"Here is your armor, Lady Gaea..." The man didn't even look at her, just roughly setting the armor on the table, causing it to creak under the weight.
This was something that Selene had noticed. All the other workers ignored her presence, only giving her a glance at best. It didn't feel like they were ignoring her becausr they felt superior to her, but it felt strange and made her stomach do uneasy flips. In fact, the only person who would look at her, was a heavy-set man with a thickly braided beard, who looked disgusted to be in the Nobles' presence. He was silently judging her, she could feel it, but she just had to ignored it so she could focus on the armor itself.
Looking down, Selene frowned. The armor was well made metal, heavy, thick and very covering. Good if you were slow and had high strength or defense, but that wasn't Selene. That wasn't how she hunts.
"I-I'm sorry, but... I can't wear this."
"And why is that?" The boss stepped forward; his voice rough on her ears with a slight accent.
The older man was a few heads shorter than she was, so she had to lean a bit to look at him properly, but that felt wrong. Like she was looking snobbishly at him. She hated that feeling, so she opted to take a step back and bow a little. It felt more respectful to the man that would make her gear.
"I'm not strong enough to wear it, Sir... I'm not someone who can stand still-" She tried to explain in a soft voice, but another quickly cut in.
"You can't stand still? Are you that dumb to twiddle yourself about?"
Selene looked up to see the man who said she was his sister. Juno, he called himself.
"No... I just have high Agility and low Strength... I'll be-"
"Low Strength?" Someone snapped, another tall man coming close. He looked younger than Juno, but he had the same green hair, though there were streaks of dark green. "Never have I thought you were that stupid to mess up something that simple!" He snapped.
The new boy laughed while the other just held an amused look, both of which was making the young woman frown. They were mocking her about soemthing. For her Agility, obviously, but she didn't understand why.
Glancing behind her, she could see the barely concealed rage of her true family. She could already tell things were going to get bad. She doubted they would stay quiet for much longer. Not with the looks they were giving.
In the end, she decided to ignore her brothers. It felt like the best action. She didn't know the first things about them, other than they were blood related! There wasn't a reason why their opinions should matter to her, at least in this regard. She should only play nice to keep living on the land she had. As well as to make sure her real family weren't left without jobs and a roof over their heads.
"Sir, do you have any armor that is light? That I can attack from a distance? I'm much better with bows." Selene offered him a sweet smile while that boy laughed louder.
"You use a bow?" Her second blood brother screamed, spitting as he laughed more. "How pathetic are you!" He chittered.
Selene's servants wrinkled their noses in disgust. Did they truly think using a bow was easy? That just about anyone could use one? No! It requires strength and patience! They would only pass on one of those skills, and eveb then they might use too much strength!
"Our Miss is the best at hunting with a bow!" Izzy refused to hold her tongue any longer! She had to deal with these boys long before she was casted out, she won't dare let them hurt her young Miss! Not when she's so kind!
"A Gaea doesn't use a bow." Juno sneered, straightening his back to look down on the maid.
To her credit, Izzy didn't back down. Her head bowed, but those glowering eyes revealed true rage. Her foot shifted, silently moving back and bending at the knees. Her hand went to her waist, where she always kept a very sharp hunting dagger. She was going to butcher these insolent brats.
"I would also need some armor for my servants. I'll make sure to pay extra if that's a problem? I don't really know how hunting real monsters work."
At the sound of her lady's words, the burning pyre of revenge vanished, being replaced with glee. She straightened her back and looked to her young Miss, who was already looking to her with begging eyes. Begging her to calm down.
"Armor for a servant? Please, what can she do on a hunt?" The younger brother scoffed, rolling his toxic eyes.
"She happens to be the best tracker. We at the manor never have to go without meat during the winter months because of her." Selene praised, a glow on her face.
Izzy grabbed her young Miss, pulling her haphazardly into her arms. She cooed at her, calling her kind and sweet. Clover chuckled silently, patting the young Miss on the head. Instead of getting loud and angry, the young woman practically melted into the physical embrace, giving a lopsided smile.
"Tch, can't believe you got so dumb that they could easily sway you. Stupid bitch." The younger hissed.
Now, that did make her move. Pulling out of the very warm and comforting embrace of her older sister, Selene stood nose to nose in front of her blood brother, baring her teeth with growl.
She had enough! It was one thing to insult her and think of her choice of weapon weak or pathetic. She didn't care! But it seemed as if this idiot was actively trying to get in her bad side, from her person to her weapon and now to her family! She won't have it!
"Tell me who the hell you think you are to talk to my servants like that? To talk to me like that?"
The brother, who was just barely a few inches taller than her flinched. Still, he tried to put on a brave mask.
"Jupiter Gaea, the fourth son of the Gaea family."
Selene scoffed.
"Do you value men over women?" She hissed.
"We value strength over all else." He hissed back.
She scoffed. "Really? Then prove that you're stronger. Prove that, maybe I'll take your words more seriously.
The two glared at each other, neither one backing down. Waiting for the other to show weakness. Jupiter was the first to faulter, the first to look away.
Juno said nothing now as he grabbed both his and his younger brother's armor. As acknowledgement of her strength of will, he gave the smith money for her servants' armor. He won't help her with anything else however. She had picked this fight, she now had to prove to them all that show of power was more than just rage fuelled confidence.
Maybe that was what the family needed, at least to protect the youngest of them.