7 Learning How to Deal with Backstabbers

So she was the one who pushed me off a balcony. I must've hit my head on the tree on the way down to the garden.

I suddenly don't feel so bad about slapping her anymore. She could've killed me! Well maybe that's what happened to Elaine. I really feel bad for her. To be living in this manor all by herself surrounded by people who hate her for what exactly I still don't know. But whatever it is, it doesn't deserve a murder attempt.

I revealed my myself to the two maids that were talking. I recognize one as the maid who brought me the cold water this morning whom I slapped.

Their expression changed to one of fear.

'My Lady. What are you doing here?', she managed to stutter out.

'Are you saying I can't go anywhere I please in my own home?' I glared down at her. This is going to be fun.

'Of course not. When did you come back?', her eyes were looking right and left, probably to check if there was anyone else around to here what she just said.

'Oh not long. Enough to here your conversation though.' the maid's face paled looking at me.

'Excuse me,' the other maid who was with her hurried and left the scene, not wanting to be part of the storm that I was about to rain down on the other maid.

I thought back to how Elaine must've have felt being spoken to harshly by her own maid. Judging by their actions, she was too scared to fight back. But now I'm in her place and I wanted to avenge every single speck of humiliation she had gone through.

Slowly I grinned at her like a true villainess.

'Tell me, what's your name again? You know I can't remember so just say it.'

'It's Sarah, my lady,' oh now that I know the truth she's acting all obedient, then she should've not had the gall to push me off a balcony in the first place.

'Sarah, what do you think is the punishment for attempted murder?', I put a finger to my lips as I savored her fear. That's what you get for treating me so badly before.

'P-Please for-forgive me, my Lady!', she bowed in front of my feet Her forehead was touching the ground.

For some reason I liked having her bow to me like this. Maybe I really am a villainess? I bent down to touch her chin and lifted her head so she looked straight into my eyes.

'If you want forgiveness then you must take responsibility for what you did right?'

I can see that she was starting to sweat. How could someone like her had the courage to actually push someone off a building?

'My Lady, p-please think this through. The Marquess would not want this kind of scandal to taint the Castelle family!'

Well it's true that if a maid tried to kill their master, people would probably start asking why. I am now engaged to Alex and as I know from the book getting rumors spread about me could lead to me being sentenced to my death. Of course, in the original story the rumors were true.

'Do you think my parents would not care if you had gotten me killed?' This was the question that's been bugging me. According to the behavior of the workers in the manor, it seemed like my parents wouldn't care if they treated me badly. Even my mother was cold towards me.

'W-well...', Sarah couldn't say anything meaning there really is a chance they wouldn't care. Does it mean the relationship between Elaine and her parents were that bad? It sucks that Elaine's backstory wasn't told in the novel so now I have to find out all about it by myself.

'If they don't care, then what about the Themis Police will do to a criminal like you? Attempted murder of a noble, perhaps the death sentence should suffice?' At this her face paled to an even paler shade like a corpse, her eyes went wide and tears started to form.

'P-please forgive me! I'll do anything!' She bowed down once more to the ground until I couldn't see her face. Hmm maybe I should take this as an opportunity.

'Then how would you take responsibility? Because of you I could barely recognize my own parents.'

'I will tell you all you need to know, my lady! M-my life belongs to you now!' That could be useful to me. Having someone who will not betray me at the cost of her own life, plus she knows about me losing my memories and could help fill in the gap.

'Hmm.... no. I'm not in a good mood today. I won't forgive you.' I smirked at her tear filled eyes.

'M-my lady!' Her face turned grim at the prospect of her future. She was frozen in her place nor daring to move an inch.

'If you answer some of my questions maybe I'll let you go.' Of course I had no intention of letting her off the hook.

'So why did you push me off my balcony Sarah?', I asked her as I sat down on my dressing table looking to my balcony that Elaine had fallen off of. The sun was starting to set.

Hearing my question she paled once more, probably never wanting to hear about the incident ever again. Never knew she could make that kind of face as she was very courageous towards me before, but now I have something on her.

'Forgive me, my lady. I didn't know what I was thinking then. I was blinded by my emotions as I was punished by her grace, your mother, for breaking some silverware that you had broken. I was trapped in the dungeon for two days and had just gotten out. I was not in my right mind.'

So I had accused her of something that I had done. No wonder she was angry towards Elaine, but I still don't forgive her for trying to kill me.

'My mother did not believe you?' I asked her as she did my hair preparing to go to sleep.

'I-I think she did, but she had to punish someone for the incident so I was punished in your stead.'

Well I sort of feel bad for her now, still she tried to kill me so....

'Why did you think my mother wouldn't have cared is you had thrown me off the balcony or not?' This was the question that I really wanted the answer to. Sarah's eyes darted back and forth as if afraid to say out loud the truth in case others would hear it.

'Just say it, no one else is here.' I was tired of her hesitation and wanted to hear the answer.

'My lady did not have a good relationship with the Marquess and Marquise. My lady had always been clumsy and broken many precious objects in the manor. Since the Marquess has fallen on hard times, this made my lady's parents often think of my lady as a burden.'

Well that explained a lot. The coldness, the ignorance, the neglect at how I'm being treated.

'Please f-forgive me my lady.' She kept bowing in my presence probably thinking I would change my mind.

But I wouldn't listen to her pleas. I was not one for forgiveness. The next day I turned her to the police and everyone in the capital knew about what happened now. Elaine's father didn't say anything to me, but Elaine's mother said something to me just before I turned in for the night.

'I'm glad you're ok.'

All this happened because of the lack of money hence lack of respect for the Castelle family.

If money is the problem, then I just have to make money right?