"Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-Y-You....!!!" Lady Mila stuttered uncontrollably at the scalding remark with her face being as red as a tomato. It was hard to tell whether it was due to anger or embarrassment.

As for the rest of the crowd, there were varying reactions.

The Maids who came along with Lady Mila almost died of heart attacks due to severe panic.

Assistant Manager Kevin almost lost control of his bowels.

The Attendant who brought in Selena had a hard time controlling his laughter. He was afraid to laugh out loud but he was also afraid that if he suppressed his laughter anymore, he would burst from the sheer pressure.

Ex-Guard Rhys's eyes were so wide, that they threatened to pop out.

The hidden guards in the surroundings almost fell out of their hiding places.

The Maids of Selena had different expressions. Maid Gwen had an excited look on her face while Maid Petra looked as if she wished she was never born so that she could have avoided this apocalyptic situation.

As for Soul...

"Wah ha ha ha ha ha....!!!" if Lady Mila could hear his laughter she would have died from embarrassment on the spot.

Unbeknownst to all of them, a hidden youth was also frozen in place after hearing Selena's response. This youth was a 24-year old man with a sturdy built. He was quietly reading a book under a tree when he heard the commotion. After Kevin fired Guard Rhys, he frowned and wanted to step up but before he could do that, Selena dropped the huge bomb freezing him in place.

It took everyone at least a minute to gather their thoughts.

"Y-Y-You...!! How dare you...?! Who do you think you are...?" Lady Mila was fuming with anger.

"Oh...? I am sorry, are you speaking to me?" Selena acted as if she just noticed Mila's presence.

"Who else but you?! How dare you insult me like that?" Lady Mila snapped at Selena while pointing a finger at Selena's face.

"Uh oh..." Both of Selena's maids instinctively backed off at the sight. They clearly knew that Lady Mila was going to be eaten alive due to her rudely pointing a finger at Selena.

Just as they expected, Selena's face suddenly became colder and the heat around her immediately dropped a few degrees. Mila trembled slightly at the sight. Sensing the danger, she immediately took down her finger and stepped back a little.

'Why... did it feel as if she would snap off my finger now?' Mila thought to herself with cold sweat breaking out of her back.

"Lady Mila..." Selena spoke while staring directly at Mila's soul...

"When did I insult you?"

"Y-Y-You... You said that Loyalty is only worth... what's inside my... yellow..." Mila tried rebuking back, but the sheer pressure released by Selena and the embarrassing words she said made her go quiet.

To that, Selena only tilted her head to the side, as if what Mila said was completely foreign to her.

"That's weird... I indeed made that comment, but I never said it was about you."

"Y-You...!! B-But you said, Ye-Yellow Dress..." Mila was shocked at Selena's shamelessness, but before she could finish, Selena continued on.

"I was talking about someone else. But that's okay, sometimes people can relate to each other. You must have felt a closeness to that shameless girl which is why you became angry for her. So, considering that, I will forgive you."

...

The Crowd fell silent again.

'Forgive her? No No No... shouldn't it be you who should ask for her forgiveness? How did the roles switch? I don't understand what's going on anymore.' The Crowd thought.

The hidden youth also had to put his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing out loud. He had seen many weapons in his entire life and he never believed that a pen was mightier than the sword, but the current event made him doubt his long-held belief. Selena's sharp words would drive a person insane and probably make him kill himself. To think, the same pathetic girl who almost killed herself that day he saw from afar while grabbing his brother's collar would be this much of a predator.

"You... are forgiving me?" Mila trembled with extreme anger.

"Of course, I am a kind person. I never hold a grudge against someone who makes an accidental mistake..." Selena spoke as if she was a saint.

Maid Petra's mouth twitched when Selena called herself a kind person. Wasn't this the same girl who thrashed her teacher this morning? The blood of the teacher on the floor where she fell has probably not even dried yet.

"Who the hell are you...?" Mila finally broke and tears started streaming from her eyes. Despite that, Mila's maids did not approach Mila to support her. Maids cannot interfere in a conversation among nobles as it is considered disrespectful.

"Me? Shouldn't it be the person who must introduce themselves before asking for the other person's identity? Do you not know such a simple etiquette?" Selena frowned at Mila's question.

"I..." Mila felt even more depressed. She forgot about such a simple formality because she lost control of her feelings. Gritting her teeth, Mila stood up upright and bowed a little.

"I am Mila Reeves, the second young lady of Marquis Reeves Manor. May I know your name?"

However, Selena did not tell her name. Instead, she frowned and replied.

"Second young lady of the Manor of Marquis Reeves? I am afraid I have never heard of you. May I see your Insignia?" Selena asked.

Even if Aristocrats are a mere handful compared to the population of the country, they still number in the thousands. It was impossible to keep track of every person. Hence, if an Aristocrat meets another but doesn't recognize them, it was normal to ask to see the Insignia of their family. Since Mila was asking for Selena's identity and Selena didn't know Mila's identity, it was natural for Selena to ask to see proof of the asking party's identity before revealing her own.

"You...!!" Mila gritted her teeth. She didn't bring her Insignia along with her which caused the uproar in the first place and she knew that Selena knew about it and was purposely cornering her.

"I... don't have it with me right now." Mila squeezed the words out of her mouth with great difficulty.

"You don't have it?" Selena's frown intensified and she looked at Kevin who had a hard time keeping his shaking in control.

"You were about to allow someone who didn't have an Insignia to enter?"

"I-I..." Kevin felt his world collapse at those words. He was just trying to get in the good graces of an aristocrat. How the hell did he end up offending a behemoth with that?

