บท 9: Her Gift
Iris followed Liare out of the main hall. Liare would often talk to her along the way and Iris would always smile innocently and respond to her. She did this to build a good impression on this useful maid.
Liare was her grandmother's most trusted attendant. In other words, the perfect link to get close to her grandmother.
While walking towards Iris's courtyard which was very far away, Iris suddenly flinched painfully. This little movement of hers was not missed by Liare. She asked with concern.
"What is it, Young Miss?"
"It's…It's nothing."
She smiled, but there were subtle tears in her eyes. Liare instantly became worried as she scanned Iris. Suddenly, she noticed a small stream of blood in her clothes running down her shoulder. It was clearly due to the fur coat she was wearing.
Liare looked complicatedly at the coat. There was most certainly something wrong with the coat. She knew Iris could feel that, but she didn't take it off, most likely because she respected Libera's intentions. Liare immediately scolded Libera a hundred times in her heart. How cruel of her to give something so uncomfortable to a child who just arrived back from the country side!
The seemingly innocent Iris was biting her lower lip, trying hard to contain her tears. Liare felt great pity for her innocent self, as she said:
"Young Miss, the coat does not look to be your size, why don't you hand it over to this servant for fixing it?"
"Oh…okay." Iris 'hesitatingly' took off the coat and handed it over to Liare.
The blood on her shoulder became even more apparent. Liare took the coat from her hand and turned it over to inspect it. As soon as she did that, she gasped in horror. After a few seconds of staring, she corrected her expression and smiled at Iris, before leading her to her courtyard.
After settling Iris in her courtyard, Liare made her way to Sira's courtyard with the fur coat.
Sira was sitting in her room, having tea. She saw Liare running up to her and kneeling before her as greeting and getting up again. Liare handed the coat to her and said.
"Old Madam, Please look at the coat Madam gave to Young Miss Iris!"
"What about it?" Sira took the coat from Liare and turned it over. As she did that, her eyes widened in shock.
The coat that looked fluffy and warm from the outside, actually had nails embedded on the inside! Thick and extremely pointy nails were sticking out of the coat, making one imagine how painful being stung by them would feel. They were even dyed red in blood. Iris's blood.
"That woman, to do something like this to a child who just entered the house, she is really getting carried away because of Azer's favor! Presumptuous!" She spoke angrily. Then she turned to look at Liare. "Liare, go and take two boxes of jewelry, and immediately deliver it to that girl. And don't take it from the treasury, but take it from Libera's jewelry! Humph! How dare she make a move to disrupt the peace of my manor! After you are done delivering, call Azer over. I must tell him how great the wife he selected really is!"
In reality, Sira had always been an extremely peace loving person. She hated any sort of violence of fights in the manor. She saw Libera's deed as a way to stir up trouble, thus became angry. She also gave up the jewelry to Iris as a way to compensate her. This could also be considered her hush money, in case she made a fuss over the matter.
All of this was in Iris's expectations. So she wasn't surprised one bit as she gazed at the servants holding the jewelry boxes.
Of course, the one who placed the nails in the coat was none other than herself. But of course, not even the astute Libera would suspect a 15-year-old to do something so vicious. She did this to slander Libera and lower her image in the eyes of her grandmother. Something as venomous as slander, she had done.
But was she evil? Iris coldly laughed.
When you all framed me and slandered me mercilessly, did you consider yourself as evil?
So why should I, an avenger, be called evil?!
Then, you'll understand my pain, the agony I felt when you smeared my bad reputation all over the capital city!
And I will not stop there!
This is just the meager beginning!
Libera, just you watch.
The reputation that you painstakingly built over the years, just watch how I drop it to zero within a matter of days!
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