Chapter 318: Counting beans.
The estate was quiet when Sienna and Elias arrived. The afternoon air was cold and heavy with a faint sweet scent. The servants who were melting ice on the steps bowed low as the couple passed. But already, they were whispering about it was that had possibly brought Sienna to the estate.
In the foyer, Timothy was already waiting, a bag of beans at his feet. Not just one but six bags, each a different variety. He had a rare smile on his face, as though anticipating Sienna’s whims.
Sienna’s eyes flickered with amusement. "I asked for one bag and but you delivered six. You’ve outdone yourself Timothy,"" she said coolly, before ordering a servant to carry the six sacks of beans. "Take me to my mother-in-law."
The female servant obeyed, and soon Sienna was striding through the corridors, her expression unreadable. She could feel Elias’s eyes on her back. He had chosen to stay out of whatever she was up to.
Sienna found her mother-in-law in her private lounge room, surrounded by attendants. The woman was busy preparing for Princess Lina’s wedding as Elias said. She was arranging bolts of light blue fabric, directing seamstresses to embroider royal patterns into gowns, and overseeing trays of rare jewels meant to be distributed as wedding gifts. The lounge buzzed with activity, laughter and chatter.
Sienna’s voice cut through the happy time like a blade. "Everyone out."
The attendants froze, glancing nervously at Lady Cadelaria, who hesitated before nodding stiffly. Sienna was the kind of person who didn’t give her respect at all. She didn’t want the attendants to witness their clash. One by one, they filed out, leaving the two women alone.
Sienna closed the door behind them, the click echoing ominously. She set her pan on the table with deliberate care, then opened one of the bags of beans.
Lady Cadelaria’s eyes narrowed. "What are you doing here?" she demanded, her voice defensive. "Haven’t you done enough to turn my life upside down?"
Sienna sat down. her gaze steady. "Tell me," she said softly, "were you the one who asked the Queen mother to meddle in my marriage? To make me as second wife? To marry a fox bride?"
The older woman’s eyes darted away, her fingers tightening on her cloak. "The Queen mother is my friend," she said finally. "She asked questions, and I replied honestly."
Then, with a sudden slam, Sienna brought her pan down on the table, the beans rattling violently. Her voice hardened. "I thought we had an understanding--to mind our own business. Why else have I stopped introducing women to Lord Marius recently? It seems like I gave you a grace period and you took it for granted."
Lady Cadelaria flinched, but Sienna was not finished. She pulled out her phone and slid it across the table. "This woman is my father-in-law’s first love. And you know what they say about first love’s. You never forget them. She lost her husband a week ago. The inheritance paperwork came across my desk. I met her and I must say her beauty is still striking despite the years." Sienna’s smile was cold. "Mother-in-law, you have pissed me off so I came to punish you. You will decide," she said. "Either I host this woman here, in your home...or you count every bean in these sacks. Every single one. It could take all night."
Lady Cadelaria’s face twisted with outrage. "You...you dare threaten me? Who do you think you are? I refuse!" She threw her hands up, her voice rising into a tantrum. "You are cruel, Sienna! Insolent!"
Sienna did not flinch. Instead, she picked the phone on the table and made a call, her tone calm and deliberate. "Then I will make the call right now. I will give you the same advise your friend the Queen mother gave me. Step aside and become a second wife for the greater good." The sound of her voice carried authority, and her mother-in-law’s defiance faltered.
Cadelaria lunged for the phone, but Sienna swung her pan, smacking her wrist. As her mother-in-law nursed her wounds, the call connected. A sultry woman’s voice was heard on the other end.
In desperation, Cadelaria shouted. "Fine! I’ll count the beans. Put the phone down, don’t call Kiko."
Sienna leaned back, satisfied. "Good." She ended the call. "You even know her name." She chuckled.
Cadelaria gave her a glare, and got to work.
The hours dragged on. Her mother-in-law sat hunched over the table, her fingers trembling as she picked up bean after bean, counting aloud in a sullen monotone. Her face was pale, her eyes red-rimmed. At times, she squeezed out tears, glancing at Sienna with wounded eyes.
The activity was easy, but monotonous and the beans were tiny! What stung the most was the humiliation.
"I am your mother-in-law, we are family." Cadelaria whispered, "Why are you so mean to your own mother-in-law?"
Sienna’s gaze was unyielding. "Because you meddled where you should not have. This is the price of honesty. Next time, you will peel two sacks of garlic and I will livestream it."
Cadelaria clenched her jaw.
Dinner time came, and Cadelaria was still at it. The food was brought in, trays of steaming dishes filling the room with rich aromas. Sienna ate calmly, savoring every bite, while her mother-in-law gulped down saliva.
"No dinner for you," Sienna declared coldly. "You have beans to count."
Outside the doors of the lounge, whispers were already traveling about the bean counting. The servants could not understand what was going on, but the rest of the family did, because Elias had already shared Sienna’s little episode with the queen mother.
The men were playing a virtual card game at the table, laughing as if nothing was going on. Lord Marius was even happier than he had been in the morning.
The night stretched into dawn. The night stretched into dawn, lights were dimmed, shadows danced across the wall. Cadelaria’s hands grew shaky as she continued the endless task.
By the time the first light of morning seeped through the windows, her count was nearly complete. Her hair was disheveled, her face streaked with tears, her body slumped with exhaustion.
At last, she whispered the final number, her voice barely audible.