Silent Bullying

Elara knew Isabelle was deliberately making things difficult, but she had no choice. Under Knight Kaelen's cold gaze and Isabelle's malicious stare, she could only silently walk towards the pile of thick, heavy, damp branches.

The branches had just been pruned, still covered in fresh dirt and moisture, astonishingly heavy. Elara had to use all her strength just to lift one or two of the thinnest ones. She needed to carry them out of the courtyard to the designated refuse pile outside. The distance wasn't long, but for her current state, it felt like miles.

She staggered forward, carrying the heavy branches. The rough bark scraped against her thin tunic and arms, leaving fiery red marks. Sweat quickly soaked her forehead and back, her breathing growing ragged.

Isabelle sat on the stone bench in the distance, whispering and laughing with her maids, her eyes occasionally flicking towards Elara as if watching an amusing monkey show. She even deliberately raised her voice, saying to her maids, "My, so clumsy, can't even handle such a simple task. Seems the 'little plaything' His Grace brought back isn't very useful after all."

The maids immediately let out sycophantic, suppressed giggles, quiet but clearly audible to Elara, piercing like needles.

Elara clenched her jaw, swallowing all the humiliation and anger. She knew Isabelle wanted to see her fail, see her break down. She absolutely couldn't let her succeed!

She focused all her attention on the path beneath her feet and the branches in her arms, moving forward step by difficult step. Sweat blurred her vision; she could only rely on feeling her way.

Suddenly, her foot slipped!

With a cry of surprise, Elara lost her balance, falling heavily onto the hard gravel ground, the branches crashing down with her!

Thud! The heavy branches landed on the ground, and also on her leg! A sharp pain shot through her, almost making her faint! Her arms and knees were scraped raw by the rough stones, bleeding.

"Hahahaha!" Isabelle and her maids burst into open, malicious laughter!

"Oh dear, how useless! Can't even walk properly!" Isabelle shook her head in mock pity, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Seems this 'Object Seven' is indeed quite fragile."

Elara lay on the ground, trembling with pain. She struggled to get up, but the sharp pain in her leg made it impossible to exert any force. Humiliating tears welled in her eyes, but she bit her lip hard, refusing to let them fall. She knew crying now would only make Isabelle more delighted!

Just then, Knight Kaelen, who had been standing like a statue at the entrance, moved.

With long strides, he reached Elara's side in a few steps. His face remained impassive, his eyes cold, but his gaze lingered for a moment on Elara's bleeding knee and the thick branches pinning her leg.

Elara's heart leaped. What would he do? Order her to get up herself, coldly, like the knight at the hunting ground? Or...

Unexpectedly, Kaelen bent down. He reached out his large hand, clad in a black leather glove, not to help her up, but... with swift efficiency, he easily lifted the heavy branches off her leg.

Then, he straightened up, his gaze shifting towards Isabelle, who was still giggling with her maids in the distance. His voice remained level, yet carried an undeniable chill:

"Lady Isabelle, the wind is strong here. Your constitution is delicate. It would be best if you returned indoors to rest."

His words were calm, even carrying a semblance of polite "concern," but the underlying order to leave and the warning tone were unmistakable.

Isabelle's laughter died abruptly! She clearly hadn't expected Kaelen, this wooden knight who usually only obeyed the Duke, to actually... speak up for this worthless slave?! Although his words sounded harmless, his eyes... his eyes were clearly warning her!

Isabelle's face instantly turned somewhat ugly. Though she held a special status, she didn't dare openly offend the Duke's most trusted guard. She shot a venomous glare at Elara on the ground, as if saying "You got lucky," then reluctantly led her maids away from the courtyard, disgruntled.

Once again, only Elara and Kaelen remained in the courtyard.

Kaelen didn't spare Elara another glance, nor did he offer any help. He simply returned to the courtyard entrance, resuming his ice-wall posture, as if nothing had happened.

Lying on the ground, Elara watched Kaelen's indifferent back, her heart filled with confusion and... a tiny, uncertain ripple.

Kaelen... had he just... helped her?

Though his tone remained cold, his eyes indifferent, he had driven Isabelle away, and he had removed the branches pinning her leg.

Did this mean he wasn't entirely devoid of human feeling? Did he... harbor some hidden, perhaps even unacknowledged, sympathy for her?

Elara didn't dare think too deeply. She knew that in this den of demons, anything seemingly warm could hide deadly poison. Kaelen's actions might simply stem from his duty as a guard—ensuring the Duke's "object" remained intact. Or perhaps... the Duke had given him some secret order she didn't know about?

She struggled, enduring the sharp pain, slowly pushing herself up from the ground. The cuts on her knees and arms stung fiercely, but not as much as the confusion and wariness in her heart.

She didn't look at Kaelen again. Silently, limping, she continued towards the remaining pile of branches.

Whatever Kaelen's motives were, she couldn't rely on anyone.

She could only rely on herself.

And... on the hatred that grew ever more resilient amidst the silent bullying and despair.