Chapter 61: Pearl Makes Cressida Kneel and Apologize by Cleaning Shoes?
Cressida quickly turned around to look.
The person who had cried out was Jessica.
Cressida hurried over and saw Jessica sitting on the ground, being helped up by Elysia and Lyra together.
Pearl stood in front of Jessica, pointing at her with a mean look: "I told you to apologize, so apologize. Can't you understand?"
Peter frowned and stood nearby: "Ms. Gomez, she didn't mean it. I'll apologize on her behalf."
"What's your relationship with her? Why do you need to apologize for her?" Pearl's retort left Peter speechless, not knowing how to respond.
Jessica felt wronged: "I clearly didn't even touch you."
Cressida quietly asked the girl sitting at the same table: "What just happened?"
After asking around, Cressida learned that Jessica had just finished her nine throws, and they were about to announce Jessica as the winner, when unexpectedly, as Jessica made her last throw, Pearl suddenly walked over to talk to someone nearby.
The dart Jessica threw hit Pearl's foot, and Pearl immediately cried out in pain.
Before Jessica could apologize, Pearl reached out and pushed her.
That's how the scene just now happened.
Jessica was now brushing off her dress. Knowing she couldn't offend the Gomez family, despite feeling wronged, she said: "I'm sorry, Ms. Gomez. I didn't notice you just now."
Peter added from the side: "It's fine. Let's have a rematch. That last one doesn't count. Everyone stand further back so no one gets hit by accident."
However, Pearl wouldn't let it go.
"Just an apology and that's it? My foot will probably be swollen by tomorrow morning."
"Then what does Ms. Gomez want? Should I get a doctor to check on you?" Jessica looked at Pearl.
But Pearl stuck out her foot, showing off her fancy shoes: "Kneel down and wipe the dust off my shoes, and I'll forgive you."
Everyone's expressions changed.
Peter: "Ms. Gomez, isn't that too insulting? She said it wasn't on purpose, and she's willing to apologize."
Pearl clicked her tongue twice: "Mr. Nguyen, what's your relationship with her that you keep protecting her?"
A woman's reputation was most important, and even Peter gritted his teeth, not knowing how to explain.
Jessica's eyes turned red with anger: "I will never kneel down. You can ask me to apologize, but you can't humiliate me."
"You hurt someone and you think you're right?" Pearl questioned angrily.
Rita, standing beside Pearl, tried to persuade Jessica: "Jessica, when you apologize, you need to be sincere. How can you be so half-hearted? If Prince Marshall's fiancée Ms. Emily Gomez finds out that Ms. Pearl Gomez was injured by you, she'll definitely be angry."
Hearing Rita's words, Jessica's face changed.
No one wanted to offend the Gomez family.
Cressida walked over and stood protectively in front of Jessica.
"Ms. Pearl Gomez, it's not good to make things difficult for people. Even Ms. Emily Gomez hasn't taught you to be so unforgiving, has she?"
Cressida's words made Pearl's expression change.
"Ms. Cressida Hamilton, I don't want to come at you today. Ms. Jessica Hamilton hit me with a dart from the throwing game, so she should apologize properly in my way."
"We the Hamilton family kneel to heaven, earth, our parents, and His Majesty the King. We will never kneel to you!" Cressida's tone was cold and stern.
Her bearing was dignified. Even with gentle makeup, it was hard to hide the authority beneath her spirited and cool face.
Pearl was taken aback and secretly gritted her teeth.
"If you want me to forgive her, fine, there's another way. See that copper ring? If she can get a branch through it, I'll forgive her."
Everyone looked up at the copper ring Pearl was pointing to.
It was on the beam, probably used to hang curtains before, even smaller than an ordinary pinky ring.
Jessica's face became very ugly.
"Isn't Ms. Gomez just making things difficult?"
"Don't you always claim to be good at the throwing game? What, can't handle this?" Pearl crossed her arms, her tone contemptuous.
The throwing game was about getting things into a vase, naturally incomparable to that copper ring.
Cressida suddenly said: "I'll do it for her. If I succeed, can Ms. Gomez let this go?"
Pearl looked Cressida up and down with suspicious eyes.
Pearl had only heard that Cameron was skilled in martial arts, but Pearl knew nothing about Cressida.
Pearl looked at Rita beside her, and Rita also showed Pearl a look of uncertainty.
"Fine, it's a deal. But if you can't do it, both of you kneel down and wipe my shoes! What Hamilton family kneeling to heaven and earth—if you do something wrong, you have to own up to it!" Pearl said.
Pearl thought that even if Cressida had spent a few years at the military fortress, Cressida couldn't possibly have such good aim.
Cressida picked up a branch, and everyone held their breath for her.
"Cressida," Jessica grabbed her and said quietly, "forget it! Don't get dragged into this embarrassment with me."
Elysia lowered her voice: "Don't worry. I heard Prince Marshall brought his fiancée Ms. Gomez on the boat today. They're nearby. I already sent a servant to get them."
"Cressida, don't go against Pearl. Pearl always holds grudges and is hard to deal with. This time Pearl is deliberately making things difficult for Jessica, probably because at the previous Fable Feast, Jessica beat Pearl at the throwing game and embarrassed Pearl in public."
Cressida's tone was light: "It's fine."
With just those brief words, she bent down and picked up a branch.
Pearl crossed her arms and stood to the side, watching Cressida with mocking eyes.
The branch was almost thicker than the copper ring—how could it possibly go through?
Pearl whispered mockingly to Rita: "I've never seen someone so eager to get insulted."
Rita couldn't laugh.
Rita remembered Cressida's actions at the estate these past days—she wasn't someone to mess with.
What if Cressida actually got it through?
Cressida held the branch between her fingers and raised it to line it up with the copper ring.
She found the right moment, and suddenly flicked her wrist forcefully.
The branch broke into two pieces the instant it left her hand.
One piece flew toward Pearl, directly knocking off Pearl's earring, and her ear immediately started bleeding.
The other piece flew upward, passing smoothly through the copper ring before falling to the ground.
The speed was astonishing. Everyone was still holding their breath in silence when they saw the branch pass through the copper ring, and then burst into cheers.
"Good! Well done!" Peter shouted the loudest.
Pearl stared at the copper ring in shock.
At that moment, Rita beside Pearl suddenly cried out: "Pearl, your ear is bleeding!"
Pearl touched her earlobe, and the blood on her fingertips was alarming. Her expression immediately became very ugly, and then she glared fiercely at Cressida.
"You dare hurt me? You did it on purpose!"
"Ms. Gomez misunderstands. How could I deliberately do such a thing? It was all just an accident." Cressida's spirited and beautiful face showed a very calm expression.
Cressida smiled slightly, which only made Pearl feel more mocked.
"How dare you, Cressida, being so unreasonable! Someone, hold her down. However she hurt me, I'll hurt her back the same way!"
The Gomez family servants standing at the door rushed over, and Jessica and Peter actually moved to stand in front of Cressida.
But before those servants could make a move, they heard a stern rebuke.
"Stop!"
Everyone looked toward the stairs.
Marshall came upstairs with a dark expression, accompanied by Emily whose face was ashen.
Behind them followed Miguel and Joseph Russell and others.
Seeing them, Pearl's eyes immediately changed to look innocent and wronged.
"Emily, Cressida hurt me on purpose!" Pearl covered her bleeding ear, almost ready to faint, "It hurts, it hurts so much!"