Chapter 11: The Storm Breaks.
Chapter 11: The Storm Breaks.
Osborne saw Guinevere standing at the edge of the courtyard, her silver hair unmistakable even through his blurry vision, and Rachael frowned upon seeing the aide’s arrival since she knew this woman would definitely mess up her plans, the young girl’s smug expression having completely vanished as she scowled openly at the approaching figure.
"Young Master!"
Someone yelled Osborne’s name in pain, the desperate scream tearing through the heavy atmosphere of the courtyard with such raw anguish that even the gathered servants turned their heads toward the source of the sound, and he turned weakly to see Anny rushing toward him with her bundled brown hair bouncing wildly behind her as she pushed through the crowd without any thought for her own safety, her face pale and streaked with tears that had already begun falling before she even reached him.
She broke through the crowd and continued running towards the wooden mast.
" I’m afraid I cannot allow you to come any close." But one of the armored knights stepped into her path and blocked her way with his broad chest, forcing her to stop before she could reach the wooden post where Osborne hung suspended by his bound wrists.
" You can’t do this, I’m begging you." she began begging desperately.
"Please, let me through! I need to get to him!" Anny cried out, her small hands pressing against the knight’s steel breastplate as she continued struggling against his immovable form.
"Young master what happened! Why would anyone do this to you?!" She said to Osborne before turning her focus back to the knight Infront of her.
" Please untie him, I know my Young master, He’s never once hurt anyone, he’s a good person, one who would never bother doing anything at all."
" Anny please...that’s enough..."
Osborne muttered her name weakly, his voice barely a whisper as he watched her struggle.
From his voice alone, one could tell that he wasn’t happy that she was here, because he never wanted her to see him like this.
He wanted her to continue living with the carefree young master who had laughed with her over the years, not this broken and bloodied figure hanging before a crowd of strangers, and yet here she was witnessing his shame and suffering, All because he had been foolish enough to fall into Rachael’s trap.
******
Guinevere walked straight towards Rebecca and Rachael without the slightest hesitation, and rather than addressing either of them by name, she stopped only a few steps away before looking at the two sisters with an icy gaze that caused even the surrounding servants to unconsciously straighten their backs.
"...Would one of you care to explain exactly what this is?" The calmness in her voice only made it colder.
Rachael instinctively shrank behind Rebecca, tightly clutching her older sister’s arm while avoiding Guinevere’s gaze altogether, because she knew better than anyone that unlike the others within the estate, Guinevere was not someone who could be fooled with a few clever words or childish excuses.
Rebecca furrowed her brows and stepped forward to shield her younger sister. " Big sis Guinevere, while we are close, don’t mistake our relationship for ignorance and raise your voice at us." She said,
" Lady Rebecca... I’ll ask again." Guinevere replied without the slightest change in expression. "What happened here?"
Rebecca frowned.
"Since you insist on knowing, then I’ll tell you." She declared, her hand naturally resting upon the hilt of her sword. "This man here dared to ay his hands upon my younger sister."
" Knowing that, of course I have no intention of allowing someone capable of such disgraceful behaviour to remain unpunished."
Silence followed.
Guinevere slowly shifted her gaze towards Osborne before looking back at Rebecca once more.
It didn’t make sense.
During their journey together, she had watched the Baron’s son more than enough to understand the kind of man he was.
Although they had known each other for only a few days, she had seen someone willing to sacrifice his own future for the sake of his family, someone who thanked even the servants for the smallest kindness, and someone who had treated every person he met with nothing but courtesy.
Someone like that would never throw everything away on his very first day.
Her eyes slowly moved towards Rachael.
The young girl immediately lowered her head.
"...Young Miss." Guinevere said lightly but Rachael remained silent.
"...Please look at me young miss." She insisted.
The little girl bit her lip before reluctantly raising her head, though her eyes still refused to meet Guinevere’s.
A faint frown appeared upon Guinevere’s face seeing this reaction.
"...Lady Rebecca." She spoke again. "Might I ask what evidence you have for treating him to such a punishment?"
Rebecca looked almost offended by the question.
"My own eyes of course!"
"...That alone?"
"That alone?!" Rebecca answered with an appalled look on her face.
" What are you trying to say?! That I’m unable to discern that which I saw with my own eyes?"
"I witnessed him with Rachael myself, and I require nothing beyond that."
Guinevere remained silent after hearing her reply.
Rebecca’s gaze gradually turned colder.
"... Should I take it that you’re doubting my judgement?"
" I would never doubt the blood of Roosevelt young miss..." Guinevere spoke up. "I merely wish to avoid condemning an innocent man."
Rebecca let out a cold scoff.
"How surprising." She said. "You’ve spent only a few days beside him, yet you’re already speaking in his defence."
Guinevere didn’t answer.
Rebecca took another step forward.
"In case you fail to understand, I’ll make it clear to you." She said firmly. "You are my eldest sister’s aide, nothing more, so do not mistake that position for authority, because you have neither the right nor the standing to question my judgement."
Guinevere slowly clenched her fists.
" You are indeed right young miss, an aid like myself has no such authority."
".....But Young miss." Her voice remained calm despite the frustration hidden beneath it.
"Lady Roseline entrusted Young Master Osborne to House Roosevelt’s care, and regardless of what you believe he has done, she will not be pleased to learn that judgement was passed before she was even informed."
Rebecca’s expression didn’t change.
"My sister is not here." She said before she turned towards the waiting knights.
"I am." She added.
Guinevere’s eyes suddenly narrowed. She could tell this girl had no intention of listening to her at all.
"...Please think carefully about what you’re doing." She still tried to persuade her.
"I already have." Rebecca said. She raised one hand before pointing towards Osborne without even sparing him a glance.
"Continue." She announced, causing all the servants to look dumbstruck, after all this, she still wasn’t satisfied and wanted to subjugate him to even more?
The two knights hesitated, briefly looking towards Guinevere before reluctantly obeying the order, while Guinevere remained rooted where she stood with helpless frustration filling her heart, silently realising that unless Lady Roseline herself returned, there was no one present capable of overruling Rebecca’s command.
******
"Please... I’m begging you, you can’t!"
Anny’s face turned deathly pale as she rushed forward without a second thought before throwing herself at Rebecca’s feet, clasping her trembling hands together while tears streamed uncontrollably down her cheeks, completely ignoring the countless eyes watching her as she desperately pleaded for the young man she cared for more than anyone else.
"Please..." she cried, her voice shaking so badly that every word threatened to fall apart. "Young Master Osborne hasn’t done anything wrong, I know him better than anyone, and he would never hurt another person, so please believe me, because I’m telling you the truth!"
Rebecca’s expression remained completely unmoved.
"... I’m afraid you’ve forgotten your place."
Before Anny could utter another word, Rebecca’s hand swung across her face.
Smack!
The sharp sound echoed throughout the courtyard, causing the murmuring servants to fall silent as Anny stumbled backwards from the unexpected blow, one hand instinctively rising to her reddened cheek while tears continued spilling from her eyes.
"Anny!"
Osborne’s desperate shout rang across the courtyard as he struggled against the ropes with everything he had, panic filling his face the moment he saw her struck.
" Please don’t hurt her!!! I’m begging you!" He cried out.
Rebecca glanced at him for a moment before looking down at the trembling maid with eyes that carried neither pity nor guilt.
"You dare presume to tell me what I should do?" she asked coldly, her voice carrying effortlessly across the silent courtyard. "You are nothing more than a servant from a fallen household, while I am a daughter of House Roosevelt, yet you speak as though your words carry the same weight as mine."
Anny hurriedly shook her head despite the tears clouding her vision.
"T-That’s not what I meant..."
"No." Rebecca interrupted without allowing her to continue.
"I witnessed his actions with my own eyes, and I refuse to let your blind loyalty cloud my judgement, because regardless of how highly you think of your master, it does not erase what I saw."
She looked down at Anny with an icy expression before continuing.
"I have already shown you enough patience by listening this long, so take what little dignity you have left and step away, because if you continue interfering, I will have you removed from this courtyard by force."
"...Please..." Anny whispered, looking between Rebecca and Osborne with helpless eyes. "...Young Master..."
"Anny." Osborne called out weakly, forcing a smile despite the exhaustion written across his face. "...Please don’t."
She immediately turned towards him.
"B-But Young Master..."
"I’m alright." Osborne lied with a faint chuckle that convinced absolutely nobody. "You’ve always been terrible at lying, so don’t start pretending you’re brave now just because I’m in a little trouble."
"...How can you joke at a time like this?" she asked through trembling sobs.
"Because..." Osborne replied softly, "...if you stay here, I’ll only end up worrying about you instead of myself."
He looked directly into her tear-filled eyes.
"So please... do this one thing for me."
"...Don’t interfere anymore."
The miserable smile he forced onto his face shattered what little composure Anny had left.
Unable to hold herself together any longer, she covered her mouth as loud sobs escaped despite her best efforts to suppress them, her shoulders trembling uncontrollably while fresh tears blurred her vision.
"...I’m... sorry..." she whispered.
Slowly, and only because Osborne had asked her himself, she stepped backwards until she reached the edge of the gathered crowd, though her eyes never once left him.
Guinevere watched everything unfold in complete silence.
Her hands had clenched so tightly that her fingernails dug into her palms, yet she understood that remaining here and arguing further would accomplish nothing because Rebecca had already convinced herself that she was delivering justice, and no amount of reasoning would change her mind now.
"...Very well," Guinevere said quietly, her gaze lingering on Osborne for a brief moment before turning away. "I only pray neither of you comes to regret today’s actions."
Without another word, she turned and strode towards the manor with hurried steps, already knowing there was only one person capable of putting an end to the situation.
’Lady Roseline... you need to return quickly.’
Above them, dark clouds slowly gathered across the sky until the first drops of rain began falling over the courtyard, soaking the stone ground beneath everyone’s feet.
The servants quickly began to leave one after another.
Seeing this, the knights turned towards the 3rd and 4th daughter with hopeful eyes.
" No... I still don’t think this is enough. Continue for a bit more."
Both knights turned silent for awhile before nodding.
" As you command young miss." They both bowed at the same time before continuing to whip the already unconscious Osborne.
Anny couldn’t hold herself back anymore, dropping to her knees while muffling her aching sobs with her hands.
Rebecca spared her a brief glance before looking at her younger sister.
" Come Rachael, let’s get inside before you get cold." She smiled at her, rubbing her head a bit.
" Alright big sister." Rachael giggled before following after her, but mid step, she couldn’t help pausing for a moment to look back.
"...."
" Rachael, aren’t you coming?" She heard her sister calling for her.
She clenched her fists before turning around.
" Coming big sister."