Chapter 7 Teach the Damn Servant a Lesson, Michael is Back
Patrick looked down at the stick in his hand, and a hint of awkwardness flashed across his face.
Clio continued to accuse relentlessly: "Cressida, you just got back and you're already smashing up the courtyard. Your father was upset by you too."
"So was I wrong to smash those things?" Cressida shot back.
Patrick immediately answered: "You were right to smash them. Better to lose these things than let others become suspicious."
Clio glanced at him, wanting to say something but holding back, and in the end said nothing.
At this, Cressida sneered inwardly.
She knew Patrick's character all too well.
Nothing was more important to him than his career and wealth.
Whoever helped him protect his reputation was his good daughter.
"Since Father came with the punishment stick, please punish those damn servants who offended me."
Earlier, he had walked over angrily with the punishment stick, and quite a few household servants had seen him.
Beating the servants would give him a way out.
Clio grabbed his wrist: "Patrick, those people are Rose's servants. They've served her for years..."
"It's precisely because they haven't been kept in line that they dare say such things. Beat them!" Patrick shook off Clio's hand, gripped the stick, and strode outside.
Soon, the sounds of servants being punished, begging for mercy and wailing, came from outside.
Clio's face darkened. She turned back to stare at Cressida, her eyes like knives.
"Cressida, you just got home, you beat Tatum, and now you're getting your father to beat other servants. Do you have to make the household miserable?"
"Tatum's eyes are so dim she doesn't even recognize me. Those servants outside spoke rudely to me. What does it matter if a few damn servants are beaten or killed? For the Hamilton family's reputation, Clio doesn't need to feel sorry."
Clio was left speechless, and finally only left behind the words "do as you please" before hurrying out to persuade Patrick.
Soon, those servants were beaten bloody and half-dead, dragged away.
Patrick instructed Clio: "Have someone clean up the courtyard properly and return it to Cressida."
Clio frowned: "Give it back to her? Then where will Rose live?"
"Put Rose anywhere, but Cressida must not only move back into her courtyard, she must live well. Don't be confused about this!"
After Patrick spoke, he left with his hands behind his back.
In the evening, as the sky darkened, snow began to fall.
The bloodstains in the courtyard had been cleaned up.
She sat cross-legged on the newly made bed, using her internal energy to force out the cold from her body.
She was covered in sweat, as if she'd been washed with water.
The cold that had entered her body from kneeling in the snow during the day was all expelled as sweat.
An hour later, Cressida's face was rosy and glowing, her internal energy flowing smoothly.
She called for Emma. As soon as Emma entered, she dropped to her knees.
"Miss Hamilton, please don't kill me."
Cressida took a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from her forehead, her eyes sweeping over: "Why do you say that?"
She had been allowed to listen outside the door and had heard a shocking secret.
"Miss Hamilton, I will never reveal your secrets to anyone. I'd rather die than betray you. Please spare my life!"
Emma was terrified.
Patrick had come looking for trouble so aggressively, but in the end Cressida had used him to deal with those servants.
So many valuable things had been smashed in the courtyard, yet Patrick said nothing and even had the courtyard redecorated.
In just one afternoon, with a few words, Cressida had completely turned around an unfavorable situation.
Emma knew that with Cressida's abilities, killing a small maid like her would be easy.
Seeing Emma trembling, Cressida spoke calmly: "Get up. I never intended to kill you."
"I let you hear these things because as the person closest to me, you'd find out sooner or later."
"Miss Hamilton..."
"Emma, how do you think my parents treat me? Tell the truth."
Emma paused, then lowered her head: "They're too biased. I just don't understand why they treat you this way when you've sacrificed so much for the family."
Cressida laughed, speaking casually: "Because Mother hates me. In their eyes, everything I've done isn't merit—it's making up for what I owe."
When Clio was pregnant with her, she was indeed carrying twins.
On the day of delivery, the wet nurse said Clio first gave birth to a boy, then Cressida.
What no one expected was that Cressida's little hand was gripping the boy's leg, and they were born together like that.
The boy was weak and died shortly after birth.
An experienced doctor privately told her that twins compete for nutrients in the womb.
From then on, Clio always believed that Cressida had stolen her twin brother's life force, causing her to lose her eldest son.
Clio consulted a monk, who said that one twin living and one dying was unlucky, and if Clio wanted another son, she must pretend the eldest was still alive.
So only those in the main courtyard of the Hamilton Mansion knew the boy had died.
Everyone else thought the boy was born weak and sent away by Clio to recuperate.
It was precisely because of this that when Cressida was fourteen, she had the chance to disguise herself as a man, take on her dead brother's identity, and join the army in her father's place.
She had known since childhood that Clio didn't love her. Clio always maintained a stern and indifferent attitude, setting countless requirements for her.
Back then, Cressida naively thought that if she performed well, Clio would treat her differently.
So she worked hard at martial arts, living for two people.
Whenever Clio showed her a cold look, she would immediately reflect on whether she'd done something wrong.
She had been suppressed by family ties for too long—so long that in her past life at the birthday banquet, when Clio smiled and handed her a drink, she still thought it was truly to celebrate her new life.
Emma cried, heartbroken over Cressida's experiences.
"From now on in this household, I'll risk my life to protect you, Miss Hamilton."
Cressida helped her up: "The ones who should be risking their lives are them."
Emma couldn't help saying: "Miss Hamilton, if they go too far, you should go to Princess Russell for help. After all, today Princess Russell said if you're in trouble, you can go to her."
Cressida looked at the flickering candlelight on the desk.
"Favors should only be used when things are going well. You can't count on others for help in hard times—you have to rely on yourself."
When it came to revenge, she had to personally orchestrate sending this family of heartless wolves to hell!
Cressida took out a box of medicinal ginger pills from her bundle and gave them to Emma.
She told her to apply them to her knees to expel the cold from kneeling in the snow today.
Emma gratefully accepted and helped Cressida heat water for a bath.
That night, Cressida lay on the bed.
Although returning home had gotten off to a good start, it didn't mean the days ahead would be easy.
Patrick's honors had already been bestowed by Doyle.
In half a month, Doyle's queen, Odette Chambers, would hold a palace banquet and invite Clio to attend with her daughter.
In her past life, Cressida had been ordered to stay home while Clio took Rose to the palace.
Not long after they returned, an imperial decree arrived.
Supposedly, Rose had played a piece at the banquet expressing longing for Cameron, which moved Doyle and led to further honors for the Hamilton family.
Cressida didn't want those honors to fall to them again. She needed to do something in advance.
Moreover, Cressida remembered that before this palace banquet, Clio had done something major for Rose.
The next morning.
Cressida ate simple dishes.
Emma said: "It's rather plain, but the kitchen said there's nothing more."
She was indignant, knowing they were being made things difficult for.
But Cressida was quite accepting of it.
"These dishes aren't bad. They'll do." She'd eaten far worse food at the border.
Emma pressed her lips together: "Miss Hamilton, I'll definitely find a way to get you better food."
Just then, a commotion came from the doorway, accompanied by angry cursing.
"Where's Cressida? Tell her to get out here!"
Hearing this voice, Cressida's eyes turned cold.
Michael was back.