At the moment, Cassidy appears neither thrown off guard nor perplexed by the unannounced visit.

She is only standing on the top of the staircase - with everyone else, maids and menservants alike, watching in silence. Her unsmiling expression is enigmatic yet intimidating. She is almost emotionless, but the air around her tells of a different story - one that can potentially unfold with a drastic and far-reaching effect.

​​

"This can be bad..." Anthony thought out loud from beside Mia.

"Should we intervene? We can't have those ladies near Ma'am Cassidy. They're quite the feral ones."

"Doesn't seem so to me. If anything, Ma'am Cassidy appears to be the one we should look out for the most. Besides, they're probably not here to do the usual."

As they recall everything that they know this family has been doing to their mistress before, a stinging pang of guilt hits them. If the change that is happening around these people now is actually some retribution in disguise - a reversal of positions like they speculated, then everyone in this place should also have their fair share of just deserts for letting her undergo that unimaginably great torment.

They all had made Cassidy like this - not only the Millicent family.

"Cassidy, listen..." Olivia finally started after what seemed like a torturous eternity of momentous silence.

"I've come to tell you something. May I have some time to talk with you-"

"Then, talk. Here and now," Cassidy cut her off with a condescending tone.

"H-Huh? As in... h-here? I-In front... of these p-people?"

"I'll give you ten minutes. I'm pretty busy right now."

"Hey, wait..." Irish chimed in a bit hesitantly, reacting indignantly to her imposing approach.

"Olivia wants this to be between us. We should go somewhere private-"

"Or I should go now and leave you here this instant."

The crowd that is spectating them now is caught off guard by that.

Indeed, their positions have switched - anyone could see that.

Cassidy has taken her turn to be the formidable one around here, inspiring fear and respect with only a few words. While Irish flares up even more at this yet still chooses to keep it down, Olivia slumps heavily in defeat. Unlike back then, they did not hurl every offensive and degrading insult that they would come up with. There was not even a room for mockery or retaliation - only silent acceptance to the superior force.

It is a plain and clear picture - she domineers, and they submit.

"It's fine, Irish. Don't say anymore..." Olivia told Irish before bracing herself and looking back at Cassidy - at this point, the suspense got the crowd leaning in for whatever it was she was going to say.

"I would like to express my gratitude, Cassidy. For saving both me and my sister that night. I owe you our lives."

The blonde did not get any response other than her unchanged look of nonchalance and disinterest. Even then, she did not waver. Although not getting any reply was kind of embarrassing, especially since all the maids and menservants were starting to look at them with a little bit of pity, she only proceeded with her speech.

"I have realized a lot of things after that. If you did not come to our rescue, I doubted that we would even be here. That is why I am so grateful to you and everyone else who helped us back there. Thank you-"

"And what do you want me to do about it...?" Cassidy eventually responded, looking like she did not give a damn at all.

"What? Want me to say that you didn't really have to do this because what I did was what anyone would do - or something along that shitty line?"

"N-No, I-I don't..." Olivia faltered, reacting as unnerved as everybody there.

"I-I honestly don't know what to expect from you. All I want is to thank you and ask for your forgiveness."

"Forgiveness...? Forgiveness for what?"

"F-For.... e-everything..."

Much to Olivia's dismay, she finds herself yielding already.

Perhaps, she had been reckless in bringing that topic up. They should really use a better setting than this - somewhere private like Irish said. It was already difficult to stay at the receiving end of her intense gaze and sharp tone for a long time, much more if she was surrounded by the same people who witnessed her intrepid side over the past five years.

How she had ungraciously fallen - or so what they could be thinking.

But even then, she did not stop.

"Forgive me for everything. I had been a very terrible sister-in-law to you. I am very, very sorry," Olivia continued with her head stooped low and her gaze glued on the ground, not noticing that Cassidy already started making her way down the stairs.

The redhead only keeps watching her without saying anything. Her expression remains impenetrably impassive - a look that they did not see on her in a long while. But unlike back then, she does not appear unapproachable in a way that she revolts them. Rather, she is like that in a way that she frightens them.

"Huh? What's that again...?" Cassidy started again as soon she reached Olivia, standing right in front of her and regarding her for a moment.

"Can you repeat that?"

"What I'm saying is that I'm sorry. Please, forgive me-"

That was when something completely unprecedented went down.

When Olivia looked up again, she was not expecting what would come her way. Out of nowhere, Cassidy raised her hand and slapped her across the face - hitting her so hard that she ended up falling over and dropping on the floor. She let out a screech in pain and shuddered at the sudden assault while everyone else gasped in utter shock.

"Olivia...!" Irish exclaimed with her eyes bulging wide like saucers, going after Olivia to tend to her before swerving her attention back to their sister-in-law.

"You! What do you think you're doing?!"

"It just doesn't seem like you understand anything at all. You think such a simple apology would do the trick...?" Cassidy muttered vehemently, not a bit least bothered even when Olivia began tearing up from the swelling pain of her fierce blow.

"Even a thousand slaps like that could never describe what kind of hell you put me through."

"Y-You... Y-You sound like you remember. D-Don't tell me that you..." the brunette trailed off tremulously, fazed by the possibility that she regained her memories.

"That is none of your business."

"Of course, it is-"

Irish was about to strike back when Olivia suddenly held her hand and kept her in place. Seeing how desperate she seemed, she could only look at her in disbelief before forcing back her rage. Not even a physical attack can stop her from seeing this through. She can see that she is also deeply humiliated, but she only grits her teeth and endures it.

"Hey, Ofelia. Did Irene come just to shoot her mouth off and act like she cared? Doesn't look like she's on the same page with you..." Cassidy quipped with a not-so playful tone.

"Say, how about this? I'll forgive you if you let me do the same thing that you guys did to me back then - just that one will do."

"H-Huh? W-What one?" Olivia blurted out, extremely stunned and perturbed.

"I'll burn your sister's skin using a hot iron or something. Right here. Right now."

For the hundredth time, everyone there is thrown into sixes and sevens.

Both of them pale at her appalling proposal. She doesn't look like she is playing around, but then again, there's no reason to doubt that she's dead serious. Not only did she reveal one of their most horrendous misdeeds in front of everyone who was present in that place, but she also straight-up said that she wanted revenge.

Though Olivia thinks that what Cassidy wants to do is not enough payback, she can't possibly have Irish take all the blame here. Her sister doesn't even seem to be willing enough to apologize and repent like her. This is all on her for now - and she will do everything if that is what it takes.

"I'll let you do it to me...!" Olivia bolted out with a determined expression despite feeling terrified to the bones, taking everybody aback.

"Burn my skin or slap my face a thousand times...! Anything! I'll let you do anything...! Just leave Irish out of this. She is still recovering from her injuries."

"Olivia! You can't just!" Irish tried to protest but only to be silenced by her sister.

"I know you're thinking that we're both in this together, Cassidy. We deserve much worse. But please, spare my sister from that. I will do anything you say. I will also tell everything to Adrian, and no matter what kind of punishment he comes up with, I will accept it."

"Huh? Do you think your own family will harm you...?" Cassidy asked with an incredulous tone, regarding her dubiously.

"That man can't possibly lift a finger on you, much less punish you severely-"

"If it's for you, I don't doubt that he'll do that."

As Olivia said that, Cassidy stilled and fell silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond.