Garden Of Poison-Chapter 211: Bubbling anger

The unexpected declaration caught everyone off guard, with startled gasps and murmurs rippling through the crowd as they stared at Emily and Marshall. The princess struggled to think of a way to defuse the situation, but it was challenging with the overwhelming attention they were attracting, and her face flushed red. She finally uttered,

"You might be desperate to marry because of your tarnished reputation, but I am not. You, sir, are not a man worthy of even standing in my presence, let alone proposing something that exists solely in your imagination, for it will never happen."

"There’s no need to be ashamed, Emily. We will raise the child with—"

Emily looked around, searching for something—anything her eyes could land on—when she felt a gentle nudge against her hand. Julia, who stood behind her, extended the umbrella she had been carrying to protect the princess from potential rain, and her fingers curled around the handle.

"—so much love, and you will—"

Marshall’s words were abruptly halted when Emily swung the umbrella at his head with such force that it caused him to stumble and collide with the shop window next to them. The glass cracked, and a collective gasp emanated from the onlookers as the man tumbled onto the ground, landing on his backside.

Even Westley, who usually wore a dull expression, couldn’t help but subtly widen his eyes at the princess’s bold action. And as he glanced around, he noticed that her impulsive act had made things even worse than before, intensifying the murmurs and discussions about her.

Emily’s grip on the umbrella tightened as she fixed a piercing glare on the man who had continued to persistently sully her reputation, as if she would ever bend to his whims. She held a deep disdain for men like him, and the destruction of her once-pristine reputation only fueled her anger further.

On the other hand, Marshall found himself in a second round of shock. He had been prepared to catch the woman’s hand if she were to raise it in an attempt to strike him, but he hadn’t anticipated she would resort to using an object to hit him in a public setting.

"Don’t you dare come near me—"

"You were the one who approached me at Ruiz’s mansion, and now behave like a pompous, uptight princess." Marshall continued to stick with his lies, not holding back this time. He went on, "You know your chances of finding a decent man are slim after being rejected by your soulmate. I tried to comfort you, but you are lashing out, hoping for a better prospect—"

"It is reassuring to know that you are aware that you aren’t good enough for me," Emily snapped, her calm expression beginning to crumble as she continued to glare at the man. "I would never allow a man like yourself to touch me or father my child."

"And what about the child that’s in—"

Emily raised the umbrella just as Julius swiftly arrived at the scene, perplexed as he hadn’t been present to witness what had transpired. He caught hold of the umbrella and said,

"Lady Emily, people are watching." He then turned his attention to Marshall and questioned, "What are you trying to do, Travis?"

"Simply stating facts," Marshall replied, getting to his feet and dusting himself off as he glowered at Emily. He continued, "Did you know that Lady Layla was deeply upset when she learned about what Nathaniel did to you? The poor woman was kept in the dark, and it appears you enjoy creating drama with every man who crosses your path. Is Julius next?"

Julius frowned as he admonished, "Continue on your way, Travis. Lady Emily hasn’t done anything to cause trouble for anyone, and whatever you have to say, keep it to yourself. Or else, it won’t end well for you. Take this as your final warning."

Marshall snickered at Julius’s threat and remarked, "I can’t believe she’s chosen you. Someone from the middle class. A little puppy, all bark and no bi—"

Emily pressed the button above the umbrella handle, causing it to open right before Marshall’s face, momentarily scaring him as he took a step backwards. She warned him, "You should stop talking before it is too late."

"No, please!" Marshall shouted. "I didn’t mean to agitate your already broken soul that is in the process of corrupting! I should have handled it with more care!" freeweɓnøvel.com

"Look at that," someone from a distance remarked. "Is that what corruption looks like?"

"I thought she was a calm woman when I first saw her, but her soul is decaying. She’s going to become violent and pose a threat," another person said, prompting whispers to begin circulating.

"Perhaps she should choose death to end her suffering."

Upon hearing this, Emily’s body froze. She turned to look at the people around her and said, "It is individuals like you who readily absolve men of their actions while scrutinising women for their faults that are part of the problem with society." She then turned to look at Julius, who was stunned by the princess’s sudden outburst.

"Is she admitting she is at fault as well?" someone else asked eagerly, as if they couldn’t wait to rip apart every aspect of the situation and craft a narrative to indulge their imagination.

"Stop making up stories and find something more useful to occupy yourself with," Julius urged the people who had gathered around them. "Go now!"

"I will remember your insult, Lady Emily. I will be sure to repay it in kind," Marshall declared, without waiting to hear Emily’s response before turning around and departing.

Despite Emily’s best efforts to school her facial expressions and emotions, she couldn’t stop staring in the direction where Marshall had disappeared. She had never expected to harbour as much hatred for someone as she did for him.

"Lady Emily, you shouldn’t have struck Marshall; you should have let Westley handle it. Now, only God knows what tales he’s going to spin," Julius said with concern. In that moment, a passing carriage’s wheel dipped into a muddy puddle and splashed dirty water on Julius’s clean beige trousers. Emily’s focus shifted from Marshall back to Julius.

"Ah, it looks like I need to change my trousers. I don’t mean to pressure you, but it saddens me to cut our day short. That is why I’d like to ask if you would be interested in visiting my humble home," Julius suggested.

Taken aback by the question, Emily appeared somewhat uncertain about it. Was this his way of letting her know that despite her creating a scene in public, as the others saw it, he was still keen on pursuing her?

In the background, Julia looked excited, as if eager to catch a glimpse of his house, while Westley continued to quietly listen to the conversation as if he were invisible.

During the week that had passed, Julius had been frequently visiting Emily at the castle, giving her piano lessons, after which they mostly spent their time strolling through the castle’s front garden and the upscale streets of the nearby fancy towns. He had broached the topic of introducing her to his family, as they were eager to meet her, and she had tentatively agreed. However, she wasn’t sure right now. Not today, as her mind felt rattled.

"Forgive me, Julius. Perhaps another day, as I would prefer to return to the castle now," Emily said, noticing the dejected expression that crossed his face, a look he allowed her to glimpse for a good five seconds.

Julius then offered a smile and responded, "That’s fine. I am sure we can find a more suitable day for it. Today has been quite a long day." He nodded in understanding.

With mud splattered on his trousers, Emily didn’t mean to dismiss him, but she thought it was best to end their day here. She felt guilty, seeing the disappointment in his eyes, even though he tried to hide it but failed.

Her eyebrows slightly arched in surprise when Julius picked up her hand and planted a kiss on the back of it. He said,

"Then I shall see you tomorrow, Lady Emily. I hope our conversations didn’t upset you too much, and it is still something we can mend."

Emily only smiled before she climbed into the carriage, aware of the watchful eyes of the onlookers. As the carriage began its journey back to the castle, a sigh escaped her lips, her gaze fixed on the world passing by outside the carriage window.

Upon returning to the castle, her maid, who looked worried, asked, "Princess Emily, would you like me to bring you some tea?"

"No. You can assist Lauren in the kitchen," Emily replied, dismissing her as she wanted some time alone without others around her. She had encountered and interacted with too many people for the day.

The maid bowed and walked away, while Emily continued to walk through the quiet corridor. Just as she passed the drawing room, Raylen and Beatrice stepped into the corridor.

"I heard the barrier had to be reinforced twice. Is that what has been keeping you so busy?" Beatrice inquired, feeling a little faint as Raylen had taken more blood from her than usual.

Raylen swiftly caught sight of Emily’s figure as she disappeared around the corner of the corridor, a path that didn’t lead to her room. When the demoness followed his line of sight and turned to look behind her, she saw only the deserted corridor.

"A king is always busy," Raylen reminded her.

Beatrice stepped closer to him, placing her hand on his chest as she spoke softly, "I’m feeling a little faint. Perhaps I should stay back today?" She was attempting to find a way to remain in the castle, as Raylen never allowed her or anyone else to stay the night. It was something that irked her—how private he was, even though he seemed so approachable.

Raylen chuckled, placing his hand on hers before pushing it away. "If that is so, we should have you return home quickly then," he said, much to the woman’s disappointment, before dismissing her like he always did.

As the woman left, he noticed Westley approach and extend a bow to him.

"Make sure to send a carriage to follow right behind hers. I don’t want the excuse that her carriage broke down."

"Yes, Master," Westley responded.

"What?" Raylen asked, sensing that the demon had something to say. "Did something interesting happen?"

"Princess Emily whacked Marshall Travis with an umbrella. On the street," Westley reported with his typically expressionless face. His words prompted the archdemon to raise his eyebrows, an amused smile on his face. The servant added, "He was smearing her name."

"And what were you doing?" Raylen asked.

"I did not expect things to take such a turn..." Westley replied in a flat tone. The princess looked docile, and not even the man who had been struck saw it coming, he thought.

"Well, good thing they were out on the street. Imagine if it happened at the inn and the princess grabbed a fork or knife. The scandal." Raylen clicked his tongue at the thought of it. Just then, they heard the sound of a single piano key.

Not far from them, Emily had taken refuge in the piano room. Although she had lifted the lid to play, her mind felt too scattered to concentrate. She couldn’t help but wonder why the mud hadn’t fallen on Marshall instead. It would have helped with her brooding mood.

Though Emily had warned Marshall, in reality, she didn’t possess any actual means to make him pay for the damage he had caused to her reputation. She was a princess, and her family was powerful, but she had nothing on her own. She would have... the thought briefly passed her mind. If she had been bonded to someone, her ability would have emerged by now.

As Emily remembered the hurtful words Marshall had spoken to her, anger began to bubble and course through her veins. Without warning, she forcefully pressed her fingers onto the keys in front of her, creating a harsh and jarring sound.

"What a beautiful sound."

Emily let out a soft gasp, startled, as she thought she was alone, and when she turned her gaze towards the entrance of the room, she spotted Raylen casually leaning against the doorframe. He remarked,

"That is the most emotion you’ve ever put into playing the piano."