Chapter 43: "Carriage ride to Victoria's house"

Two days later, Selene sat in a luxurious carriage, dressed from head to toe in fancy attire—a beautifully embroidered dress, matching shoes, and sparkling jewelry. Her silver hair was styled into a high ponytail, adorned with an elegant bow and cute hairpins.

In her arms, she held a gorgeous teddy bear—a soft, velvety creation with white fur, sapphire-blue button eyes, and a delicate ribbon around its neck. Its craftsmanship was exquisite, making it well worth the 50 small gold coins she had spent through the store interface.

In other words, Magnus had ensured she broke every single rule from Victoria's letter.

Seated across from her, Magnus and Damian sat side by side, while Merly was beside her.

For the past two days, she had unsuccessfully tried to convince Magnus not to accompany her to the tea party. To be honest, though, she was relieved he was coming. Even though she was mentally 21 years old, her body was still that of a 12-year-old girl. Victoria could easily rally other children or even the servants to harass her. And what she had planned for Miranda was so disgusting that Selene wanted to stay as far away from her as possible.

Rescuing Miranda had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, but now that she was actually doing it, she felt a bit nervous. She was grateful that Magnus would be there.

However, what she didn't understand was why Damian was coming along too. After his underground lab had been discovered, he was still under strict supervision. Gone was the arrogant, high-and-mighty young genius. Now, he just looked like a rebellious teenager, sulking and pouting as he gazed out the carriage window.

Magnus cleared his throat, causing Damian to flinch.

Magnus spoke firmly. "Even if you were invited to this tea party, after the stunt you pulled, I wouldn't have allowed you to go."

Damian's scowl deepened.

Magnus continued, "But since Selene wants to go, I will allow it—on one condition."

Damian raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"You will watch over your little sister while you're there."

Damian's face twisted in disgust. "You expect me to babysit her?"

Magnus didn't even bother answering. Instead, he reminded him, "Don't forget, Selene was the one who vouched for you back then. If not for her, you and your mother's crimes would have earned you a lifetime in the dungeon."

Damian gritted his teeth.

Yes, Selene did vouch for him, but not because she cared for him as a brother.

To be honest, back on Earth, reading about the things he had done in the game had made her wish him dead. However, imprisoning him now might collapse the storyline and alter the plot in unpredictable ways. There was even a chance that a new, unknown male lead could replace him. In other words, it would be inconvenient for him to go to prison.

Besides, he hadn't started his twisted experiments yet—except for the torture of Galen and Thorn. Maybe, just maybe, there was still a chance to reform him before he became a complete madman.

Just as she was lost in thought, Selene suddenly remembered something she had forgotten to tell Magnus. She made a mental note to bring it up when the time was right.

Meanwhile, Damian mumbled under his breath, "Even if she vouched for me, I don't want to be her babysitter. It's not like she's in any danger. She's just going to Victoria's house."

Magnus pulled out the torn letter that Selene had carefully taped back together and handed it to him.

"Read this."

Damian hesitated but took the letter. His expression darkened as he read further. By the time he reached the final lines, his face had twisted into something truly ugly.He returned the letter to Magnus, a scowl forming on his lips.

"Why the hell are you still going then?" he asked Selene.

She shrugged. "I just want to go."

"Tch. You're pathetic," Damian sneered. "Desperate for friends, are you?"

Before Magnus could scold him, Selene smirked. "That is the last thing I want to hear from someone who is a whiny brat who doesn't even deserve friends."

Damian's eye twitched. "What did you just say?"

And with that, the squabbling began.

Unfortunately for him, Selene had 21 years' worth of vocabulary—including insults from the real world that weren't even invented in this world yet. Even worse, some of the names she called him were insults he was given by players on Earth. She did not hold back.

Damian's face turned a deep shade of red—not from anger, but from pure embarrassment.

Humiliated, he finally snapped, "You cursed child! You should have been disposed of!"

The carriage fell silent.

Then—

SMACK!

Magnus whacked Damian on the back of his head.

Selene, completely unfazed, simply rolled her eyes and fired back, "And you are a sadistic pervert that should be locked away."

SMACK!

This time, Merly slapped her on the back.

