Tea

"This bish is a murderer!" The 18 years old Iva pulled Geraldine's hair while she was looking over to the flowers at the royal palace where a banquet is held by the Emperor.

Geraldine stumbled backward and fall on her butt, "Ouch!" She looked above to see the Iva smirking evilly at her.

"You have the audacity to come here, murderer!" Another girl whose on Iva's group of friends kicked her in the shoulder, causing Geraldine to stumble backward.

"You're unwelcome in the palace, can't you see that they didn't like you here?"

"You're just a commoner who becomes a noble, your blood is dirty and impure!"

"Useless piece of sh*t"

More and more hurtful words are thrown towards Geraldine as they shamed her nobility and damage her self-respect, but Geraldine remained calm with her head bowed down so her eyes won't meet theirs.

Slowly standing up, Geraldine dust away from her dress as she looked up with a smile on her lips and begun to walk away from them but then Iva pulled her hair back harshly that Geraldine falls on the ground again, dirtying her gown.

As the others saw that Geraldine didn't fight back and let them abuse her. An evil plan strikes on their mind and continued their abuse until she looked like sh*t.

"Piece of sh*t."

After they are satisfied with what they've done to the young Geraldine, Iva and her group of friends left her laying on the ground with dirt all over her body.

Geraldine slowly gets up while winching from the bruises and pain that she gets from their abuse as a single tear dropped from her eyes. Thinking that she had nobody to lean on and even though her father or brothers see her battered body, they wouldn't take a second glance or even ask what happened to her.

--End--

Geraldine shivered at the memory as if her body remembered what it feels like to be beaten up and she could only sit on the grass as she tried to make herself relax before going back home.

"If you'd only take my side father and brothers then I wouldn't experience those terrible times throughout my life," Geradine muttered under her breath as she remembered how her father and brothers get angry if she would talk to them about her day or problems she encountered.

Getting up, she dusts away her clothes and walks gracefully back to her house through the forest to drink another batch of poison tea in higher dosage as she wanted to get the poisonous butterfly after a week.

Night came by and Alexjin with his mother arrived at the house after finishing their work in the store. They were surprised to see that the lights are off and assumed that Geraldine is not at home yet, but an aromatic scent invaded their nose when they opened the door.

Geraldine is sitting in the dark with a cup of tea in front of her while staring blankly in space. Her mind wandered about her plan to go to the top of the mountains to find the place where the poisonous butterflies are located when she heard the door opening and saw Alexjin and Aurelie coming inside.

She immediately hides the powder made in poison into her pocket so that they won't see what she's up to. She fixed herself and acted normally so that they won't get suspicious.

"Master!" Alexjin said as soon as he lightened up the room and saw Geraldine sitting on the dining table drinking her tea, "Master, I thought you're not home yet because the lights are off."

"I'm used to the darkness, dear Alexjin," Geraldine smiled as she looked over to the worried boy in front of her, "Please assist your mother into her room, she's tired from today's work and also I've cooked dinner while you both are away, take some and bring it to her and after that, you can eat here with me," She gestured for him to go and he followed immediately.

After a couple of minutes, Alexjin came back and get his food, and settled down in front of his master.

"Alexjin, how's your training these past few days?" She asked while looking over to him with a soft glance. She noticed the difference in his physical build as he used to be a skinny boy with no muscle mass but now, he started to look like a man who has been working out for years as if he has been working out behind her back but in her eyes, he's still a young boy.

"I think I'm doing quite well, master," He answered timidly but Geraldine could see the confidence in his eyes.

"That's good, the competition is getting nearer and I wanted you to win against those nobles," She muttered and sipped her tea.

"I will fight with all my might, so that master won't be disappointed in me," Alexjin said in determination but his eyes lingered to the tea that Geraldine has been drinking and towards her pocket where the poisonous powder is located. He can sense a dark aura around the tea but as he looked upon Geraldine, her face and body are fine but there's a heavy energy around her just like before.

Alexjin wanted to ask about it but afraid that he will get scolded by her for being nosy about her personal life but he can't help being concerned about her health and well-being.

Geraldine noticed his change of expression and to where his eyes are looking at, "This is for my health Alexjin and I know what I'm doing so there's no need for you to be concern," she smiled to show that she's fine when a terrible pain hits her stomach as if millions of nails have been hammered to her flesh.

"Blergh!" Geraldine puked out blood with a mixture of black from the tea she's been drinking.

"Master!!!" Alexjin immediately stands up causing his chair to fall down on the floor. He goes to Geraldine's side and handed her a clean towel from the sink to wipe away the puke left on her lips and grabbed a bowl and fill it with water for her to clean her hands.