Ugh—damn it. I went straight for his face instead of waiting for the right moment to kick his ass. Why did I even follow him to the imperial banquet and make such a scene?!
Regret flooded Yulianna once her sanity slapped her back to reality. She found herself battling her own demons, scrubbing her hands in annoyance in the palace bathroom. The water was cold, but not enough to cool her burning shame. How many times would she let her temper define her before her name did?
She bit the inside of her cheek to keep her anger from bursting out. It was already too late—she realized playing dumb would have saved her time and kept her out of trouble, rather than trying to be a hero.
Yet no matter how she looked at it, seeing a woman being taken advantage of made her blood boil. The terrified, helpless expression on the poor lady's face while the baron reveled in his actions made Yulianna forget that she was supposed to leave a good impression on everyone—instead of causing an unladylike scene.
Does it matter now? Will it save me from digging my own grave?
I'll be dead once the duke hears his daughter punched a baron in front of everyone.
"Uhm, excuse m-me, Lady Yulianna."
The soft voice cut through her thoughts like a drop of rain on glass. Yulianna froze. She wasn't alone. Looking up in the mirror, she saw the lady behind her—the same woman whose honor she'd just avenged. The woman's pale face and trembling lips made Yulianna raise a brow.
"What?"
"M-my name is Olivia Bennett. I just wanted to say… you looked so cool at the banquet. Baron Marco deserved it," she said.
Admiration filled Olivia's olive eyes despite the tremor in her voice. Still, she looked as if she might bolt at any moment under Yulianna's intimidating gaze.
Sighing, Yulianna tore her gaze away and continued washing her hands. When she looked back at the mirror, Olivia's head was bowed, her fingers gripping the edge of her dress tightly.
"Did it serve you justice?" she asked, her tone calm but her eyes too sharp to meet.
Justice—what a fragile thing, she thought. Easy to demand, harder to feel.
Olivia's face flushed red with humiliation. Yulianna could see her body trembling, as if she had suddenly recalled the dreadful feeling of the baron's touch.
"Tsk. I should go kick his balls instead."
Olivia looked up, panic evident in her eyes. "N-no, my lady. I—I didn't know you saw what happened in the palace garden. Please, don't go through all that trouble just for me. I—I'm fine…"
Yulianna's brow arched even higher. "Oh? Should I just take back the punch I gave him? That would do…" She trailed off, smiling slyly. "It wasn't meant to be a punch, though—my hands work faster than my legs. I'll kick his balls until they fall off later."
Olivia hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Please, my lady. Don't go to all that trouble just to punish Baron Marco. I'm grateful for what you did, but I'm just a lowly commoner—I don't deserve it. Save yourself the trouble."
"What can I do? Trouble always finds me; I can't help it," Yulianna answered, shrugging. "Besides, I didn't just punch that bastard because of what he did. You wanna know why I did it too?"
"Why?" Olivia asked, though she didn't seem to understand Yulianna's words.
"I don't like his face. So, I went and punched him so hard it might break his nose. That way he could never look the same again."
"How do you know that baron, by the way? I thought the two of you were close enough for him to do as he pleased."
Olivia's face clouded with sadness for a moment, but she forced a smile afterward. "He was my sister's husband. I… I work as one of her maids, and he had me go with him as an assistant."
Yulianna's face went dim. Suddenly, she wanted not only to kick the baron but to beat him until his bones broke. Her pulse pounded in her ears. Men like him always thought their titles could hide the stench of their sins.
"You've got such a sister, Olivia. Does she know her husband was fantasizing about you too?"
"She couldn't bear a child. My sister wanted to please him and keep him in the marriage. S-she turned a blind eye to everything he did," Olivia said.
"The kind of people I want to beat, I see," Yulianna muttered under her breath. She massaged her temples and sighed.
"Pardon me, my lady?"
Turning to Olivia, Yulianna lowered her face and met hers, causing the lady's eyes to widen. "As much as I'd like to hear what's happening in your life, I can't now. I have a life to fight for too—more complicated than you can imagine." She reached up and tapped her head like a timid puppy. "Why don't you come with me and help restore my damaged reputation instead? That would be a win-win for us."
"I'm not sure what you mean, my lady, but I'm happy to serve you if you need my help."
"Great—just in time. I'll need you to do something for me, though it might be a little uncomfortable."
"Anything you need, my lady."
------------
It didn't take long for the rumor to spread across the party. Just as Yulianna anticipated, everyone seemed to forget what had happened moments ago. The imperial hall buzzed with whispers—like bees swarming with gossip.
"That's ridiculous! A nobleman daring to do something like that? Poor lady."
"Whoever that lowly commoner was, she's lucky Duke Rohane's daughter couldn't turn a blind eye to Baron Marco's actions."
"I also heard the baroness couldn't bear an heir and turned a blind eye to everything just to please Baron Marco."
"Lady Yulianna must have been so upset and traumatized by what she witnessed that she lost herself and caused a scene."
"If it were me, I would've done the same thing—maybe even worse."
Punching that jerk wasn't enough to ease the anger inside me. I could have beaten him to death, but that would've wasted my strength—and my beauty. So I chose something else.
Sometimes the best revenge needs a little creativity. I'm sure Baron Marco won't bear the shame alone; his wife will come down with him.
"I didn't understand a thing you told me earlier, my lady. But I'm amazed how everyone believed everything I said when I mentioned your name," Olivia said, her voice filled with enthusiasm as she stood at Yulianna's side.
They both watched as everyone eagerly fed on the rumors Yulianna had spread about Baron Marco's misdeeds. To say the least, she had managed to turn the tables—twisting what happened at the imperial banquet until all the blame fell on Baron Marco.
Feeling satisfied, Yulianna clapped inwardly. "That's what power does, Olivia. Truth doesn't matter—only who tells it first. Everyone else will swallow whatever the higher feeds them."
"In our case, it's a win-win. I managed to save myself trouble, and you gained the justice you deserved. Baron Marco and your sister will pay for the crimes they committed. That's like hitting two birds with one stone."
"My, my, my. What a fascinating display, Lady Yulianna. You make ruin look almost poetic."
The woman who stepped forward was a little too perfect to be real. Each movement seemed measured, designed for the eyes of whoever dared to watch. Her smile could have lit the hall — if only it didn't feel so cold.
"That was the most interesting thing I've seen in years, Lady Yulianna," she said, voice smooth as silk drawn over glass. "You have such peculiar ways… they caught my attention so much, it makes me want to cut your head open just to see what secrets it holds."
She smiled again, and this time — it reached her eyes. That was the worst part.
A faint scent of jasmine and metal lingered in the air. There was something in the way she spoke—a casual cruelty, as if she were naming a delicate pleasure. Her words dropped like cold stones.
Yulianna and Olivia froze, rigid and breathless. No one moved. No one dared.