"Selene, enough."

Selene rubbed her sore shoulder and grumbled, "He started it!"

Damian grumbled back. "That's because I don't like you."

Selene huffed. "Well, guess what? I don't like you either!"

And the two began bickering all over again.

Magnus let out a long sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Then, he finally snapped, "WILL THE BOTH OF YOU JUST SHUT UP?!"

The guards on horseback, assigned to protect the carriage, kept close, their ears subtly tuned to the heated argument inside. Curiosity burned within them as they exchanged hushed whispers about the fierce nature of the young miss, Selene.

"She's got quite the fire in her, doesn't she?" murmured Guard #1, glancing at the driver.

The driver smirked. "Aye, I've never heard a noble lady talk back like that. She doesn't hold her tongue for anyone."

Before Guard #1 could respond, Guard #2 joined in with a knowing chuckle. "Are you really surprised? I was there when she cut off Miss Thorn's arm—lit it up with that eerie purple fire of hers. Not even water could put it out."

The driver raised an eyebrow. "You serious? I heard the rumors but didn't believe them. Then I saw Thorn walking out of the mansion, missing an arm… I started to think there might be some truth to it."

Guard #1 scoffed. "Damn. I got there late, so I missed the whole thing. What happened?"

Guard #2 leaned in, lowering his voice. "They say the young miss did it because Thorn tried to steal that peach locket—the one the Crown Prince gifted her."

The driver whistled. "That so? I heard she set a maid on fire the night before, all over that same locket."

Guard #1 nodded. "That's true. We had to drag that maid and two others out for punishment."

The driver blinked in shock before his curiosity piqued further. "What about that other rumor? The one about her beating up Galen for injuring the Crown Prince during a practice duel? They say she got him imprisoned afterward."

Guard #2 hesitated. "I don't know about that…"

Just then, Guard #3 rode up with a scoff. "No, that's not how it happened at all. She beat Galen half to death because he hurt the young master during the duel."

The men turned to him in interest.

Guard #3 smirked. "I was there, saw the whole thing. It wasn't just a beating—it was brutal. By the time she was done with him, Galen walked away with a broken arm, cracked ribs, and…" He paused for dramatic effect, then added, "Let's just say his ability to sire children is… gone."

All three men hissed in unison.

Guard #2 muttered, "Like father, like daughter… Reminds me of when Duke Magnus beat the hell out of Dr. Valmount for eyeing the young miss. Smashed his seed too."

Inside the carriage, the conversation carried clearly through the walls. Selene's face grew redder with every word.

That stupid maid incident was an accident! And Thorn and Galen—those were just my skills activating on their own! And who the hell spread the rumor that I crushed Galen's balls?!

Across from her, Damian shifted uncomfortably, clearly just as embarrassed.

Outside, the conversation continued.

Guard #1 sneered, "Dr. Valmount deserved worse. I've wanted to bash his face in for a long time, for what he did to that little girl. But the Duchess was protecting "

Selene frowned. She had know idea about this about her mother protecting Valmount. She turned to Magnus, who merely gave her a knowing nod.

The driver, still absorbing the gossip, rubbed his chin. "I heard the Lady got punished and lost some privileges. But honestly, that doesn't seem like enough for what she did."

Guard #3 snorted. "Yeah, considering what the duchess let that bastard and her son get away with. Disgusting."

Guard #2 scowled. "My niece—only five years old—was kidnapped by that bastard Damian and locked away for two weeks before Duke Magnus saved her and other children."

A heavy silence fell over the group before Guard #1 muttered, "I'm still pissed it got swept under the rug."

Guard #3 clicked his tongue. "It had to be. If it came to light, it would've caused a political disaster for the Ravencroft family. But honestly, as a former commoner, the duchess should've known her place instead of stirring trouble for her husband."

Guard #1 shot him a sharp look. "Watch your mouth! Someone could hear you."

Guard #3 sneered. "What does it matter? Ever since that incident, she's lost all her power in the household. The only things she has left are her maids, her allowance, and that little garden she wastes her time in." He chuckled darkly. "Just imagine—if everything she did were exposed, do you really think the Duke would still protect her?"

Guard #1 sighed. "She'd be finished."