Is that the Duke of Monday
“That''s him. I saw him before when the Holy Lady prayed for the nation here in Hasen City-he''s the one who kicked her out of the Stonor family and even struck her name from the family tree just to protect his illegitimate daughter"
"Really? I heard it was the Holy Lady who couldn''t stand the family''s favoritism and left on her own."
"Same difference. The Stonor family wronged her either way. Haven''t you heard? One of their sons actually barged into Saint Grace Nunnery and pped the Holy Lady in front of everyone, just to defend that illegitimate girl"
"Oh my god. He hit his own sister to defend a mistress-bom brat?"
"Like father, like son
"And now he wants to bully her again? Does he really think we''re just going to stand by and watch?
The anger in the apothecary swelled as more people recalled Gabriel''s earlier threats against Eliza.
"Don''t think we''re scared of you just because you''re the Duke of Mowbay!"
"If you darey another hand on her, we''ll take it straight to the throne. No one bullies the Holy Lady-not on our watch!"
The shopkeeper who''d just been chatting with Eliza was the first to speak up. Though the saying went "Heaven is high and the emperor far away, many of the people here weren''t locals. And even if Gabriel still held some power in Hasen City, his reach didn''t extend to them-not anymore.
Especially not with Prince Regent Nn back. With Nn safeguarding the people, who dared abuse their status!
Gabriel''s face darkened. He hadn''t expected that in just a short time, public opinion in Hasen City would already be turning against him like this.
He didn''t believe for a second that Eliza and Nn hadn''t had a hand in it.
Eliza met his seething gaze with calm disdain. Her expression mirrored his-cold,posed, and razor-sharp. The resemnce between father and daughter was uncanny.
She slipped one hand behind her back and let her fingers curl around a small pill tucked into her palm. A. faint medicinal scent drifted out, blending with the other herbs in the air.
Then Eliza opened her mouth and mouthed a single sentence without sound, her lips moving deliberately. "Father, Sophie isn''t dead yet. But don''t worry-I''ll make sure she is."
Her final words were sharp and crystal clear.
Gabriel''s pupils shrank. Rage erupted within him like a dam breaking, smashing through the restraint that had always t his temper in check.
With a furious stride, he shoved past the bystanders and marched straight toward Eliza-then raised his hand and pped.
her.
The blow sent Eliza''s head snapping to the side. A vivid red mark bloomed across her cheek, and a trickle of blood escaped from the corner of her mouth.
The entire apothecary fell into stunned silence.
Gabriel stood frozen, his palm still tingling from the strike, his chest heaving. Even he hadn''t anticipated the fury that had
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taken hold of him-nor the regret that followedtin instantter.
But he''d already hit her. He couldn''t take it back. And apologizing? Out of the question. Lowering his hand, he spoke coldly. "I am your father. Even if you''ve been disowned. I am still your only blood parent. You shouldn''t have provoked me
Eliza raised her hand and calmly wiped away the blood at her lips. She looked him dead in the eye and let out a low, contemptuousugh. Father? Biologically, yes, you are my only living parent. But unfortunately, I''m not your only daughter. And the way you favor one over the other... it''s disgusting."
There it was the usation she''d held in her heart for two lifetimes, finally spoken aloud.
She stared at the man who had once seemed to herrger than life, her childhood hero. But now her eyes brimmed not with reverence, but with hatred.
"He hit her... the Duke of Mowbay actually hit the Holy Lady...
"Oh god-Your Gracel"
"Are you all right?"
"Your Grace, please,e to the back. Hurry!"
The people in the shop, finally shaken from their shock, rushed to surround Eliza protectively. The shopkeepers stepped forward, cing themselves between her and Gabriel.
The apothecary''s owner red at Gabriel. Duke of Mowbay, our shop is now closed to you. Please leave. If you have anyints, take it up with our master-Duke of Noganlul."
Gabriel finally spared the man a nce. Duke of Noganlul. Not quite as formidable as Nn, but still a troublesome warlord in his own right, with tens of thousands of soldiers under hismand.
He narrowed his eyes and turned back to Eliza, then muttered, "You got lucky
today. But next time, it won''t just be a p."
Eliza pressed a hand to her cheek and lowered her eyes, saying nothing.
Next time? As if she''d ever give him the chance to strike her again.
This p alone... was more than enough.
After Gabriel stormed out, Eliza stood amidst the concerned crowd. Her eyes shimmered-then tears fell, unbidden.
She wiped them away quickly, forced a smile, and said to everyone in the shop, "I''m all right. Thank you all for standing up for me. If not for your kindness, I truly wouldn''t know what I''d have done today"
It was a move straight out of Sophie''s old ybook.
After watching her half-sister pull this trick countless times, how could Eliza not have learned it by now?
Seeing her trying so hard to smile through her tears, everyone around her was instantly moved
"What a tragedy... How could the Duke of Mowbay be so blind? Favoring a mistress-born child over a proper daughter?"
"She had such a beautiful face too, and now look what he''s done to it"
"She''s n
not even part of the Stonor family anymore, yet he still chases her down and strikes her? Unbelievable."
The shopkeeper rushed over. "Your Grace, let me apply some medicine-if you don''t treat that now, it''ll hurt for days."
Thankfully, this was a pharmacy, and if there was one thing they had in abundance, it was medicine. He brought out salves
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Chapery 272
for swedine pan erlied and men herbal stermekei to present scarring.
Eliza, Fondantrassend to improve after carting nach a ine, inicully refused. But when they insisted, she epted quietly-and before long she slipped a few silver intors onto the enunter
learne
After she was poor, the shopkeeper found them and let out a long nigh
"Ax the folks in Putorville und-traly, the Holy Lady is beauty and kindness made
Besh"
One of the shophands gebied hard to believe that someone like her could be treated that way
"Will
The shopkeeper med. That''s what happens when a man stays in power too long. Arrogance blinds them. They think they''re above consequence
He turned to look out the window "Mark my words-by tomorrow, this whole city
will know what happened here."
And indeed, by morning the story of the p that shook the apothecary was on everyone''s lips in Hasen City
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