Lessons in Cruelty: Unmasking the Duchess's Wrath
Princess Olivia hurriedly dashed through the corridors, ignoring the pleas of her maid to stop. The urgency in her steps led to an unintended collision with someone in her path.
"I apologize, I didn't see you," Princess Olivia muttered without looking up.
The response came in a deep, angry, and intimidating voice, making the princess shiver. "Princess, are you forgetting your etiquette class?" the voice demanded.
"Mother, I'm not!" she retorted, but a sudden slap across her cheek silenced her.
"How many times must I tell you never to raise your voice in front of me? Do I have to remind you of who you are?" The voice belonged to the Duchess, her mother, who scolded the princess as she lay on the ground.
The head maid intervened, "Duchess, the princess was on her way to class."
"Why was she running then? Does she forget she's a girl? Or are you failing to teach her proper behavior?" the Duchess snapped.