The crowd was stunned. Edward, the future Duke of Harrington, had been slapped–three times–in front of everyone.
“Savannah, how dare you!” Logan bellowed. “Kneel down and apologize to him immediately!”
I let out a cold laugh. “Him? A Duke? That’s a joke. The lot of you have forgotten where you came from. Shall I remind you?”
My voice dripped with contempt as I continued, “Father and Mother have only one child–ma. The four of you? You’re nothing but orphans, adopted out of pity after your father died in a brothel, leaving you to fend for yourselves. You’re lucky to even bear the Harrington name.”
Their faces turned pale, their hands trembling.
“Enough talk!” Victor growled. He handed Jessica to Wyatt, then drew a dagger from his belt.
“If you won’t apologize, I’ll cut off your hands. We’ll see how stubborn you are after that!”
“No need for that, Edward said coldly. He grabbed the dagger and plunged it into my chest
ed in h
The crowd gasped in horror.
“Die!” he hissed, his eyes red with rage.
Wyatt shielded Jessica’s eyes. “Don’t look, my love–it’s too gruesome.
But instead of blood, there was only silence.
Edward’s expression shifted to terror as he realized the blade hadn’t pierced my skin.
W–what__7”
“Such a shame,” I said with a smirk, pulling open my cloak to reveal the golden scales beneath. “The King’s gift–an enchanted breastplate. Completely impenetrable.”
The dagger clattered to the floor as Edward stumbled back in shock.
At that moment, a deep, booming voice cut through the tension
“You wretched fools! How dare you lay a hand on my daughter!”
My father had just returned from the battlefield, his presence still heavy with the aura of war. The massive, bloodstained greatsword strapped across his back made it clear he hadn’t fully stepped out of the chaos of combat. His cold, piercing gaze was enough to make even the boldest in
the room shrink back.
“The Duke’s presence is overwhelming. It’s terrifying–I can’t even move.”
“That girl Savannah is done for now. The Duke looks furious
The crowd whispered in hushed tones, afraid to draw attention to themselves.
Wyatt, however, looked absolutely delighted. Tightening his grip around Jessica’s shoulders, he grinned. “Perfect! Your father’s here to set things right for you!”
He didn’t seem to notice how Jessica’s face had gone deathly pale, her hands trembling at her sides.
I turned to Edward and smirked, mouthing the words, “You’re finished”
“Father!”
Iran toward my father, my voice ringing out loud and clear, laced with all the anguish I could muster. Tears welled up in my eyes as I threw myself into his arms, mimicking Jessica’s usual pitiful act, even forcing out a few deliberato tears.
“My sweet daughter, my father said, pulling me close. His voice was deep, steady, and filled with tenderness. I’m sorry I came too late. You’ve been wronged.”
He gently brushed his hand across n
my cheek, where Edward’s slap had left a mark, and wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes. His gaze softened as he looked at me, but there was a fiery rage simmering just beneath the surface.
The room erupted in gasps.
“Wait she’s the real heiress?
“We’ve all been tricked by Jessica and her brothers!”
“I didn’t say anything bad! I was just repeating what I heard!”
Wyatt’s face turned ashen. He suddenly shoved Jessica away, his forehead slick with sweat. “You’re not the Duke’s daughter? You lied to me?”
Jessica crumpled to the floor, her legs giving out beneath her. Logan rushed to her side, helping her up as he glared daggers at Wyatt, He patted her back in an attempt to comfort her, but the way his hands shook betrayed his panic.
None of them had expected my father to return so soon. After all, he wasn’t supposed to return to the capital for another two weeks.
But they hadn’t accounted for me.
Thad spent years studying maps and battle strategies, and in my previous life, my father had often written to me about his campaigns on the frontier. After my rebirth, I used that knowledge to help him devise a plan to break through the enemy’s defenses ahead of schedule.
With my assistance, my father was able to return two weeks earlier than anyone had predicted.
And I had timed it perfectly to coincide with Wyatt’s birthday banquet.
As my father and I walked step by step toward Edward, I saw the color drain from his face. His pupils dilated in fear with each step we took.
“F–Father-”
Before he could finish, my father’s hand lashed out striking him across the face with a resounding slap.
The force of the blow was like a thunderclap. Edward stumbled, clutching his swelling cheek. Within moments, his face turned red and bloated, resembling a swollen pig’s head.
Victor flinched but managed to straighten his back. Puffing out his chest, he said indignantly, “Father, Savannah has disrespected her family. defied her elder brother, and disrupted the household. While you were away, wasn’t it the duty of the eldest to discipline her?”