"Isn't the whole reason the Insignia is inspected to secure the safety of the visitors to your library?" Selena glared at Kevin so much that he would have turned to stone if she had not averted her gaze to look at a clumsy maid behind her.

"I am not feeling safe here."

"What do you suggest we do, my lady?" Maid Gwen asked.

Selena pondered for a moment and asked the attendant who brought her here.

"Can I speak to your manager?"

Soul "..."

"Are you a Karen?" Soul asked.

"What?" Selena was confused.

"Never mind, just a joke from my world." Soul replied as he controlled his laughter.

"O-Of Course, my lady..." The Attendant quickly rushed out.

After several tense minutes, the attendant returned with a middle-aged man following behind him.

"I am Manager Reynolds. What seems to be the problem Lady Selena?"

"Lady Selena? Of the Booker manor?" Lady Mila jumped back in astonishment. She wasn't at the Prince's party because of a fever, but she did hear what happened at the party. She was shocked to see the contrasting demeanors of the lady in front of her and the lady from the story.

'Is this really the same girl who tried to kill herself? She looks like she makes other people commit suicide with her words.' Mila thought as depression booked a room inside her head.

"It's like this..." Selena told everything, down to the last detail.

After Selena finished her story, the manager's face darkened.

He controlled his emotions and turned to face Lady Mila.

"Lady Mila, I apologize. But the rule of the Insignia was imposed by the Royal family themselves. Surely, you are not asking us to break a direct command of theirs, right?"

"I..." Lady Mila panicked. She was aware that the rule was set by the King himself but being reminded of it frightened her. Ignoring a direct command by the King is considered High Treason and is a valid reason for a death sentence. She was just a 16-year-old girl, how could she possibly handle such an accusation?

"I-I understand... I will leave immediately." Lady Mila barely managed to squeeze those words out as she ran away at full speed. Even her maids had a hard time keeping up with her.

After dealing with Lady Mila, the manager turned to Kevin and harshly slapped him. Kevin fell down backward and cowered in fright.

"You Bastard...!! How dare you ignore the King's orders. Men, take him away...!! Let the Royal Court decide his fate." The manager bellowed angrily. If this was any other incident, he would have at most given Kevin a week of suspension. However, that idiot almost broke a rule set by the King himself to fawn over a lady. He had no one but himself to blame for this result.

"No...!! Manager...!! I was wrong...!! Mercy, Mercy...!!" Kevin screamed at the top of his lungs as he was dragged away by two guards.

Ex-guard Rhys was stunned. He did not expect the matter to get out of hand this quickly. He wanted to speak out for the boy, but before he could do so, Selena spoke first.

"Do you pity him...?"

"Eh?" Rhys was surprised at the question.

"You were once a soldier, right?" Selena asked after turning her head to face him.

"Ah... Yes. I was a soldier in the 23rd Regiment Army, the Stone Spears." Rhys replied with a slight bow.

"As a soldier, you know better than anyone how mercy on your enemies can return back to bite you, right?" Selena asked.

"Ah...!!" Rhys was shocked. In a battle, showing mercy on your enemies was comparable to suicide. Kevin could be considered an enemy to Rhys. Even if he showed mercy and allowed Kevin to go free, the latter would still hold a deep hatred for Rhys as he would be held responsible for Kevin's current situation, at least, according to Kevin himself.

"Kindness is good, but you should show it only to those who deserve it." Selena broke Rhys's train of thought as she flicked something at Rhys.

Rhys caught it out of instinct and observed the item.

It was a coin with Booker Manor's symbol on it.

"This..." Rhys was shocked.

"You stood strong to protect what you thought was right. I happen to be in need of strong and loyal people. If you choose to accept my offer, bring the coin to the Booker Manor. I would like for you to be my personal guard." Selena spoke in an authoritative tone.

"But... I..." Rhys could feel his throat run dry as tears threatened to leave his eyes. He did not expect this at all. Being a personal guard of an aristocrat brought a lot of benefits. To make sure the guard is not bribed, they are paid a rather huge salary. Their family members also come under the protection of the manor and his family would be shifted inside the Manor's compound. His Wife could get the treatment she needs and he would never have to worry about money ever again. However, he was an old man. Selena could have many more guards even stronger than him if she willed it. He could not accept such a proposal. However, before he could reject, Selena spoke again.

"Do you know... what's loyalty worth these days?" Selena asked.

"Eh?" Rhys lifted his head.

"Loyalty is only worth... the trust one person has towards another."

"I..." Rhys's words were stuck in his throat.

"Don't misunderstand. I am not pitying you. I don't have the luxury to do so. What I need... is loyalty, and you fit the bill. So, do you accept it or not?" Selena asked again.

"I..." Rhys trembled in front of the strong young lady in front of him. Even though he was much older and experienced than her, Selena looked like an existence above him, an Empress... who dominates those who threaten her and shields those who swear loyalty to her. He was smart enough to know what decision he should make. He quickly bowed on all fours with his head down and declared.

"Guard Rhys pays respect to my lady, the First Young Lady of the Booker Manor."

The hidden youth clenched his fists at the sight. For some reason, he felt as if he wanted to bow to her too.

"Good..." Selena replied nonchalantly as she made her way inside the library.

Guard Rhys looked up at the figure going inside the library and made an oath to himself.

'May the Gods be the witness to my oath. I, Rhys Gale, swear on my life, that I shall protect My Lady with my body and heart. If those fail, I will defy the heavens and bring my soul back to earth to protect her again.'

As Rhys finished his oath, the door closed behind Selena as she was finally inside the Soaring Heaven Library.

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