging you to pull the trigger, but I thought you need to show yourself what authorities you have toward them. A blow in her head might have also act as a lesson for those people with empty mouths. Were you nervous?" 

"Very," Elise answered, placing her hand over her chest where her heart still thudding aloud. She wasn't scared but nervous because she had never took a role like she did earlier. A smile then appeared on her lips, "But it isn't too bad. I might understand what you feel when you threaten others. It's liberating."

"I am glad to hear that you understand me now. We can do a date of threatening others," Ian suggested which Elise laughed at as she took his words as a joke. "Earlier I heard about slaves and I can still hear some talking about slaves toward you."

"I don't know how they manage to find out about it," Elise answered because the matter about her being a slave was only known to a few people and servants in White Mansion also the church members.

"Maybe a fly had whisper things to them. Don't worry, people with loose tongues always end up losing their tongue for good," Ian tendered her a smile, not hiding the hint of malice that came to his eyes, "My mother's closest maid suffered the same loss but that taught her for not whispering what she shouldn't after that."

Elise could sense how his evilness came back to him, a trait that she didn't see how she need to fix it from him, "Don't be reckless and do overdo it." Without replying, Ian give her a wordless nod. When they left, Ian's eyes fell over toward Monica and Elijah who had went to chatter with the other having an unpleasant look on her face. 

"Found it," he whispered with a voice low enough for the wind to erase the trace.

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