A Double Blow On The Protagonist Pride

Anna's sudden laughter shattered the tense silence. The unexpected sound echoed through the room, cutting through the thick atmosphere like a blade. But instead of easing the tension, it only made things more awkward, especially for Isla.

Her face, already burning with humiliation, turned an even deeper shade of red, the color accentuated by the faint but visible imprint of a hand on her cheek. The contrast between her shame-filled expression and the stinging red marks made her look almost comical. Vivian noticed it, and for a brief moment, she, too, felt the urge to laugh. But she quickly stifled the impulse. Now was not the time for amusement.

"Anna," she called, her tone laced with warning.

Anna, still chuckling, tried to rein in her amusement, but the smirk on her lips refused to fade. "My apologies, my lady," she said, making an attempt at sincerity but failing entirely. "It's just… it's rare to see justice served so swiftly. Some people always try to bite off more than they can chew, and it's rather satisfying to see them choke on it for once."

The words sent a jolt of fury through Isla.

Her humiliation had already been unbearable, the sting of Anna's slap still fresh on her skin, the weight of everyone's stares pressing down on her like a crushing force. But now, this lowly lady-in-waiting still had the audacity to mock her?

Isla's nails dug into her palms as her hands curled into fists.

How dare she?

She is nothing but a mere servant of a higher noble, someone that they are of the same status but just having the luck of higher significance in the high society, speaking to her with such blatant disrespect? Isla had always known the people around Vivian were arrogant, but this… this was beyond anything she had ever imagined.

Her breathing quickened, and her eyes burned with fury as she turned a sharp glare toward Anna.

"You—" she started, voice trembling with barely restrained anger.

But before she could lash out, Anna cut her off.

"To be honest, I never liked you, Your Grace," she said smoothly, her tone almost too casual, as if she were commenting on the weather. "But for once, just this once, I have to admit that you did something worthy of praise."

The room fell into stunned silence.

Isla's entire body stiffened.

The insult struck harder than the slap.

Her pride, already bruised and battered, now lay in shambles. Never before had someone dared to humiliate her so openly. Never before had she been so utterly disrespected.

Her vision blurred with rage. She wanted to scream, to strike back, to demand Anna be punished for her insolence. But as her gaze flickered to Vivian, who stood composed, regal, and completely unaffected, something cold settled in her stomach.

Vivian wasn't just standing in silence. She was letting this happen.

No, she was allowing it.

Realization dawned, and the humiliation turned into something uglier. This wasn't just about Anna's words. This was about Vivian.

Isla had always seen her as an obstacle, a rival, but never a true threat. And yet, here she was, standing unscathed while Isla was the one left humiliated. Was this always how it was meant to be? Was she always meant to lose to her?

"Anna!" Vivian's voice rang sharp with anger, breaking the moment.

Unlike her earlier reprimand, which had been merely cautionary, this was a scolding born of genuine frustration.

As much as she valued Anna, and as often as she indulged her sharp tongue, this was too much. Anna was letting her emotions get the best of her, speaking without thought of the consequences.

Vivian sighed, glancing around the room. Did it always have to be like this? Did the people around her have to make things harder for her at every turn? It was as if everyone close to her lost all sense of reason the moment they felt the need to defend her, throwing caution to the wind as if their actions held no weight.

Had the original author designed her family and companions to be this foolish just to make it easier to cast them as villains? To justify their downfall at the hands of the so-called righteous heroine and her harem of powerful male leads?

She wants to avoid the main cast of the original novel but her efforts were being undermined by the very people who should have been helping her.

It wasn't the female protagonist she feared. No, without the plot armor shielding her, the heroine was hardly even a threat. It was the male leads she had to be wary of. Even if the story's protective narrative was stripped away, they were formidable. Dangerous. Not the kind of men who tolerated insults, no matter how justified.

And here was Anna, practically handing them a reason to retaliate.

For the first time, Isla saw something flicker across Vivian's face, frustration, not at her, but at Anna.

She watched, bitter and silent, as Vivian attempted to smooth over the situation.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace," Vivian said, her voice calm, and controlled. "I apologize on behalf of my lady-in-waiting. I hope you can find it in you to forgive her—for my sake."

Anna remained silent at first, clearly reluctant, but under Vivian's gaze, she finally lowered her head. "…I apologize," she muttered, though her resentment was still evident.

Isla barely heard the words.

Her mind was still reeling, her heart pounding with anger.

But then—

"It's alright, my lady," Leonard's voice broke the silence. "In the end, the fault lies with me for not treating you well."

His words sent a wave of shock through the room.

Alaric stiffened beside him, his usually impassive expression betraying his surprise. He hadn't expected such an admission from the Duke, not in front of witnesses. Vivian, too, was caught off guard, though she quickly masked her reaction.

Anna, on the other hand, was outright stunned. She had never believed Leonard capable of such humility. Despite Alaric's hints about the Duke's feelings, she had assumed Leonard was too proud to ever acknowledge his mistakes, let alone display such tenderness.

But no one was more shaken than Isla.

And just like that, Isla's rage twisted into something else entirely.

Shock.

Betrayal.

Her breath caught in her throat.

She had always had one belief, that Leonard cared for her. That his attention, his lingering glances, his moments of protectiveness had meant something. That he had feelings for her.

She had convinced herself that the Duke harbored feelings for her. Why else would he have paid her more attention than any other noblewoman, including his own wife? She had taken his actions as proof that she held power over him, that she had the ability to sway him even without her magical power.

But now, hearing that same man speak in such a gentle tone to Vivian, seeing the way he looked at her, Isla felt something inside her shatter.

she realized how deeply she had miscalculated 

Had she been wrong?

Had she been a fool all along?

Her nails dug into her palms as she clenched her fists.

Her entire body trembled, not with embarrassment this time, but with the overwhelming realization that she had lost.

That she had never even stood a chance.

No.

No, she refused to accept that.

If Vivian thought this was over, if she thought this was a victory, she was sorely mistaken.

Because Isla would never forgive this.

And she would make sure Vivian regretted ever humiliating her.

Yesterday I successfully published my 50th chapter on this app and I felt so proud of myself 😊☺️.