The Demon’s Bride

The two women behind Lady Ellen looked at Elise and she could feel how their gaze deliberately moving up to bottom on her entire figure as if weighing her. Lady Ellen was taken aback by Elise's words and her smile appear without reaching her eyes, "Heartbroken? I am not sure if I understand your word, Lady Elise."

"Don't you remember our last conversation?" Elise asked, and Lady Ellen felt disturb that she had brought about what she had talked during their last meeting. Ellen didn't fully recall what she had said but sure she had told some rude words. Was Elise going to reveal her words out in the open?

"Well..." Lady Ellen showed a smile, trying to keep calm as if she wasn't intimidated by her question, "I spoke quite a lot of things that night during the Winter Ball. I don't think I could keep all that I said to my memory."

"That is usually how it goes, indeed," Elise returned the woman a smile, seeing that with only a light intimidating remark Ellen was quick to concede. "Most people remember what they heard from others but not what they say. It is why mouth is often the most dangerous weapon. Even more frightening than a pistol that can take one's life," said Elise, and at time Ellen's eyes fell on the pistol.

Out of fear that Elise would reveal the mean side of her as she had only showed the sweet and kind side of her to others. "Speaking about hunting, how do you find the hunting game so far, Lady Elise? I believe this must be the first time for you. It's rare for people to hold hunting game in winter as often time animals don't leave their place and I believe that is only what make it different because Runalia is warmer even in Winter unlike Warine." Lady Ellen appeared as if she was trying to built a good relation with Elise but before she could reply the woman's words. The woman was quick to add another remark, "I saw a large tiger was caught earlier and I heard it was the Lord's."

"Oh my! A tiger?!" The woman beside Lady Ellen, who was slightly plump with a ring on her three fingers in each hand said; appearing to be intrigued. "A tiger is a very difficult prey to be hunt. Not only that it takes luck to see one appear, it also need the skill of a good hunter to be able to stop the tiger who is the King of the forest. We can never expect anything less from the Lord."

"I heard that the Lord uses a pistol," said the other woman, who then turn to look at Elise, "How does it feel to ride the same horse with the Lord, Lady Elise? It must be a great honor to see the Lord's skill by your own eyes."

"Right, Ian was very skilled, I was amazed to see his control," Elise said which was the true, "However, the tiger wasn't his prey. He only came to a company and teach me how to use the pistol." Elise didn't mind that everyone take her credit. It matters to her nothing if either her or Ian was praised because they were one.

"Do you mean to say that the tiger is yours?" Lady Ellen asked, laughing and the two other women took the cue to laugh altogether as if they had just heard a very witty joke of the year. 

"It is mine," Elise answered. A smile was still on her lips but she didn't laugh.

"Please, Lady Elise do not kid us. It is not the first of April where lying is a tradition," the same woman clapped her hand that was decorated with rings. "A woman, hunting a tiger? Is this why your attire is very strange...?"

"What about my attire?" Elise questioned, pulling a look said she couldn't get what the three women was speaking of. She could see other bystander feared to get close. On one hand some people seem to enjoy watching while a few deliberate whether to enter the conversation or not and torn between which side they need to take.

"I mean, the attire you are wearing, it's something only men would wear. Us, ladies won't even come up with an idea of wearing pants outside like that. I don't dare to ask that the rumors are maybe true?" asked the third woman.

"Lady Phoebe, please," Lady Ellen admonish with a startled look as if she disagree with the slip of word Lady Phoebe said. "Please don't take it to heart Lady Elise, I mean I am sure there must be reason for the rumors. They do say there won't be smoke without fire but I trust that the rumors is false."

"Rumors?" Elise questioned, taking the drink from one servant and thanked them. Her polite gesture wasn't like other ladies that had some of the women to scoff again. Elise noticed but waited for the time. 

Often at times when a person ask a question again, it meant for the speaker to know that the question might have crossed the line, but the woman finds it as a chance instead, "The rumors that you were a slave. I couldn't believe it of course because now you look like a proper lady."

"It's the dress that is making her look like one," said the plump woman even though currently Elise was not wearing a dress. "It's frightening to think that once a lower person is dressed like us, they think they are of the same level of us. Who bought you, Lady Elise?"

"It must be some wealthy man," Lady Phoebe criticized. "I hope the Lord know about your past."

"I doubt the Lord didn't know that," Lady Ellen waved her hand as if she hadn't been the one who had circulated the rumors amongst the upper class ladies to smear Elise's name. "Right, Lady Elise? I mean if you didn't tell the Lord about your past, it would be a great offense. I worry that the Lord had been fooled."

"Coming again it's always men who is tricked by sly women," Lady Phoebe shook her head, "Unlike is who are taught to be loyal and true lower woman from common families are similar to a bee who would shift between men once they found one who is better than the other. How lo-"

A clink sound crisply came over the three women who was immersed and absorb with their greed to ridicule Elise. Lady Ellen was the first to look at Elise, covering her mouth, "Please do not get angry, Lady Elise. We are taught differently than you, really we don't mean to offend you."

"Clearly we are taught different," Elise answered, her eyes that were bright blue looked at the three women sharply, "I am taught to respect people but it isn't the same case in your households. One have to respect others to gain respect but you don't."

Lady Ellen wasn't happy that she had called out her behavior and it was clear after Elise noticed the look on Ellen's face where annoyance set her jaw, "Do you admit the rumors is true? That you are a slave then?"

The ladies giggled again, they thought they were having the upper hand to mock her but Elise didn't laugh instead her smile had fallen and a strict expression came in her face that had the air turn still. With her smile that had fallen, the laughter Lady Phoebe and Lady Melani had along with Lady Ellen turn dull. 

"It is right," Elise said, her voice both polite but also daunting that Ellen find herself somewhere wary of the girl who she thought was lower than her.

"So it is indeed right!" Lady Phoebe said, breaking Lady Ellen's small trance. "Then that might be why that you didn't only lie about hunting a tiger but also act so boldly impolite right now."

Elise stared deep into Lady Phoebe's eyes, her chin tipping upward, "Tell me how am I rude, Phoebe?" She called the woman's words without the title and Phoebe's eyes widened.

"That is what I call rude, Lady Elise," Lady Phoebe said, a fit of irk covered her face. "You should call people who have a higher status than you as 'Lady' but you didn't. Not to mention you have been behaving rude by not respecting the three of us."

"Which mean the rude one here is the three of you," Elise used a tone that made the three felt more offended as she spoke in a way as if she was in a higher status then them. "I am Lord Ian's future wife, and I am currently engaged to him. I am the next Lady of Warine, ladies. The person who you should respect and not the opposite. If you still cannot understand, you are the ones who are behaving rude to me right now and I am truly offended."

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A/N: Next chapter is up in a few hours, please don't forget to vote~