"I am not talking to either both you. I want to hear the Baron and only the Baron." he added that made the kneeling baron flinched upon hearing his name and title with such anger under those cold voice.
Maximus almost wanted to laugh at his self. He would give a the Baron -who hurt his daughter- a chance to explain his self?
But he already decided, no matter what the Baron give an excuse, he would surely bring him to the pits and pits of hell.
'Why now?! He even did not handled his sons' business like this and all he did was make his aides go all around! What did this wench do?! Was she perhaps a witch?' the Baron thought in the midst of conversation with the Duke.
Or could this be even called a conversation?
The Duke unsheathed his sword hanging on his waist and in the blink of an eye, it was already pointing on the Baron's wrinkled neck. The Baron widened his eyes and held up his breath. He could feel his heart thumping heavily in his chest and cold sweats forming in his forehead.
He could not even swallow the lump on his throat in fright that his neck might have a contact with the sword and slit his neck.
The Knights restrained theirselves to falter in shock while the maids shown visible fear. The Baron felt like his nerves in his head were going to explode because of grave nervous.
"But you must remember Baron Striford, if you say anything funny, you will not feel your head anymore -and everyone in this room will be seeing your head rolling in the floor- after that, before you could even finish your sentence." Maximus warned the Baron that made Maxineirah turn her head to her father's direction and see clearly what was happening.
Baron Striford was lost of words to say. He was not sure if he could still lie or tell the truth but whatever he say -the truth or the lie- one thing he know was for sure, he would lose his head and will roll on the ground with eyes open.
Maximus and his children were all sitting inside the Duke's office and other than them, everyone were all outside the room.
The Duke was sitting behind his table, leaning on his clasped hands. The children were sitting on the two long couches infront of the working table. Maxine was looking down to her shoes as her fingers fidgets. She could feel six pairs of eyes looking at her intently.
She did not expect that they would end up like this.
After dealing with the Baron, -who told the truth but head still intact- the Duke ordered to have him and his children to have a meeting but in the Duke's head, it was not just a simple meeting because he wanted to clear things up.
He wanted his children to open up to him because all of them have all been secretive or there were things they did not tell him exactly.
But first things first, he should deal with his daughter's education.
"Does anyone of you knew about the teacher going wild with Maxine?" Maximus asked in a low voice so he would not intimidate his children, all thanks to the Butler, Kathelina and the Head Maid's advice on how to manage his children that they wrote on a book he requested.
They all secretly clenched their hands except for Maxineirah who unconsciously closed her eyes when none of his brothers replied to their father's question. They all took back their stares at their sister.
Maxineirah's brothers were greatly dissapointed of themselves because they knew nothing what was going on about their sister's life.
In the first place, she never expect them to know anyway but it still saddened her because none of them really know nothing about her state.
She reached for her chest when it tightened because of the idea.
It was still painful to know that they all seemed so close to her but now, it looks like it was all just a facade to show that everything was fine but in general, they still did not know anything about her.
Did they really know her? Or they just know her as their innocent, kind and cute daughter and sister because that was what she was showing to everyone?
It felt like they were all wearing a mask infront of Maxineirah.
They know her favorite dish salmon in garlic sauce but did they even know her other favorite food? Her favorite color? Her favorite dress? Her favorite accessories? Or even just the soap and the scent she was using when taking a bath?
Because if they would ask her about her brothers and father's favorites, prefers or even the stuff they uses, she was a hundred percent sure that she could answer them all correctly.
It was not because she already lived in the past that gave her the upper hand but because ever since in the past -when she was in this same age- she already had her eyes set on them.
She thought something had changed already. But right, it was just her thought fooling her.
Maybe, there was really nothing.
They might be just covering their facades with lies and nothings and all the good things that happened were just her own hope.
Maybe,she was the only who had been happy all along.
She was just hallucinated and her hopes clouded her mind.
Sadly, it was only Maxine's hopeless wish, nonetheless.
Maximus leaned on his back, massage his temple and dropped his other hand to his lap, problematic. He did not know what to say anymore because he alone, did not know that his only daughter was being maltreated by her goddamn teacher.
He was ashamed of his self to face his daughter and it felt like there was a line drawn between them that separates them from his daughter.
"Maxine, answer me... Does Countess Stefna and Countess Clawsful also beating you up?" the Duke asked and his heart wavered when he saw his daughter nodded quietly.
"What exactly did they do to you? When? How?" he could not believe it! How could he not know it all along? He stood up from his seat and hovered ttowards his children to hear them more carefully.
"Since the beginning. Countess Clawsful was the one who liked to beat me up in my legs, Baron Striford always whipped my palm but when he got tired with my palms, he had gone down whipping my legs, same goes with Countess Stefna who liked to pinch me but later on, she also brought her own whip." Maxine replied in a low voice while her hands clenching on her skirt.
She could not lift her head because she felt like her tears would suddenly roll down her face.
She was reluctant to see any of the faces in the room because she was felt dismayed. Dismayed to herself that she hoped for the impossible to happen. How foolish of her to think that they were all right.
Her brothers and father were stunned and felt like a cold bucket of water was spilled on the top of their head because of what they heard. They reacted the way they know.
Maxlein, Maxillary and Maxwell blew out an air while Maximo placed his elbows on the top of his legs and brushed his palms on his face.
Maximillian on the other hand, leaned on his back and cowered his eyes with his left forearm. Maximus stayed silent, clenching his fist to white.
"I will change your tutors." the Duke said in a low voice.
'What is there to be glad about?' Maxine thought after refraining to talk back to her father.
Everything had already done, this scars may heal after time but the pain would be forever be there.
How many times have she kept the scars?
How many heartbreaks she endured?
Must she die again just to gain another battle?
To struggle for the nth time?
Then she remembered what Servenia have whispered to her that she would not ever forget even the Grace had said it or not.
"I wonder if you still remember... Arenia-" Maxine shook her head to clear her thoughts.
What the God told her about had already passed a long time ago and she already buried those names inside her chest. It was better to be left forgotten because there were things that was better to be burried.
Only the memories had remained to her mind right now. The memories of the 'pasts' that the Grace was talking about, that she should not even remember at all but still forsakingly reminiscing all of it.
"Does any of you have another concerns that you should say to me? Reveal all you have to say. Let's open up and I will be forgiving just now." the Duke told them as he sat back to his chair.
"U-uhm. Maxillary and I placed the earthworms in your closet when you did not send us out to school." Maxwell confessed hesitantly, scratching his cheek and his eyes were looking at other direction.
"I knew it." the Duke's hunch was confirmed. The siblings have this disgusting look on their faces as they look at the their two brothers.
"I broke Father's favorite teacup set." Maximillian confessed with an embarassed look on his face. Their jaws fell and looked at Maxwell b. How could their composed eldest brother broke a whole teacup set?
"What? Then why was I blamed?" Maxlein asked while pointing to his self.
"Because you are the clumsy one." Maximo replied half-smiling.
"I am not clumsy! They were just really fragile!" Maxlein defended and crossed his arm and leaned that made everyone puffed their cheeks because of stopping themselves from laughing.
"Compared to you who dropped the shoe you borrowed in the mud." Maxlein added, smirking. The latter scowled at him that the rest of them laughed but they imeddiately stopped and cleared their throats after realizing something.
Maxineirah stared at them and giggled.
Maybe, she was not entirely wrong and some of the good things were really from their hearta. There were still little changes to their attitudes and manners when they were together. She wanted to trust herself that one day, she could change them completely.