Chapter 1: Emerald

"Grrrr hark hak Rarr" an animal that seemed to be in a shape of a human scowled and aggressively barked at the small child hiding behind his mother.

He was barely keeping in his tears, while his small and trembling hands gripped tightly at her skirt while bravely keeping his eyes on that 'thing'

A human girl acting like a wild dog covered in mud, her dirt brown one-piece cloth in tatters. Her feet and legs bleeding from struggling, and her wrist bruised with the thick iron handcuffs—creating a huge scene in the middle of the capital

The chain connected to her neck clanked as the people behind her tugged it. Hoping that it'd help in keeping her away from the aristocrats.

"Do you really think that you're in the slums right now?" The aristocratic lady who seems to be the boy's mother looked at the commoners with utter disgust

"I-I'm very sorry to have you see this Madame, it seems to have ran qui—"

"Do you think I need your excuse? Get that out of here, now"

They were frozen still for a moment but then started to panic, trying their best to somehow get it back to where it came from.

"HEY! what are y'all standing there for, get this thing back to Khun!"

The lady with her son turned around and walked away, not wanting to be the topic of a rumor any further than that.

The boy turned his head back to the girl, still relentlessly trying to break free. Looking like she'd be able to kill anyone from their skin being bitten off.

"Mother, isn't she just like me? Why is she like that?"

The lady showed her surprised and concerned face while looking at her son. Thinking that he shouldn't think about unnecessary things that's not related to him being a successor.

"Don't concern yourself with things like that Alexandre"

"There's no need for you to pity those lowly commoners, you were born different—you're special dear"

The boy's face looked like he still had something to say. His lips parted, but no sound went out of his mouth as he continued to watch the small girl endlessly retaliating at the far distance.

The girl's eyes widened, following the boy's direction. He kept his gaze fixated on her when people would normally look away.

At that time, she was wondering what was going on in that head of his. Was it perhaps pity? Curiosity? Or maybe because he wants to feel a sense of superiority?

But what she knows for sure though, is that she hated it. Everybody acting all ignorant and not doing anything, the nobles, and the commoners making sure that they aren't at least at the very bottom of the hierarchy.

It's all the same thing anywhere after all. There's nothing different here from Khun--- Everything is just,

'Fcking Disgusting'

"AGHHH GRR ARRR AR"

Instead of going against their pull, she jumped onto the commoners pulling the chains.

Her nails dug deep into one of the commoner's skin. Blood gushed out as he screamed in agony, while the others backed off by instinct and fear, not even trying to help him.

The noble surrounding the area gasped as their anxiety kept rising with the chains unattended.

"HEY, Do your job properly you peasants! Grab the chains!"

She quickly scanned her surroundings, the crowd running around in chaos.

The boy from earlier was separated from her mother, getting squished and bumped, while standing in the middle of a stampede.

"Ahh don't go any c-closer, get away from me!"

"S-She'scoming this way, MOVE!"

She ran in all fours like a predator hunting its prey. Her head was filled with anger and hatred as if it wasn't worse enough just a few moments ago.

In fact, it's almost right to say that she barely has any consciousness at that point-- It's like her body resorted to her primal instinct, she couldn't hear anything anymore.

Their eyes met and Alexandre was left standing in the open, trembling like a crumbling statue.

Tears attempted to fall down his cheeks as he was slowly stepping back.

In the mind of a small child, he was only thinking about running towards his mother's embrace—where it's safe and peaceful. But even by instinct, he knew that it'd be over once he turns his back on her.

They were only a meter distance away from each other. The girl has only been observing the kid while still being hostile. She steps forward, he steps backward.

They could've maintained truce if they kept it up, but because of the small gaps of the brick tiles on the floor, he tripped unwantedly breaking eye contact.

The girl jumped in for an attack as Alexandre defensively covered his face with his forearm. But before she could even kill him, a lot of people in uniforms arrived—grabbing the chains, stopping her movements, and choking her in the process.

With the sudden force that was placed on her neck, the thing she had kept hidden in her mouth secretly, was spat out.

An emerald ring fell off her mouth, and at that moment, her consciousness immediately came back.

Time in her perspective seemed to have switched to slow motion-- as the ring clanked against the floor, falling right in front of Alexandre while glimmering under the sunlight.

He unknowingly picked it up out of curiosity but when he looked up-- For the first time, he saw her eyes twitched in horror.

"A-ah wait-"

It was more like a whisper but for the first time, he heard her voice.

He always knew that she could talk, but after the scene from earlier, aside from her overly cracked voice—it was more normal than expected

Getting pulled far and far away from the ring, the girl tried to reach out for it but it was useless

"Agh, No..."

"Gi- Giv me, Give it t-to me"

Instead of forcing her way out like she did earlier, she looked vulnerable as if everything she had left, disappeared just like that.

The face of desperation, sadness, and loneliness that says 'Please don't take it away from me'---

It wasn't an animal that Alexandre was seeing at all

"Young Master!"

"Alexandre dear!"

An old man in a butler uniform together with his mother came running toward Alexandre in a hurry.

He hid the ring by reflex, but even he himself didn't know why he did that when he has nothing to hide.

"My goodness your arm!" Her mother exclaimed as she saw the huge scratch mark, carved into his porcelain skin.

He didn't really realize it earlier, but when he saw his scar, only then did the sting of pain immediately travel to his whole body like electricity.

"Ackk"

His mother looked around as she reached out for her handkerchief, quickly covering it around his wound.

There were too many eyes watching them, and his mother could already predict that this incident would be the main topic for tomorrow's morning newspaper.

"Take him back to the mansion and call for a doctor right now"

The butler just went into panic mode, so he picked him up and carried Alexandre into the carriage.

While she simply remained and stood there, looking at the far distance where the knights are holding onto the little girl.

Appearance is everything for an aristocrat, but now, the one and only heir to the dukedom has an obvious scar on his arm.

She walked up to the group of knights and pointed her finger.

"You there" her low but authoritative voice that seemed to be aimed at one of the knights, stole all of their attention from the girl still looking out of it from getting her ring stolen.

The knight who seemed to have a higher rank stepped forward and politely bowed in front of her

"What honor do we have for the Duchess of Winterleign, to grace us with her presence?"

She just kept her eyes at the girl still digging holes into the ground.

'This pathetic thing actually has the audacity to try and ruin the family's reputation'

For commoners, it might not be big of a deal, but the world of high society is different. Something like that hurts your social status more than you think—it's a big deal.

It's been scratched deep enough into his skin that it won't disappear even if it does heal one day.

'Does pesky btches will surely talk about it at the next tea party. I need to make sure that not one single mockery gets out of those mouths of theirs'

After thinking for a bit, her face slightly lit up.

"That girl. Execute her in the guillotine in 3 days"

Even with their stoic faces, the knights behind couldn't help but show just a slight hint of momentary shock.

The commander knight she's talking to showed a really troubled face as he kept switching his weight from one foot to the other.

"Even if it's the duchess' request, we can't just simply ignore our morals and ethics"

"We uphold and follow them like a sacred rule"

[Even though the knights hold power in high society, it's not like they have enough, to go against a noble of high rank like the Duchess.]

[So what are they doing you ask?]

"I hope the duchess could understand what I'm saying—"

"How much do you want?"

The high-ranking knight stopped talking as he locked eyes with the duchess-- Looking like he couldn't believe what he was hearing but grinned for a split second when he covered his mouth.

[Well, nothing much..]

"Let's talk about the details somewhere else, duchess"

[Just busy leeching off to those of higher in position]

~•○TO BE CONTINUED•~